Looking for affordable lunch spots close to campus? Here are some inexpensive restaurants near Ryerson that you should visit if you haven’t already. They’re listed in order of closest to furthest from campus.
Pizza Shab
Pizza Shab’s downtown location opens at 11:30AM, is right on campus (113 Bond Street) and they serve what they call rollings pizza. Essentially its giant pizza pocket, with pizza dough enclosing cheese, veggies, and meat, then covered in sauce. It’s $14 for one of these, which is cut into five slices, more than enough to share between two people. The rollings pizza was so good, the cheese fries didn’t really work, so I would skip out on those. Quick note though, service is very slow. It took us over thirty minutes to get our order and there was only one other person in the restaurant. So if you’re craving pizza and can afford to wait a bit longer for your meal, try Pizza Shab. Visit their website for their full menu.
The Hummussiah
The Hummussiah makes fresh hummus daily, which you can order in salads, in wraps, or just by itself. Every menu item is easily customizable, as they offer a variety of sizes, sauces, and toppings for your meal. I opted for a chicken and eggplant pita pocket ($12.95) stuffed with veggies, hummus, and a couple of sauces. If you’re ordering chicken definitely make sure you add bbq sauce on top to really complete your meal. This place shares a space with Pizza Shab (113 Bond Street) and opens at 10:30AM every day except for Sunday. Check our their website to see their full range of menu items and prices.
Basil Box
Basil Box is right under the SLC (351 Yonge Street) and they have a lot of seating inside, so you can eat and study there for a bit. Service is quick and meals are both customizable and affordable. Choose your base, protein, vegetables, sauce, and toppings, for just over $13. Pretty much the Asian styled Chipotle, with really tasty Thai ice tea, which I wouldn’t skip out on. My go to box is: chilled rice noodles, with shrimp, roasted edamame, charred sweet potatoes, classic peanut sauce, pickled veggies, sesame, crushed peanuts, and pumpkin seeds. Basil Box opens at 11AM and you can check out their website to see everything they offer.
Salad King
Serving traditional and modern styled Thai dishes, Salad King (340 Yonge Street) is across the street from Basil Box and they have a student special. Monday to Friday, from 2:00pm – 5:00pm you can show your Ryerson ID card and get 20% off your meal. Pictured is the panang tofu ($11.50), phud Thai ($11.75), chicken ball fried rice ($12), and wonton soup ($4.25). Everything tasted delicious, came in good portion sizes and was affordable. On weekdays, Salad King opens at 11AM and here’s their website so you can check out their menu.
Jinya Ramen
If you’ve ever walked by the Mattamy Athletic centre, you’ve definitely seen Jinya Ramen (399 Church Street). We tried the sprouting up ramen and chicken ramen, which were both very good. The sprouting up ramen comes with grilled brussels sprouts on top, which I would never consider a topping for ramen, but is actually so delicious. The noodles and broth here are great and the ramen is worth the $13 to $14 price point. Jinya Ramen opens at 11:30AM. Here’s their website, where you can take a look at all the ramen they offer.
Bapbo
Bapbo Korean Restaurant (142 Dundas Street West) is worth the walk. If you go during lunch hours, they have a weekday stone bowl special, so I got my beef bibimbap for a discounted price of $12. Bapbo opens at 11AM and is conveniently located near Chatime, so you can treat yourself to an after lunch bubble tea. Portions here are large, so sharing a main is an option, but it isn’t impossible to finish your meal on your own. Check out their website, to get a better idea of menu options.
Planta Burger
Craving a burger? Whether you are a fan of beef or plant based burgers, Planta Burger (4 Temperance Street) does not disappoint. These patties are bursting with flavour and great texture. It’s common to think that a burger made of vegetables won’t fill you up, but this one definitely does. I got a classic burger that has a mushroom and lentil patty ($10.50) and a side of buffalo cauliflower ($6.50). I’ve gone here a couple of times and the sides really were not worth ordering in comparison to the burger itself. Save some money and don’t get a side, but hey, grab an oat milk milkshake ($7.50) while you’re there! The peanut butter chocolate one is my favourite. Check out the Planta Burger website to figure out what you’re ordering.
Love eating out? Check out my food blog, @paothebao on Instagram for posts of Toronto Restaurants I’ve been to that you should check out too!
