Postman Waffles is Toronto's waffle cafe — and it's hidden in an alleyway. Here, they're serving freshly-pressed, hand-sized Belgian waffles in a variety of flavours, but particularly with Filipino influences.

Owners Paulus and Alissa Reyes first came to Toronto from the Phillipines in 2017 to see family and fell in love with it so much, they decided to move and build a life here.

After settling in the Yonge & Eglinton area, they realised the neighbourhood lacked spaces that were open late for dessert. 

"We love the slower pace of this area. It's still lively and there are a lot of great restaurants, but we noticed there was no place to continue conversations after dinner," Paulus explained.

Tucked away at the end of a quiet alleyway off Yonge St., you can find the shop a short walk from Eglington Station. The interior is very pretty with terrazo countertops, low-sitting wood stool tables, and fun pink accents.

In fact, renovations took nearly a year to finish and Alissa spent hours trying to find the perfect decor pieces for the space. 

The name was chosen by the couple after reading a Sesame Street book to their son and realizing the significance a postman has to a neighbourhood. They set out to become a place that brings good things to the community.

"We want to spread love through waffles and bring joy to people who visit," said Paulus. 

Here, waffles are not just a dessert or a rare indulgence, with the menu fashioned to work for any meal of the day. Their creations are served in custom-made sleeves that make the eating experience both easy and less messy.

There are five classic flavours to try ($4.25): The OG plain, Cheese, Everything Waffle, Chocolate, and Churro. 

Made in the Belgian Liège-style, the batter uses yeasted dough, which makes the texture is completely different than your average American breakfast waffle.

The dough also uses large pearl sugar that creates a great crunch as it melts during the cooking process. The batter is then pressed (instead of poured) into the grill.

That being said, they're definitely sweeter than your normal waffle. My personal favourite was the Everything Waffle as the seasoning created a good balance of salty and sweet.

There are also four premium waffle options ($4.75): OG with Milk or White Chocolate, Ube, and Matcha. These flavours rotate monthly and the team hope to experiment with unique options that reflect Toronto's diverse community. 

The OG with Chocolate is particularly interesting: they feed chocolate sticks into the edges of the waffle that melt into a gooey mess during cooking.

The Ube is an obvious nod to their hometown and pairs excellently with the Ube Latte ($5.75) from the drink menu. 

There are also two savoury sandwiches options: Ham & Cheese ($7.25) and Salmon & Cream Cheese ($8.25). You can choose any waffle flavour on the menu to create your own combination. 

For those with a major sweet tooth, you can also get your waffle topped with Nutella ($4.75) or sandwiched with cream and strawberries ($.7.25) with your choice of outer layer.

The Nutella and strawberry soft serve sandwiches ($12.50) are big and could easily be shared with someone (sans toppings it's $9.50). Not to mention they also look very pretty on camera. 

You can easily find your classic coffee drinks here, but I think the Calamansi Espresso Tonic ($5.75) is especially worth trying. The sweet tartness of the fruit works well with the sparkling tonic and bitter espresso. 

For ice cream lovers, there are plenty of soft serve items to choose from. The Affogato ($8) features the soft serve flavour of the month (it was ube during our visit) and comes with a waffle biscotti. 

You can also opt for a cup of the monthly soft serve, also served with a waffle biscotti ($5.75).
Keeping with the mail theme, they offer cute boxes that can be personalized with a written message on the side for people who want to take some home (or bring as a gift).

Postman Waffles is located at 2409 Yonge St.