For the most part, the brunch places we visit tend to be ones we've walked by and admired from the outside (super scientific, we know). However, Starving Artist's brunch was listed on BlogTO's 10 Most Instagrammable Brunches... so we thought that was as good a recommendation as any, and that we'd check it out. 

Starving Artist has three locations to grab brunch: one on St. Clair, one on Mount Pleasant, and one on College--the one we chose, pictured above. The atmosphere there is quite industrial: lots of exposed brick and graffitied artwork. 

We were seated near the door, and it was quite cold given that they don't have a curtain to protect from the wind. Another downside: although they do have an ATM, it's cash-only. 

Although many of the options at Starving Artist's brunch contain bacon, the vegetarians amongst us can substitute for avocado or tomato at no additional cost--which is what I did for my Waffle Benny. Overall, the flavour combo here was okay. The eggs were well-cooked (yes, I'm still on about this) but I've had better Benedict sauces.

The waffles themselves were tasty, but weren't enough of a distinguishing factor to make this meal a success. The fact that every option has waffles felt more like a gimmick than anything really special. 

The best part were the baked beans. They were Really Good, y'all--sweet and maple-syrup-y, providing a great contrast with the slightly salty eggs. However, I was underwhelmed with the salad, which consisted solely of mixed leaves and a bit of dressing. (Shouldn't it have more than lettuce to really call itself a salad?) 

Overall: meh

The Breakfast Waffles I chose were potato waffles rather than the normal ones Tatiana had, and I liked hers better. Although we had expected a potato waffle to be similar to a hashbrown, with crispier bits of potato, it was actually more like mashed potatoes with a little bit of crispiness on the outside. It also didn't have much flavour. 

I also wasn't as happy with my side as Tatiana was with hers. The potato salad was nothing special, and seemed more like something you'd have at a summer picnic than a year-round brunch option. 

Overall: underwhelming

Everyone disagrees with us about these ratings of Starving Artist's brunch, but we still maintain we're right. It's not even particularly pretty (come on, BlogTO... how could you let us down like that?). 

Starving Artist brunch at a glance: 

• You can find their menu here
• Good for: couples or small groups 
• Parking: on the street only
• A few vegetarian options, not vegan-friendly
• Brunch hours:
  • 9am-6pm daily (all-day breakfast)