Boxcar social
1208 Yonge ST, Toronto, ON M4T1W1
Wompling into the Summerhill neighborhood rests an oasis of coffee (and night time libations) goodness in an old dry cleaner with friendly staff and a cool understated ethos.
Coffee:
The espresso in my red eye was the defining factor giving a lot of body to the coffee. It almost had a hard edged orange fruit taste with an appropriate amount of bitterness. The coffee itself was not remarkable (according to my partner), but I found the flavors with the espresso to be quite good.
Barista:
Dropping a lump of the proverbial goodness! She was a friendly and informative guide in the adventure. The espresso machine in the shop was so cool that I asked her about it and she said it was custom made to look like a race car….vroom. Our interaction was not lengthy, yet it was really pleasurable. Lots of regulars coming in with drink orders known by the staff and there was a real community feel.
Vibe:
We wompled from the Toronto waterfront into Summerhill with many neighborhoods in between. It was a bustling approach on Yonge Street which was fun to walk through the activity. Once inside, there is an exhale of warmth from the friendly “hello!” to the warm woods and brick utilized in the bar area and the seating areas. It’s saying, “time to slow down and enjoy”. Plenty of seating both downstairs and upstairs where one could hideaway with a great book or simply grind out work in a peaceful setting. Note that they discourage laptop use on the ground floor. There is also an outside patio that complements as well. They are a full service coffee AND drinks enterprise as I can genuinely see where this works in this space. It would be a lovely place to unwind after a day. Their other locations are also daytime and night time haunts and honestly if we would have been here longer, I would have loved to check them out. The music in the shop matched the mood with Style Council and Ray Lamontagne streaming through the speakers. Additionally, Box Car is also an educator with cupping and tasting classes and events.
Make You Better
Here is another shop that does not open until 8:00. Even though they carry themselves into the evening, I still feel this is a big miss for those early arrivers. The food was not that inspiring with the normal course of croissants and muffins, but no real savory choice. Box Car has been intentional about its locations and branding, but it’s not all that apparent given the merch items in store. I would recommend a little more attention to this detail.
Toronto is a super fun bike friendly city and this post in the city is a wonderful coffee retreat.
Wompling into the Great White North……Matt