loblaws toronto

The best and worst Loblaws in Toronto

Some Loblaws in Toronto may look indistinguishable from the outside, but cramped quarters and a dated layout on the inside will quickly separate the good from the bad. Choose your PC purveyor wisely — we can't all afford to do home delivery.

Here are my picks for the best and worst Loblaws in Toronto. 

Best
Maple Leaf Gardens

This $60 million Loblaws flagship is one of the most chi-chi grocery stores in the city. Replacing what used to be Toronto's shrine to hockey, it's now home to an abundance of self-serve food and a Nutella bar.

St. Clair and Bathurst

This whopping 66,000 square-foot Loblaws was renovated a few years ago to replicate Loblaws' flagship Maple Leaf Gardens location. It's completely decked out now with a cheese wall, craft sushi bar, stone oven bakery, dry-aged beef wall and a Lavazza coffee bar. 

Lower Jarvis

More commonly known as the Queens Quay location, it never gets too busy here, meaning parking is usually abundant (and free). It's also equipped with a Starbucks, Joe Fresh and a food bar that's pretty popular with surrounding residents and workers.

Burnhamthorpe

Undergoing a redesign of its own, this location opens until 11 p.m. and stocks boozy items like beer and wine. After renovations the stocklist has improved too, so you can expect more frozen gluten-free items and organic goods. There's also a cooking centre that hosts workshops and parties.

Worst
Bloor and Dundas

This one's real bad. What the store lacks in price tags, it also lacks in ambiance and selection of usual Loblaws offerings of ample organics and PC products. If you're accessing it by subway, expect a long, long walk through the dreary parking lot get into the store. 

Broadview and Danforth

Greatly in need of a renovation, this small store has an older vibe with a produce section that's notorious for stocking rotten goods. Service doesn't have a great reputation here and good luck finding price tags. 

Empress Walk

There was a time when this location at Yonge Street and Empress Avenue used to be a shopper's paradise (back when it had a giant pineapple made of apples in the middle of the store). Now the location is a little outdated, produce isn't quite up to par and the overall feel is disorganized. 

Humbertown

Sitting in the very old Humbertown Shopping Centre, this small Loblaws feels more like a local store than a nation-wide chain. As a whole, the plaza needs a serious upgrade, but the grocery store itself needs some improvement — like way more cashiers manning the aisles. 

Lead photo by

Andrew Brenton


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