There’s something you should know before we tell you about The Dock Ellis (1280 Dundas St. W), Toronto’s latest sports bar (that isn’t really a sports bar). First of all, if you don’t know who the real Dock Ellis was, allow us to enlighten your mind. You see, the good Dock was an MLB pitcher from 1968 to 1979, during which time he famously threw a no-hitter while high on LSD. Yup, this man stood on the mound for nine full innings with acid (literally) on his mind and pitched the best game of his career.
Knowing this little anecdote is an important part of stepping through the doors at The Dock Ellis. You see, this isn’t exactly the type of place where you’re going to find face painters. The pitchers of Coors Light and Labatt Blue many people associate with a bar filled with sports screens won’t be found here either. And we love it.
Don’t misunderstand us, The Dock Ellis is a fantastic place to get a pint and settle into your favourite game on one of several HD screens. Not only that, these guys don’t mess around with sound – if you love the Leafs (and we know you do) you’ll hear every grunt, check, and goal over the impressive sound system. Top 40 will never trump Bob Cole. In fact, we can’t imagine Top 40 will ever be played here at all. This is the kind of sports bar for young professionals (YPs) who care as much about craft beef as Adrian Peterson’s next run – you’ll find everything from Boneshaker to Beau’s on tap. And if playing your own games also happens to be your style, The Dock Ellis has foosball, pool, and shuffleboard to keep you busy during timeouts.
In keeping with their different strokes approach to sports, these guys also offer their pub fare with a distinctly delicious twist. The nachos are made with wontons, the chicken burger has house-made sri-ranch-a sauce (Sriracha + Ranch), and the wings can come anywhere from naked to dressed in Ghost Pepper sauce. These ‘snacks’, as they call them, each offer their own complement to the game and the beer – but be warned, if you opt for that Ghost Pepper sauce you might have to call in a pinch-eater.
So the next time you’re looking to enjoy an evening with a little more sports and a little less crazy sports fans, we recommend stopping by The Dock Ellis. But watch this video first… mainly cause it’s awesome but also because you’ll get what we’ve been talking about this whole time.
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