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Grace O'Malley's
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- Live, Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Fri, Sat
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
25 reviews for Grace O'Malley's
25 reviews in English
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Review from Maheen M.
12/4/2011
I have been to Grace O'Malley's several times for my class' annual holiday party. It has a cozy pub appeal. Drinks are average prices, about $7 for a pint. A live band plays on the more popular nights, (I was there on a Friday night and they had a band).
Being a pub, not a club, you think they would turn down the background music so that you are catch up with people. Nope, they had it blaring in the background and it was like I was yelling at my friends the whole night.
I will likely be back for the next annual Christmas holiday party next year. -
Review from Dishan W.
11/12/2011
Grace O Malley's is one location I despise going in to because the crowd in there is simply not my type. Even most bands that perform here have give me no interest and with nothing special going for this bar be it the lack of a friendly/efficient staff, annoying cover charges, overpriced drinks, large crowds and long wait times at the bar I have to put my foot down and give it that rare one star rating from my end.
I can't say it's got nothing that's good about it, it's got seats inside....and I must admit that it does cater to a certain niche of people that seems to love it since it's always crowded.
I believe I've been here twice and you would be hard pressed to find me checking in here anytime in the near future.Listed in: My November 30
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Review from Kat T.
10/1/2011
I don't have a lot to add, paying cover to drink a pint isn't something I like to do, but I do understand that the bands need to get paid. And the bands come from a-far.
This place is totally NOT my style. But, I was with a few other folks from the East Coast. So, the only point to going to Grace O'Malley's is to reunite with othe East Coasters and listen to bands from the East Coast.
I'm not against East Coasters, I can't wait to visit Halifax where I can drink a pint there. -
Review from Caitlin J.
Toronto, ON
6/16/2011
My hate for Grace O'Malley's is a source of amusement for all my friends. From the frat boy clientele to the over-crowding to the absurd lack of seating, Gracie's never fails to make me miserable. Wanna hear that Ja Rule song from 2005 that you didn't even like the first time around? This is the place.
It's been said before but COVER for a BAR is bloody ridiculous. It boils my blood so I try to avoid paying it at all costs. Which brings me to the last time I was forced to visit Graces....
My best friend, for inexplicable reasons, loves Graces. I think it's because she has a thing for Irish boys with preppy style (which this place is always full of). Regardless, she was moving to Austrailia for 2 years and wanted her send-off to be here. Since I knew they didn't charge cover before 9, I figured I'd show up at 8 and avoid that stupidness. When I get there, the bouncers inform me that there is a private party until 9. So, not only do I have to find something else to do for an hour, I HAVE to pay cover. I called my friends who I am supposed to be meeting, and learned they are already inside. WHAT?? I tried to reason with the bouncer that if my friends are inside, how "private" can the party be? This was to no avail. I was forced to drink cheap drinks at Croc Rock until 9 then return and pay $10 cover. Arrrrrrrgh. The rage is returning as I write this.....
The only good thing about my bestie being half-way around the world is that I never have to visit this place again. -
Review from Avitania B.
Toronto, ON
2/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
In the 5 years I've been on Yelp, I've only rated 8 businesses 1 star. That's only 2.3% of my reviews. For the statisticians in the crowd, the distribution of my ratings are positively skewed. My point is that 97.7% of the time, I'm fairly satisfied with a business. However, if I could rate Grace O'Malley's with zero stars, I totally would.
My beefs with Gracie's:
1. Rude powertrippy bouncers.
2. $13 cover on a Friday night. WTF? It's an IRISH-ESQUE PUB. One should never pay a cover to eat nachos and drink beer.
3. Rude bouncers.
4. Mediocre drinks. I ordered a hot chocolate with Bailey's (hey, it was a cold night.). Not only was the drink weak, but the sugar on the rim was anchored with LIME. Hot chocolate + lime sugar? *hork*
5. Bad cover band. Maybe it's 'cause I'm from the States, but I moved to Canada to avoid hearing songs like "Sweet Home Alabama."
6. POWERTRIPPY BOUNCERS. I don't know what's with these guys, and maybe they're dicks because they have to deal with clientele who are drunk dicks, but... sheesh.
If there's one thing about Grace O'Malley's that deserves kudos, it's their waitresses. They try hard, are really nice, and are on top of their game.
Other than that, though... AVOID. FLEE WHEN POSSIBLE.Listed in: One Star Washouts
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Review from Theodore Y.
8/28/2011
The girls here were very very nice. You know what I mean? Amazing eye candy. But they were rude. Crowded also. Drinks were decently priced, I think 2 red-bull vodkas were only 16?
Way too crowded for my liking but 3 stars cuz of the amazing band playing. -
Review from P D.
Toronto, ON
1/19/2012
I used to frequent this place regularly a few years back when I worked around the corner, but I just went back today and it's not the same place it once was.
The decor is still the same - a cozy pub, but this time, the service was terrible. So bad, I actually felt the need to finally sign up for yelp and rant about it.
Our waitress (a really bitchy dark-brunette) was rude, never came by to check on us, and our food took almost an hour to arrive. Not so much as a "hey guys, I'm really sorry, the kitchen is backed up." Nothing.
The food was pretty average, as usual. No complaints there.
When it came time to pay the bill, we told her we were paying via CC and the waitress shot us a look that said "Ugh, so I'm going to have to get the machine for you?" Really? Is it that much of an inconvenience for you?
Overall, I'm just disappointed that a place that was once a great spot to grab a bite at lunch isn't as great as it once was. Oh well. Would not recommend. -
Review from Alison B.
1/15/2011
I'll give this two stars just because I know some people would dig this place.
I've been to "Gracies" a few times, and every time it just keeps getting worse and worse... maybe I'm just getting older and older. Fack! Anyhow - somehow got dragged into going to Grace O'Malley's after a few too many drinks and knew the second I got there it was a giant mistake.
Here were the main problems..
1. 9 dollars cover. WHAT?
2. Everyone appeared to be under 21. I'm no hater, but I just wasn't feeling being a cougar.
3. It just sucked.
Bottom Line: If frat boys are your thing, then I would recommend this bar. -
Review from cat k.
Scarborough, ON
6/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
We went early so we didn't get dinged with a covercharge. We had vegetarian nachos which i always feel is the safest pub food to order.
The serving was huge and the nachos were ok, the salsa was too bland even with the extra hot sauce. More importantly the company I was with was great and the beer was cold. -
Review from Brandon B.
Toronto, ON
1/14/2012
Arrived around midnight. What immediately struck me was that there was an excellent Vagina Ratio of approximately 1.5:1, perhaps even 1.75:1. Live cover band was playing mostly 90s rock, Oasis, etc; While I'm not a huge fan of Oasis, their music is respectable because it always seems to get white girls wet. The band was loud, but conversation was still manageable. I estimated the arithmetic mean age, of the occupants of the establishment, to be approximately 25; This was prime since my intention was to meet a girl who had achieved, or was in the process of achieving, an education at the graduate level. Due to AOTA reasons, my friends and I decided to fork out the $15 cover and enter the establishment. I was one of the only guys wearing a suit and tie (Hugo Boss and Armani, respectively) and patent leather dress shoes by Calvin Klein. Additionally, my hair, complete with blonde highlights, was looking excellent and only fueled my high confidence. As I only had less than two hours until last call, my plan was to implement the Shotgun Approach. I tried various approaches on several short (5.3" - 5.6") hard-body blondes but was promptly rejected by all of them. Multiple rejections, in such a short time frame, led to a total collapse of my confidence. Utterly defeated, I pulled an Irish Goodbye on my friends and left about half an hour before last call. Lessons Learned: Dress appropriately for the venue; being overdressed seemed to, albeit paradoxically, work against me. While my excellent appearance initially gave me an extreme boost of confidence, I quickly became aware that my clothing was giving off the impression that I was trying too hard. Once this realization set in, my confidence began a steady decline. Use the Shotgun Approach with caution; While a high number of approaches will eventually get you laid, the rapid, low-effort approaches that the Shotgun Approach utilizes will also lead to a higher likelihood of rejection (as contrasted with normal, lengthy, high-effort approaches). If you are already experiencing low confidence due to being overdressed, I would not recommend the Shotgun Approach; The multiple rejections in such a short time frame could lower your confidence to such a level that you are unable to interact with women for weeks afterwards.
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Review from Christine H.
Toronto, ON
2/24/2012
Atmosphere and layout is better than most Irish pubs in the area. Good after-work and evening crowd. Food quality and service could be improved.
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Review from Danielle F.
Toronto, ON
12/14/2010
Quite fun!
Went here on a Saturday night and the crowd was BANGING. The music was loud and the dance floor was full.
It was my friend's birthday so she got in with free cover and acquired many a free drink by the happy crowd. We- the friends- were on her guest list but there really is no reason to sign up at all. There was no line to cut and no discount on cover so... what's the point? Also frustrating, is that the cover charge seems to spike as the night goes on so by the time we got there it was $13 to get in. For a pub it seemed a bit odd and certainly the most money I've ever paid to get into a place like this.
There was a non-intimidating DJ who took requests but I'm sorry to say, he did not play Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair" as I kindly suggested. In his defense, he was thinking about the crowd as a whole and deemed them "not ready" for a song of this caliber.
Then a band came on and they were great too! Wish I got their name but they played covers of fun songs. Some I knew, some I didn't but it didn't matter because everyone was having a ball. -
Review from Justin C.
10/22/2008 1 photo
We stopped in here for a few beers on our very first night in Toronto, and we were pleasantly surprised. It was a very quiet Sunday night, and we were some of the only customers in the bar around 10pm. This worked out to our advantage because we had unrestricted views of the Sunday night NFL game on several huge screens, and bar service as soon as or before our glasses got empty. The bartender was super cool, and also recommended a few hot spots for us to check out while we were in the city (some of his picks were spot on).
As far as the bar/restaurant goes, I totally love the decor. There is a giant "tree" growing up through part of the bar, which I really wanted to take a picture of but the lighting just would not cooperate. It's full of a lot of the usual stuff you see in Irish pubs these days, but also many that you don't, including full sets of armor and some awesome old stove looking thing. They definitely went outside the scope of cliche wall art.
I wish we had come back here again maybe to eat or get more drinks, as I definitely feel this has the potential to rank up there with the better Irish themed places I've been to. So consider Grace's to be a 4, with the definitely possibility of a 5! -
Review from Michael P.
12/7/2009
It would be 4 stars if it were not for the stupid cover BUT the crowd here was much better than anywhere else in the area. We came up here from NY, and although I am not on the market for any women, the other places near-by like the Crocodile Rock had so many guys in it we immediately left thinking it was a gay bar.
We went to Grace O'Malley's 2x, once on fri night and once on Thursday to eat. The food was ok, but as other reviewers said, overpriced. Bartenders/servers were very nice and we had a real Irish waitress.
At night on Friday, there were probably 3 girls for every guy there, which was probably the first time we saw a lot of girls out in Toronto at all. $13 cover was wack, and just cause you are playing music does not mean you get to charge a cover. However the place was pretty busy and had a good crowd so I guess it is supply and demand -
Review from Jay G.
Toronto, ON
4/8/2009
I stopped in here for a few pints and some spinach cheese dip before a game with my girlfriend.
It is surprisingly nice inside. A lot of dark wood, lots of televisions, nice banquettes, and a giant tree! The mens' bathroom are in the basement, which is a pain in the ass especially when under the influence of a few drinks as stairs can mean death.
The waitstaff is very nice and easy to talk to. They also have a lot of good tips on great local spots. Prices for pints of Guinness are typical and the spinach cheese dip was pretty good. A little zesty, slightly spicy, and not too cheesy, it is one of the better spinach cheese dips I've had but be careful as it is damn hot! The waitress warned us about the temperature but I'm stubborn and was hungry so I dived right in, maybe next time I will listen to her... maybe. What I liked about the dip was that we were given to choice of whether to have it with all pita bread, all nacho chips, or half and half. I love toasted and seasoned pita bread so it was an easy choice for me.
Overall, it is a good place to have a few pints and some bar food. They have daily food specials, Mondays are 10cent wings, as advertised on every wall, if you are up for some cheap food I would think Monday is the day to go. I would come back here again but nothing about this place really sticks out in my had as being better than any other Irish pub. -
Review from Todd V.
Toronto, ON
9/25/2008
Out of the gate, I'll tell you that this is a place that I want to love. I try to, God love me, I do. But it's hard. This should be sanctuary for me, a haven, a place to call my own. But sadly it's got me thinking that this is the year I call Rogers Cable.
Confused? More explanation, then. Being an Ottawa Senators fan in Toronto provides not only hours of abuse at the hands of Leafs Nation (a separate country I wish existed so that exile orders could be drafted for many), but there's no place in town to watch games. Well, there wasn't until Gracie showed up on the map. Grace O'Malley's is an extension of the chain that began in Ottawa and extended its reach into the 416 from the 613. It's another short skirt pub with Irish-y themes, good taps, and truly friendly staff, some from Ottawa that can commiserate easily. And they show the Sens games.
You'd think it'd be a slam dunk, but it's not really. The food is fair to middling at best despite the best efforts of the staff. The beers are slightly on the pricey side for what's on offer. The TVs, though plentiful, will show the Senators in whatever match they're in. That's the good news. The bad news is that we're in Toronto. That means the projection TV at the front and the entire sound system in the bar is infected with the Leafs game. No two sections in this place cheer at the same time. Unless someone scores against the Leafs.
It's a good enough place I suppose, but when my fellow ex-pats try to talk me into going to Gracie's, I still find myself trying to figure out the math that will allow me to get the NHL package at home. Gracey, why can't I love you? -
Review from Cindy C.
North York, ON
5/26/2011
I have been in many different bars and and this is far the worst one I have been to. I ordered a beef steak pie that was supposed to be very good; it tasted like frozen pie I could have bought at any supermarket. The salad wasn't fresh and the nachos came w/o guacamole. The hamburger was dry.
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Review from Daniel K.
Scarborough, ON
7/17/2011
This place is ok...I went there on the weekend and it has a fun atmosphere and who doesnt like love music. The only problem with this place it has no ventilation so if you go here on a hot day, be prepared to smell sweaty arm pits and ass all night long
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Review from W.W. A.
Toronto, ON
10/13/2009
I live in this area and have gone to this place a few times over the last year. Each time I head over to Gracies, they seem to find a new way to nickel/dime me. This is not a club nor a lounge, nor is it particularly nice inside - this place is a pub that serves over priced low quality food, yet they seem to think that charging cover after 9pm is justified. Maybe this model works in Ottawa, but I'm not aware of too many pubs in Toronto that charge cover. Also, beware of any changes that you might make to your order as you will find that they add random charges onto your bill that they don't tell you about.
Save yourself the disappointment and head 50 steps up the street to the Croc, or up to Jack Astors on John St. or on University. There are FAR more places to head to in entertainment district than this rip off!! -
Review from Romeo M.
Toronto, ON
12/28/2010
Ok so I walk in the bar on monday at round 7pm...it's empty like 6 people I ask the bartender if they are showing the raptor game since the leas are not playing...he tells me we never show it..so ur going to show football over a Toronto team?..yes...can u turn ONE tv to raptors..no..so obviously the spot to hang out after work from ACC is not this place on a Monday as they have set rules against the Toronto raptors..so I will now only go to bars that do not remind of the 1960's in the southern part of the USA. So no ten cent wing for the demographic that watches raptors games...but the Toronto wing company saved the day ..grace deserves no stars but I have to give one
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Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
10/10/2011
Seems super Fratty and kind of an extension of university, which isn't great. Also, cover at a pub? Cmon. But at least the music is good and the leafs fans are happy...
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Review from Michelle A.
Toronto, ON
10/3/2010
I always have a very fun time at Grace O'Malley's. It's very busy on Thursday and Friday nights, so go early to avoid waiting in line. They do charge cover, which I find super annoying, but if you have a student card - it's free. They usually have a live band - sometimes an east coast band. In between sets, they usually play top 40. It's a good place for a group because it pleases the club and pub crowd.
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Review from Grant C.
5/27/2009
Real Irish pubs do not charge a cover. Real Irish men do not pay a cover. Friends of real Irish men do not pay a cover. And neither should you. Not in Dublin, and certainly not in Toronto.
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Review from Caitlin R.
Scarborough, ON
9/22/2009
I have been here twice: once on a Thursday and once on a Friday. And it was fantastic each time. After about 11pm, it gets ridiculously busy, so if you aren't a crowd person and dislike people rubbing up against you, I suggest otherwise. However, the music has been AWESOME both times (good rock music -- always crowd pleasers) and it has been live both times. Personally, music is pretty much key for me. Alcohol is expensive-- but it is most places down town.
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Review from Peter D.
Toronto, ON
7/25/2011
Love the $2 wings on Mondays - they used to be $1 and 10c before that but it's still cheap. The nachos are a huge and the platter is great as well. Downside is that the other food is horrible and sometimes the service is pretty sketchy.
