Our definitive list of the best places in Toronto to congregate with your fellow sports fanatics and watch the big game.
HEADING WEST
Opera Bobs Public House
In the summer, this dimly lit, Dundas West watering hole serves as a fan clubhouse for the Toronto Blue Jays. The bar hosts monthly Jays Days, which feature cheap beer, hot dogs, bagged popcorn, peanuts and baseball trivia. During the chillier seasons, it’s a home base for supporters of the Premier League’s Manchester City FC, who shuffle in on weekend mornings to watch their team, sling expletives at the screen and break out into club-related songs and chants.
Beer: 10 draught, 11 bottles, 14 cans. There’s a big emphasis on Ontario craft brews for draught, and the bar even has its own beer, Bob’s Bearded Red, which is brewed by Mill Street.
Wings: No wings.
Good to know: Opera Bobs has a plaque from Manchester City that recognizes the bar as the only official supporters club of the team in Canada.
Number of screens: 5
How loud does it get? (out of 5): 3
1112 Dundas St. W., #DNW 416-536-5585, operabobspublichouse.com.
The Dizzy
Billing itself as a gastro sports pub, this underrated Roncy gem takes its food slightly more seriously than the box scores, but that’s a bonus for hungry patrons. Texas-bred chefs Scott and Chris Murie have succeeded in turning their pub fare into a rustic and delicious art form. With only 10 tables, you’ll have to be lucky to secure a prime spot to enjoy the veal scaloppini sandwich or the Southern-fried steak and mashed potatoes in addition to the big game.
Beer: 10 Ontario microbrews on draught, 13 bottles.
Wings: $12/lb
Good to know: If you ever thought a Raptors loss would go perfectly with stewed venison and Alberta beef chili, you’re in luck.
Number of screens: 9
How loud does it get? (out of 5): 2
305 Roncesvalles Ave., #RON 416-538-8484, thedizzy.ca.
SHOXS Sports Saloon
Thanks to the Junction’s long history of prohibition, SHOXS opened in 1995 as a café and billiard lounge. Even with the recent influx of frothy brews, the pool tables are still a featured attraction: The bar is home to multiple billiards leagues on weekday nights. Most impressively, the managers are considerate enough to consult with each table about which games to tune into.
Beer: 12 draught, 17 bottles.
Wings: $9.95/lb
Good to know: A cheeky sign on the front door reads, “Dress code: no baggy/oversize. Saloon wear welcome.” This means you finally have a place to test-drive those new spurs.
Number of screens: 18
How loud does it get? (out of 5): 4
2827 Dundas St. W., #JNC 416-762-7097, shoxs.ca.
Shakey’s Original Bar & Grill
This Bloor West Village watering hole was opened in the mid-1990s by former Maple Leafs sniper Mike “Shakey” Walton, but the bar was reborn in late 2010 as a stylish bistro. Current owners Rob and Chris Lundy have built a menu for the locavore sports fan—all the meat is from local markets, and Toronto’s Cobs Bread supplies the buns.
Beer: 12 draught, including house brand Shakey’s Light Lager, 18 bottles.
Wings: $12/lb
Good to know: Walton played on the last Leafs team to win a Stanley Cup, and the two gold seats from Maple Leaf Gardens situated in the bar’s basement are a welcome reminder of the team’s glory days.
Number of screens: 6
How loud does it get? (out of 5): 3
2255 Bloor St. W., #HIP 416-767-0608.
Shoeless Joe’s (King and Dufferin location)
With such close proximity to BMO Field, this Liberty Village bar has become Toronto FC fans’ preferred spot to congregate before and after matches. With a lengthy list of $10 specials on the menu, they’ve kept the team’s patient fans well fed during TFC’s five-season playoff drought. But soccer isn’t the only game in town—they proudly broadcast all of Toronto’s hapless pro teams.
Beer: 10 draught, 13 bottles.
Wings: $10.99/lb
Good to know: Shoeless Joe’s is also the post-game hangout for many of the amateur teams competing at nearby Lamport Stadium, so your odds of being seated next to a crowd of Ultimate Frisbee players are quite good.
Number of screens: 13
How loud does it get? (out of 5): 3
1189 King St. W., #LIB 416-534-3666, shoelessjoes.ca.
HEADING NORTH
WEGZ Stadium Bar
For a good half-decade before Real Sports opened, WEGZ was the go-to place for sports fans seeking a “stadium” bar experience—so long as they were willing to venture out to Vaughan. With touch-screen TVs at every booth, interactive golf videogames and all-day betting on the ponies, this 23,000-square-foot hangar-sized bar remains a high-tech haven for fans of everything from hockey to the UFC.
Beer: 13 draught, 16 bottles. Canadian and U.S. brands dominate.
Wings: $13/lb
Good to know: There’s a ticker running around the entire place that shows the betting odds for a variety of sports.
Number of screens: 120+
How loud does it get? (out of 5): 3
2601 Rutherford Rd., 905-303-9349, wegz.com.
Wendel Clark’s Classic Grill and Sports Lounge
Nestled in an inconspicuous strip mall near Highway 407, Wendel Clark’s offers up comfy booths, exposed brick and a wall of blue-tinted photos dedicated to the eponymous publican/former Leaf captain. A good starting point for spending a night in Vaughan exploring surrounding venues (like Dave and Buster’s entertainment arcade, Yuk Yuk’s and Berlin Nightclub), Wendel’s resembles a Milestone’s that’s had a sports-bar makeover.
Beer: 6 draught, 8 bottles. Fairly generic Canadian and U.S. domestic brands.
Wings: $11.99/lb
Good to know: Lucky contest-entering diners may walk away with swag, including t-shirts and pictures signed by Wendel himself.
Number of screens: 8
How loud does it get? (out of 5): 2
70 Interchange Way, 905-738-6001, wendelclarks.com.
