The Garden Gate (“The Goof”) — Queen Street East Neon Classic
The Garden Gate diner — better known in the Beaches as “The Goof” — has been a Queen Street East landmark since the 1950s. Its neon sign is one of the neighbourhood’s most iconic relics: layers of peeling paint, faded tubing, and the accidental nickname that came from the way “GOOD FOOD” slowly burned out until only GOOF glowed in the night.
I love how this sign holds its history right on the surface. It’s a little worn, a little stubborn, and completely rooted in the east end — the kind of Toronto nostalgia you can spot from half a block away.
Queen Street East, The Beaches, Toronto — October 2025.
The Garden Gate (“The Goof”) — Queen Street East Neon Classic
The Garden Gate diner — better known in the Beaches as “The Goof” — has been a Queen Street East landmark since the 1950s. Its neon sign is one of the neighbourhood’s most iconic relics: layers of peeling paint, faded tubing, and the accidental nickname that came from the way “GOOD FOOD” slowly burned out until only GOOF glowed in the night.
I love how this sign holds its history right on the surface. It’s a little worn, a little stubborn, and completely rooted in the east end — the kind of Toronto nostalgia you can spot from half a block away.
Queen Street East, The Beaches, Toronto — October 2025.