They serve really good coffee at White Lily Diner, though I picked this place for my party of three because I absolutely love grits for breakfast. So I opted for their Southern Breakfast entree. I was very impressed by the flavors here… the bacon was tasty and nice and crispy, scrambled eggs served up perfectly. The music playing over the sound system helped set the vibe, featuring classic Soul music (Otis, Aretha, Philly Soul). It’s all very fitting, because you’ll find a few plates featuring what I consider to be elevated soul food. A great way to start your day. 🌞

I was just in the neighborhood thrifting and really wanted some brunch because I love brunch. And lucky to my surprise, I saw this place was highly rated and also already on my want to try list, so of course I had to try it. I entered and it was a nice cozy place and I loved it. We ordered the turkey dinner and summer toast and both of those were BANGING. I highly highly recommend you try this place out, the food was incredible and I can’t wait to come back. I think I lucked out on the timing because it says there’s usually a long line but we had no wait time, what more can I ask for? This place also looks locally owned, which hopefully someone can fact check, if so, even more power because I love to support my fellow Torontonians, we make some GOOD food lads.

No kidding, this is the best Canadian diner in Toronto! I’ve been here more than once, and the food is seriously SO good every single time.

Their donuts are amazing too, and I absolutely LOVE their peach jam! I think it’s seasonal, but if you happen to see it when you’re there, definitely grab a jar!

The service is also top-notch. Everyone is incredibly professional, warm, and welcoming. I love the whole retro diner vibe, and despite the vintage look, everything is always super clean and tidy, from the dining area to the counter.

Definitely one of my favourite spots in Toronto. Highly recommend!

The coffee was excellent, Reunion Coffee, a great roaster with great taste. Our party ordered the meatloaf, the hot turkey sandwich, the White Lily breakfast special, and biscuits and jam. It’s hard to pick a favourite. The hot turkey sandwich, topped with savoury French toast, maple butter, and gravy, was certainly the highlight of the meal. The meatloaf with grits cooked to perfection was a close second.

Everything is made in house. We ordered two doughnuts to go, a pistachio cruller and a coffee cream filled doughnut. I also spotted a rare treat, celery soda, and being adventurous, gave it a try. It was one of the most refreshing drinks I’ve had, also made in house.

I’ll be back many times. I can’t recommend White Lily Diner enough. It’s amazing.

White Lily Diner is definitely popular, so be prepared to wait. The good thing is that you can join the waitlist online, which makes it easier since you can walk around and come back when they text you or when you’re closer to the front of the line. We waited for about 2 hours.

The food was good overall, but the biscuit was the highlight for me. Definitely worth trying. I can see why people like this place, but personally I think it’s a bit overhyped. Worth visiting once for the experience.

The food was good, but maybe my expectations were too high because I was not blown away. One of the people with me got pancakes which were quite dense, we found that surprising. I found the meatloaf slightly oversalted. The salmon toast was good, but nothing particularly creative. We were quoted 45 minutes at the door and waited 90 minutes. Once ordered the food took over 30 minutes to arrive. Some of the interesting things like the homemade pickles and fermented green beans are like $7 for a portion, we didn’t really want a large portion and were a bit disappointed that there no option to add a small sampler for a few dollars. Overall I wouldn’t come back.

The food was good, but maybe my expectations were too high because I was not blown away. One of the people with me got pancakes which were quite dense, we found that surprising. I found the meatloaf slightly oversalted. The salmon toast was good, but nothing particularly creative. We were quoted 45 minutes at the door and waited 90 minutes. Once ordered the food took over 30 minutes to arrive. Some of the interesting things like the homemade pickles and fermented green beans are like $7 for a portion, we didn’t really want a large portion and were a bit disappointed that there no option to add a small sampler for a few dollars. Overall I wouldn’t come back.

I went for weekend brunch and, honestly, I went in expecting a bit of a wait since the reviews often mentioned it. We waited about 30 minutes, but it felt reasonable given how small the place is. I ordered the Hot Turkey, White Lily Standard Breakfast, Caesar Salad, and Sweet Potato Salad, along with a filter coffee. The food was genuinely delicious. Prices are typical for Toronto not very cheap, but reasonable for the quality. Overall, I was satisfied. Would I go again? Yes, but I’d avoid peak hours. I’d recommend it, just don’t set your expectations for “fast service.”

I went for weekend brunch and, honestly, I went in expecting a bit of a wait since the reviews often mentioned it. We waited about 30 minutes, but it felt reasonable given how small the place is. I ordered the Hot Turkey, White Lily Standard Breakfast, Caesar Salad, and Sweet Potato Salad, along with a filter coffee. The food was genuinely delicious. Prices are typical for Toronto not very cheap, but reasonable for the quality. Overall, I was satisfied. Would I go again? Yes, but I’d avoid peak hours. I’d recommend it, just don’t set your expectations for “fast service.”

A lovely spot for a hearty breakfast. The vibes are quite cute and they have an extensive menu. We loved the caesarish salad and the hot turkey was... quite a comforty treat but HEFTY. The hashbrown was nice with the malt mayo.

Trick is to get into the queue once it opens before/while you're on the way. But make sure you're there in good time for your turn or else you'll lose your table.

A lovely spot for a hearty breakfast. The vibes are quite cute and they have an extensive menu. We loved the caesarish salad and the hot turkey was... quite a comforty treat but HEFTY. The hashbrown was nice with the malt mayo.

Trick is to get into the queue once it opens before/while you're on the way. But make sure you're there in good time for your turn or else you'll lose your table.

4.5/5.0 rounded up. Have visited twice for brunch and ordered the White Lily Standard both times with poached eggs and bacon. Simple and delicious. Highly recommend!

My partner tried the Buttermilk Griddle Cakes and the Meatloaf Dinner and enjoyed both of them. She found the buttermilk biscuit to be not as buttery as she would have liked, and on the dry side.

We got their donuts for takeout to try and would not recommend based on our expeirence. We tried the Strawberry Crueller and Chocolate Orange Filled. The Strawberry didn't have any sort of strawberry flavour, and the Orange Chocolate tasted like Terry's. Both donuts were on the overbaked side (they had that specific overbaked flavour).

We joined the waitlist at 10:15am on our most recent visit on a Sunday (March 2026) and we were notified that a table was available at 12:30pm (2.25h wait). They give a 10 minute window for you to get there if you decided to wander around or are on the way.

4.5/5.0 rounded up. Have visited twice for brunch and ordered the White Lily Standard both times with poached eggs and bacon. Simple and delicious. Highly recommend!

My partner tried the Buttermilk Griddle Cakes and the Meatloaf Dinner and enjoyed both of them. She found the buttermilk biscuit to be not as buttery as she would have liked, and on the dry side.

We got their donuts for takeout to try and would not recommend based on our expeirence. We tried the Strawberry Crueller and Chocolate Orange Filled. The Strawberry didn't have any sort of strawberry flavour, and the Orange Chocolate tasted like Terry's. Both donuts were on the overbaked side (they had that specific overbaked flavour).

We joined the waitlist at 10:15am on our most recent visit on a Sunday (March 2026) and we were notified that a table was available at 12:30pm (2.25h wait). They give a 10 minute window for you to get there if you decided to wander around or are on the way.

Food was absolutely delicious and super filling. I loved the hashbrown in the breakfast, but it looked/tasted more like a rosti to me. The biscuit was also so buttery and soft and if I wasn't full to bursting I might've ordered an extra on the side to take home. We were too full to try the donuts but I heard those were good too. Overall the food is seasoned on the heavier side, so while it was tasty, it was a bit overly salty for me and if I think about my Asian parents, they're definitely not going to enjoy the heavy flavours of everything lol.

We came on a random Monday noon, so it wasn't full but we were seated at the bar as a walk-in. We didn't know there was an online waitlist to sit at the booths, so that's good to remember for next time. I heard it gets super busy otherwise so we were quite lucky we didn't actually have to wait for a seat, but the bar seating was a bit uncomfy due to no backrest and no real place to put our coats.

the food is great, but i feel like i’ve had better, more satisfying diner food for cheaper. i’m not sure i tOTALLY understand why there’s always a huge line , but hey i still enjoyed it !

the only thing that was TRULY remarkable were their biscuits, especially with their maple-y sweet, whipped, airy butter lathered all over. the biscuit was warm, soooo fluffy and soft on the inside, with a good crunch on the outside. a truly perfect biscuit.

the og patty melt was delicious too, with a flavourful, sweet relish that really stood out. the meat was juicy and moist, the bread was nicely toasted and thick (maybe a bit too thick at the edges?), and the cheese sauce was subtle and not overpowering. the potato salad on the side was creamy, a bit tangy/pickly, and sweet.

the hashbrown was quite good too, i enjoyed how the creamy and light mayo made it taste not too greasy, and there was a good freshness from the green onions too. the top was slightly crispy, but otherwise it was more like soft, shredded potato.

the meatloaf dinner didn’t stand out to me too much, it was just decent. it had a strong savoury, heavy meaty taste — kinda like a beef meatball — and i would’ve liked a bit more of the sweet jam to balance it out? the pickles on the side were good though, much sweeter than normal. it was also my first time trying grits, and at first i thought they were just really creamy mashed potatoes, but they were actually more like porridge-like grains with a subtler, milder flavour. not bad !