Brunch Club: The Stockyards

There are too many brunch places in Toronto to label one as a favourite. When it comes to early morning fried chicken and waffles though, I haven’t had any better than The Stockyards’.

If you follow the blog, you already know how excited I am that Jollibee has named St.Clair West as the location for their first Toronto outpost. The overlooked stretch of streetcar lover’s lane has harboured old gems (Albert’s Real Jamaican, Dutch Dreams) and welcomed newer tenants like Gourmet Gringos and Starving Artist more recently. Sandwiched between is the still newish Stockyards Smokehouse and Larder. Stockyards isn’t exempt from the peak-brunch line experience, but it’s one made entertaining by chatty staff and a full view of their bustling diner-style kitchen. What better way to decide on an order than while watching them pump out a menu’s worth of Carolinian breakfast food (though the waffles are Belgian) before you even sit down. After several visits, the star of the show remains the fried chicken, but I’ll just point out that their house-smoked thick cut is the best I’ve had next to Benton’s from Tennessee. What we ate:

• Fried Chicken & Waffles  w/ chili maple molasses citrus glaze
• Griddle Cakes w/ whipped citrus butter, maple syrup, and bacon
• The Stockyard (deep-fried poached egg, bacon and cheddar on a biscuit)

Since March, they’ve announced the fried chicken will now be served daily 🙂

The Stockyards: Smokehouse and Larder
699 St Clair Ave. W. | Website

Previously: Aunties & Uncles, Bristol Yard, Lady Marmalade, Rose and Sons