Review Papa Leo's Restaurant - Hamilton

Went here Friday morning and didn't have to wait long to get our table despite the small restaurant. We ordered the French toast with blueberry compote and eggs benny with sausage and rye bread. Both were winner so we'd definitely visit again when we're around. The portion size is quite right as well. Not too big not too small. Service was good as well.

Super friendly staff and high quality foods for everyone to enjoy. Was seated at the bar area and really loved it. Just watch out, berries and chocolate chips are an extra 3$ each in your pancakes, probably better to just bring your own instead of paying an outrageous mark up. Still great though!

Ever since I've discovered this restaurant I spend most of my sunday mornings having breakfast/brunch here. The quality of food is incomparable with anything I've had in that region, looks very presentable too. I had the poached egg with avacado and smoked salmon and was blown away by the flavourful taste. Will be here frequently

Papa Leo's has a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The staff were really helpful and friendly, while providing quick service. The ingredients used in the food felt fresh and delicious. Their fruit smoothies were also quite delicious. I'd recommend this place if you're looking for a good breakfast or brunch place.

Great Breakfast stop over on a trip to Niagara or any where else. 2015,2016, best breakfast by View magazine. The pancakes were superb, the breakfast sausage us to stay away from, the continental breakfast is just great inspite of the sausage. Prices are reasonable too

I came for a lunch and it was quite busy but still got a seat immediately. The menu was small enough to not be overwhelming but big enough to be varied. I feel my huevos rancheros was good and worth the price but 3 chocolate chip pancakes for about 15? A biscuit for 4? Two slices of bacon for 4? The food is good but the prices are on the high side. It's not exactly fine dining but I guess it's "trendy". Worth enjoying once or twice but at these prices not worth visiting frequently.

Incredible food options. Not your typical food selections. They offer smoked bacon, chorizo sausage, and piri piri sauce. The service is friendly and quick. The price is a little on the expensive side, but so worth it.

Very cozy place, very inviting and friendly staff. The food was great. The crab cake for breakfast waa mind blowing and morning hash was also nice . The bread was so crunchy and tasty that we ordered extra. I would suggest everyone.

A friend recommended to try breakfast here so I decided to check it out. The restaurant is small but quaint and clean. Our waitress was very friendly and welcoming. Our meals were brought to us very quickly and it was hot and fresh. They serve coffee from a local coffee roaster also on Concession Street called Relay Coffee Roasters. I like that the menu had different breakfast options instead of the typical staples. Only setback was that the chorizo was a little skimpy in our meals and was given alot more potatoes instead. They had 2 bistro tables setup outside as a patio which was nice considering the small space out front. Prices were reasonable too. It's worth the visit if you're in the area.

Most amazing breakfast food ever. We have been many times and everything is always fresh and delicious. Our number one choice for brunch in the city— food and staff like no other.

I had breakfast here this morning while in town for a hockey tournament.<br/><br/>As others have said before Papa Leo's<br/>Is small, so if it's busy you should expect a wait. We waited about 20 minutes this morning for a table. The staff was pleasant and professional in making things as comfortable as possible while we waited to be seated.<br/>The atmosphere is bright and inviting although the space is a little cramped.<br/>The food was very good - all locally sourced and fresh. All four of us were happy with our meals. As a plus the coffee was also excellent.<br/>Cost wise it might be a little more expensive than some. Total for 4 was about $70; but you're paying a premium for the organic nature of the food so it's a trade off. It's worth a visit.

Best breakfast in hamilton.  Dont believe me?  You havent tried it.  Papa's Eggs?  Yes please.  Perfect service, great little restaurant, with a menu to kill for.  Amazing Coffee.  Just go, and go early, elsewise you will not get a seat.  So worth it!!!

Stop number two of a delicious Hamilton Food Tour, we cozied up a Papa Leo's. A charming, family spot with the man Leo himself, greeting and serving us hot coffee delicious food. We happened to visit during the Novemburger Event in Hamilton so we indulged in their special "Morning Thai Burger". A beef patty topped with bacon, a fried egg, pickled carrots, onion, cilantro and their in-house peanut sauce on a sesame Challah bun. Great flavours from this American and Thai fusion burger! <br/><br/>We finished off on a sweet note with bite sized bread pudding and french toast. The pudding was paired with sliced apple, syrup, bacon and a sauce made with blue cheese. The french toast was topped with a berry medley and a sweet white sauce, a great bite to end our meal. <br/><br/>Looking forward to coming back to Papa Leo's to try dishes from their regular menu :)

Went here for breakfast with my daughter. I called for reservation in the morning and found out they dont take them on the weekend so go early because there usually a line. We were lucky today because of construction blocking the traffic so we were able to walk in and get a table. <br/>Atmosphere- Looks like nothing from the street. When you enter you notice an open very simple room with wooden tables and chairs ( some tables are high ) there is a nice fireplace at the front that would be more suited to an evening restaurant because it is wasted and not even noticed here. There is a sign that says it is a local produce supporter. they even have on the menu which places  supply to them.  They also have the front display full of champagne- for mimosas as well as other alcoholic choices. <br/>Food- I ordered the special- Corned beef frittata with a salad and hash browns. Excellent. The egg was light and tasty. The hash browns were cut in small pieces and I don't usually eat them, but I tasted one and couldn't stop eating them. They had some seasoning that was really good. My daughter had french toast with fresh berries and syrup. Yum. Of course the french tasted wonderful with a cinnamon flavour. <br/>Service- Waitress was friendly and food and bill both came quickly. I will be back again soon.

One of my favourite places ever! The best pancake I've ever had in my life, all the food is local and the staff are usually very friendly. <br/>Whenever I'm in Hamilton I always must have at least one breakfast there!

This is a little delight for Concession Street. Came here with my brother for the first time and couldn't choose what to eat. Finally decided on starting with the crab cakes. We both ordered the steak and eggs. Everything was great. The service was great and friendly. The food was really good. Definitely recommend to others for breakfast or brunch.

Love Papa Leo's for breakfast/brunch. The eggs benny are always fantastic and he has the best avocados every. single. time. Excellent service - usually Leo himself! The crab cake benny is my usual go to.

#1 breakfast in hamilton. Easily the best breakfast restaurant in town. Serves the perfect amount of food enough to fully satisfy hunger without the bloated feeling. Fresh food and great service. Recommend "Papa's Eggs" with those fluffy pancakes.

Best breakfast in the the Hammer!. The best breakfast place in Hamilton hands down. Everything on the menu is incredible. Fresh and flavourful. The price point on the food can't be beat either. Perfect cup of coffee to go with an awesome meal too. The papas eggs are definitely a top fav.

Not family friendly. We didn't even get a chance to eat here. After paying for parking and hauling my family in, there were only high tables available. The waitress was useless and just looked at us. I asked for a high chair and she said they had one, but it doesn't fit at those tables. Why have those tables when they can't be used for anybody but adults? Children obviously cannot sit at bar height, nor could my mother who has hip problems. Seems like a waste. After hearing good reviews, this has left a bad taste in my mouth. Anywhere that isn't accommodating for families isn't a place I will give another try.

I was really looking forward to going here. I ended up seriously disappointed. A group from my office went for breakfast on Wednesday morning. The waitress seemed inconvenienced by us. But the worst part was the meal. I had the Papa's eggs. The portions were really small. I had smoked salmon and I have never been to a restaurant that was so blatantly stingy with ingredients. I was barely able to taste it there was so little in my dish. My colleagues felt the same with their dishes. Another person ordered French toast. It was two full slices of bread. That's it. And a side of canned pineapple and an orange slice. It tasted fine but very unsatisfying especially for $20! Sorry Papa Leo's! I really wanted to like you but you came off as cheap and stingy.

Me and my girlfriend came here not knowing what to expect, looking for breakfast. Very nice decor, christmas music in the backround, very clean, people beside us ordered lunch (burgers) which looked fantastic an big portioned. The eggs benedict looked excellent, defiantly coming back for another breakfast an lunch. Nice customer service. The wait was a bit longer then average but givin it was lunch hour we were impressed.

Best Pancakes. These pancakes were the best I have ever had !! Melt in your mouth so fluffy and sweet, everything was delicious and so fresh tasting

Best Pancakes in Hamilton. Always a great breakfast, and their coffee is from Red Hill Coffee, too. highly recommend The Big or The Local

The best breakfast joint in town!. Amazing customer service, food is perfect it's a must try without breaking the bank. Plates come out looking beautiful!

Crabcake Benny.. That is all that needs to be said. Best breakfast I've had in a long time.

Nice clean little place, great food and friendly owner! Can't ask for more !

Loved it here!. Great breakfast basics done the Papa Leo's Way! Come Eat Here!

Amazing Breakfast Place!. We came looking for a breakfast place that did great things with a basic breakfast and they did not disappoint! I like the local sourcing of ingredients too! Most importantly, for breakfast, the coffee ( from the roaster down the street) was excellent! my wife says the pancake was the best she'd ever had!

Nice little restuarant!. Came here based on urban spoon and love this place! Very positive, warm and welcome atmosphere. Reasonably priced and like that the food is locally purchased! Will be back!

Great breakfast. Awesome breakfast. Great coffee and service.

The menu has a nice variety of breakfast options. The service was great and the food was delicious. I highly recommend the Huevos Rancheros! Mmm!

We chose to have our staff Christmas Party at Papa Leo's this past Saturday for our team of 16. It was lovely to have the whole restaurant to ourselves! The holiday menu was amazing - with wonderful choices - and Leo was so accommodating to our guests who were vegetarian and gluten-free! When we arrived, we enjoyed the cozy fire & some time sipping on cocktails as we enjoyed chorizo-stuffed mushrooms and crostini topped with red peppers & goat cheese = delicious! We then had our meal at one long beautiful table and enjoyed one of the best wines I had ever tasted!! Every guest boasted about the food. The soup was so tasty and the salad - crisp and flavourful. I had the chicken which was amazing! Many of our guests had the tenderloin, using butter knives to cut -it was so tender! It was topped off with bread pudding covered with bacon! Mmmm!!!<br/>We were so pleased with our evening that we wanted to take a moment and say thank you and give a raving review to the owner, the chef and of course for the wonderful service and thank you for a wonderful dining experience! We will definitely be booking more events with Papa Leo:)

Great restaurant.. I have been here 3 times. The service is great. Breakfast is a wonderful mix of different options. The food is fresh and beautifully prepared. They have real maple syrup for their wonderful pancakes and French toast. Our server brought us free samples of Papas breakfast loaf. Red hill coffee is always topped up. The decor is nice and very clean. Only complaint is that the potatoes are a little too salty and seasoned. Highly recommended.

Best breakfast in town. Amazing quality, fantastic service, great variety. By far the tastiest breakfast in the city!

We have been dining here for two years and must say that it gets better on each visit. The friendly service, food selection & quality, coffee & atmosphere. One of the many great places to dine in Hamilton.

What is great about this place? The 3?egg omleate was small and was not even asked what kind of toast you don't have a choice?! And no jam had to ask if they even had some she did bring some in a little butter holder again wasn't given a choice i guess they only have one kind. Would i go back no better places around for the same price or less!!

Friendly service. Good food made from scratch and moderately priced. You need to pay for parking in front, but you might be able to go down a side street and walk up. Had the papa's eggs and fiancé had the crab cake. Both delicious, same presentation style. Clean tables and speedy service, it wasn't busy when we went. <br/><br/>I would recommend for the breakfast lover who wants a quiet environment.

Best breakfast in Hamilton - Hands down.

LOVE Papa Leo's. I'm an adventurous eater so I've tried almost every item on the Papa Leo menu. Every dish was delicious and visually excellently plated. The food quality is fantastic. No prepackaged and warmed up stuff here. Everything is flavourful and pleasing to eat. And they have hot pepper sauce on the table for chilli lovers like myself.

Delish!!. I have been to Papa Leo's on several occasions and am never disappointed. The food is always fresh and Leo is often out to greet and welcome his guests. The breakfast sandwich is to die for (I always sub in the swiss cheese!!!). This week I was there for lunch rather than breakfast and had the special of the day - chicken pesto pasta. I also had the best stuffed peppers I have ever had one time this winter when they were the special of the day. Those specials are amazing! The prices are great for food that you can tell by the look and taste is made fresh. I have referred many people who have become addicts - especially that breakfast sandwich!

Found this gem on Urbanspoon, excellent. The restaurant is fresh, clean and modern. The service is friendly and very accommodating. Substitutions and allergy items and taken care of with pleasure. Variety of non standard food fare, creative and fresh. Good size portions for a great price for freshly cooked food with premium ingredients. I had the Huevos Rancheros, it was delicious and popping with flavours. I will be back to have the # Uptown Crab Cake Benny; can't wait!<br/><br/>I highly recommend this restaurant, especially if you are interested in non standard food fare!

The food & the service were great. The owner of the restaurant came & spoke to us. Will go back again.

Very good service. Food came quite promptly and was very delicious. The serving sizes are very appropriate so you leave feeling full not sick. The prices are very reasonable. The owner was also very friendly and informative about the restaurant. Will definitely be coming back again

Breakfast. Went based on a suggestion for pancakes. The blueberry pancakes were tasty (had blueberries in the pancakes and on top) but likely because they're out of season, it was a jam mix, not fresh berries. As someone who doesn't usually eat pancakes, due to how heavy they are, would have these again: were very fluffy, yet still filling. Also had the Local breakfast: scrambled eggs, whole wheat bread, sausage (extra $2 to replace bacon) and potatoes. The bread was delicious, the potatoes well season and crisped on the outside, the sausage is not usual breakfast sausage but delicious. Would recommend breakfast to anyone. The service was very pleasant, and quick, but place was not busy (went around 9:30 am Sat) - was getting busier before we left. We got to try a sample of their bread with the berries in it. It seemed like it was from the day before (slightly stale) and would have been better with more filling. I'm sure very tasty fresh, and will have to try in the future. For those who enjoy breakfast, we highly recommend that you go. Priced decently.

Good variety of items on the breakfast menu including lots of Mexican / southwest choices. Fresh ingredients, clean atmosphere, friendly staff. A nice change from the usual diner breakfast!

Excellent food, friendly fast service, delicious farm to table menu. We like to breakfast out- and this tops our list. We'll be back!

Fantastic service, very good food. Only place I know of to get huevos rancheros in Hamilton. Will be going back for lunch

Fantastic Eats. Great Vibe.. High stools, cool and relaxed environment, and great food. This place is excellent.

Toast complaints. Reading over this I've noticed that a few reviews comment on the one toast slice policy, if one was to actually read the menu they would notice that it is done to help decrease the amount of wasted food as many people don't eat two slices, like myself being a light eater. The menu also states that you can increase this amount by just informing the waitress or owner Leo.

Best fish tacos!!. Great little place, awesome quality and friendly service...the fish tacos were absolutely fantastic!!

Lunch. Myself and a guest had lunch a week ago. Very disappointed. I have eaten here a few times before and most of the time would have recommended. This particular day, arrived at 11:45, we were seated and did not receive our SANDWICH until almost 1:00 with no apology or explaination. Had ordered the grilled Monte and it came, at the best, lukewarm. Needless to say, we will not be patronizing this establishment again or most certainly not be recommending. Also found the wine to be very over priced!!!

The service, the food, the atmosphere the cleanliness, EVERYTHING about this place is A1, absolutely my favorite breakfast spot yet, and it's only my first time here, I found it on urbanspoon so believe it when you read it...unlessbits a bad review then don't believe it! ;)

Shocked from the minute I walked in the door. Very classy and homey feel to the atmosphere with the food equally as satisfying. Also very affordable prices and well worth the portion size. New fav!! :)

Awseome Find!. Was in town for the Around the Bay and popped in for breakfast. Wow! Cute place, super friendly. Loved the food and the service was a pleasure.<br/><br/>Will totally visit again!

It's worth the drive to Concession Street. We just moved to Concession Street and have been to Papa Leos on a few occasions. The food has always been very good and we are also happy to see how much Leo does in supporting the local community. I would strongly suggest going for brunch on the weekend or for a nice lunch, you won't regret it.

Today was my first visit to this restaurant, but it won't be my last. The staff were excellent and I learned that they source many of their ingredients locally. I had the Huevos Rancheros and it was the best breakfast I have ever had. It is mere steps from Juravinski Hospital. If you have to visit there, Papa Leo's is worth a visit.

FANTASTIC!! It's rare to find this combination of excellent food quality, nice presentation, good coffee, friendly service and reasonable price. Papa Leo came out and made sure everything was perfect for us. All in all, we were very impressed. This is definitely our new favourite place.

Loved it!. My husband and I live around the corner from Papa Leo's and are so happy to have a new favorite breakfast place! The coffee is amazing as are the fresh smoothies! Supporting local is what we are all about and the farm fresh eggs and Opie's bacon taste awesome! Both Papa Leo and his wife are friendly and attentive! Being treated like family is just another plus at this wonderful restaurant.

Thank you, Urbanspoon for hooking us onto this gem. Service was nice and courteous, atmosphere was great and food was amazing! I had papa leos breakfast and loved it! I can't wait to see what they have in store for the dinner menu!

Love It!!!. Delicious food and fantastic customer service!!!<br/>Went today for breakfast, arrived around 10am. Tiny place, only about 7 tables but we got the last one available. I had the Heuvos Rancheros, amazing! My boyfriend had the Papa's Eggs with smoked salmon, also amazing! He was expecting a few avocado slices but it came with an entire avocado! Our only issue was it took about 45 min. for our meals to come, although we did arrive just after two large families. We didn't even mention anything to the waitress about this, however she apologized for the delay and offered to comp the Papa's Eggs. We were impressed because they could have discounted the cheaper meal but they didn't. The owner even came over to check on us. If you don't want to wait too long, go earlier, or later around 11am. I will definitely be back!

We just came from Papa Leos where we had a fabulous Mother's Day Breakfast. The menu was amazing and we had a hard time choosing between Traditional bfast, Mama's Eggs and the delicious crepes! We had to just try everything and were not disappointed! Great atmosphere & the service and the food was delicious! Well worth it :)

Not impressed. We were very excited about visiting after reading the menu online and seeing the focus on local food. Unfortunately, the care with which the menu was written didn't translate through into the meal. There was certainly nothing terrible, but nothing outstanding and we were left with the feeling that certain elements, like the salsa, were just out of a jar.<br/><br/>We returned recently, deciding to give them another chance. Service was mediocre, with our coffees only being refilled after our brunch was done. The food was again middling. Nothing really wrong with it, but nothing to recommend it either. Despite the fact that it's a 5 minute walk from our house, we won't be back.

Tasty but cheap with the toast. My wife and I went for breakfast to Papa Leo's and we used a WagJag coupon.We both got the "local" breakfast .The potatos were tasty ,I asked for my eggs over medium,one was the other wasnt, my wife wanted her eggs over easy,they werent even close.The bacon was super thin and only ONE slice of toast.The coffee was very good and served in a large mug.Papa was very friendly and attentive,the place is very bare and echos if there are more than two people talking.I figured that the breakfast would cost $9. 04 with tax ($2.00 plus tax for coffee) and it just isnt worth it.There are lots of places you can go and get a much better breakfast than what is on offer here for a couple of dollars less.I have had breakfast in lots of different places and I have never got just ONE slice of toast,this just smacks of cheapness.Its a shame really as Papa Leos was able to entice us into his restaurant ,he just wasnt able to entice us back.Been there ,done that ,wont go back.

Fresh, locally grown food!. We decided to try to Papa Leo's after attending Soupfest and receiving a coupon for a free "Local" breakfast. The restaurant is small but the decor is very tasteful. We ordered the Local (bacon, eggs, potatoes and toast) and were very impressed! The potatoes were delicious, the eggs cooked perfectly, the bacon was flavourful, and the rye toast was divine! Leo was there, and explained to us that he tries to buy local as much as he can. The coffee is fair trade, and sold in Hamilton. I plan to go back soon!

Great little spot. Found this little gem on urbanspoon. Great breakfast place that uses local products including their coffee. Not only great food, but the service was amazing. Met the owner/ operator Leo, he was really helpful and imformative. Will definitely go back. Try this place

My new favourite spot. I had gone for brunch at Papa Leo's soon after it opened, and was amazed at the quality of food and service. I have been back several times since. I have tried most things on the breakfast menu, but my absolute favourites are the omelettes and the coffee.<br/><br/>This restaurant is absolutely incredible. Everything, from the prices, to the food, to the service and atmosphere, is head-and-shoulders above ANY breakfast restaurant that I've been too (even Cora's!). <br/><br/>Everyone needs to try this place, it's fantastic!

The restaurant has both breakfast and lunch menus. I opted for a big breakfast that included eggs bacon and chorizo with homefries and a delicious pancake and to drink I had a freshly made berry smoothy. Before my meal came I was offered samples of both pumpkin loaf and a cranberry walnut sweetbread that were both homemade and delicious another group in the restaurant purchased a few loaves to take home. I would definitely come back as I enjoyed the food the service and the atmosphere.

As soon as you walk in to Papa Leo’s, you feel comfortable and at home. The small room limits seating but increases the cosyosity. There is something nice of being in a small restaurant like this. The wait staff are more chill and you feel like you’re just visiting someone’s home. When you come to a place where all the food is created with care and you feel welcomed and at home, you have to come try it out!

I ordered the Papa's Eggs $12, and the massive plate came out warm and filled to the brim with amazing flavours. A whole avocado sliced in half and its' natural hollowed out cup filled with chopped chorizo sausage, a perfectly poached egg and a cilantro cheddar sauce. The avocado was bright green, so clearly it was cut and plated to order and the spicy chorizo that filled it was super flavourful.

...happy with our choice of breakfast. One of the things I loved was the presentation of our dishes. They looked so artfully put together and you could see the careful attention and detail put into the arrangement as a whole. While this made it even more appealing, it was one of those moments where you wouldn’t want to ruin such a masterpiece of food.<br/>

...I hit up  Papa Leo's for a quick lunch. Papa Leo's is a recent discovery of mine - in fact, I am one of their newest breakfast groupies. So, I was elated to head over there for lunch - unfortunately they don't do dinner service at the moment. But if you want to harass Leo about dinner service - feel free to do so  here  .  We both started off with soup of the day - I got something special off their catering menu that they just happen to have - shiitake mushrooms, glass noodles & pulled pork and Michael ordered the soup of the day - a french onion styled soup.  Both soups were without a doubt well executed warm bowls of heart warming liquid. I am a huge fan

Whenever I discuss Hamilton, Ontario Breakfast and Brunch spots, Papa Leo’s Restaurant inevitably comes up.