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The Henhouse
1532 Dundas St W
Toronto, ON M6K 1T5
Neighbourhood: Brockton Village
(416) 534-5939
Toronto, ON M6K 1T5
Neighbourhood: Brockton Village
(416) 534-5939
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Wed, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
19 reviews for The Henhouse
19 reviews in English
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Review from Garence D.
1/8/2012
I'm from Paris and I went with my girlfriend there.
The music was great and the public which reminds me les amours imaginaires was also top.
The place to be! -
Review from Munis T.
Toronto, ON
8/31/2011
I had brunch here this past Sunday.
Everything was satisfactory, nothing stood out as particularly exciting or worthy of note. List of things I had or tasted: scrambled eggs, omelet, pancake, bacon, and sausage.
Sentiment: there are better places in the city. -
Review from Teresa C.
Toronto, ON
6/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Like pancakes? I don't. But Karen's Pancakes at the Henhouse is phenomenal. I will not eat pancakes anywhere else except for the Henhouse. Karen's Pancakes comes with three pancakes, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, bacon or veggie bacon and fresh fruit ($10). I don't order anything else aside from this meal.
I will make ONE exception to my regular order...and that is if the Henhouse has their breakfast burrito special. The burrito is packed full of scrambled eggs, black beans, melted cheddar and topped with homemade salsa and slices of avocado. I like to add bacon inside the burrito as well. If the Henhouse has the burrito as a special, I always always order it.
Oh, and their nachos (which is only served at night) are excellent. The kitchen makes sure to layerrrrr the cheese, which is not usually done by other bars. You won't find me complaining about the amount of cheese on the nachos at the Henhouse because there is just so much (and I usually *love* to bitch about the stingy amount of cheese on nachos).
A friendly, laid-back neighbourhood brunching joint.
(Brunch is only served on Sundays. No more Saturday brunches!) -
Review from Julie T.
Toronto, ON
4/23/2011
I kinda want to keep the Henhouse to myself, but it's hard when I keep bringing new friends in. I absolutely love this place. Formerly Cafe Dong Phuong, the new owners have created a low-key, unassuming spot to grab a beer, a tasty bite to eat, and have a heck of a good time on karaoke or dance party nights with a fun group of people.
Despite having a solid core of regular customers (myself included), it's never hard to find a table in this place before 10 p.m. There's ample seating at the long bar, and a fantastic selection in the jukebox. The only beer on tap is Cameron's, but there's plenty of bottled choices and a couple of bartenders who really know what they're doing when it comes to mixed drinks.
The Henhouse has a very nostalgic 60s vibe, from the yearbook wallpaper in the bathrooms to the mugs and cutlery sets (which were the exact same ones that my great-grandmother owned), and the dim lighting from retro sconces. The limited menu has something for everyone, and it's very vegan friendly. I highly recommend the veggie BLT and the veggie pulled pork. Once I was accidentally served the real pulled pork, and from the bite I had I can assure you it's quite tasty as well.
Brunch is equally delicious. Keep an eye out for their Heavy L'Bevvy events, which feature a full brunch and your choice of mimosa, beer, or beermosa for $10 all-in. Brunch is super popular on Saturdays and Sundays so you may have a short wait, but it's totally worth it. Get there before 9 on special event nights if you want to guarantee a table. Also, it's cash only but there's an ATM downstairs. -
Review from Patrick M.
Toronto, ON
4/12/2011
I've eaten here a couple times with my girlfriend and they've been perfectly good, standard little breakfasts. We didn't venture beyond standard brekkie fare (pancakes, B&E, etc), but what we got was nice.
As a breakfast joint, it's pushing ****, but I'll reserve a higher rating until I get the chance to try some of their other offerings. I love the jukebox, staff is cool but not in a "too cool for you" kinda way.
Finally, yes, they're openly "lesbo" (re: gay/alt/whatever friendly), but we also brought my father here -- a pretty conservative, 60ish old dude from a small town who harbours some latent prejudices -- and he dug it. So while they celebrate what some might call a stigma, they do it in a way that is neither tacky nor pushy.
Definitely recommended, might even become a favourite. -
Review from Michael M.
Toronto, ON
10/31/2011
I just wanted to say that the kitchen was closed (forever) last time I was there.
It's still a neat spot to go for drinks, but the food is what kept me coming back. They had great vegetarian options that were well done. Not gourmet, but worth the small prices they charge. -
Review from Kent P.
1/15/2011
My favorite lesbo bar to have brunch at.
The interior looks like a middle class kitchen from the 1950s and for $10 you can get some delicious pancakes, curry spiced hash-browns, a meat, scrambled eggs, and a little fruit. There's a jukebox, too.
Cash only.
Caesars are a solid 7/10.Listed in: Brunch.
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Review from sasha v.
Toronto, ON
11/17/2010
Dundas West is suddenly buzzing with cute little bars, restaurants and cafes and The Hole (if you need to ask...) was one of the first contemporary editions in this magical, Prohibition Era-like outpost. The Chucky Cheese of queer birthday party joints, bartender Karen Frostitution also doubles as a master baker. Her creations (from a Malboro cigarette pack to an upright raccoon to the CN tower) are as beautiful as they are delicious.
The eclectic jukebox is indeed the Hole's centre piece but just as a warning, do not try to dance on the bar. It may certainly be wide enough to accommodate a Motley Crue inspired roundhouse kick, but it is not made of the most sturdy material. -
Review from Ashleigh G.
Toronto, ON
11/23/2010
This is one of those places that you almost don't want to share, so you can enjoy keeping it to yourself a little longer.
I had passed it on the streetcar several times and saw the hip crowd spilling out onto the street to smoke and chat - but, due to the sign, "Cafe Dong Phuong", I was confused and just thought it was a really cool neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant.
Who doesn't love a jukebox? And this one has one of the best selections in the city - rivaling even the Communists Daughter.
I also *loved* their washrooms. Wallpapered with yearbook pages from the sixties, it was amusing to read all the anachronistic career aspirations. -
Review from angela k.
Toronto, ON
1/16/2010 ROTD 5/22/2010
I might just become a regular!
I have been a couple times and always thoroughly enjoy myself. As far as the atmosphere - it was cozy, just crowded enough, and everyone there was super friendly. I struck up conversations with strangers (which I almost never do) and anytime someone bumped into me, they apologized profusely (that almost never happens to me in Toronto).
Drinks are cheap by Toronto standards and the juke box has a good eclectic mix (Patti Smith, Erasure, Blondie, Sleater Kinney, CCR, the list goes on).
The decor is vintage and there is a coat rack near the front of the bar. It felt like hanging out in someone's very laidback apartment. And on top of all that, the crowd is mixed queer/straight with queer women/lesbians/lady-loving-ladies seemingly outnumbering the other demographics.
(Oh, and everyone was very easy on the eyes, which certainly never hurts)
I'm definitely going back again (and again).Listed in: For lesbionic folks and their…
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Review from R H.
Toronto, ON
8/22/2010
Went for brunch today. Two vegetarians dining with a vegan. I ordered the special which was a blackbean breakfast burrito with avocado, salsa, sour cream and home fries. My companions ordered the omelette and the tofu scramble.
The service was decent and coffee was good, but that is sort of where the good experience ended.
The vegan diner after specifying he was both vegan and confirming that his dish (the tofu scramble) was vegan received toast with butter on it which had to be sent back. The new toast wasn't received for 10 minutes or more. Otherwise he said it was decent.
My breakfast burrito was meagre looking, and i was horrified about how bad the avocado was. It was so green and unripe that it was crunchy and completely tasteless. This ruined both my dish and that of my friend who ordered the omelette. Why it's okay to serve a completely unripe fruit which is the main component of a meal is beyond me! This is no different than serving a burn piece of meat or an uncooked egg. If I had been the chef I would have just taken the avocado off the menu and gone with something else.
Ignoring the avocado (which was impossible to do) the food was decent but nothing sparkling. The home fries were luke warm and mushy, the toast was mass-produced rye that wasn't flavourful.
I might give this place another chance but only if someone else suggests it. I'd certainly not recommend it to anyone else. -
Review from Daniel B.
4/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
Where did this place come from?
One minute we're walking through the mile upon mile of Portuguese travel agencies and soccer-ball-themed sports bars that make up this stretch of Dundas.... and the next minute we're at this neat little spot.
Sure, they have almost nothing on tap.... but the hipsters come out in droves! You can stand by the bar and watch the colorfully tattooed arms go up and down with every sip. It's almost like makeshift animation.
Neat washrooms. If you're reading this on an iPhone in the bar right now, go find out what I mean. -
Review from Connie T.
Toronto, ON
5/19/2009
Why do vintage dining chairs always give bars and cafes an instant coolness factor? And why do I always give in?
Henhouse, you got me, even if you're full of early-20-somethings in American Apparel.
PS. Despite the address listed, it's NOT in Mississauga, even if you do consider Dundas and Dufferin past your downtown bubble comfort zone. -
Review from Carl E.
Toronto, ON
11/16/2009
This is one of my favourite bars in the west end. Unpretentious, with a cozy feel like you're drinking in a friends kitchen. Be sure to check out the eclectic jukebox and Saturday Sunday brunch.
Oh yeah, and it's cheap!
$5 highballs
$5 pints
$4 bottles -
Review from Kathleen B.
Toronto, ON
2/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
i automatically liked the Hen House when i heard that it was owned by members of the Organ. i knew it had to be cool.
despite that i may get a few evil eyes from hipsters here, i always feel pretty comfortable walking in at any time. once the hipsters get drunk enough they'll even try to dance with you.
the juke box is a great way to hang out with a new date, and there's great stuff in there to keep you coming back for more. the decor isn't much to speak of but the washrooms are papered in old high school year books, which always makes me take so much longer in there than i mean to. and there's a cute bench outside the washroom if you're waiting in line.
they're accommodating of the vegans. once we ordered nachos half without cheese and that wasn't a problem. caesars made with tomato juice or worcestershire are possible too.
brunch on weekends is good if you're just looking for a simple meal. i've only had the tofu scramble (i think that's the only vegan thing) and it's acceptable, though i wouldn't go there just for it. more due to the proximity to my house and that they'll serve cheap alcohol with it. -
Review from Liora I.
Toronto, ON
11/17/2010 1 Check-in Here
I once ate a lentil walnut sandwich at the Hen House that was so good I went home and tried to replicate it myself (to no avail). The decor is ho-hum but inviting, the atmosphere is super casual and despite that it's not advertised anywhere; this is a queer friendly destination for those in the know.
Listed in: Best Queer Bars/Events
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Review from Erin B.
6/10/2010
This place came highly recomended by a friend. I went in alone expecting a welcoming, comfortable space where I could sit quiety and drink a yummy draft beer. Instead I found a slightly musty space, a bartender who appeared put out that she needed to pause her conversation to serve me, and slightly flat cameron's (a perfectly respectable quaf) on draft. I've lived in the neighbourhood over a year, and despite really wanting to like this place, haven't returned, so I suppose I wasn't that impressed.
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Review from hangover n.
Toronto, ON
3/30/2011
fun and friendly. recommended.
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Review from Sarah O.
Toronto, ON
7/17/2009
i haven't had the food yet but i've had a few refreshing beverages here. the jukebox has a great selection. i've been in here when it's been ram packed and when a tumbleweed might've blown past. it's pique is probably on the weekend. i'd stay away from the cameron's on tap though. i didn't feel too hot after drinking it and i wasn't the only one feeling that way.
