Looking for a new place to cure your weekend hangover? Conveniently located as a middle meeting ground (whether your friends are coming from Leslieville or Parkdale) is Duke’s Refresher + Bar, a new destination for ample craft beer, quality comfort food and quirky highlights. Located at Yonge and Gerrard, the refined pub-type restaurant opened its doors in December and already has a growing group of regulars thanks to the space’s inviting local watering hole feel. One thing is certain; you need to try their brunch.
Cure your hangover with the ever so guiltily pleasurable menu selections on the weekend brunch menu (Sunday is cheat day after all, right?). Some of chef Tim Tutton’s favourite brunch creations include the Shameless Waffle (two malty waffles, fresh berries, blueberry whipped cream, almonds and dried fruit), Buffalo Chicken Hash (chicken and Yukon potato hash with red peppers, red onion, blue cheese, two poached eggs and buffalo butter hollandaise) and Vegetarian Breakfast Tostadas (yellow corn tortilla, spicy refried black beans, melted cheese, corn, two eggs, cojita cheese, pico de gallo and avocado). Because no hangover breakfast is complete without The Caesar (Smirnoff vodka, Clamato juice, spices and celery garnish), they are offered for just $4.50 on Caesar Sundays.
Another weekend crowd-pleaser is the Boozy Brunch Milkshake, a rotating creation that changes weekly. Their first brunch featured the Boozy Bourbon Malteser, a concoction of bourbon and maltesers blended together. For holiday season brunch they went with the obvious Egg Nog but added favorite Christmas flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, along with some rum and flavored liqueur. Other favourites are the Oatmeal Kickstart, featuring F&M Oatmeal Stout along with some vanilla and chocolate flavored liqueurs, as well as the Crispy Morning Crunchshak, made with popular Crispy Crunch chocolate bar, peanut butter and creamy liqueurs. Of course, the shakes are complete with ice cream, a novelty in the depths of winter.
If you are on a budget (or even if you aren’t), you can knock dollars off of your brunch tab with The Breakfast Club stamp program. Guests can receive up to 50 per cent off when they return the next day for breakfast still sporting the stamp from the night before, which Duke’s Refresher + Bar offers after midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. The more embarrassing and exposed the stamped body part, the higher the discount. Brave guests who choose to have the stamp placed on their foreheads will be immortalized on the Shameless Breakfast Club wall. An added bonus for the early weekend riser, the restaurant opens at 9:00am both days of the weekend, so you can wash that stamp of as quick as possible.
Of course, it’s not just for breakfast. Hearty salads and sandwiches make Duke’s Refresher a prime location for lunch. Fast favourites include the Crispy Chicken Cobb Salad (Romaine hearts, roasted chicken breast, tomato, egg, red wine vinaigrette, customized with seared tuna or spiced shrimp) and the Seared Tuna BLT (smoked bacon, lettuce, avocado, fresh tomato, crema piquante on bacon focaccia). For a casual, quality dinner, items include a variety of sharable dishes (perfect for game night with friends) like the Sweet Potato Thing (sweet potato fries, French fries and onions, served with coconut chili dipping sauce), the fully-stocked (and amply layered with cheese) Nachos or the Tacos Non Gringos, which are available in Crispy Haddock, Seared Tuna and Spiced shrimp. If sharing isn’t your thing and you want to devour your own meal, requisite bar menu classics include The Woody (BBQ sauce-brushed burger, American cheese, really special sauce, caramelized onions, bacon focaccia) and the Hopped Up Fish and Chips (Craft beer batter, slaw, fries, dill tartar sauce).
You can also always shamelessly skip the food and stick with the drinks; the relaxed environment encourages free flowing alcohol consumption and drinks are taken very seriously. With an emphasis on local craft beer, Duke’s Refresher offers 40 different types of beer on tap. The beverage menu also features Duke’s Famous Five cocktails, including Playmate (Absolut Citron, raspberry and blueberry purées, fresh lemon juice and prosecco) and Stormy Weather (Appleton rum, pineapple & orange juice, grenadine, sirop d’orgeat and bitters). Guests at Duke’s Refresher will have the chance to join the exclusive “Einstein Club,”an in-house beer stein club for the ‘enlightened’ beer drinker. The $20 membership fee includes your first fill-up and a personal numbered stein (24oz) that proudly lives on the shelf behind the bar to be used for every visit.
And you will be back for a second visit, especially on those winter days when all you want is some good old comfort food and a place that is as inviting as a long-established neighbourhood pub. The space itself features a welcoming rustic feel, with eccentric décor that is described as ‘Ol’ American Vintage’ and sourced from a variety of outlets in a garage sale-like collection. The long, narrow bar space and upstairs mezzanine are designed with reclaimed materials: old doors, rusted corrugated tin and restored wood adorn the room, alongside vintage light fixtures. The vintage theme is carried through the mismatched ‘found’ furniture and tabletops finished with a variety of materials, like reclaimed wood, concrete and tacky tile. The space is complete with ample TVs so you can always check the score, as well as a shuffleboard table in the upper level.
Check out Duke’s Refresher + Bar for yourself: it is open Monday to Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., Wednesday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.
