Leave the House: The Dog’s Bollocks

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This is NOT the kind of place you want to go to if you’re a denizen of the Drake nor if you’re a fan of dressing in club-kid gear and being seen (though, if you go for the club gear, you’ll likely be mocked). However, if you’re into homoerotic UFC (Saturdays) or insulting karaoke (Thursdays) coupled with cheap drinks and passable pub munchies, you may have found your new watering hole.

The main reason why I like this place is that I’m not a fan of pretense, and this place lacks it in spades. Sure, you get more than the occasional emo hipster skulking around in girlfriend jeans and an ironic t-shirt, but you’re not treated like a second-class citizen if you aren’t doing it yourself.

You might not want to go there for a quick drink or meal (read: slow service), but it’s a great place to just chill with a friend or two for the evening; you can even hear conversations sometimes. Besides, I’d much rather receive crap service from people who are a little absentminded and inexperienced than from people who just treat you like crap because they’re a wicked awesome barmaid at a pretentious art bar and you’re NOT. My group is a diverse mix of ages, sexes, and orientations, and we’re all welcomed here.

Oh, and the washrooms aren’t the cleanest. You want pristine toilets? Don’t go to a bar named after canine privates.

Update: I went back there last night (Friday) for a bite before the girls and I went to a movie. The veggie burger with fries was a satisfying $5.99; however, it is a GRAIN PATTY, not soy. If you’re into that kind of thing, knock yourself out—I’m not a fan of them myself. But my friend (who had never been there before) mentioned the deplorable washroom conditions, which made me giggle.

Oh, and we came back for a post-movie drink only to find that Fridays are drunken-whore-college-kid night. Again, if that’s your bag, go nuts. But even if you’re not one of them, you won’t feel uncomfortable there—just maybe slightly annoyed.

The Dog’s Bollocks
817 Queen St W
Toronto, ON M6J 1G1
(416) 800-1594