Dooney’s Cafe

Just had one of the burger today and it was really good… biiiig and juicy with great bread and nice chunk of cheese, came with fries (u can get salad instead). will be going back. (wish I took a picture before I ate it.) nice service, nice place.

Is it a Café?
Is it a bar?
It’s neither… The one thing it does have is all the makings of mediocrity. Mediocre menu, mixed up orders, dark Atmosphere, cold drafts in winter, average service… It doesn’t do anything dead wrong, but doesn’t do anything right either. Don’t bother.

I like the new Dooney’s, actually. I went on Sunday for coffee because the other café in the area was completely full. There are places that sometimes don’t allow you in at brunch time if you’re not eating, and they were totally fine with allowing me to have my own table for just coffee. Good music, too.
I like it there. It’s an easy going vibe, not pretentious at all, and though I haven’t eaten at the new location, the plates of all the brunch-​goers nearby looked full and yummy.
The coffee that I had — Americano then a latte — were excellent.

Finally checked out their brunch this Saturday afternoon, and despite the nicely done contemporary décor, we were not that impressed. Service was prompt, and our food didn’t take long to come out. However, food was below average. Eggs Florentine was just OK, could have used some more flavour. Ouvo Calabrese wasn’t that great either. It was basically just 2 poached eggs with tomato sauce, canned beans, and a few slices of baguette. It came piping hot in a cast iron pan, and had a thin, runny consistency. Again, needs more flavour. Coffee was also not that good. I just got a cup of your standard drip, and it had a bitter and unpleasant taste. Maybe their espresso is better, but I most likely will not be back to find out.
I wish the food had been more flavourful and had more oomph to it because this place has great potential to be a local gem! The décor is very nice, great natural lighting shining through the windows, and a cool looking bar. I wish it had lived up to my expectations.

Checked this place out Sunday when we were on Bloor West and Terrazza was opening late, not leaving us enough time to get to our show at Comedy Bar for 7pm.
The service was excellent. The server was very knowledgeable, and made excellent recommendations. Everything is homemade here, from scratch.
We both had the 5oz strip loin steak, medium rare. The starch was a potato gallette, which was excellent, and the vegetable was pan fried rapini and brussel sprouts.
The serving size was perfect and the presentation was fantastic.
Looking forward to going back here soon.

This place has so much potential to be amazing. It has great décor and good location and a solid menu. The sign outside said food until 4 but the kitchen was shut down and due to the complete lack of music being played we could hear the chef and the owner arguing for most of our meal that he reluctantly prepared. In general the atmosphere was very awkward. With a little bit of love this would be the amazing neighbourhood café it should be. Butter your toast, be kind to your staff and put on some music PLEASE! We were asked to cash out our bill while we still eating which is super weird… If you’re here between 4 – 5 it’s nearly impossible to get any kind of service, even the mediocre service they offer at other hours of the day. I’ve been in the food and beverage industry for 11 years and I would never say something bad about a place unless it was well deserved. I want to love this place I really do but this is my third visit and I won’t be back.

I admit it, I spent a lot of time at the old Dooney’s in the Annex in the 90s. Now, it’s followed me a couple of subway stops west, and I couldn’t be happier. After a couple of visits — one dinner and one lunch — I can only say that it’s the kind of place the neighbourhood has needed for a long time. Not a hipster bar, not a plastic-​table-​cloth ethnic joint (nothing wrong with those, but there are plenty of each in the neighbourhood), but a place where you can stop for a beer or a glass of wine and a snack after work, have a grown-​up dinner without breaking the bank, or while away the afternoon.
The dinner menu is heavy on seafood, with a Portuguese influence: excellent sardines, octopus, smelts. Virtually everything we had, I’d order again. Lunch — the burger is nothing to write home about, and I’d like to see more pasta options, but the sandwich and salad were great. And when I asked for mayo with my fries, they didn’t say they’d run out, the kitchen made some. That’s service from front and back of house.
Very happy to have Dooney’s back.

I have been by several times since Dooney’s opened. The coffee has been solid, as had the food. The standout here is the service, however. The baristas, servers, and the manager have all been wonderful. As well, they were extremely careful to prepare a meal that was safe for someone with a gluten allergy. Welcome to the neighbourhood, Dooney’s!

This place seems trapped in time. Maybe never should have left the Annex of the 90s. Martinis on the cocktail menu, food that looks well past its prime…
The best parts about it? Those elements clearly ripped off from nearby competitors. Unfortunately, their competitors do everything better.
Sometimes, a dog has had its day.