Late night eats in Toronto are to a drunkard as a bottle is to a baby – a comforting, life-giving requisite. Of course, one need not be a belligerent bar-goer to be intrigued at the mention of a late night bite. Be it a weekday craving or a weekend workout buster that creeps into your conscious past prime dining hours, there’s a growing list of laudable late night spots in the city to be savoured. Here are just a few of our favourite late night eats in Toronto…

Czehoski
(Open every day until midnight)
This European-style comfort food haven is the perfect place to grab a late-night bite on Queen West. Between its incredibly fun vibe, delicious pierogi, and amazing people-watching, Czehoski is always the right choice. In the summer they have an amazing rooftop patio, perfect for lounging and during the colder months you can cozy up next to the fireplace.

Utopia Café and Grill
Sun to Thurs till midnight, Fri and Sat till 1am
Utopia Café and Grill on College Street is the perfect spot for those looking for a quick bite of comfort food (does anyone want anything else that late at night, really?) and some crazy good deals. If you’ve had a drink or six, we recommend trying one of their amazing burgers or their nachos (famous for being so large, they could probably justify their own postal code). Don’t forget to check out all the fun we had for our Girls Night Out Vlog.

Belly Busters
Hours vary by location: Yonge St.: Thurs to Sat till 3:30am; King W.: Thurs to Sat till 3am
The Yonge and Lawrence institution has been stuffing local guts for 40 years. Recent expansion (that’s been met with mixed emotions from longtime traditionalists like myself) now sees the bacon barons busting through lineups of hungry patrons along the King West strip, and soon in Vaughan. Lettuce, tomatoes, onions? Salt, pepper, sauce? Yeah, I want it heated.

Burrito Boyz
Hours vary by location: Adelaide: Thurs till 3am, Fri & Sat till 4am
Reasonably priced and ready in a flash, these guys pack a lot of meal into one tortilla. Undoubtedly, there will be some debate as to who builds the best burritos in Toronto. With respect to other notables like Burrito Bandidos, Big Fat Burrito, and Fat Bastard Burrito, Burrito Boyz’ 10-year tenure truly launched the late night craze, putting the mission-style wraps on the map in Hogtown.

El Caballito
Mon to Wed till 1am, Thurs to Sat 2am
El Caballito takes the taco trend past your bedtime. The newly opened tequila bar serves authentic yet innovative Mexican snacks and cocktails. They will curb your late-night craving with their tacos, empanadas, guacamole and if you happen to be there at midnight, their #MidnightTaco is a must. As the name would suggest, it’s only available after midnight and changes daily!

The Citizen
Tues to Sat till 2am
The Citizen just opened in the space that used to be Brant House on King West and caters to absolutely everyone. With a comfortable farmhouse meets sports bar hangout type of vibe, The Citizen serves comfort food classics until midnight while switching to a yummy Bar Bites menu afterwards. This bar menu features delicious-as-hell snacks like soft pretzels and home-made kettle chips.

Fancy Franks
Thurs to Sat till 1am
At first I was skeptical and then I was sold. There’s quality in the snap of their sausage and creativity in the construction of their dogs. From the panko-fried Frankie Goes to Buffalo, which tastes just like a chicken wing, to wieners topped with beef short ribs and kimchi, pulled pork, or poutine these puppies are putting street dogs to shame.

The Greek
Thurs to Sat till 3am
The Greek was the Gods’ answer to late night eats on King West. From Thursday to Saturday this Hellenic hotspot is open until 3am serving kabobs, pitas and their freaking amazing Greek Poutine which, really, is delicious no matter what time of the day you have it.

Johnny Jackson
Wed till 2am, Fri & Sat till 4am
Johnny Jackson is quite simply, the type-a-shit you just wanna scarf down after slamming a few too many shots on the Queen West Strip. Burgers, poutine, mac-n-cheese and a healthy helping of deep fried deliciousness – yep!

Vesta Lunch
Open 24hrs
No late night list would be complete without an old fashioned diner. The dumpy Dupont Street fixture has been “Reputable Since 1955” according to their iconic incandescent sign. The aging line cooks and pleasant wait staff won’t have to work hard to convince you that grilled cheese and onion rings are a good call at any time of day.

Did we miss your favourite late night eats spot? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.

Jason Finestone

A Toronto based food fiend and travel nut with a lust for all things tasty. If his liver can process it (somewhat) then he’s likely game to give it a go. His wanderlust spirit has taken him all over the globe, living in 6 different countries from Canada to the US, South Korea to Europe. Along the way he’s developed a propensity for irreverent parlance and inhibition-less adventure. “If meat is king then dumplings are queen — I am a prince of noodle soups and a duke of hard drink — street food is life.”