Queen Street Commons - Kitchener

This place is fantastic - the food is always REALLY delicious and you get a lot of it for hardly any money. Spicy hummus wrap is an all-time favourite!

It is very cheap. And I love how quiet and relaxing it is there. I go there every Tuesday for my non violence group. It is so peaceful. I get a clear state of mind everytime I go there. I like how their food choices are so unique as well.

Good, cheap vegetarian food. I tried the pulled squash and mango un-sandwich, a lemon-lentil salad, and rhubarb pie. All were delicious!

I was surprised at how much food I could get for under $10. Chowder and toast, orzo hot pot and a salad. Very tasty. Nutritious too. Definitely has the feel of a community centre cafe. Community items for sale. Pottery, books, cards, local art, handmade crafts.

Queen Street Common, an extension of The Working Centre, is unlike any other eatery I know of. Patrons include community activists, tech industry workers, local sales people, new Canadians, civic planners, journalists conducting interviews, and a mishmash of others. I'm a carnivore by nature, but I regularly have a delicious vegetarian lunch here after a yoga workout across the street at Queen's Street Yoga. As far as possible, QSC uses local ingredients and even roasts coffee beans. Prices for meals here are beyond economical; you can get a satisfying healthy meal for $5.00, including tip - yet QSC also invites people to bring their own bagged lunches and sit awhile. Yes, some meals are hit and miss (mostly hit) but their carrot cake is consistently the best I've ever had. Service too is hit-and-miss. Please give them a wide berth: QSC is about helping people learn trades and marketable skills. Though inexperienced, servers I've met have been amazingly upbeat and helpful. Wi-Fi, newspapers, and glasses of water are free. Posters announce what's happening in the area and the walls are studded with available local art. To sum up: this is one funky place.