Prepared food and meals in Toronto are a blessing whether you're gearing up for a picnic or are just too tired to cook after a long day at work. Leave the prep work to the professionals and stock up on complete meals that require minimal effort.
Here are my picks for the top places to get prepared food in Toronto by neighbourhood.
Annex
Summerhill Market on Bathurst is a boutique grocery store known for their prepared foods, especially meat pies, and for stocking rare imported products.
Avenue and Lawrence
Goodbye Gluten eliminates any risk of cross contamination by ensuring their entire inventory is gluten-free. The retail shop on Avenue Road south of Wilson sells a whole range of prepared foods so you don't need to worry about cooking yout next meal.
Bayview and Leaside
Cumbrae's on Bayview offers meals in every stage of preparation. Find marinated meats ready for the grill, vacuum-sealed packages of bolognese, beef stew and lasagna that just need to be reheated, and fresh ready-to-eat salads, sides and sandwiches.
Beaches
Find prepared foods like marinated meats, deli slices, salads, meat pies and much more at the popular grocer Bruno's Fine Foods.
Bloorcourt
Popbox MicroMrkt is a corner store where display cases are filled with fresh baked goods, sandwiches, salads, dips and assorted snacks.
Wraps and sandwiches are just some of what's available at the Big Carrot. Photo by Hector Vasquez.
Bloor West Village
Max's Market is a gourmet grocer on Bloor. They sell a wide selection of prepared foods from all over the globe including salads, meat pies and soups.
Cabbagetown
Daniel et Daniel might be known more as a catering business but their small food shop on Carlton is worth a visit for their freshly prepared sandwiches, muffins and other daily gourmet treats.
Castlefield Design District
Tucked away in the industrial area near Keele and Lawrence, Speducci Mercatto is an Italian butcher and fine foods purveyor. Find prepared foods like salads, pizza and pastas at the counter.
Corktown
Spaccio is an extension of Terroni where items like pasta, bread, sauces and pastries are produced and sold.
Danforth
The vegetarian counter at The Big Carrot is an excellent source for ready-to-eat fare. The organic salads, grains and pasta sold by weight are perfect for nights when you don't want to cook.
The ready-made items at Unboxed Market are always changing. Photo by Hector Vasquez.
Don Mills
Galleria Supermarket is one of the best known Korean grocers in the Toronto area. This store, found near York Mills and Leslie, is jam packed with prepared foods like Korean fried chicken and fresh salads.
Dundas West
Unboxed Market is a Toronto grocery store attempting to reduce their waste and packaging to zero. So when you visit bring your own tupperware and head over to their hot table that has a rotating menu of items available.
East York
Marcheleo's is a gourmet marketplace serving up an array of prepared foods, deli and fish items, an espresso bar, and pastries from their dessert counter.
Eglinton West
Nortown Foods is a Jewish-style grocer that's been serving Toronto for more than 50 years. In addition to groceries the shop has a large selection of meat, fish and prepared foods available daily.
Entertainment District
Independent City Market is a grocery store with a whole delicious counter of prepared foods including sandwiches, pizza, chicken skewers and noodle salads.
The offerings available at Fruitful Market are plentiful. Photo by Jesse Milns.
Etobicoke
Saks Food Hall by Pusateri's at Sherway Gardens is an 18,500 square foot grocer stocked at every turn with gourmet ingredients, artisanal products, prepared foods and food stations.
Junction
The Sweet Potato is an independent grocery store with an emphasis on local and organic products. Besides your classic grocery items you'll be able to shop for prepared foods like wraps and sandwiches, rotisserie chickens and wholesome mac n’ cheese.
Kensington Market
Sanagan's Meat Locker is more than just a butcher shop. It also does grab and go sandwiches, roast chicken, fries and ribs.
Leslieville
Fruitful Market near Dundas and Carlaw has a new selection of meat and vegetarian hot meals daily, as well as salads, smoothies and muffins.
Little Italy
Dish Cafe has a a prepared food counter offering tempting options for every meal, from breakfast sandwiches and yogurt parfaits to mix-and-match, build-your-own lunch or dinner items sold by weight.
Don't pass up the chance to grab some pasta from Sweet Cultura. Photo by Fareen Karim.
Mount Pleasant
Sweet Cultura doesn't just do delectable desserts and pastries. The shop sitting at Eglinton Avenue East and Mount Pleasant Road also has a number of savoury options including ready-to-go lasagna and fresh focaccia.
North York
Savours Gourmet is a butcher deli shop that specializes in kosher meats. They also sell freshly prepared meals and sandwiches.
Ossington
Fresh City Farms has gone from being an online grocer to a full-fledged store on Ossington. Find prepared items like food jars ranging from sizeable portions of salads and gluten-free, vegan taco mixes with quinoa to bolognese jars using Ontario lean ground beef.
Roncesvalles Village
Whole Plate has meat, vegan and vegetarian options and you can get a main and two sides for less than $10. Shepherd's pie, mac and cheese and butter chicken are some of their favourites.
Rosedale
Rosedale’s Finest gives other grocers a run for their money for gourmet prepared food with options like tofu salad rolls, green curry cauliflower and beef bourguignon.
Nations Experience has ready-made dim sum available. Photo by Hector Vasquez.
Scarborough
Cosmos Agora is a Greek market-meets-hot counter, where olive oil and tubs of feta cheese are sold alongside hearty meals, made fresh daily.
South Core
Market 63 by Coppa's takes their boutique grocery offerings to the next level. The market is something of a collection of smaller shops and has endless offerings when it comes to prepared foods. Pre-made sandwiches, pizza and antipasto are all available for purchase.
St. Clair West
Roast offers a rotating lineup of prepared meals like shepherd's pie, meatballs, lasagna, risotto, chicken parmesan, stews and sides ranging from garlic mashed potatoes to green bean salad.
Stockyards District
Nations Experience is a humongous supermarket with everything you could want under one roof. If you’re the sort of person that craves meals of say, ribs, mango salad, burgers, and sushi mixed and matched from various cuisines that you ordinarily wouldn’t practically be able to eat together, this is the place for you.
Upper Beaches
Courage Foods is a neighbourhood gem where you'll find grocery staples along with homestyle crockpot dinners, curries, stews, soups and other hearty comfort foods freshly prepared in the kitchen onsite.
McEwan's goes beyond basic offerings when it comes to their prepared foods. Photo by Hector Vasquez.
West Queen West
Mabel's Bakery is not just a desintation for delicious baked goods. Opt for savoury pre-made offerings like spinach and feta turnovers, soup, turkey sandwiches and macaroni and cheese.
Yonge & Bloor
McEwan Foods is a boutique grocery store named for Chef Mark McEwan with multiple Toronto locations. There are more prepared foods at this location than any other, with stations for coffee, carved meats, sushi and pizza.
Yonge & College
Farm Boy is Canada's Trader-Joe’s-style fresh market. The grocery encompasses hot counters, a salad bar and their own line of products.
Yonge & Eglinton
Stock TC is a collaboration between a Toronto restaurant, bakery and butcher shop that's part grocery store, part bar. The place is stocked with prepared goodies so get your fill of sandwiches, soups, salads and much more.
Yorkville
Whether you're craving sushi or finger sandwiches, salads or comfort foods, Pusateri's has got a gourmet version ready to take home. Mac and cheese here gets laced with truffles, while classic salads like the Waldorf get updated with quinoa. The selection is dizzying.
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