Enjoy Vegan Comfort Food at Hogtown Vegan's Brunch

Jun 13

Jun 13 Enjoy Vegan Comfort Food at Hogtown Vegan's Brunch

Hogtown Vegan is one of Toronto's vegan junk food fixtures down on Bloor West. Although their brunch menu is limited compared to their dinner options, there's still enough variety to keep brunchers happy, particularly those seeking an alternative option to an often meat- or egg-filled meal.

Although Hogtown Vegan's brunch hour looks empty in these photos, don't be fooled: we arrived right for its opening at 11, and by 12 when we were leaving, the restaurant was filling up quickly.

The unpretentious decor (including old-school records on the walls by the booths) suits the style of food: hearty "vegan comfort food", as they say on their website. Being a big fan of their dinners, we were excited to try their take on brunch.

Tatiana's pick: Unchicken and Waffles with Collard Greens

I've never had "real" chicken and waffles, but it's hard to imagine it would be any better than the Hogtown Vegan brunch version. The combination of the garlicky collard greens with the cinnamon sweetness of the syrup-coated waffles is a classic at any time of day.

Although I wished the mashed sweet potatoes that are included with this meal at dinner were included with brunch as well, the crispiness and taste of the fried chicken would fool any meat-eater (I think!) and made a great way to start the day.

Overall: delicious!

I picked the Tofu Rancheros, with fried tofu "eggs", black beans, avocado, tomato and green onions. I was happy because I got to have home fries, and Tatiana was happy because this meal didn't have cilantro—a win-win.

The potatoes were nice and crispy, and the sunflower sour cream tasted just like the real thing. However, it was difficult to eat the tortillas in combination with the toppings because they were really crunchy and broke easily.

Overall: tasty but not outstanding