In a big city like Toronto, you can scarcely spend more than a few minutes scrolling through your social media feeds without being bombarded by the latest viral food concoction that no one can seem to get enough of. Here's a little insider secret: a lot of the time, these internet-breaking dishes look and sound a lot better than they actually taste, but every now and then, a few outliers actually manage to be worth the fanfare. In 2025, the foods that captured hearts (and For You Pages) across the city ran the gamut from the humble hot dog to algorithm-stroking creations like matcha slushies, but they all had one thing in common: Toronto couldn't get enough. Here's my ranking of Toronto's top 10 viral food fixations of 2025. 10. Croissant pizza Remember what I said about things looking and sounding better in theory than they actually turn out in practice? Unfortunately, that was the case for this Frankenfood mashup that landed at Little Pebbles Cafe by way of Dubai. Where else? Pizza is good, croissants are good; let's keep the two separate. 9. S'mores hot chocolate If this were a ranking based on an item's virality alone, this wintertime treat would take the first-place spot in a heartbeat. Though renditions of this treat have been around for years, it was the rendition from Cluny Bistro at the 2024 Distillery Winter Village that really got people talking. Here's the skinny: hot chocolate is hot chocolate is hot chocolate. This hot chocolate happens to come with a torched marshmallow fluff rim, which looks great in a TikTok and photographs like a dream, but when it comes time for actual consumption, it leaves you with a particularly sticky upper lip and a sore wallet. 8. 6cloud cream-filled soufflé pancakes This too-pretty-to-eat dessert landed on the Toronto food scene so recently that it simply lacks the 10,000 hours to score higher on this list. Still, 6cloud, the leading purveyor of this dessert, effectively a load of whipped cream and other goodies sandwiched between two halves of a fluffy soufflé pancake, is on a tear, opening two locations within weeks of each other, so longevity might just be in the stars. 7. Slider Station Triple-Double As the artery- and algorithm-clogging Triple Dipper at U.S.-based chain Chili's made people north of the border drool, the team at Scarborough's Slider Station took it upon themselves to bring their own version of the platter to the masses. Sliders, fried chicken, and brick-shaped mozzarella sticks that lend themselves to lengthy cheese pulls: it's certainly not groundbreaking, but it's not hurting anybody either. Except for those with high cholesterol, of course. 6. Susie's Rise & Dine pancakes This Little Italy diner made a splash the instant it opened in late April, thanks to its retro interiors and menu of diner staples crafted with an Asian twist, but it was the pancakes that really sealed the deal. Likened to the even more viral pancakes at New York City's Golden Diner, this glistening, golden stack of almost unbelievably fluffy pancakes is perfectly primed to hold a centre spot on your Instagram feed, and they taste just as good as they look. 5. Chicken Caesar salad wraps To paraphrase Phineas and Ferb 's Dr. Doofenshmirtz, if I had a nickel for every time a Toronto sandwich shop went viral for its chicken caesar salad wrap in the summer of 2025, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right? The long-overlooked lunchtime staple became a showstopper at both Elm Street Deli and Grandma Loves You this past summer, drawing major lineups and causing both restaurants to sell out within hours, and you know what? They had my full support. 4. Matcha slushies The special award for the most original creation this summer can only go to Little Italy's Gateau Ghost , after founder Jayden Park rigged up a slushie machine to dispense creamy cups of half-frozen matcha. Topped with strawberry whipped cream and launching just as the summertime got into full swing, these treats were perfectly poised to take over the city. It also helps that they were sweet enough to satisfy an ice cream craving while still giving a healthy caffeine boost. While we're here, the Banana Bread Matcha Latte from Forget Me Not Cafe also belongs in this slot. Both matcha mashups became often imitated, never replicated. 3. Hot dogs, in general 2025 was the year of the hot dog, both in Toronto and, if the wiener-emblazoned merchandise at every fast-fashion store around is to be trusted, across North America. As it pertains to Toronto specifically, the city welcomed three new hotdog-centric restaurants in the summer of 2025 alone, while the volume of hot dogs consumed at Loonie Dog nights during the Blue Jays season reached record-breaking heights of over 800,000 eaten in a single evening. 2. Alfie's sandwiches With new sandwich spots popping up on seemingly a monthly — if not weekly — basis in Toronto, it can be hard for restaurants to break through the noise. That was not an issue in the slightest, though, for this Baldwin Village sandwich joint. Founded by Smoque N' Bones pitmaster Alex Rad, this shop stood out thanks to its bigger-than-your-head sandwiches served inside a fold of freshly-baked pizza dough in lieu of bread. Yeah, they're worth the pearl-clutching price. 1. Haydn's You couldn't get within a 2-km radius of Stackt Market this summer without being greeted by a sea of forest green cups filled with indigo acai, and there's good reason for that. This self-serve frozen yogurt and acai spot took the city by storm, putting all the power in diners' hands to create a breakfast or dessert that's exactly as healthy or decadent as you desire. Priced by weight, many may have been boggled after going a little overboard on the toppings, but complaints of any form were few and far between when it pertained to this business.