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Jack Astors Bar & Grill
Category: Restaurants Canadian (Traditional) Canadian (Traditional) [Edit]
144 Front St WToronto, ON M5J 2L7
Neighbourhoods: Financial District, Downtown Core
(416) 585-2121
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 11 am - 1 am
Thu-Sun 11 am - 2 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
40 reviews for Jack Astors Bar & Grill
Review Highlights
"...of hip considering it's right across from Union Station."
(in 5 reviews)
"...of their burgers (great chicken fingers too), I noticed..."
(in 4 reviews)
"also, the garlic bread is TO DIE FOR."
(in 3 reviews)
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39 reviews in English
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Review from Chris G.
Whitby, ON
11/16/2011
For a chain restaurant, they have brought in the PERFECT burger bun, which wraps the burger perfectly, but is not so "bready" as most other chains. Sure, beers are expensive, the decor is what it is, it's always busy and loud but, besides my love of their burgers (great chicken fingers too), I noticed last Saturday that they now serve Starbucks as their house coffee! This is fantastic. In the chain restaurant business myself, I have begged and begged for good coffee but we stick with a weak, nothing special brew. But Starbucks as the house brew? Will go back for that reason alone. Sure, I usually grab a beer but when I'm in the mood for a coffee as well, I never know where to go.
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Review from Raymond W.
Toronto, ON
2/4/2012
If I had to pick "the best" Jack Astors in the Greater Toronto Area, this location easily takes the cake. However, it's a sponge cake, and if you were born in North American, you might not get the reference/joke.
In terms of outdoor patios, probably the most 'happening' among all locations, in terms of service, definitely the best, and in terms of décor...it's exactly the same as all other locations.
Despite it being located by three major Toronto Hotels, the tourist patronage is relatively low. But the business district patronage is surprising high. I thought yuppies ate in fancier (chain) restaurants, like..il Fornello?
I had my 20th birthday dinner here, which was my first time visiting this location. I think I booked a table of 18, and there were no problems. With the exception of my rowdy friend Johara deciding to get up on an elevated chair and dance on top of it until she came crashing down into the booth of another table. Thankfully, Johara is this insanely sexy woman who dressed extremely provocatively, so the guys at the booth was more than happy to receive her tumbling ass.
Most recently, I was here with my buddy Ricardo to meet him for dinner. He had a convention at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and I was with my former CEO's daughter shwing her a good time before ditching her ass at a undisclosed location. We were both in Dress Uniforms(official business), but thankfully the restaurant didn't have any drunken hooligans who's attention we would have bound to catch.
I am not particular on my waitress referring to me as 'guy', but since I was in uniform, I had to let it slide. It had nothing to do with the fact that our waitress had giant tits and was in her twenties. I promise.
Two suits who sat by the bar was occasionally shooting glances at us, but nothing in a "I'm a liberal and I hate war" kind of way. One of them looked like Anderson Cooper.
The food was mediocre, and but service was un-intrusive. On busy nights this place livens up, especially the patio area. Unfortunately the patio has umbrellas, and so for those who enjoy a cigarette, they must stand by a designated area and do their business in undignified fashion. It really doesn't make sense if you think about it. Why umbrellas on a patio? If it were raining then nobody would sit outside, and this is hardly the place where sunny lunches are had.
When Ricardo and I asked for the bill, the waitress came back and told us that the two gentlemen sitting by the bar had secretly paid for our bills. Out of appreciation for the Armed Forces, of course. But they have left before we could have gotten the chance to thank them...so we left a giant tip.
If you're an adult who is no longer controlled by your testosterone and motivated by alcohol, this really is just a after-work restaurant.
Best Sponge cake, but still just a sponge cake.
Thanks Anderson Cooper! -
Review from Dayna A.
9/12/2011
We were in for tiff and hadn't eaten before the show on Thursday night. We selected this place because it was open at the late hour that we walked up, it was around the corner from the Fairmont, our hotel and they had inviting outdoor seating.
I was not familiar with the chain beforehand, but once I sat down, it reminded me of a Canadian TGIFridays. That said, the salad and chicken fingers weren't bad and my husbands local beer was tasty. Under our overeager server's advisement I went for the Blue Raspberry Lemonade 'Jacked-up'. It tasted like someone had only mildly dissolved a blue razzle airhead. Too sweet for my taste, and I like sweet fruity drinks, and once I was a third of the way through it, I was 'jacked'. Thankfully my hotel was around the corner, my husband had no complaints as he finds 'tipsy Dayna' to be a happy, funny and even more clumsy drunk than Dayna sober. But I was not particularly pleased. -
Review from Chris M.
6/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Poor me for believing that this would be a good place to catch a playoff game! Jack Astors appears to be a victim of the bigger-is-better approach to Toronto bar and grill type dining. There are TVs everywhere in the bar area, which is admittedly OK for watching sports, but it's LOUD - patron noise plus banging music plus TV sport-commentator sound that ends up barely being audible meant I had to positively yell at my dinner companions all night. It's too expensive and huge to be a pub, but too raucous and sleazy to be a restaurant.
The menu is really huge and similarly unfocused, featuring the absolute chain-diner gamut of burgers, salads, fried stuff, wings and sandwiches, pizza, pastas, steaks, decidedly "meh" eastern-hemispheric dishes like Pad Thai and butter chicken (I had the Pad Thai, which was flat, bland and really only redeemed by a large dose of sriracha) - much like Janna S.'s review, I couldn't figure out what the restaurant was aiming for other than the broadest possible attempt to appeal to people who want their food to have a theme rather than a flavour.
And another thing: for such an oversaturated, underwhelming place, it's expensive! I paid forty dollars by the end of the night for my blah meal and two beers on tap (though these were decent - Sapporo, fresh and cold) when at other pubs around town I could have easily paid that much to cover meals and drinks for two people.
I have absolutely no reasons to want to come back here, but if you're completely in need of a generic bar and grill meal (whatever the "theme") with no surprises whatsoever and provocatively dressed servers, Jack Astors' chain pedigree will make it happen in a flash. -
Review from Janna S.
11/10/2010
This place freaks me out. I can't help but feel like it's a boozy barrier of sorts between tourists and the REAL food in the city. It's impossible to determine the original inspiration/influences for the food or the decor. It's like some terribly watered-down combination of pub-like, sports-bar-ish, family restauranty, whatever-ethnic-food-has-made-it-past-third-base-i n-mass-appeal, over-sized American chain-ish eating/drinking place. The decor is funny, but not funny "ha ha". It's random, almost desperate.
This is where you bring picky eaters who secretly want McDonalds but need to pretend they enjoy "dining" in a near semblance of adult sophistication - the menu may be large, but you can safely predict that everything will arrive at your table in that tried-and-true holy trinity of fat, salt, and sugar. Chances are high that you will eat to the point of discomfort because there is so much to distract your attention from the food itself.
Sure, the waitstaff are eerily chirpy and perky, but they show up often enough to turn tables over at record speed. If you come here before a game, you definitely WILL need a reservation, and if you want to enjoy your meal, head elsewhere.
With the virtual GPS in the Yelp app, there is really no need to ever eat at a place like this again out of desperation or ignorance - rabid sports fan peer pressure is another matter entirely. -
Review from Mariko M.
12/28/2010
Came here tonight before the Leafs vs Hurricanes game for a quick bite. It was crowded and we were told that it would be a 35 minute wait. Thinking that this was a reflection on the quality of food, my friend and I decided to bare the wait for a table. Completely unrelated to my experience here tonight, but .... this chain clearly tries to lure men mostly by having their predominantly female staff to be scantily clad. I am by no means a feminist, but... c'mon ladies.
I guess any day that there's a Leafs game, this place is busy. Nothing new so I'm surprised that this joint didn't anticipate this. Efficiency doesn't exist in the Jack Astor's Dictionary. What was irritating, was that I had to ask for water about four times and the food took ages to come. Don't they just unwrap the item from a wrapper and throw it into the oven?
Next time, I'll just grab some street meat by Union Station if I need a quite bite. -
Review from Steve M.
9/7/2011
Jack Astor's is a busy sports bar with plenty of tv's to catch all your teams in action. On Saturday nights, huge crowds spread out among the many rooms. Some of the Argonaut players hang out here after home games. Outdoor patio bar is a nice option to get your drink on. It's right in the heart of downtown next to many hotels and Union Station. Standard pub fare. Not sure though if many go here for the food anyway.
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Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
7/25/2011
Friendly staff, unreal location and perfect patio. I had the nachos and it really was a large, fulfilling portion.
Beers were slightly overpriced but again location is key so I assume it's comparable.
Great place to go after work with friends. -
Review from Kal B.
7/10/2011
located all over toronto area.. kind of like a sports bar..
food was decent and does the job.. big portions and basically pub food
good place to meet in a big group.. also went one nite to check out UFC -
Review from V A.
Toronto, ON
10/30/2010
If you would rather look at the hot hostesses, sit in the lounge side .... and that was the advice given to us over the phone .... and it's true.
OK onto the food.
Drink: Soda Float. Served with some high quality vanilla ice cream (you could see the tiny vanilla bean bits in the foam. Served with a specialty house brand of either Root Beer or cream soda (neither flavour is palatable to me). I chose to switch it up with orange to make a creamsicle flavour.
Appetizer: Calamari. Although it costs almost as much as some entrées, its almost a meal unto itself (if you don't eat that much). They are not your average "onion ring" style you get at some cheap places. Tentacle pieces are cut in such a way that they are only recognizable as tentacles because they are not rings. They come lightly breaded and served with both a creamy garlic sauce, and the standard cocktail sauce. I thoroughly enjoyed the dish, but wish there was a better sauce, they both seemed kind of standard. I would have them again, as they are near the top for stuff in T.O.
Main: Chicken Fried Chicken (Retro Festival) How could i not try a dish that's almost impossible to find in T.O.? as it arrived at the table I almost regretted getting the calamari. There were two GIANT pieces of chicken breast, smothered in gravy, fries, and a small garlic bread.
Fries - BOO. tastes like McCain. Not really cooked enough. Not burn your mouth hot, more like just warm enough to eat.
Chicken - covered in a [peppercorn?] SUPER-THICK gravy. Not my style of gravy. Do i take out the first "chicken" in "chicken fried chicken" if i don't want the gravy? Chicken was crispy [where there was no gravy] moist and tender. One note: the under side didn't look anything like the top. If Mike Holmes was eating it he would have looked at the breading and said "if its worth doing, it's worth doing right". There was enough breading on one side though to make up for the almost naked back.
Garlic Bread - almost an after thought. A piece of a larger loaf is stuffed into a container and made to look like a mini version. There was a liquid in the bottom, mixed with a garlicky salty paste. It tasted garlicky, and odd at the same time.
Butter Chicken - was apparently good as well. Serving size was not nearly as HUGE as the CFC.
Dessert:
Cheesecake looked, and was apparently good as well. Not overly rich.
Ridiculously small brownie was small, but looked tasty and a good value at $.96
VERDICT:
After 12 hours I am still full from my lunch. WOW. I don't think i was this full even after a trip to the Chinese buffet. -
Review from Sergey S.
11/14/2010
Always packed, always noisy, completely disregarding any customer personality except for the one designed into the chain requirements. Friendly? Neutral.
Lots of funny little things like pencils to write on the paper table cloth. Female servers in mini-dresses. Male servers for some reason not wearing mini-dresses. Overall - fun, and strictly "no strings attached" atmosphere, great for those just around their 30-ish.
Check out their garlic bread - the greasiest in Toronto! Other food is unremarkable. Drinks are ok, better in pitchers. -
Review from Victoria S.
Toronto, ON
3/18/2011
the men at my work love going to jacks, i wonder why? it must have something to do with the friendly and cheerful staff... in mini skirts and low cut tops. and though i kid, this jack astor's has great service, especially if you are in a rush.
whenever i go with the people from work we are treated like gold. probably because they are there at least once a week. i'm not a huge fan of the atmosphere in the bar/lounge. it's meat-market-esque. despite the incredibly loud volume of people chatting, top 40 music is blared. the dining room isn't as bad. there are usually families around. but during the patio months, the patio is beautiful. they have a smoking section and non-smoking and even a full bar outside. being at the corner of front and university makes for great people watching. and a convenient location for before/after games and events.
the best thing on the menu is the chicken fingers because they are fresh, not frozen... and then deep fried. the other things on the menu are okay, if you stick with pub style. my friend got the pad thai and it tasted like rice-noodles in ketchup with a bunch of vegetables, i wouldn't recommend it. i generally end up spending way too much money when i go here and regret it. it isn't bad but there are so many other places i'd rather spend $30. unfortunately none of them are located in this area.Listed in: best happy hour
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Review from Joseph B.
8/5/2011
Nice food presentation, but very tasteless. Slow service. Have to beg to get drinks.
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Review from Eric B.
3/30/2009
I met a work collegue here for a pint and an appetizer before I headed off to theatre. The place was packed with Maple Leaf fans prior that evening's match with the Bruins. All that was fun to watch, although the only really available space was out in the coolish outdoor patio.
The propane space heaters weren't really doing a complete job and neither did the service. Wait staff were pleasant and friendly enough, but that couldn't make up for the rest of our marginal "dining" experience. It took 10-15 minutes for our round of beers to come out and even longer for my marginal chicken quesadilla order. My collegue faired a litlle better with the pizza, but neither of us was impressed.Listed in: 2 Star Reviews
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Review from Anna E.
Thornhill, ON
8/20/2009
(bellow is a short story, scroll down for the review)
Nad and I grabbed some drinks after work. at the Jack Astor's by Union Station we were given pretty good services by Nicki. so good I had to let the manager know. since i like getting creative (and also since we've been getting TERRIBLE service (if you can call it that) at Casey's right across the road) i decided to seek the manager and then had the following exchange with her:
Me - I am very pissed off! (i have a very mad look on my face)
Her (very frantically) - I'm sorry to hear that miss, come over here please, i promise i wont yell at you (yes, that's what she said, and no, i don't get it either...its possible i misheard her, but not very likely)
Me - Oh I am very very pissed off!!! (even madder now)
Her - Miss please, tell me what happened.
Me - I am so pissed off that other bars downtown don't have as good servers as you Nikki is
Her ( breathe again) Oh my! thank you!
Me Its all good. we'll be back
so yeah, if you're ever by union station and want to get good service, off to Jack Ass you go and if she's there, ask for her. shes a delight.
(she knows Nad and Anna by name so tell her we say "Hi" if you smart enough to ask for her section.
Drinks: 2 Long Island Ice Teas and a Kiss and Tell. (sooo good!)
Food: Calamari and Crab Dip. Pretty darn good!!!
Over all we were very happy with food, drinks, and above all service. -
Review from Christian P.
Toronto, ON
12/12/2010
Good American place to watch the game and look at the nice-looking waitresses when eating your BBQ ribs (and you will need to use teeth and eat like a savage to enjoy your ribs - BBQ ribs are just OK, clearly not the best in town); steaks are ridiculously small and over cooked (it seems that medium = overcooked here). Burgers are... burgers like everywhere else than the usual burger fast-food brands.
Beers and nachos with chedars or bruschettas seem to be the most sure things to order here, for you to fully enjoy the place with friends. You'll eat later (at home or on the way back home, in a Mc's drive in or swhere else). -
Review from Kat F.
4/10/2009
My first visit to this particular Jack Astor's location was right before the Blue Jays home opener last week and probably the most indicative of a peak night of business for the restaurant. I arrived just before 5pm and it was absolute anarchy (but in a good way) in the place.
The front entrance was spilling over with people trying to (unsuccessfully) get a table, but they hadn't made a reservation so they were being turned away. Luckily our group HAD made a reservation so we didn't have any issues getting a seat. Essentially though from 5pm until 7:15pm when the game started, the place consisted entirely of people on their way to the Jays game. So if you don't like baseball, or being around rowdy pre-drinking Jays fans, DO NOT go here on game night. Here's the schedule: http://toronto.bluejay...
All of the (hot) servers join in on the sporting fun and are decked out head to toe in Jays caps and jerseys. The service was decent considering we were such a rowdy group and the place was so busy.
I love ordering the Chicken Parmesan Bowtie Pasta (aka farfalle) without the chicken. It's really creamy and has sundried tomatoes in it, and the portion is good. I also like that the servers always deduct $2 from the cost of the meal because I'm not getting any meat on it - a nice touch! -
Review from Tamar F.
8/28/2010
You don't go to Jack Astor's for the food. 'Nuff said. But we had a group of 8, which included two young kids, so we figured it would be a good spot to go for our group.
We got there around 6:30 on a Thursday. We waited for about half an hour outside to get seated. Okay, it was busy. Then we go to order - get some pitchers of beer (for the adults, promise!) and the standard grub - fish 'n chips, bruschetta, caesar salad, burgers, kids meal entrees, and - erm - butter chicken.
After taking the drink orders they come out with the drinks... and for the two kids they serve their "kids drinks" (which come with the kids meals) in glasses. Major spill waiting to happen, no? We asked if they had any more kid-friendly cups. They returned with the drinks in lowball glasses. Fail.
Then it took a while for the food to come. And the refills on soda just weren't coming. Or on water. As in, we'd ask, they'd say "okay" and then we'd wait and still no drinks.
Then the food came... and we heard a crash. Oops, they dropped two of our eight dishes. And instead of coming over to apologize or even acknowledge it, our server just remained scarce. We only realized it was the case when we saw butter chicken & fish n chips on the floor by the kitchen. Fail.
Most of us were eating when my brother went to go to the bathroom. And it was the one time the server didn't remain scarce. Instead, when we weren't looking she took his half-eaten fish and got rid of it... even though he wasn't done yet. Fail.
And the butter chicken? According to my brother it had just a tiny amount of meat smothered in a whole lotta sauce. He asked if this was normal and the server looked like a dear in the headlights, only answering "um, yes" after a long pause.
Why two stars, even? Because there's even worse places in Toronto, and because the food was edible. -
Review from Adam P.
Toronto, ON
8/5/2009
This place is a staple for me for meeting up with friends for lunch or even going here for lunch with work. I really enjoy this atmosphere at this place. Its got a sports bar type of feel, and the staff have great personalities. They are always cheerful and treat you like a friend rather than your servant. I have come to enjoy this place more because their service is really good for large groups. Last time I went with work there was a party of about 15 and all the meals came out hot and all within a couple of minutes of each other.
Their patio has become much better over time. Although it is situated on University (so there isn't much to look at other than traffic), they put up pretty high glass walls to block out some of the traffic noise. They have an actual bar on the patio which is great for those out there to still sit at a bar and people watch and can get their drinks fast.
Every time I go here I get the exact same thing; buffalo chicken fingers. They used to have my favourite chicken fingers until Baton Rouge took over. I enjoy them so much because they sauce them up quite a bit (medium is pretty hot IMO) and they also give you a nice ranch dressing for dipping. The combination is mind blowing.
Although I am quite boring in my dish selection, my wife has tried some different items. She has become a huge fan of the prime rib burger (she says its the best around), and just recently on their seasonal menu, she has really enjoyed the greek salad with watermelon. Sounds like a terrible combination, I know, but don't knock it until you try it.
There are two things I don't like about it. One is that for it being a pseudo sports bar, they need to upgrade their tv's to the new 16:9 world, and secondly, it can get really noisy in there, and there is nothing in the design of the building to dampen it. -
Review from Thomas B.
North Bay, ON
6/1/2009
This is a well-rounded establishment. A typical restaurant but a shinning example of what a good restaurant is. Everything about this place is fantastic, the only reason it doesn't get a five stars is because it's missing that "je ne sais quoi" that makes it jump into my mind when I'm looking for a place to eat in the area.
I've gone here a few times and the first thing I always notice is how gorgeous all the women working in there are. Like they must have some sexiness standard by which they hire their waitresses. But it seems that every time we ask for restaurant side we get a (flamboyant) male waiter rather than one of the sexy little waitresses who lured you in in the first place. Sigh.
The food here is awesome. The usual restaurant grub but they do it well. The dishes have been consistently well prepped among all my visits and the food has consistently been delicious no matter what I order.
The location is great, everything is well maintained and very well kept (CLEAN).
I will go back here when I have someone like my brother with me who refuses to try new things and just wants to eat at a good ol' North American style restaurant and I advise the same to you. This place is great for parties who have members who don't possess appreciation for diversity in taste. -
Review from Justin C.
10/21/2008 1 photo
I really hated this bar. I have no clue what the food is like, nor do I care to find out, because they couldn't even get the bar part right. This place had the fortune, or misfortune depending on your view, of being just across the street from the hotel my firm was having a conference in. As a result it was bombarded nightly by a varying cast of people with expense accounts to blow, usually in search of cheap, crappy beer (ughh, no thanks). Jack Astor's was happy to oblige them on the crappy end, but not so much in the cheap department.
The selection here is what you would expect at Applebees or Chilis, and I'm guessing this is some equivalent of those places by the food menu. The problem is the service is drastically slower, even on the nights when we didn't flood the tables, and the beer is so overpriced you end up spending $10 a pint by the time all the taxes and tip are included. If they were pouring Samuel Smith or Rogue premiums from the taps I might be inclined to pay, but for Molson and Labatt I just don't think it's justified.
They do have a really nice outdoor patio with space heaters at nearly every table, which accounts for one of the stars I gave them. The other comes from simply putting up with our insane group who decided to completely take over the place on one specific night, pouring in about 200-300 people at one time. They made a shitload of profit in the process, so I'm sure it was no sweat off their backs, but points to anyone who deals with a surge of that magnitude. -
Review from Jake C.
Hamilton, ON
5/25/2011
Good place! Good food!
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Review from Linda W.
7/2/2010
My hubby's fam are Canadians from Ontario. And if you're in the Ontario area, apparently this is a huge chain equivalent to a TGIF (except with hostess service, pool tables, outside patio, and dance floor). We head out on a Wed night and ask for a table in the outdoor patio. A young hostess told us there were no seats and if we were willing to wait a half hour. We were still missing an add'l person from our table so we decided to wait til our party was there.
We walked into the bar to see if there were seats inside. And once we cross into the outdoor patio, not only were there seats but empty tables everywhere. Luckily, his cousin knew the bartender at Jack. Apparently, the hostess is a newbie who has been coping an attitude with patrons all day. This explains the no seating policy.
Our waitress took our drinks and chatted for a bit. She recommended the two flavors slush (raspberry & lemon) with two shots of raspberry vodka. Everyone else ordered beer. The slush was too sweet for my taste buds but an interesting mix. We shared fries and wings that were pretty good. It's a good place to hang out after work or mingle with friends. -
Review from Vanessa G.
Toronto, ON
9/4/2008 1 photo
I've been going to Jack Astor's since I was in high school and I have to say it's really changed since I was 14 - but definitely for the better.
It used to have pretty generic bar food but they've since gone pretty upscale with their menu.
The bruschetta is the most delicious thing that has ever touch my tongue and I could eat it for the rest of my life It's little crisp baguette slices with tons of juicy tomatoes, onions and parsley and then they drizzle balsamic vinegar and some kind of mayo sauce on top and it is just so insanely good.
The Thai Chicken salad is great - they give big portions so you're never left hungry. The flatbread is also delicious as are the noodle bowls.
Their frozen raspberry twister is delicious and refreshing and will take the edge off even the worst work week. I've never had a dish their that wasn't really satisfying.
However, with their new upscale menu come upscale prices, so don't expect a cheap meal.
This location has a great patio that looks onto University and Front but it attracts a huge after-work crowd and the it can get packed. Expect a 20 minute wait if you show up at 5 or 6 on Friday. -
Review from John G.
12/3/2010
Good place to go before and after the game or to watch one. Bar is noisy and the food is just ok. wonderful paper tablecloths with crayons to write with.
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Review from Dejan M.
7/4/2010
I sat at the patio bar, which is pleasant in the summer. Unfortunately, the service isn't very fast if you order something they have to bring from inside (eg, certain beers and cocktails). Ten minutes passed between my sitting down and getting my beer. Another twenty before I got the food, too. And it wasn't particularly packed; there were plenty of free tables and seats at the bar.
I had the club chicken sandwich, which was tasty. The food is a bit overpriced, but the location is convenient and the patio enjoyable. I might be back again. -
Review from Brian C.
Toronto, ON
7/2/2010
This downtown local keeps its "around the corner" feel instead of getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of the big city. Friendly service and a huge bar are great for hanging out with friends, or meetups before and after just about any Toronto game.
My favourite aspect of Jack Astor's is the drinks. The food is OK, but their drinks out-do themselves. When I finally realized that the place brews and bottles their own rootbeer I was hooked. Deliciously smooth and much better than A & W, I truly appreciated the option of a brewed non-alcholic beverage for the sober vegetarian in me. -
Review from Steven C.
5/6/2011
Stopped for a quick bite. Ate at the bar and had a Guiness with the chipotle chicken pita. Food was good and the service was spot on. Didn't realize that it was a chain. Wish we had one in Boston.
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Review from Wil Y.
10/5/2010
Came here before taking in a baseball game at the Rogers Center between the Jays and the Yankees. Its seems to be your typical chain bar like you have in the States. Reminds me of a TGI Fridays/Applebees with a bigger bar. Food was meh and service was very slow trying to get a refill to choke down the dry food.
Listed in: Toronto, The one in Canada
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Review from Jody D.
3/29/2011
Went to eat here twice while in Toronto. It was just ok. Not horrible, not great. Service was just alright the first night, but was much better the second night. Menu is large with a lot of options.
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Review from Elvis A.
2/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am glad this place started showing UFC. With hardly any place that offers half decent food or would have space to let you in, this place is a reasonable bet. Downtown is limited in options when you wanna watch UFC in HD! and have a reasonable beer selection and edible food. Tried it on Saturday for the Silva fight the place was packed but we got lucky and picked up a spot as someone was leaving. I ordered a steak with sweet potato fries and normal fries on the side. Friend just ordered the crab and lobster dip. I went for my backup brew of Stella. The steak was ok so were the fries. The dip was meh! especially at this price it needs to be what you call craby! and lobstery :)
Despite the place being packed the service was great with our server checking up on us regularly. I have pretty much given up on food at bars that show UFC but this is a reasonable option if you are in downtown and the bonus is no cover. It shard to go wring with a steak and they are OK for having a filler meal. -
Review from Todd V.
Toronto, ON
9/18/2008
I've no idea why but this Jack Astor's seems to have upped its game a bit and appears to be a wee bit swankier. Is it because it's landed in a restaurant row on Front Street in Toronto? Is it because of the heritage that surrounds it in the Royal York (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...) and Union Station (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...)? Truly, who cares? It's a Jack Astor's.
It's much dressier inside than several other Jack Astor's that I've been to (and I've been to my share). There is a long central bar that provides the focus for the room, probably well designed for the commuters looking for a quick after-work drink before they hit the Go Trains or subways home. The table spaces are decent and in the nice weather, they've got a great patio with an outside bar for faster service. In the cold weather, they've got a great smoking section.
The menu is similar to most every Jack Astor's that I've had the pleasure of being in so there's no surprise there. Outside of the fact that the inside décor appears to have been downtown-Torontoed-up a bit. -
Review from Peter R.
Richmond Hill, ON
11/11/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Good
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Review from Melissa F.
Toronto, ON
4/12/2009
it doesn't surprise me that reviews for this place are a consistent 3 stars. they definitely don't do anything wrong, and they definitely don't do anything amazing or unique- it's the bane of being a chain- you have to be amazing to relax the fact that you're a stamp amongst many.
that being said, it's actually quite a nice sports bar with very nice wait staff.
It was 10pm and I was searching for a place that played the Canucks game (hard to find, I soon found out, in Toronto). After trying the Irish Embassy (which gave me a bitchy and unimpressed "no") I found myself at Jack Astors. I told the hostess i was looking for the hockey game and she was lovely enough to check if it was on, or see if she could change a channel for us.
ta-da! done and done.
i'm there, watching a game with a cold beer in hand and everything came out peachy.
Reliable and nice, this place. I would go again for a "reliable" above average night again. -
Review from thomas g.
Toronto, ON
9/22/2009
Why aren't there more place like this one! In Toronto, you apparently can find better japanese food than in Japan, better middle eastern food than in Lebanon, even better french food than in Paris (si, si), but it is almost impossible to find at least average North American food. Apparently, good burgers can only be found in two kind of places: either in a greasy basement operated by a gorilla or in a big empty hallway looking like the deck of the starship Enterprise. Well Jack Astors is the exception. It's big but warm, it's clean but friendly. The people who work here are so nice that it is almost unreal and the burgers are really good. And they have wines that don't make you wish you were a beer drinker, which is very rare in this area of town. One more thing, do not miss the smallest brownie in the world. Delicious and only 98 cents!
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Review from Michael S.
Toronto, ON
10/6/2009
I usually keep my distance from chain restaurants, but this particular Jack Astor's is a bit different from the locations they have in the suburbs. the restaurant has a downtown ambiance and it actually feels kind of hip considering it's right across from Union Station ... even though the food choices are not spectacular I can definitely recommend it for business lunches on weekdays and to tourists looking for a place to have a quick bite before exploring downtown ...
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Review from Jack D.
Mississauga, ON
7/6/2009
If your trying to be healthy they have excellent salads that actually taste good I recomend the Asian Ginger Salmon Salad.
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Review from vanessa v.
8/6/2008
love the blooper reel that plays on loop on half the tvs!
also, the garlic bread is TO DIE FOR.
drinks are good but expensive, lots of specialty stuff. they're not strong but they're delicious.
food is pretty good, kind of on the expensive end of pub food. -
Review from Brian P.
Toronto, ON
11/17/2009
It may seem strange to review a chain restaurant but I had to say something. I have been to some of the so-called "best" restaurants in Toronto and many times the food is over-priced and under flavoured, the staff is useless and the crowd is just pretentious and boring. As a resident of Downtown Toronto it was almost refreshing to find myself in a place where the food was good (and plentiful), the staff was friendly and helpful and the crowd was just, well, having fun being themselves. All of this and the meal for two doesn't completely empty the pocketbook. Nice.
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