Do you tip for takeout in Toronto?

For takeout you collect, tipping is optional. For delivery, tipping the driver is customary, often around 10 to 15 percent.

Is there HST on takeout in Ontario?

Prepared food generally carries the 13 percent HST. The provincial portion is rebated on prepared food and drinks totalling four dollars or less.

Can I order alcohol with takeout in Ontario?

Licensed restaurants can sell alcohol with food orders. You must be 19 or older, and drivers may ask for ID.

Is pickup cheaper than delivery?

Usually. Delivery apps add fees and sometimes higher menu prices, and pickup means fresher food.

What food is best for takeout?

Curries, rice dishes, steamed dumplings, roast meats, burritos, roti and stews travel well. Fried foods travel badly.

Is it better to order takeout directly from a Toronto restaurant?

Often, yes. Apps charge restaurants a commission, so ordering by phone, on the restaurant's website or at the counter usually means more of your money stays with them.

How to

Takeout and delivery in Toronto: how to get better food at home

Mosey · November 11, 2026 · 5 min read

Takeout is part of everyday life in Toronto, especially on cold, snowy evenings. But anyone who has opened a box of soggy fries or a bowl of swollen noodles knows not all food survives the trip. The way you order makes a real difference. Here is how to get better takeout and delivery in Toronto.

Which foods travel best?

Travels well	Travels badly
Curries, dal and stews	Fries and crispy fried food
Rice dishes and biryani	Tempura
Steamed dumplings	Noodle soups with noodles already in the broth
Roast meats and Chinese barbecue	Dressed salads
Burritos and wraps	Delicate sushi on a hot day
Roti	Anything meant to be eaten the second it is cooked
Pizza, eaten quickly	Soufflés and soft-scrambled eggs

Restaurants that do takeout well pack broth separately from noodles, sauces on the side and fried food in vented containers.

Is pickup better than delivery in Toronto?

Often, yes. Picking up means fresher food, a chance to check your order, and usually a lower bill, since delivery apps add service and delivery fees and some restaurants charge higher menu prices on apps. It also means more of your money reaches the restaurant. Many Toronto restaurants take phone orders or have their own online ordering for pickup.

How much should you tip for takeout and delivery in Toronto?

Takeout you collect: tipping is optional; many people leave a little for a large or complicated order.
Delivery: tipping the driver is customary, often around 10 to 15 percent, or a few dollars for a small order, and more in bad weather.
Through an app: check whether the tip goes to the driver; service fees are not tips.

Is there tax on takeout in Ontario?

Prepared food is generally subject to the 13 percent HST in Ontario, whether you eat in or take it away. Ontario rebates the provincial part of the HST on prepared food and drinks when the total is four dollars or less, which is why a cheap coffee or a single patty may only carry the federal portion. Delivery fees add to the total.

Can you order alcohol with takeout in Ontario?

Licensed restaurants in Ontario can sell alcohol with food for takeout and delivery, under provincial rules. Not all restaurants do. You must be 19 or older, and drivers may ask for ID.

How do you keep takeout food safe?

Eat hot food within about two hours or refrigerate it.
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers.
Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
Cool leftover rice quickly.
If you have an allergy, call the restaurant directly rather than relying only on an app's notes field, and check your order on arrival.

How do you reheat takeout well?

Pizza: in a hot dry pan or the oven.
Fried food: in a hot oven or air fryer.
Noodle soups: heat the broth, then add noodles at the end.
Curries: gently on the stove with a splash of water.
Dumplings: steam briefly, or pan-fry for crisp bottoms.

How do you order takeout for a group in Toronto?

For a group at home, choose dishes designed for sharing: Chinese family-style dishes, Indian curries with rice and breads, Ethiopian platters, shawarma platters or pizzas. Order a little more rice or bread than you think you need, and ask the restaurant to label dishes, especially vegetarian and spicy ones. Call ahead for large orders, since many kitchens need extra time, and pick up if you can, so everything arrives hot.

What are the best kinds of takeout in Toronto?

Toronto's strengths travel well: Chinese barbecue from Chinatown and Markham, curries and biryani from Little India and Scarborough, Jamaican patties and roti, shawarma, Ethiopian stews (with injera packed separately) and pizza eaten quickly. When in doubt, ask the restaurant what travels best; they know.

Why order takeout directly from the restaurant?

Delivery apps are convenient, but the restaurant pays a commission on every order placed through them. Ordering directly, by phone, on the restaurant's own website or at the counter, usually means more of what you spend stays with the place that cooked it. Some restaurants reward that with a small pickup discount or slightly lower prices than on the apps.

There are practical benefits too:

You can ask questions about ingredients, spice and allergies directly.
Special requests are clearer than in an app's notes box.
Problems get fixed faster, because you are talking to the restaurant itself.

The trade-off is usually collecting it yourself, which for a place near home or on your commute is no trade-off at all.

How do you find good takeout spots?

The places with the best dining rooms are not always the best for takeout. On Mosey you can rate the places you order from and the dishes, note how they held up on the way home, and keep a list of reliable takeout spots near you. Seeing what friends ordered helps you skip the dishes that do not travel.

Common questions

Do you tip for takeout in Toronto?
For takeout you collect, tipping is optional. For delivery, tipping the driver is customary, often around 10 to 15 percent.
Is there HST on takeout in Ontario?
Prepared food generally carries the 13 percent HST. The provincial portion is rebated on prepared food and drinks totalling four dollars or less.
Can I order alcohol with takeout in Ontario?
Licensed restaurants can sell alcohol with food orders. You must be 19 or older, and drivers may ask for ID.
Is pickup cheaper than delivery?
Usually. Delivery apps add fees and sometimes higher menu prices, and pickup means fresher food.
What food is best for takeout?
Curries, rice dishes, steamed dumplings, roast meats, burritos, roti and stews travel well. Fried foods travel badly.
Is it better to order takeout directly from a Toronto restaurant?
Often, yes. Apps charge restaurants a commission, so ordering by phone, on the restaurant's website or at the counter usually means more of your money stays with them.