Mirroring a traditional English Pub, Dog and Bear is a sports-friendly, neighbourhood watering hole located in Parkdale in the city's west end. Comfortable u-shaped booths line the east brick exposed wall, purposely set up to face the bar, which is equipped with 9 flat screen televisions. There are 20 beers on tap and the menu boasts items such as burgers, all day breakfast, wings and nachos.more...See more text
Richard Lambert describes himself as an optimist, "a glass-half-full sort of person." But the pub he co-owns, the Dog & Bear, is anything but a half-full sort of place.
Three years after the Social nightclub ended its seven-year run as one of the hottest spots on Toronto's Queen St. W., its stylish, laid-back successor is "busier than I ever imagined," Richard says. He and the Social's co-owners "could have walked away after it closed, but we decided to dig another hole and go for it. We're glad we did: the Dog & Bear has been extremely successful since it opened in 2012."
It's easy to see why. The expansive yet cozy space greets customers with a fire burning in an ornate hearth. The walls are playfully festooned with Union Jacks, royal portraits and deer antlers. Eight high-definition TVs and a projection screen carry any and all live sports, with the pub becoming "a home for Maple Leafs and Raptors fans," Richard says. Last but not least, there are 20 beers on tap - the widest selection on Queen West - while the menu is an appealing blend of traditional British and Canadian pub fare.
I’ve been to Dog and Bear many times. It’s a traditional British style pub. It’s laid back and chill, not a place for an event but definitely a place to hang out with the friends and grab some pints. Football(soccer) lovers as owners the screens always have good matches on during the season. If you are there on a day where west Ham and Man U go head to head you will likely see the rivalry as friends and supporters pile in and sit in separate sections of the bar to cheer for their teams.
Worst experience ever!! Please, don’t go to this bar. Last weekend I had a drink with my girlfriends in this bar. Around 1am in the morning I went outside to leave my friend in her Uber. One of the security guards was crazy YELLING at me because I was waiting at the entrance for my friend’s Uber. I asked him to calm down because it was -17 degrees, left my coat inside and my friend’s Uber was arriving in 2 minutes. The guard started to PUSH me down the street and didn’t let me get back inside.
While Dog & Bear offers their signature nachos ($16) along with a veggie version ($14), it’s their Buffalo Chicken Nachos ($16) that are particularly genius:
Buffalo chicken, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, cheese and blue cheese, dill pickle, onion, tomato and shredded iceberg lettuce all mingled together with crisp nachos means never having to struggle over whether to order nachos or wings again.
If the oft lengthy line outside this Parkdale pub didn’t get across its undying cool-guy status, a wander inside the lively interior – hosting everyone from vintage-clad fashionistas to suits hailing from the Financial District – certainly will. Toronto’s pub-seeking population found its paradise at the more-hip-than-your-average-pub Dog and Bear, from the owners of Parts and Labour and The Hoxton. Come for the beer, the vibes, and the company, but arrive early if you want to avoid the weekend line-up.
You might not expect a traditional British pub to excel at a distinctly Mexican dish, but you’ll be eating your words after you try the buffalo chicken nachos at this Queen West haunt. Crispy tortillas are heaped with fried chicken thighs, Frank’s Red Hot sauce, blue cheese, pickles, onions, tomatoes and iceberg lettuce. The equally adventurous cheesesteak nachos feature steak, American cheese, mushrooms, caramelized onions and pickled hot peppers.
