Torontoist Eats Well at Poor John’s

By Alison

We don’t usually venture quite so far west on Queen as Jameson, but we’re definitely willing to make an exception for Poor John’s Cafe (1610 Queen St. W.). With it’s bright interior, cozy red couch, art (plus an old-timey refrigerator door) on the walls, and the casually friendly staff who call back and forth from the kitchen on the presence of brie, Poor John’s has an irresistable warm and welcoming atmosphere. This is a place that cheerfully admits to a recent shopping trip to Ikea and understands the importance of fresh coffee (which is excellent and free if you have a coupon from Gary Armstrong Woodwinds next door, so if you need a clarinet reed…). We had Poor John’s version of our all-time favourite sandwich – avocado and brie. Theirs also features a mango salsa, which pushes the sandwich over to the sweet side at first, but ultimately works quite nicely, especially served on a fabulous fresh marble rye. A huge bowl-sized mug of swirling, steaming cocoa looked delicious but wasn’t quite sweet enough for TOist’s picky little sister (but she adds sugar to everything, so the cocoa is probably perfect for anyone with normal tastebuds).
In addition to tasty bites and great coffee, Poor John’s also sells handmade gifts by local artisans. This month they feature a selection of goodies from Studio Botanica, which recently closed its shop up the street in favour of virtual existence on their website.