Where Leslieville goes to brunch when they're serious about it. The menu changes seasonally but the fried chicken and waffles, the breakfast poutine, and the house bacon are permanent fixtures for good reason.
Neighbourhood: Leslieville · Address: 70 Fraser Ave, Toronto, ON · Hours: Mon–Fri 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Sat–Sun 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM · Price Range: $$ · Phone: (416) 588-0005 · Editorial status: Not yet verified
School Restaurant draws serious brunch fans with its house-cured bacon, crispy fried chicken and waffles, and a breakfast poutine that actually lives up to the hype. The lines on weekends say it all: locals think it’s worth the wait.
Unlike trendy brunch spots that rely on Instagrammable décor, School takes food seriously—rotating its menu with the seasons but refusing to budge on neighbourhood favourites. They bake their own breads and pastries in-house, and the portions are big enough you’ll probably need a nap after.
School Restaurant is named for the converted schoolhouse it occupies on Fraser Avenue in Leslieville's light industrial belt — a building with high ceilings, original floors, and the kind of natural light that makes food photography effortless. The vintage-school aesthetic is incidental to the food, which is the reason people queue here on Saturday mornings for a seat.
The fried chicken and waffles is the dish. Buttermilk-brined chicken (thigh, bone-in, for maximum moisture retention), fried in a seasoned crust that stays crisp against the waffle's steam, served with hot sauce and maple syrup. The waffles themselves are made with buttermilk batter and cooked to a deep golden exterior. The combination of heat, sweetness, and crunch is the brunch dish that School does better than almost anywhere in the city.
The breakfast poutine — fries, cheese curds, house gravy, topped with a fried egg — is the other permanent fixture, and it makes the argument that poutine is actually a breakfast food more convincingly than any other version in Toronto. The gravy is made daily; the curds are fresh; the egg yolk breaks into the whole thing and functions as a sauce component.
The coffee program is serious (proper espresso, quality milk), and the seasonal menu additions change with Ontario produce availability. The room fills fast on weekends; a weekday visit reveals the same kitchen without the competition for tables.
School Restaurant is a brunch restaurant at 70 Fraser Avenue in Leslieville, housed in a converted schoolhouse with high ceilings and natural light. It's known for fried chicken and waffles (buttermilk-fried chicken on house waffles with hot sauce and maple syrup) and breakfast poutine (fries, cheese curds, house gravy, fried egg). Open Monday–Friday 7am–4pm, Saturday–Sunday 8am–4pm.
The fried chicken and waffles is the essential order — buttermilk-brined bone-in chicken thigh, seasoned crust, served with hot sauce and maple syrup. The breakfast poutine (house fries, fresh cheese curds, daily-made gravy, fried egg) is the other must-order. Both are available daily. The seasonal menu additions change with Ontario produce; ask the server what's rotating.
School Restaurant takes limited reservations — check their website or call ahead. Walk-ins are common on weekday mornings (7–9am) with minimal wait. Saturday and Sunday mornings are the busiest, with potential waits of 30–60 minutes for walk-ins. Arriving at or before opening (8am Sat–Sun) is the strategy for minimal wait.
School Restaurant is at 70 Fraser Avenue in the Liberty Village/Leslieville industrial belt. From transit: the 504 King streetcar to Fraser Avenue (2-minute walk north). It's a converted schoolhouse building with distinct industrial-heritage character. The neighbourhood around Fraser Avenue has several other good restaurants and coffee shops worth exploring before or after.
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