The Jukebox Cafe is only open for lunch and dinner, which is nice because you can get the breakfast items any time. It gets crowded at peak hours, but the front is glass so you can see when there’s a wait. We had to wait about three minutes for a booth, which wasn’t bad.

The kids love the ’50s theme inside and were commenting on the Mickey Mouse photo on the wall near where we sat. There are records on the wall, photos of James Dean, Marylin Monroe and Elvis, but it’s not overdone. There are vinyl booths with formica tops, a counter with swivel stools and a jukebox (of course) that offers current hits and oldies.

On this visit, I got an egg sandwich with bacon. I love their club sandwiches, but wanted something smaller since I had eaten breakfast. When I’m really hungry I get one of their three-egg omelettes (I like the Dutch omelette with onion, cheese and potato).

One son got his favorite – grilled sticky bun. He’ll get them for breakfast or lunch! It’s a large sticky bun almost the size of the little plate that’s nice and gooey inside.

My other son got chocolate chip pancakes. They serve two very large pancakes loaded with chocolate chips. He loves them!

My daughter got a grilled cheese sandwich and fries. They have a kids’ menu with several selections even picky eaters like mine enjoy. But there are also many items on the regular menu kids might like, like plain scrambled eggs or hot dogs.

My husband got a wrap from the special’s menu. He likes their wraps, and there’s a different one every month. I believe you can get any of their regular sandwiches as a wrap as well. He also got fries.

The sandwiches are served with a small bag of Herr’s chips. It’s one of the tiny bags that really isn’t much, but it’s good for the kids. My husband and I usually order regular fries (for him) or sweet potato fries (for me) with a sandwich, and the kids help us eat them.

The servers at “the Jukebox” are always friendly, and the service is usually quick. Friday’s lunch seemed to take longer than usual. We’ve found the best time to go for breakfast is before 8 on a Friday morning.

Their parking lot  is on a hill, and there’s an outside staircase you have to use except for a limited number of parking spots at the bottom in front. We don’t mind, but I have seen people pull into the pick-up spots in front to drop off/pick up people who have trouble walking.

Sunday’s are the most crowded, but if you time it right you miss the rush before and after church. They have an enclosed waiting area out front with benches, but in summer it’s too hot to sit there, so people wait inside by the door or on the outside benches.

The Jukebox Cafe is a place I recommend to everyone new to the area, because it’s clean, the staff is friendly, and there are healthy menu options, like  salads and wraps.

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On the weekends, club goers of the previous night and local students pile in for brunch, a few sporting hangovers and desperately looking for a cure. The first thing you will notice upon immediate entry is that the atmosphere of the diner is unpretentious and friendly. The staff are pleasant but not annoying. There are customers in jeans and t-shirts as well as (last night’s?) clubwear and even business suits.

I am a stickler for acknowledgment in a restaurant. If staff does not at least let me know that they’ll be with me shortly within 2-5 minutes of being seated, the restaurant immediately loses points in my book. Daybreak staff, I am happy to report, came to my table within 30 seconds of my sitting down to ask for a drink order. I was very pleased that I was not made to wait long for anything!

The house specialty is oversized omelettes of a wide variety. They serve many traditional breakfast items such as eggs benedict, French toast, pancakes, wraps, etc. but glancing around the place, the omelettes were the most popular by far.

My dining partner took the simple approach and ordered a Calgary Stampede, akin to a Western omelette with heaping amounts of ham, peppers, onions, and cheese tucked in the egg fluff. Having a weakness for cheese, I opted for a Mediterranean omelette, stuffed with fresh spinach, red onions, feta cheese, and tomato. While the food wasn’t phenomenal, it certainly was steps above “greasy spoon” diner food.

The beverages. I’m not much of a coffee drinker, so my usual breakfast beverages are a large milk and small OJ. My dining partner and I both enjoyed the OJ (pulp-free Tropicana from a box that I could spot from my seat), but I found the milk to be too close to room temperature upon delivery to the table. I did not bring to the attention of the server, so I wonder how easy (or hard) it might have been to correct this problem.

Come hungry. Portions at Daybreak are large. The omelettes are huge and overstuffed, and come with two pancakes, finely shredded potatoes, large slices of toast (your choice of bread), and an curled orange garnish. Omelette plates range between $7.95 and $9.95 (CAD), and for two people, our bill before tip was around $25.00 (CAD), so I left Daybreak multiple times feeling very satisfied all-around.

Daybreak Diner
399 Church Street, Toronto, Ontario
Toronto, ON M5B 2J6
(416) 598-0004

Hours: Unknown, but open very early for breakfast/brunch/lunch. Dinner is not served.

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