All the surprise bags I bought from Too Good to Go in November 2024

A food waste prevention app called Too Good To Go is making waves around the country.  Have you used it before?  You download it and find participating stores and restaurants that assemble “surprise bags” of items that they haven’t sold or are surplus for a third of the price.  It’s usually leftover baked goods or hot food items.  You make the purchase on the app and then go to the store to pick it up on the same day (or the next day).  Every bag is a surprise, which is what makes it so fun!

Here is my monthly roundup of the surprise bags I bought in November 2024.  I bought 13 this month!

(Where there is a clear price tag of the goods, surprise bags that meet or are above the minimum value are marked with a green checkmark and surprise bags that do not meet the minimum value are marked with a red X.  E.g. If a surprise bag costs $6.99, the minimum value of goods received should be $21 worth.)

November 3:

Markham Bakery & Cafe TGTG $6.99 surprise bag

• Markham Bakery & Cafe
• 3255 Hwy 7, Markham
• Pick up time:  2:30 to 7:00 p.m.
• Surprise Bag:  $6.99 plus tax = $7.90
• Store rating at time of purchase:  4.5/5 (584 reviews)
• Contents:  10 assorted bakery items (2 pineapple buns, 1 cheese bun, 2 slices of whole wheat toast, vanilla cream sponge cake, 3 egg tarts (2 flaky and 1 butter), 2 types of Chinese pudding.

I love the items they put in their surprise bags.  It’s always different and always fun to receive new items!

November 11:

The Low Carb Grocery Markham $7.99 surprise bag

• The Low Carb Grocery Markham
• 170 Esna Park Dr. #8, Markham
• Pick up time:  12 to 5 p.m.
• $24 Low Carb Products Surprise Bag:  $7.99 plus tax = $9.03
• Store rating at time of purchase:  3.6/5 (25 reviews)
• Contents:  Fiber Gourmet light rotini pasta $6.99, Maca Ginger Chew, Sugar Free Thousand Island Dressing $8.19, Sugar Free Caribbean Jerk Sauce $7.99, Love Good Fats bar $2.70, 8 Love Good sugar free squares.  Total value: $25.87+. ✅

I really liked this surprise bag!  These include products we’re used to seeing from sugar-free/low-carb brands.  The husband was excited to see the sauces to use for cooking.  The male staff was very friendly and explained to me the items and how some were close to BB dates and why certain ones were included like the pasta which had a dented box.  He also asked if I wanted the Maca Ginger Chews included as it was past the BB date two months.  I really appreciated his quality customer service.  We’ll be back for another bag!

November 13:

Patisserie Gateau TGTG $6.99 surprise bag

• Patisserie Gateau (Richmond Hill)
• 90119 Bayview Ave., Richmond Hill
• Pick up time:  9 to 11 a.m.
• Surprise Bag:  $6.99 (no tax)
• Store rating at time of purchase:  4.7/5 (591 reviews)
• Contents:  9 assorted Chinese buns

This place has always been solid and reliable for giving 9 buns.  I love that pickup is quick too.

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November 15:

Papparoti Cafe & Bakery TGTG $4.99 surprise bag

• Papparoti Cafe & Bakery
• 6464 Yonge St., unit 164, North York
• Pick up time:  8 to 9 p.m.
• Baked Goods:  $4.99 plus tax = $5.64
• Store rating at time of purchase:  3.9/5 (33 reviews)
• Contents:  Smoked Turkey Cranberry sandwich $9.50, tiramisu in a cup.

Considering that there were so many baked goods left in their display case an hour before they close, I thought they would have included more of their products in the surprise bag.  I understand why their rating is 3.9 now.  The tiramisu was delicious.  The sandwich was average.

November 19:

Crust Baking Company TGTG $6.99 surprise bag

• Crust Baking Company
• 9610 Yonge St., Richmond Hill
• Pick up time:  5 to 6 p.m.
• Bread Bag:  $6.99 (no tax)
• Store rating at time of purchase:  4.7/5 (570 reviews)
• Contents:  6 sesame seed bagels, 8 mixed seed bagels, red pepper focaccia, 2 types of sourdough.

Lots of baked goods!!

November 22:

Markham Bakery & Cafe TGTG $6.99 surprise bag

• Markham Bakery & Cafe
• 3255 Hwy 7, Markham
• Pick up time:  2 to 7 p.m.
• Surprise Bag:  $6.99 plus tax = $7.90
• Store rating at time of purchase:  4.5/5 (616 reviews)
• Contents:  8 assorted bakery goods (6 Chinese buns, a pack of raisin bread, 4 slices of bread).

Once again, a wonderful surprise assortment of baked goods from this bakery.  They should not be charging tax on their surprise bags as each transaction of more than six baked goods should be tax-free.  I already expressed my concerns about this to TGTG for the bag I got earlier this month.  The store still hasn’t changed their pricing yet.

November 26:

Lady Glaze Doughnuts TGTG $11.99 surprise bag

• Lady Glaze Doughnuts
• 701 Belmont Ave. W., Kitchener
• Pick up time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Surprise bag: $11.99 (no tax)
• Store rating at time of purchase:  4.8/5 (596 reviews)
• Contents:  12 assorted donuts (3 Mini Apple Fritters, 3 “Reindeer Poop”, 2 “Peppermint White Hot Chocolate”, 2 strawberry sprinkles, 1 strawberry jelly filled, 1 letter N).  Total value: $40. ✅

If you like gourmet donuts (especially if they are gluten-free or vegan), this bakery is the place for you!  The box was gigantic!  The donuts were pretty good but a select few were a bit stale.

The Tamale Girl TGTG $4.99 surprise bag

• The Tamale Girl
• 300 King St. E., Kitchener
• Pick up time: 2:30 to 3 p.m.
• Gluten Free Surprise Bag: $4.99 plus tax = $5.64
• Store rating at time of purchase:  4.7/5 (71 reviews)
• Contents:  2 frozen tamales (vegan black bean in mild) $5.44 x2, 1 container of beans and rice $7.35.  Total value:  $18.23. ✅

A nice opportunity to try tamales again since we don’t eat it often.  The black bean tamales were decent tasting.  The rice and beans were a bit on the sweeter side for me.

The Caribbean Kitchen Ltd. TGTG $6.99 surprise bag

• The Caribbean Kitchen Ltd.
• 300 King St. E., Kitchener
• Pick up time: 2 to 3 p.m.
• Caribbean Surprise Bag: $6.99 plus tax = $7.90
• Store rating at time of purchase:  4.3/5 (15 reviews)
• Contents:  Jerk chicken leg on bed of rice and beans with a side of coleslaw.  Total value: $14. ❌

The jerk chicken was dry.  The rice and beans were average.  The coleslaw was good.

Shishalicious Cafe & Resto TGTG $9.99 surprise bag

• Shishalicious Cafe & Resto (Kitchener)
• 721 Ottawa St. S., Kitchener
• Pick up time: 12 to 6 p.m.
• Surprise bag: $9.99 plus tax = $11.29
• Store rating at time of purchase:  3.9/5 (34 reviews)
• Contents:  falafels $1.67 x2, pickle spears, hummus, 2 beef kebabs on bed of rice.

This surprise bag was very underwhelming.  How can this be worth $30?!  On their menu, the full Beef Kebab dish would be $19.99 (but it doesn’t even include pita here or grilled vegetables).  At most, this meal would add up to $23.33 so it still does not reach the total value of $30.  (The hummus at full portion price would cost $9.99, but what was given in this surprise bag was only a few dollops of hummus which definitely wouldn’t cost $10.)

The falafels tasted fine; they weren’t terribly dry.  The hummus tasted good.  The beef kebabs were on the tougher side to chew through.  I didn’t like the sauces that they put on top of the rice; it seemed random and inauthentic.

November 27:

Blooming Cafe Dessert House TGTG $4.99 surprise bag

• Blooming Cafe Dessert House 榮華甜苑 麵包 蛋糕 西餅 烘培店 (Richmond Hill)
• 280 West Beaver Creek Rd., Richmond Hill
• Pick up time:  10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Cake Slices 蛋糕盒子:  $4.99 plus tax = $5.64
• Store rating at time of purchase:  3.6/5 (30 reviews)
• Contents: 3 slices of cake (chestnut $5.49 x2, tiramisu $5.99).  Total value:  $16.97. ✅

I was really happy with this bag.  The 3 slices of cake tasted delicious and the bag was over value.  I wonder why the rating is so low though.

November 28:

The Night Baker TGTG $6.99 surprise bag

• The Night Baker (North York)
• 5361 Yonge St., North York
• Pick up time:  11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Assorted Cookies:  $6.99 (no tax)
• Store rating at time of purchase:  4.7/5 (32 reviews)
• Contents:  6 gourmet cookies (2 Sans Rival, 2 Gingerella, 1 Chailor Swift [new! Their 89th creation], 1 Ooey Gooey Oatmeal Cookie).  Total value:  $21. ✅

Yay!!  So happy to get a surprise bag from The Night Baker’s newest third location!  So happy for them to open up a third store! ❤

I really enjoyed the Sans Rival almond cashew cookie (we had it last time when I got their surprise bag from the Danforth location).  I was really ecstatic to get to try the new limited edition Chailor Swift chai milk cookie too!  The Ooey Gooey Oatmeal was great too.  Can’t wait to get more bags the next time I see it to taste more of their rotating cookie flavours. 😄

Markham Bakery & Cafe TGTG $6.99 surprise bag

• Markham Bakery & Cafe
• 3255 Hwy 7, Markham
• Pick up time:  2 to 7 p.m.
• Surprise Bag:  $6.99 plus tax = $7.90
• Store rating at time of purchase:  4.5/5 (637 reviews)
• Contents:  2 sets of pan bread, 2 pineapple buns, 2 assorted buns, 2 slices of coffee swiss roll cakes.

Love the selection of baked goods in this bag!!

See what I got in my surprise bags in January 2024,   February 2024,   March 2024,   April 2024,   May 2024,   June 2024,   July 2024,   August 2024,   September 2024,   October 2024,   November 2024 (this post),   December 2024.