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A friend that I grew up with in Toronto and I were chatting today reminiscing on some old time Toronto memories (I am well aware that I sound 60 years old now) but the topic of dive bars came up because of something he read online recently.
So what are some of your favorite current or long gone dive bars in Toronto? I don't mean some poseur hipster faux dive that claims its a dive bar, but rather a place where your average hipster would sh*t their pants if they even walked into.
My favorites:
- Alfie's Bar and Grill at Queen and Sherbourne. This place is just one door and a blank wall from the outside, no windows at all, so once you are inside that's all she wrote. Beer is cheap, selection is terrible and the clientele are basically a bunch of locals who have been going there forever. Anytime you walk in there everyone looks like they have been there since opening time and haven't moved since. It is also impossible to spend more than a half hour in there and not be propositioned by a hooker or offered some illegal substance for sale.
- Michael's at Queen and Bathurst. If there is one bar in Toronto where you might actually feel a bit worried for your life because of the clientele its probably Michael's. I have never seen so many sad people in one establishment before in my life. Once again like Alfie's, the beer is ****ty and cheap and the people watching is incredible if you have the nerve to stick around for more than a few minutes. The staff there even always looks on edge. They probably should sell the place, but I dont know another group who could handle the crowd.
- Town talk at Vaughan and Oakwood. Every Jamaican from the EW strip or Jungle basically hung out there on a regular basis. They serve food, but it is stale and terrible, but they easily pour the stiffest drink in the city from my experience. They have had some issues with violence in the past, but if you want the closest thing to a Jamaican rum bar experience (not tourist jamaica, real jamaica) this is pretty much the only place in Toronto.
- Finally Bistro 422. Not really a dive like the ones above, but as a grad student at Rotman this was most of our go-to cheap drink place for after class. Cheap beer and mixed drink pitchers and always a pretty eclectic mix of folks you see walking in and out. On my last trip to Toronto in the winter I actually took a few of my friends I was traveling with from Boston there before heading over to Cold Tea in Kensington. Still pretty much the same and the prices haven't gone up much if any at all. Stay away from the food though, its disgusting, but you really don't go there to eat.
I have a bunch more, but share some of your favorites, or if not just wanted to share since city data seems like the best place to post something like this
There's tons, but here's a few notables in the west end:
- Black Cat Bar and Grill @ Jane and Dundas across from the KFC
- Bar Lokys Lithuanian club @ Bloor and Dundas
- Shoxs Billiard Lounge @ Dundas and Keele
- Os Piratas "The Pirates" Sports Bar @ Dundas and Dupont
- Hurricane's Roadhouse @ Bloor and Ossington - Not sure if it's divey anymore. Their half price wings on Tuesdays got pretty popular.
There's tons, but here's a few notables in the west end:
- Black Cat Bar and Grill @ Jane and Dundas across from the KFC
- Bar Lokys Lithuanian club @ Bloor and Dundas
- Shoxs Billiard Lounge @ Dundas and Keele
- Os Piratas "The Pirates" Sports Bar @ Dundas and Dupont
- Hurricane's Roadhouse @ Bloor and Ossington - Not sure if it's divey anymore. Their half price wings on Tuesdays got pretty popular.
Nice! I haven't tried any of these places, but the pool hall and Lithuanian club look like winners.
Speaking of Pool Halls, has anyone ever been to VIP Billards on Warden and Ellsmere in Scarborough? Not a dive at all, but they had the best fried chicken wings I've tasted in the city. My group and I were always the only non-asian folks in there for the most part and I always wondered what was going on in those back rooms next to the bar area. Alot of activity going in and out of those locked rooms!
Nice! I haven't tried any of these places, but the pool hall and Lithuanian club look like winners.
Speaking of Pool Halls, has anyone ever been to VIP Billards on Warden and Ellsmere in Scarborough? Not a dive at all, but they had the best fried chicken wings I've tasted in the city. My group and I were always the only non-asian folks in there for the most part and I always wondered what was going on in those back rooms next to the bar area. Alot of activity going in and out of those locked rooms!
I've actually been to VIP back during my undergrad days. My asian friends took to me there but I didn't find it that seedy, perhaps more of that Asian-mafia vibe. I used to play at another spot near UFT on College & Spadina called Captains (I think? I know it's not there anymore). That place was a complete dump with torn up tables and crooked cues...but it didn't get any cheaper than that. Not too far from Bistro 422, where I've been for that cheap beer as well. I also remember the Green Room in the Annex as a student-oriented dive back in the day...bad cheap food with even cheaper drinks. I'd hate to see what that place looks like with the lights on.
I've actually been to VIP back during my undergrad days. My asian friends took to me there but I didn't find it that seedy, perhaps more of that Asian-mafia vibe. I used to play at another spot near UFT on College & Spadina called Captains (I think? I know it's not there anymore). That place was a complete dump with torn up tables and crooked cues...but it didn't get any cheaper than that. Not too far from Bistro 422, where I've been for that cheap beer as well. I also remember the Green Room in the Annex as a student-oriented dive back in the day...bad cheap food with even cheaper drinks. I'd hate to see what that place looks like with the lights on.
Its definitely not seedy in a run down type of way, its actually kind of swanky for a pool hall. But those back rooms always had our minds wandering. Great spot though, we eventually became regulars there.
I've been to the green room quite a few times myself and is just as you described it. Apparently they renovated the place over the past few years, would be interesting to see what became of it.
Nice! I haven't tried any of these places, but the pool hall and Lithuanian club look like winners.
Shoxs is conveniently located to countless other bars that are popping up in the Junction, so you're guaranteed to have a back up plan if it doesn't work out.
Bar Lokys is hit or miss. It becomes fun only when they clear the tables and play cheesy euro dance music all night. People usually stay until about 3am. However, on slow nights you'll have the eastern euro mafia types who are there only to get drunk and look for fights. In those cases, proceed with caution.
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