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Gabby's
Category: Restaurants Canadian (Traditional) Canadian (Traditional) [Edit]
309 King St WToronto, ON M5V 1J5
Neighbourhoods: Entertainment District, Downtown Core
(416) 979-9790
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
33 reviews for Gabby's
Review Highlights
-
"The review was saved by an awesome patio." In 12 reviews -
"...enjoy large and festive outdoor patios, extremely friendly..." In 4 reviews -
"They're consistent without sacrificing too much character..." In 3 reviews
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33 reviews in English
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Review from Donna H.
East York, ON
2/8/2012
This is a nice place! Clean and respectable, I went with a friend and my teen son. The food was good very tasty. I was disappointed at the rib. They were good but too small and they looked prepackaged.
The waitress was really friendly and attentive. Lots of T.V's was a good thing as we went for super bowl. -
Review from Johnny H.
Toronto, ON
4/9/2012 3 photos
Ordered bison burger (for me), sirloin burger and steak sandwich. (pictures attached)
The bison burger was very bland. It didn't have juicy natural flavor of the meat. Just a bit of oily taste. The meat itself didn't seem to be seasoned at all. Worst of all, I didn't really notice I was eating a bison burger. It tasted like any other meat. The cooks definitely didn't take the cooking process to maximize the distinctive taste of bison meat. The buns were horrendous. It felt like congealed flours. They were very tough in the mouth, and a bit hard to break down. Overall, eating the burger felt like chewing a dry pancake without any syrup. It had a watery initial bite, but it became unbearably dry during the process of chewing. Even with mustard, it didn't have that acidic spike that brings the flavor of the meat alive. If they had used better quality buns, the taste could have been slightly better.
Sirloin burger was decent, but it suffered the same problem with the buns. The steak sandwich was nice, but it was a bit too salty. The fries on all the plates were ok at best.
There was nothing kind to say about the service either. The server barely came by the table to look after us. He wasn't even interested in whether we were enjoying the food. Then came the time when our drinks ran out. The server didn't bother to look in our direction to check on us. After 5 minutes, he finally saw my hand gesture. I asked him to refill our drinks. For the next 10 minutes, he took orders from customers next to us, gave checks to some tables, delivered foods to some customers, and chatted with coworkers. After 10 minutes, our drinks finally arrived along with the drinks for customers next to us.....
The atmosphere is very sketchy with dark red lighting. The customers were either mix of older blue collar crowd and young adults/students.
The tables were large enough to accommodate big plates. At the front dining area there seems to be enough space between tables to give privacy, but not at the back. There is a couple of booths.
Total for 3 burgers ($11-12 each), diet coke and regular coke came up to $48 with tax. Not worth it. -
Review from Todd B.
Toronto, ON
4/6/2012
Awful. Rude. 0/5 Stars for this place.
Went in here on my friend's birthday for some drinks and they told me my friend was not wearing shoes (she was wearing shoes) and that she was crying which she was not. They then told me that my wife was drunk (which she was not at all). I thought it must have been a mistake, and upon discussing this with the server, and later the manager, I was stunned by the sheer rudeness and inconsiderate behaviour they showed to us. I just could not belive the untrue things they were saying to about us. Why? Why make up things that were just not true and send us out? Was it because it was near last call and they wanted to go home? Just bizarre staff in there.
I can understand if we were very drunk, but we were not. It was an awful power trip they were on. I just cannot believe anyone would treat customers that way. Subsequently, we made our way to John St. and went into another bar where we served with consideration. Way to treat a girl on her birthday!
Worst bar I have ever been in in my life! No exageration.
I was in there once before on the patio which is nice, but the food was awful and service very poor. -
Review from Kelly O.
1/27/2012 8 Check-ins Here
Hello, my name is Kelly, and I think I might love Gabby's.
I can't exactly put my finger on it, but there's something about this place that is just, so... awesome.
Despite being in the douchy-esque/tourist trap area of King St., Gabby's has an old school, small town feel. From the Golden Tee in the corner, to the dark and woodsy bar, Gabby's makes me feel like I'm back home in Chatham, Ontario. Tall Boy Tuesdays and frequent wing nites just make me feel so right. There's no pretensions here, just great service and perfectly acceptable bar food. It's not gourmet, but if you're looking for a Coors Light and some onion rings in a place where everybody knows your name - this is it. -
Review from Chris P.
10/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came in here one night for some drinks after I had already been drinking a lot somewhere else. Wow now theres a great opener.
My companion and i grabbed a table on the sidewalk front patio which was very crowded. It took awhile for a server to come over to us which I account to the fact that they were very busy.
While everything else about the visit was satisfactory, I was completely disgusted by the bathroom. It was super tiny for a start and of course there was a lineup for a stall. In the stall there was pad and tampon packaging all over the place and floating in the toilet ,there was wet paper towles strewn everywhere and the garbage bin was overflowing, and there was water all over the floor which is as disgusting as it is unsafe. I mean lets do the math here, 6 drunk girls all in super high heels or wedges + a wet floor = well, use your imagination. -
Review from Alex F.
Toronto, ON
3/13/2012
Awesome patio for summer complete with Muskoka chairs. Wings have to be the best bar wings downtown. Fish and chips a winner too
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Review from Kyle B.
Cambridge, ON
10/26/2011
On a rainy day after an afternoon at the theatre we ran from Italian place to Italian place.... Finally Gabby's jumped out as something different and affordable.. We were greeted and seated quickly. Our server was fast and friendly and seemed to know the menu quite well.
Our wings and sweet potato fries came quickly and were warm and tasty. Overall a great spot to stop downtown..... -
Review from Myrem D.
Mississauga, ON
6/30/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Walking for a while after the friday night jazz fest , my friend and I decided to try this place out.
We weren't starving - but really just wanted a snack and mainly some drinks.
I got the chicken strips with fries - the chicken strips were good - the first bite.. the middle part was questionable. Oddly, the fries looked like they were still raw, but were pretty delicious.
friend got the wings - dry, barely any meat...
how is it so packed here? - it must be the patio.
Asking for a side sauce was almost impossible.
Drinks never came. Server never came back, HA! This was a weird dinner.
Asked another server for our bill. - Guess what, they don't take interac? WHAT? - ughh.
Total- $40.18
- jury says? - BOOOOURNS!
xoxo
M. -
Review from Laura T.
7/21/2011
Sub par all around (even for me, a lover of all pub food).
Don't order the steak frites, tasteless and horrible.
The service was also poor.
The patio is nice, and the location is convenient, but surrounding restaurants are much better.
(You know when you 'post' a review, and Yelp asks Good for: dessert, dinner, etc.? I was looking for a 'nothing' box that I could check) -
Review from Mani M.
Toronto, ON
12/5/2011
my friend's girl friend took someone else's beer by mistake. the waitress let us know about the mistake, and we apologized and paid 10$ to cover the mistake. I thought that was fair and everything is settled.
But the waitress told the person who the beer belonged to that we took his beer. next thing we know, this 50 year old drunk couple came at us yelling and threatening to beat us up. the guy pushed my friend and he almost fell down. he even reached in his pocket to take out a gun or a knife or something, but turned out he was bluffing. All this over a bottle of beer. The manager then immediately asked us to leave the bar and not come back. He (the manager) used the F word way too many times at us. He was rude and had no class whatsoever. I tried to calmly tell him we understand our mistake, and that we have already paid for it but he kept swearing at me (I wasn't even the one who was at fault) I understand we made a mistake and agree that the girl who was with us was out of the line, but we did pay for our mistake.
The real problem is how the management dealt with this problem. they shouldn't have told the costumer and just replaced their drinks without them knowing. that's the professional way of handling situations such as this.
I will never ever set my foot in that place with its rude and unreasonable staff. -
Review from Tara Z.
6/15/2011
Mostly, this place is convenient. If you're going to a show at the Lightbox or one of the theaters east of John, you're probably looking for someplace close by that doesn't have a line out the door--and hey, if it's got a patio, all the better.
Gabby's has a patio. And a no-surprises menu: mushy veggie burger? Extra charge for sweet potato fries instead of regular fries? Check and check. It's fine if you're in a hurry, but if not, seriously, go somewhere else. -
Review from Jonathan L.
Richmond Hill, ON
1/2/2012
Great patio in the summer, food is just okay. The waitresses are a little dumb and hardly ever come by to check your table. Typical pump, but the main selling point is this place's patio. I wouldn't come here for any other reason.
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Review from August L.
11/29/2010
Stopped by on a cold winter evening.
SERVER
I had to go to the bathroom to change and asked the wait staff said they would save my table of 4 in the back corner. When I got out, there were people there. She first said "oh they must have misunderstood" and then she said "oh i thought they were with you". I would have been pissed but there was another table available in a booth which was much better.
My actual server was pretty good. He didn't bother us and came when we needed him.
FOOD
nothing special to rave about. The fries were disappointing. They were luke warm and by the time I had one they were cold. No crunch or anything to them. The sweet potato fries were bad too.
The jalapeño dippers were really tasty though and so were the chicken wings. The wings were a fair size.
But for some reason, my food was only a bit warm and turned cold very vast.
PRICES
the prices are great especially if you're looking for a cheap place relative to all the other restaurant on this king strip. -
Review from Crissy H.
9/27/2011
After walking down the row of restaurants for literately 30 minutes, my bf and I decided to grab a quick dinner at Gabby's since it was one of the only non-Italian restaurants offered. We were in the mood for some good bar food and this was just the place. We had the cheesy garlic bread, chili thai wings, sweet potato fries, fries with cheese and gravy, and burgers. Yes, I know what you are thinking, how can two people eat soooo much food. Don't worry, we didn't disappoint you, we ate everything and everything was delicious! I especially liked the chili thai wings. But don't be fooled, we rolled out of there once we were done, but it was worth it :-)
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Review from Sergey S.
2/13/2011
Shortest review possible: Gabby's is a place to get a beer.
This is it.
Just don't expect a huge beer menu with lots of choices, or some good food to accompany your default Moosehead. Oh, and the service will be just about 2-3 stars - those girls are not hostile, they just don't care too much, which is consistent with the overall experience. -
Review from Kent P.
7/7/2010
I once came in here alone and ordered 5 double tequilas in about 45 minutes (alone). They didn't pass judgement on me. I liked that.
patpatpat/5 pats
ttyn
PAT.
PS
if we're talking about a place to hang out with people / eat food....
don't. it's tacky shit.Listed in: DRINKNG IS FUN
-
Review from Rochelle L.
Toronto, ON
7/3/2010
In search of a King West Patio we stumbled upon Gabby's. This particular stretch of King West is known for a variety of tourist friendly mostly upscale restaurants, which is why I was surprised that Gabby's was relatively affordable.
We came on a somewhat chilly summer eve and managed to find great spots on the patio. Only downside is that the terrible top 40 music was at full blast, negating most of our ability to have a conversation. Our true mission was however to grab some dinner, and seeing as it's hard to talk with a mouth full of food, I quickly tuned the music out and poured over the menu.
I already mentioned that the food is relatively affordable, it's the standard pub fare with some surprises thrown in.
I had a desperate craving for something on par with the BQM Ossington Burger. SoI ordered the mushroom burger, I asked for a substitute of goat cheese instead of the cheddar which cost an extra dollar. I think that's a bit nuts for a simple switch of the cheese.
Cue flavour explosion in my mouth. Give me mushrooms and goat cheese any day and I'm a happy camper, these two secret ingredients made the very average but well cooked hamburger patty do a flavour dance in my mouth. Craving satisfied in a huge way.
I see Gabby's becoming a summer staple in my constant search for the best patios in the city. -
Review from Gord M.
East York, ON
6/14/2010
I'm officially done with this place.
After putting the King W Gabby's on a hard ban for two years because of terrible service and the tiniest wings imaginable, I decided to pop in for a quick pint after work today because:
a) It was 24C, sunny and the patio has a ton of potential
b) I was thirsty
c) There was work to do at home that was getting in the way of having a cold pint.
Once again, I was disappointed. I sat on a 1/5th-filled patio for many minutes without attention with a fellow beer drinker and was completely ignored. Being the kind of guy that I am, I decided to take matters into my own hands, so I went inside to order a pair of pints.
When I approached the bar with my order, the bartender was about to pour my pints when he asked, "Are you sitting on the patio?" I answered, "Yeah. I've been there a while, so I decided to grab them myself" to which he responded, "Oh. You'll have to go out and wait for your server."
Whaaaaaaa??!? I immediately packed up my gear and hit another patio up the road that was all over getting pints on the table.
Congrats, idiots. You're on the hard ban list. -
Review from Justin C.
10/17/2008 3 photos
***** 3.5 stars *****
Gabby's was ok, but certainly not something I would recommend anyone stopping in for considering all the other options in this area. The service here was really good, and our waiter even split the ticket 12 ways, which was something we found rare in Toronto.
We ordered a large plate of their fries with their version of "poutine" on top to share amongst ourselves. This was my first attempt to find this Quebecian craze in Toronto, and should have led me to stop my search, but my diligence continued to bring me disappointments. Here, they just sprinkle some crated cheese on top and cover it with a boring brown gravy. Sure it tastes ok, because gravy makes just about anything taste like gravy, which is usually a moderately good thing. The problem is I wanted to see what the real thing was like, most specifically the cheese curd portion, but I suppose I'll have to wait to visit Montreal to find that out.
As far as dinner goes the fajitas I ordered turned out pretty good, with the one flaw being what i considered a lack of meat, accompanied my mountains of onions and peppers. The flavors were all pretty generic fajita flavors, with the usual assortment of condiments on the side. They definitely looked like the best thing on the table, so I would have to recommend it if you must eat here.
The beer selection here is kind of mediocre, but the prices are pretty fair compared to most everywhere else on King. Come here if you have a large group and the other restaurants on the strip won't sit you. -
Review from Simar G.
Surrey, BC
9/1/2011
This place has a nice pub atmosphere and is conveniently located. The service is ok, not the best and not the greatest. I ordered the fish and chips...they were good, like other places. However, it was served with Kraft tarter sauce (EWWWW) even though the menu said it would be served with house made tarter sauce. My sister ordered a steak which was just ok. She asked for medium rare and it was well done!! She didn't finish it.
The menu is well priced and the place was relatively clean. Though this is a good location, it is a busy street and the side walk is really small and all the restaurants have seating on the patio (which is the sidewalk). A panhandler was sitting right in front of the entrance and a few walked by disturbing diners. Also, people tied their dogs to the patio railings!! Which I personally did not like!! -
Review from Roberta A.
Toronto, ON
6/15/2011
I've been to Gabby's a few times where the food was really good and then I have been where the food was meh. I feel like the food and service you get all depends on who is working that night. It's still a fun place to go and hang out, have a couple of drinks and still be able to hear what your friends are saying.
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Review from Todd V.
Toronto, ON
10/31/2008 1 photo
Gabby's is a phenom to Toronto only it seems. I've not seen a Gabby's anywhere other than in Toronto, but maybe it's me not looking hard enough. The franchise is a fairly homey Canadian pub line with TVs for sports, and nightly specials that are franchise-wide. This location is probably the closest to my place so you'd think that I'd get here a lot. I don't, but when I do, it's not for work purposes like the other locales, it's strictly for fun.
Usually I find myself here after doing comedy somewhere, and the comics I'm with are usually up for some place cheap that has beer. Gabby's meets the brief more oft than not. Dark wood inside, friendly staff, and a good tap run, for franchises, this place isn't bad at all.
The patio is what makes this place stand out from the other locales and even other restaurants on the strip. Spacious and shaded, this is a great place to hang for a pint in the summer. The restaurant is also smack dab in the middle of theatre row, a clutch of restaurants that serve the ticket holders for the Royal Alex (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...) and Princess of Wales (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...) theatres, offering theatre-goers a cheaper dinner option. -
Review from Martin H.
Mississauga, ON
7/6/2011
Food was decent. Not a fantastic burger but it blows that you have pay extra for sweet potatoe fries. the service was minimal. came every 15 min to take something away. no real honest, thankful service from the waitresses. just give me a tip and go type attitude.
we were on the patio, and gabbys looked like an easy establishment to be at. just dont expect big things. -
Review from Alex B.
Toronto, ON
8/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
Went here for a few after movies drinks. It took some time for a waiter to come up to us and service was relatively slow (in fairness, it was a Sunday long weekend and he seemed to be the only guy running the patio).
We were then told that they were out of several liquors and the blender was broken. These things happen though paired with relatively slow service we were slightly chuffed.
This was a series of unfortunate incidents. The review was saved by an awesome patio. More importantly, when we were told they were out of several liquors we just asked for "whatever you have, and lot's of it". I can confirm Kent's review, they don't judge! -
Review from Michele G.
9/5/2010
Grabbed a bite here after a long, long drive from the States. While our patio waiter was excruciatingly slow, the food was decent. Bison burger with guac and sweet potato fries are the way to go! Loved the backyard feeling sitting beneath the strings of silvery lights.
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Review from Garett N.
7/15/2010
Came here for beers and a meal after a Jays game. The food was just okay - typical bar food. The beers were alright. Service was iffy, but it was busy.
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Review from Junk C.
9/6/2008
Gabby's = great chain restaurant. They're consistent without sacrificing too much character, and they have plenty of beers. So I'm on board. If you enjoy large and festive outdoor patios, extremely friendly and attentive service, boatloads of television, and decent food in a cool neighborhood, then this location is right up your alley.
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Review from Michael S.
Toronto, ON
9/28/2009
Middle of the road PUB FOOD style menu ... The best thing about this place is the patio in Summer ....
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Review from Aaron B.
2/28/2010
This place is a bar that serves some reasonable food. I tried the sweet chili quesadillas and they were okay. Nothing I would order again but I don't regret ordering them. Because it's a bar it's really loud with TVs everywhere and it's dark. So if you're into bars then this place might be better for you. I just wanted something simple to eat and comfortable environment to relax and what I got was some edible food and a not so comfortable environment. But not bad either. I might go back since this is one of the least foo foo restaurants in the area and I live in the area, but it's certainly not a destination point for me.
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Review from M K.
4/25/2010
Great outdoor area, strangely crowded for a Monday afternoon.... Food was fine. Pulled pork sliders with onion rings. My companion had roast beef sandwich which she said was good. Wish it was warmer and that we weren't working so we couldve joined in on the pitchers of beer! Food was fine and the vibe was cool. I'd go back.
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Review from jacquelyn c.
Toronto, ON
8/24/2009
Growing up in the suburbs of southern Ontario and then moving to a city known for its eclectic cuisine and accompanying foodie culture (which I do appreciate from time to time), I had yet to discover a place that has good dirty and extremely consistent (assembly-line) food....that is, apart from say, McDonalds. For me, Gabby's is that place. It's the Eastside Marios or Boston Pizza of Toronto. The chain provides a number of (smallish) neighbourhood locations (Roncesvalles, etc.), thereby preventing you from being surrounded by touristy types or a yuppie atmosphere. And from my experience, the wait staff have always been extremely friendly, courteous and alert. The kicker is that they have a beer of the day: a tall boy for $4.50. Mind you, they are not offering up to their customers any foreign or exotic brands - Bud and Canadian tend to be the regular choices. But hey, if you're going there in the first place, I'm sure you're the type of person who will be satisfied. Finally, a great place to meet old friends and bring (low-maintenance) dates.
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Review from C D.
7/7/2010
Great outdoor patio and friendly waiting staff. Only reason it doesn't get top marks is because we had to wait to be give a table while the hostess fixed someones hair, whilst we were stood right in front of them. Shame but didn't spoil the visit!
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Review from Danielle S.
Toronto, ON
5/25/2009
We came here during a sunny afternoon for lunch and were seated in their outdoor area. We both ordered the crispy chicken salad and thoroughly enjoyed it. My only complaint is that towards the end of our meal, birds started popping up everywhere and trying to come for our finished plates which was kinda gross. Wish they could put wiring or another barrier system up to deter the pesky animals.
