New menu is great to see.. nachos, pizza, tacos, etc. all taste solid.. Pitcher refills too Awesome. p.s. Renos are done and there is a ceiling now... p.p.s. With respect to the other reviewers complaining about bouncers -- They're only dicks if you're being an asshole.. pull it together, dick. read more

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I love this place!! Great cheap drinks and now have food. Staff were great. Can't wait to come back and dance. read more

Phil's Grandson's Place - a can of phil's finest soda - Dance Clubs Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Great place to go as a student - cheap drinks - good music - lots of space to roam around. The cons are the $7 cover which is an odd amount - and worst of all the super aggressive bouncers. They have been infamous for how rude they can be and un-understanding. (My friend got kicked out and I went to give her her phone and wallet and got screamed at and got asked if I wanted to get kicked out.. super over the top). Regardless $7 pitchers and loud music keep me coming back. read more

Cheap. Dirty. Grimy. No dress code whatsoever, great music (we went on Sunday retro days), and very cool Crowd. The bartender is nice, and so were the security guards. Oh and 2.25 dollar drinks! What more can you ask for? Just go with a fun group for the purpose of getting wasted and have a great time!! read more

Phil's Grandson's Place - Cheap drinks!! - Dance Clubs Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

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Phil's is a great place for a cheap night out with friends. It is my friend group's favourite club in Waterloo and is always lit. The drinks are pretty cheap and the music is usually pretty good. It is pretty grimy but if you follow the "Don't look up, don't look down rule" it's fine. read more

This is currently one of the best places to dance in Waterloo. Super cheap drinks, good music, and different themed nights. It looks grimey but it's part of the appeal. I can compare it to afterhours in Toronto, except less raunchy. The predator-prey dynamic is in full effect... would not suggest ladies to go alone...unless you're into guys looking at you like a juicy steak. 1 star off for the power-tripping security though. One wrong move here, and you're banned for life, with no chance of getting in again because they scan IDs. Case in point: my friend who took a quarter off the bar thinking it was her change, and was therefore escorted out and blacklisted for "stealing a bartender's tip" read more

This place is great for a cheap and wild night out. It's kinda gross and the people there are crazy but that adds to the environment! I absolutely love going to Phils. Cover is $7 and coat check is around $3. read more

Phil's is a great place for a cheap night out with friends. It is my friend group's favourite club in Waterloo and is always lit. The drinks are pretty cheap and the music is usually pretty good. It is pretty grimy but if you follow the "Don't look up, don't look down rule" it's fine. read more

This is a very divey cultural marvel. It sucks you in like nothing else. If you like to actually dance and enjoy yourself as opposed to keep up an image, this is the best place. Pro tips: - DO go on Saturday for great electro. - DO buy 2.25 drinks EVERY NIGHT - DO bring non-pretentious friends who like good music, cheap drinks, and a dance floor. Phil's randoms can be.. randoms. With great power, comes great responsibility. - DON'T dress up. You'll regret it. Drinks will be spilled. - DON'T wear open-toed shoes or shoes that can be easily damaged. Feet will be stepped on. - DON'T look up at the ceiling :) Phil's is not for everyone. Please don't bother if: - You feel like Caesar's / Fubar / Cameo is your niche. - Have any expectations. - Take yourself very seriously. read more

Phil's....The memories I have at Phil's ill never forget. Its probably best I do not live in Waterloo as I would be at Phil's a lot more than I have already been. This bar is great if you want cheap drinks and don't care about being fancy. The rules to follow at Phil's are as follows below. 1.Don't look up. 2.Don't look at the floor. 3.Never wear open toed shoes or shoes you care about. 4.Never look at the person you're dancing with as Phil's is a judgement free zone. read more

If you're looking for a place to go wild but not break the bank, Phil's is the place for you. The atmosphere is always crazy, everyone here just wants to have a good time. Cheapest drinks in Waterloo and you can refill a pitcher for only $6. They play a lot of the hits on Sundays. Wednesdays have more of a hip-hop feel. You can wear whatever you want, there's no dress code. If you're of legal age and haven't been to Phil's on Sunday night, you're doing it wrong. Get on that and you won't go back!! read more

I have to give Phil's 5 stars. I thought about it for like half a second, but it's just too awesome not to. Phil's is cheap, grimey, dirty and fun in so many ways. I've been on a Monday night and it was awesome. You need to go in expecting it though because Phil's can get you. Top things you should know: Drinks are dirt cheap, so if you want to get absolutely hammered this is your place Dont go here expecting a nice club. The floors are filthy, the dance floor is cramped and the bathrooms are gross Everyone (or at least most people) are there to just have a good time, keep the good vibes going - don't be a douche. My advice is go on an off-night (like Sunday-Wednesday) because Phil's is ALWAYS a shitshow Have fun and good luck! read more

Very small venue, prepare to line up for an hour if you don't go early. The ceiling is covered with mold, washroom stalls do not have doors. Last time I was there a few weeks ago, the whole place smelled like a toilet exploded and the bouncers were very aggressive (beating up drunk guests senseless). I don't understand why people still go. read more

I've probably spent a little too much of my life here, and definitely enough money to match. This is probably the most famous venue in the Waterloo area for students. If you want a serious party any night they're open, you should come here. Word of warning : the line can get pretty long and cold during winter. But it's worth it once you get inside. I feel like it's everything you could possibly want from a dive bar. Unique atmosphere, no doors in the bathroom or usable mirrors, $2.25 (is it $2.50 now?) drinks, a hype dance floor area, and places to sit down. P. S. Don't wear anything you don't want to get dirty. read more

This place is greasy as hell and the cover is more expensive then any other bar in the region. In addition the bouncers are aggressive and hostile. I would avoid this place with all cost read more

Aweful place. Bouncer scanned my ID which went through then continued to harass me even tho i look EXACTLY like my photo. Made me give him my student id card, health card & wanted more after this (which i dont have). after getting in, place is so tiny and disgusting. Got in at 10:30 - 11ish & 2 toilets were overflowed in the bathroom of puke. Smells awful, coat check line went to the back & someone physically PUSHED me out of line so they could get closer. Had men thinking they were entitled to my body the whole night as well grabbing me, even with my boyfriends hands wrapped around me. Only stayed for an hour. Most disgusting place ever, only place u should go to if youre trying to find someone to hook up with. read more

I was about to leave Phil's (and had already picked up my coat from coat check) when I noticed I couldn't find one of my friends. I walked towards the washroom to go look for my friend, while wearing my jacket, trying to look for him when I briefly stopped because my chest was getting a bit tight out of anxiety. One of the security guards noticed this and checked to see if I was okay. I briefly explained to her about my situation and after about a minute or so, she told me I had a little bit too much too drink. Another security guard showed up beside her to ensure that I leave. Another thing to note was that I hadn't had any kind of drink in almost an hour and even back then, I didn't consume too much at that time. I feel that they didn't have a valid reason to kick me out. As mentioned before, I was about to leave anyways and had my jacket on already. Second of all, it was quite insensitive to act the way they did when I was experiencing chest tightness in relation to anxiety which they mistaken that for drunkenness. For a moment, I thought the lady was acting out of concern but she probably needed to hear a few words so that she has some reason (even if it's dumb) to ask me to leave. I believed that they made impulsive assumptions/judgments based on one weak moment of mine (where I happened to experience anxiety) and I felt that they did not have credible evidence to support the fact I was indeed intoxicated. I am aware that I am not the only one to be kicked out of there for unjustifiable reasons which infuriates me because this is not an acceptable nor is it an ethical business practice. This kind of practice is unjust and should NOT be tolerated. I know that they're not going to do anything to improve their customers' experience because this is apparently extremely common and happens quite often. Due to this, it is apparent that they do not truly care about their customers. It's been weeks since the incident and I am still not happy. Sure, you can sometimes have a positive experience at times but once in a while, they do this. If you're planning to go here, do be aware of this. It may not happen on your first visit but don't be surprised if it eventually happens to you. read more

I am in my last year of study, and regretedly I have only been to Phil's twice. It is honestly, hands down, the best club in town. It's a great place to get cheap drinks ($2 per shot!) They play the latest hits in hip/hop, rnb, rap on Wednesdays; electro on Saturdays; and retro on Sundays. It's surprisingly a pretty small room, and the lineups outside extend forever sometimes. The best time to get there is 9:30 when the gates open, after that the wait can be pretty long. My favorite nights are Wednesdays and Sundays! read more

Overcrowded and smells like pee. If you drop something on the floor its gone.. Don't bother to pick it up. Never look up either. Memories are for sure made and lost. Be sure to arrive early to avoid the massive lineup. read more

Phils is synonymous with night life in KW. It's been open since 1988, and everyone has that one story about Phils. This glorious establishment will always have a special place in my heart. Other venues come and go, but when in doubt there's always Phils. read more

I LOVE PHILS. Such an amazing establishment. I would give them 10 stars if I could. Amazing staff that go above and beyond and cheap drinks. What more can a broke university student ask for? Idc that it's not the cleanest. Grab yourself a jug and soon enough you won't even notice. Highly recommend going here. LOVE YOU PHILS read more

I get it- they are called dirty phils for a reason. You don't look up and the toilets are on an angle (which i think works to your benefit when drunk) But some of my best college memories are at that place and I wouldn't change it for anything. P.S CHEAP DRINKS!!! read more

PHILSSSS!!!! Let's see how to put this. This was one of my main stomping grounds during university. This place is busy pretty much every night of the week. My three favourite nights were Sunday (retro night), Saturday (electro night) and Friday (indie night). The drinks are dirt cheap which is the main appeal of this place. People complain that it's dirty, and it is but ignore the complaints about the ceiling that's simply spray insulation. Anyways I used to love this place but recently I don't know if it's because I'm getting old or they got a new DJ but it's suddenly less appealing. I personally think it's the music, retro nights aren't very retro anymore (apparently the 80's don't qualify anymore) and electro nights sounds like it's from 4 years so if your down for an ok time and some super cheap drinks come here. read more

Crowd is nice, even venue is average. But the staff who works there is the worst I ever came across. They treat their customers in the most rude way possible. We paid $7 each as a cover charge at the door. At bar we ordered drinks and for the bar tender was supposed to give $2 back as a change. He never returned the change and treated us as we were drunk and we don't remember to collect it. When I asked him, this guy very rudely gave me $2 back and told me that for next drink I ll need to go to the back bar as he won't be serving us. He acted so weirdly coz I did not get the tip. On next drink, I was refused at the bar and told to go to the back bar. I asked his ugly looking supervisor if it is mandatory to give tips. And she responded that isn't that obvious. They spoiled my mood and the whole night. I worked in hospitality industry for so long and we never do this to our customers. It is totally upto the customer if we want to tip or not. May be we can't afford a tip or may be your service is not worth tipping but you can't force him to tip. These people are just so cheap. They have no sense of what hospitality is. If I was there boss , I ll ask them to go to school again and learn some basic manners about how to treat your customers right. You guys get paid and got jobs coz customers visit there each week and spend. You should treat them in a fair manner. Worst experience ever. Guys if you have options, never go there. There are many other better places on king st. Where staff is nice and they give your every cent back to you in change. And then you can freely decide if you want to tip them or not. These guys are not going to get anywhere with there life, they got such a childish attitude. Worst staff, they will spoil your mood for no reason. Worsttt read more

Went on a Wednesday and they were playing Hip Hop which was actually a pretty cool experience. The floors and ceilings were very dirty but it didn't really affect as the place was pretty energetic with people dancing to the beat, hanging out at the bars etc. Though I would much pretty if they did some mixes with the tracks instead of simply playing one track after another, that would have spiced things up and made it more enjoyable. Be sure to turn up early as the queue to get in can get pretty long. Overall, a pleasant experience and would definitely go again to try out their different nights. read more

Hands down one of the best places to be on a Wednesday night. Cheap drinks, great music, I have never had a bad time at this place. The only downside is the lineup outside if you arrive late, however I have always managed to find my way in. read more

Great club for cheap drinks and dancing. 60 bucks can get a seasoned drinker down. I went to this bar frequently in my college years. The exposed insulation on the ceiling is a little gross, and the floor is sticky after 2 hours of being open, but the dive vibe makes for a more fun atmosphere in my opinion. Definitely one of my favorite clubs to dance at. read more

The bouncer with the long hair tied up made me feel super uncomfortable. I had the proper id (my license) and he still continued to search me for any illicit material. During the "search" he made sure to feel my butt and pay extra attention to my backside this made me and my friends feel very uncomfortable and was totally unsolicited as I was the designated driver for the night I had 0 alcohol in my system. I understand security measures are needed but this was totally unnecessary. Please fix your staff. read more

SCUM OF THE EARTH BOUNCERS PERSONALLY VICTIMIZE ME. smells like disease and probably contract multiple diseases from entering. still fun tho. read more

Great place for cheap drinks, grimy atmosphere but it works with the feel of the bar. Guests are always friendly, and just wanting to have a good time. A real staple for Waterloo, IF you can get by the fact the bartenders outright ask for tips. One bartender told my friend and I (after MAYBE two drinks) we aren't being served because we don't tip. A five dollar drink and a three dollar tip wasn't good enough for her because "she has kids to feed". A real turn off being as she was a very monotone tender and did not deserve a tip whatsoever. Dallas and Pub are imo are 5 times better. read more

After being in clubs in Florida, Texas, Gerogia, and multiple clubs in Canada and Southeast Asia, this place has been the worst night club my friends and I have come across. Unprecedented rude staff, dirty environment, lack of live music, and above all, low quality drinks negatively affect the experience. Unfortunately the place is highly packed and we witnessed two fights in the short time we spent there. The security personal instead of calming down the parties further escalated the situation which further shows the lack of management in this night club. We have never felt so strongly about a night club, but by far it has been the worst place we visited. Avoid this place by all means. You might as well spend the night at Pearls or Beta where staff is more friendly and they provide live music. read more

The chumpiest place on the planet. Poor service and drinks are way too cheap. Would rather pay 7 dollars per beverage. Smarten up expensive drinks = class read more