Fresh is one of Toronto's most popular vegan restaurants, beloved by vegans and non-vegans alike (and it's even been voted one of Toronto's best vegetarian restaurants by BlogTO and its readers). However, how does Fresh's brunch menu compare? Read on to find out! 

Fresh has four locations—Crawford (Queen West), Bloor St West (near U of T), Spadina (near Queen and Spadina), and Eglinton (near Eglinton Subway Station). The sunlit patio at Fresh on Crawford, our preferred location (which also happens to be right behind Trinity-Bellwoods) provided a perfect place to people-watch and enjoy some delicious vegan brunch. Even by 11, it hadn't filled up (although to be fair, it was Pride weekend, so potential brunch-goers might have been too hungover to go...).

Fresh's regular menu encompasses a variety of vegan dishes, from salads to noodle bowls to burgers. Their brunch menu, while a little more limited, still provides enough variety with a combination of sweet and savoury dishes. Though both of us opted for savoury options this time, the pancake options also looked delicious! Also notable is their fresh-pressed juice, good at any time of day (we recommend their --- as a hangover cure!). 

I liked the variety of textures in this meal. The home fries were crispy and salty (just the way I like them!) and the tacos, filled with tofu scramble, tempeh bacon, and red cabbage, contained a different flavour in every bite. I also liked the creamy "cheese" sauce, which was just as good as any I've had with real cheese. I wished there had been more sauce, though—the bites that just had tofu and the taco wrap were a bit dry. 

Overall: 4/5

As usual, I chose one of the simpler options in order to try out the variety that Fresh's brunch offered—and it didn't disappoint. I'm a fan of scrambled eggs, and the tofu scramble provided a nice twist. I also liked the fact that it included grilled spinach rather than a cold salad like most places do. 

My one complaint: the bread didn't include any kind of topping, Obviously butter isn't vegan, but it would have been nice if they could have included something else to accompany it. 

Overall: a delicious vegan twist on a classic

Fresh brunch at a glance: 

• You can find their menu here
• Good for: small groups or couples
• Street parking only
• Entirely vegan
• Doesn't take reservations
• Brunch hours:
  • 10:30 AM - 3:00 PM Saturday, Sunday & holidays