If there is one word that best describes the Queen Mother Café it is “enduring”.
The Queen Street restaurant was started in 1978 in a building that was constructed in 1850. Many of the staff have worked here for over 10 years and a few for more than 20 years. There are customers who have become multigenerational patrons – they came when they were young and now come with their children and grandchildren.
The ownership/management team has also been longstanding with Andre (1978-2025); Kelly (1983-2025); David (1978-2017); Anique (1978-1992); Jeff (1992-2017); Sarah (2021-2025) and, Ranjan (2021-present). Ranjan, now the owner, joined the kitchen staff in 1993. He proudly assumed the mantle to ensure the standards and values remain strong and that the enduring legacy of the Queen Mother Cafe as a Queen West fixture and destination continues for years to come.
The restaurant, occupies three addresses in the historic building, 206, 208, and 210 Queen Street West. It originally started up at the 206 location with just 18 seats. The kitchen was so small that one could stand on one spot in the middle of the floor, wash and dry a dish at the sink, swivel 15 degrees and plate the food on the prep table, and turn the same amount again and pass it out the window to the server. Two burners and a domestic toaster oven were the extent of the cooking equipment.
To enlarge the kitchen for a commercial stove and to expand the menu the space to the west at 208 Queen West was added in 1980. It is now the middle room. It originally opened as the Queen Mother To Go, a take-out business. A liquor license was obtained in 1981 and the take-out was converted into an expanded dining room.
The backyard garden patio was created in 1984 and the restaurant was enlarged again into the far west bay, at 210 Queen West, in 1996.
The back garden is acknowledged by many as a lovely oasis in the heart of the city and is considered one of the best patios on the street.
The name, Queen Mother Café, encapsulates the spirit that the owners’ wanted for the space – to create a welcoming “Home away from Home” – the “Mother of Queen West”. Gracing one of the walls of the restaurant since its inception hangs an original photograph of the young Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, which they salvaged from the trash. It was the inspiration for the idea on the play on words that inspired the name.
At first, the menu was one of salads and sandwiches. Members of an extended Laotian family joined the kitchen staff and introduced the owners to Lao/Thai flavours. At that time Pad Thai was virtually unknown in Toronto. Certain items, such as nam jeun, nam dip, sticky rice, pad thai, and ping gai, were added to our menu in around 1982 where they have remained staples to this day. The present Chef, Noy, is a member of that family and has been with us since.
The Queen Mother Cafe is known as one of the earliest and most consistent establishments serving some Thai dishes. However, the Queen Mother is not a Lao/Thai restaurant per se. It is equally known for its broad range of “global comfort food”, where you can just as easily find tasty burgers, cannelloni, salads, weekend brunch and a variety of daily specials.