Mildred's Temple Kitchen

A good friend of mine was visiting from Hong Kong and his wife had heard about the infamous pancakes at Mildred's Temple Kitchen. I previously had not dared to go because they don't take reservations for brunch, and I don't want to wait for a table when I have a baby in tow. Luckily, my friend agreed to go first and let me know how long the expected wait would be, so I just had to arrive later!

Restaurant: Mildred's Temple Kitchen
Location: Liberty Village
Meal: Brunch
Day: Saturday
Son's Age: 24 weeks

If you live in Toronto and love brunch (and frankly I feel like more often than not, the two go hand in hand), you know how ridiculous brunch lineups are. I informed my friend of the brunch scene here, and emphasized that Sunday at 11 is pretty much suicidal. He decided to be on the safe side and go on Saturday at 10:30. In my experience, Saturday at 10:30 at most places means you can waltz right in. Not at Mildred's. The wait time given was 45 minutes - but we ended up seated around noon (this actually worked in my favour because I was running late, so our table was ready just when I arrived.

Accessibility: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For the record, Mildred's is legitimately wheelchair accessible. There are automatic doors and ramps, with plenty of space between tables to maneuver a stroller - and, I imagine, a wheelchair. Since my son could not sit unassisted yet, I kept him in his stroller by the table.

And then my husband promptly took him out of the stroller so my friend could get a good look at him. I swear he was there! Anyway, worth noting - the high chairs they provide are the IKEA high chairs, so not the typical wooden high chairs that most restaurants have, which to me is a huge plus. Unfortunately, the washroom does not have a change table.

There is, however, plenty of counter space, so if your baby isn't at that wriggly stage yet, this should be sufficient. There is also a larger accessible washroom, so if you were here alone with your baby, there is no problem bringing the stroller with you while you do your business.

Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Service was great - our server was very pleasant, and most importantly, he kept my coffee cup full. I also appreciated that we were not rushed at all, since I needed the time to catch up with my friend (although I admit the leisurely pace is probably what contributed to the long wait time upfront). Other than the initial wait, I'd say the overall experience was very pleasant.

Food: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My husband decided to order two things and share. He got a brunch special, and I have to be honest I forget exactly what it was but here's the photo:

I do remember that it was delicious and extremely filling. It was also a good savoury complement to my order, which of course had to be the infamous blueberry pancakes.

So I must tell you, the description of "pancakes" is a bit misleading and frankly it's the only reason I don't give the food a full five stars. These pretty much tasted like large, delicious, fluffy scones. Don't get me wrong, I love scones, and if you love scones then trust me you will love these pancakes. My issue is that people describe these to me as fluffy pancakes, so I expect them to taste like pancakes. You know on Top Chef when contestants make something delicious but mislabel it and then Tom Colicchio gives them a hard time (unless you're Richard Blais and called your pilaf a paella but it was so good that no one cared)? This is one of those situations.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I give Mildred's a solid four stars. If you have someone willing to wait in line for you, or if you have one of those magically patient children that I sometimes hear about, this is a great place to go on all counts.