With a long summer ahead and baseball season and playoffs just heating up, it’s time to break out your team’s jersey and huddle around your favourite flat screen. And while there’s no place quite like home to watch the big game, sometimes it’s nice to venture outside of the house.
But when it comes to deciding on where to watch your favourite team in Toronto it’s hard to decide where you want to watch them play— especially with all of the impressive options to choose from. Maybe you’re more into sports bars with HD TVs that are almost the same size as the screens at the movie theatre. Or possibly you pick a place based on its wing choices. Heck, maybe you’re more interested in playing games than watching the final minutes of the play.
So in order to make your decision process that much easier, we’ve rounded up the best sports bars in Toronto based on the food and drink specials, menus, and the selection of games — both on TV and in-house.
Loose Moose
A stone’s throw away from Toronto’s biggest sports and concert venues, Loose Moose offers sports fans a lively venue with more than enough craft and imported beers on tap to try throughout the game. We suggest trying the fully loaded nachos or the Jack and coke ribs.
Hunters Landing
Steps away from the Rogers Centre, Hunters Landing is a popular watering hole for sports fans before and after the big game. Make sure to stop by for brunch on the weekend so you can try the Absolute Cure Caesar cocktail that comes equipped with a lobster tail, brisket slider, strips of smoked bacon, a wedge of house smoked mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and a variety of house pickles.
The Ballroom Bowl
This state-of-the-art entertainment centre features everything from a 10-pin bowling alley, a sports bar, and a games room equipped with Ping-Pong, foosball, bubble hockey, and XBox. Make sure to give the lobster guacamole a try.
The Contender
The Contender is an unpretentious sports bar with plenty of cocktails, draft microbrews, and standard pub fare amid plenty of TVs and sports memorabilia.
The Derby
This cozy one-room Dundas West watering hole is the perfect sports bar for those who are looking to unwind and watch the game in an unpretentious and intimate setting. Sports fans can drink from the eight beers on tap, which features local, Ontario, Quebec, and import beers. The food menu consists of handmade burgers, smoked wings, Quebec-style poutines, and an array of nacho platters
The Dizzy
This Canadian “gastro” sports pub provides a cozy yet social atmosphere for sports fans, along with an exceptional variety of beers and pre-game snacks.
The Dock Ellis
This hipster sports bar on Dundas Street west offers sports fans some reasonably priced dishes and drinks and a great setting to watch the game.
The Dog and Bear
This English sports bar offers an impressive collection of 20 draught beers, as well as an English pub-inspired menu that has been curated by VICE Munchies host Matty Matheson. Make sure to give the bangers and mash, or the Dog and Bear burger a try.
The Football Factory
Die-hard footy fans love to congregate at the Football Factory for every major soccer match. The menus are impressively diverse and feature modern twists on traditional English pub fare, with the empire lamb stew, mussels and frites, and chorizo bangers and mash being some notable options.
Real Sports
This sprawling two floored sports bar features an award-winning menu, 199 HD TVs, and over 126 beers on tap. Real Sports is easily in a league of its own when it comes to sports and entertainment action.
Wayne Gretzky’s
Located in the heart of Toronto’s entertainment district, sports fans and Gretzky fans alike can bond over pints at pub fare as they watch the game. In the summer months, sports fans can head upstairs to the Oasis Rooftop Patio for drinks before or after the Jays game.
