Great food. Fun place in east end to grab a few drinks and flavourful snack items. Very skillful and knowledgeable bar staff, friendly crowd and atmosphere. read more

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Amazing Happy Hour at Pinkerton's daily from 5-6pm! All cocktails on the menu are $12 and not just simple 3-ingredient ones either. On Wednesdays, they have a special on their baos (3 sets of 2 baos for $33). Service was great and included recommendations from the staff. For drinks, we had the Stolen Tiki and the Widow's Kiss which were both great. We ordered the Laab Style Beef Tartare and an assortment of baos, including the beef bulgogi, korean fried chicken, and pork adobo. The tartare was out-of-this-world and super addicting due to the spice! It paired so well with the fragrant taro chips, and even my partner who is French said it was one of the best tartares he's had recently (although don't expect a traditional steak tartare). The pork adobo bao came dressed with spicy mango mayo and pickled cucumber. The cut was pork belly which was extremely rich, so the citrus from the sauce and cucumber were perfect to cut the fat. I loved that the cucumber was just slightly pickled rather than using the typical pickles which are too tart for me. The bulgogi sirloin was our favourite due to the balance of flavours. The fried chicken was good, but came with more of a honey sauce rather than a gochujang sauce as described since there was no spice (maybe the wrong sauce was used?) Would definitely come back to enjoy their happy hour and tartare again. read more

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Despite it's British sounding name, Pinkerton's Snack Bar's menu decidedly has an Asian influence. The kitchen and the bar seemed to have developed separately, as their drink menu leans towards classic cocktails like my favourite of the evening... the paloma ($16), adorned with a lovely pink peppercorn salt rim that adds a kick to the tequila, mezcal, and citrusy drink. Beautifully made but hardly seems like a drink that pairs with fried rice. Still, I enjoyed it with a plate of duck fried rice ($18). It's a good version of the dish, filled with flavours thanks to duck confit chunks mixed with micro chopped vegetables, egg, and hoisin that added a savoury richness. My only grumble is the rice was too fresh - every Asian knows that day old is best for frying - so the dish was too wet. The crispy salt and pepper tofu ($13) arrived hot and crunchy and would have been delicious if it weren't for the accompanying spicy tomato chutney. While I didn't find it revolting, tofu and marinara isn't really the greatest combination, especially when I was looking forward to the more traditional chopped bell pepper and onions relish version instead. I enjoyed the soft buns used by Pinkerton's for their bao buns ($15 for two), but they needed more filling. There was too much batter on the small pieces of Korean fried chicken, so the protein became dry and leaned towards a jerky consistency. The bulgogi sirloin was better, the beef more pronounced, and being marinated helps to keep things moist, especially when dressed with carrot slaw and spicy mayo. Surprisingly there wasn't a leaf of fermented cabbage in the kimchi fries ($12) - I then realized the menu description says it's topped with kimchi mayo and pickled vegetables but not actual kimchi. The flavours came through in the mayo, but I found there were too many greens compared to the actual spuds, so the dish wasn't hot enough. Ultimately, Pinkerton is aptly named as a snack bar and not a restaurant. Their food will satisfy a boozy stomach but won't wow the taste buds. Luckily, their cocktails do, such as the beautiful floral French 75 ($16). The cocktail's lavender and jasmine elements weren't too overwhelming, additives that can sometimes leave a drink tasting like dish detergent. Rather, it was refreshing, a lovely drink to sip on a hot day. read more

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This restaurant is more of a bar with finger type foods and snacks on the side. The restaurant is a bit small, and the seating is limited with only the bar and few tables. For the menu, we tried: 1. Kung Pao Cauliflower Pretty basic dish. Sautéed cauliflower with a Kung pao sauce topped off with greens and peanuts. We found this dish quite flavourful and filling. 2. Ahi Tuna Tostada A 2 piece dish of crispy wonton paired with avocado and nori. We enjoyed amounts of tuna and crunch from the wonton. 3. Pork Neck Pancake Our least favourite dish of the night. It took the longest to come out and was super carb heavy and tasteless. 4. Bao Buns - Pork adobo - fried pork belly with a spicy mango mayo and pickled cucumber - Duck confit - mango mayo, duck skin and cucumber - Kung pao chicken - sesame mayo and peanuts All the baos were tasty. We liked the softness of the bread and the different meats flavours. We would recommend this spot to anyone in Leslieville looking for local eats and/or drinks. read more

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It is the one place this strip lacks. A nice vibe all around, smallish place, good for snack groups and hangs. The food and drinks were both excellent. We were seated next to the kitchen so got chatting to the chef and it was such a pleasure. Definitely recommend the kimchi fries and the pork Baos. There is so much flavour to the food and the fusion hits the right notes. The LIIT was lit too. As were the other drinks! It can get crowded and the wait can be painful apart from that all is great. read more

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We had an amazing dinner here during our first night in Toronto. The ambiance is amazing! Dim lighting and great music etc. We sat at a small table on the side behind the bar. Server was very friendly. Great cocktails and beer selection. Not many seats so we were lucky to get a spot. We had a few small plates. We ordered the ahi tuna tostadas, pork neck pancake and chicken satays. The server came out with the pork bao buns which we did not order. She apologized admitted the mistake and let us keep them on the house. Honestly no biggie and they were our favorite item we got! Delicious. The tuna tostadas were also phenomenal. The pancakes were very good too! Pancake was a little thick but delicious. Chicken satays were okay, but to be fair we were too full to enjoy a single thing ha. Our favorite meal on a long trip! Stop by here and you'll surely stay awhile read more

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Our server was friendly, hard to tell what the bars identity is. Street lights, bulbs, an Asian inspired menu, a laundry list of craft beers; all are fine but when combined together with no rhyme or reason leaves me wary as a costumer. The bulgogi buns were fantastic, tostadas were gross for a lack of better words, the avocado and something else I'd want to say mint clearly over powered the plate. Pork neck pancakes were okay, meat was kind of dry but the sauce was good. Not great nor terrible. read more

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Fun twists on classic cocktails. I've had better baos elsewhere but their Kimchi Fries & King Mushroom Nappa Rolls were delicious. Looking forward to returning to try more drinks. read more

Pinkerton Snack Bar - Drink Menu (Nov 2022) - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I had heard about this place a lot and finally had the opportunity to go! Our server was this lovely lady who was extras knowledgeable, fast and had a killer personality. Hope she's there next time! We went for cocktails but the food menu looked so good we had to try some things. The pork pancake (pictured without the cilantro) was so yummy. A little heat, pancake was tender and the pork was melt in your mouth tender and flavourful. The steamed bao with beef had such nice flavour. The we also got the pork ball lettuce wraps that came with items in the side like hot sauce, pickled things and such to add. Loved that too. Great beer selection and really nice cocktails. I'll be going back for sure It is a small place so get there earlier in the night if you're going with more than two people. read more

Pinkerton Snack Bar - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Crazy long beer menu. Little of everything but mostly IPAs. Cocktails looked cute but for $14 it's a no from me dawg. Ordered a cider for $8.50 instead. SERVER was super friendly and attentive. Had a smile on his face the entire time. Food came out quickly which was cool. The place itself is cute and the bar area has plenty of seating. The tables yea are kinda tight. Banging into the people around me just to be able to sit isn't ideal but whatever. Pork buns: two to an order. Very little filling but the flavor of it was great and the buns were soft. Easily the best dish of the night. Tuna Tostada: a bit smaller than I expected but the hunks of tuna would have been bomb if whatever was in that avocado spread wasn't blasting any other flavor from possibly being tasted. It was quick unbearable and honestly I picked the fish off and left the rest of the tostada just so I could get that taste out of my mouth. Pork neck pancake: it was ok. Meat was dry on it own but in the sauce it was ok. The pancake was a little gummy and the peanuts were candy coated so they were super sweet. Not necessarily what I wanna eat with pork and chili slices. Panacotta: I'm actually really happy I decided to order a dessert Bc I was thinking the food was getting worse as I ordered and didn't think I would be able to salvage it but this turned it around. Definitely ended on a high note. Creamy, not so sweet, sauce was a little tart and the graham cracker bits were crunchy. Definitely happy w that. read more

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A really nice place you would find downtown nestled into the little strip of Gerrard St between Jones and Pape. A wonderful gem that hopefully more people discover in Leslieville. It's a very non-rescript place when you walk buy it but when you walk in there is a lot discover here. My friend and I have been to the sister restaurant, Poor Romeo, and enjoyed it very much so we also decided to come here for an evening to catch up. The atmosphere in the snack bar is intimate and low-key. with candles adorned on the tables. This is a very relaxed and chill vibe that emanates through the bar. The service staff are really nice and chill. They will definitely take care of you and make sure you have a good time. We came here on a Tuesday and they had a deal which was three items for $33 dollars. We could choose any three dishes off the menu to snack on while we enjoy our drinks. We decided on the following items: 1. ahi tuna tostada - nice fresh chunks of lean tuna with creamy avocado paste and crispy onto chips 2. Fausto's chicken special - three pieces of crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. It came with a nice refreshing coleslaw salad to balance i tout. 3. Kung pow cauliflower - this was an off-menu item recommended by the server and it turned out pretty great. A lot of great Asian flavours and the cauliflower was still meaty. Overall, a really nice neighbourhood bar with a great vibe. read more

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Cute little place on Gerrard Street that gets packed, but not really in a bad way - in a cool, fun vibe way! We didn't have any food so clearly can't comment on that, just here for drinks, which were ok. Reading other reviews, it looks like a lot of people enjoy the food served here, so definitely if I am in the area next time, I'll try a bite! I only had a cider here (too sweet for me...but generallyt he case with most ciders), as this was the 2nd stop in a crawl in this area. The staff are friendly, but be prepared to be sitting on your neighbours laps. The tables are really close together so it can be a bit annoying getting in and out of your seat. read more

Pinkerton's has generated lots of buzz as one of Gerrard's best spots for cocktails and snacks, so of course I had to check it out and see what all the fuss is about. Verdict: the reputation is well deserved! We showed up at 7:30 on a Friday night and the place was full. Since the rustic yet cozy space isn't huge, we had to wait awkwardly by the bar (basically right in everyone's way) but it didn't take long for a candlelit table for two to open up. We sampled a few cocktails over the course of the evening and of those, I'd say the Paper Plane (a citrusy concoction made with whiskey and amaro) and the Aviation (gin-based with a floral note) were best. We also tried 3 of their Asian-style snacks and all were fabulous: tuna tostada with creamy avocado on a crispy wonton; steamed bao bun with bulgogi beef, vinegary slaw and Sriracha mayo; and pork neck pancake, full of super-tender meat and rich gravy. Music (although very loud) was a nice mix of rock gems, and service was very friendly. Loved it!! read more

Went there on a whim to grab a quick bite. Very unassuming little place. Seating for 18 at tables and about another 18 at the bar. Suprisely the bar has quite and extensive collection of liquor. I counted about 10 different types of gin at the area I was sitting. The staff are great. Friendly. Had Ahi Tuna and also Fausto's Chicken off the menu. Heaven! This place is a gem. It made my favourites list. read more

Pinkerton Snack Bar - The menu the day I was there. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This is what Gerrard and really everywhere needs! So fun! Amazing spice and savoury flavours in gorgeous-hipster plateware Lots of beers nice wine I saw cava but only used for cocktails I want it straight up on the menu Love this place !!!! Very Brooklyn cool read more

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I hate to be the one to break Pinkerton's 5 star review streak. I really really wanted to love the place, one being that it is in my old neighbourhood (Riverdale) and second it is a snack bar closer to where I live now. We tried a number of items off the menu including the beer tartar, calamari, chicken special and the pork neck. Mind you the menu only has 7 items we were less than impressed with the food. Chicken special was good, the chicken is sous-vide then deep fried. It was very tender and moist, sauce was good but not overly flavourful just OK. Calamari was battered and fried well. They topped it with soy sauce which i personally found not nessesary as it made the squid too salty. Dish came with a soy,sesame, teriyaki type sauce which was also very salty topped with jalapeños . Beef tartar- was...dry? Even with the quail egg mixed in it was not moist almost seemed that the beef sat out too long and dried up. The flavor profile was uninspirational. Similar teriyaki type flavor topped with cilantro and jalapeño. It was way Over salted even though we asked if it was a very salty dish (as sometime beer tartar is too salty at other restos as well). Pork neck was probably the best of four. Tender pork on top of a pancake again, in the same flavor profile as the other dishes (teriyaki type sauce, cilantro and jalapeños). Again this dish was also over salted. It just seemed much of the same flavors in each dish. In my opinion if a place is only serving up 7 items they should all be unique. The wait time for food was about 40 minutes when there are only about 6 tables in the entire restaurant it was very slow. read more

Pinkerton Snack Bar - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Great place to grab a drink and some excellent food. Menu is simple and everything we had was excellent. Will definitely return! read more

Pinkerton Snack Bar - Man buns, tattoos and beards. A bit of Ossington strip in Gerrard East. Food is amazing. Service is excellent! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Great Korean Tapas Bar with Friendly Service Surpassed our expectations - the four of us enjoyed seven of the nine menu items. Each item was delicious - pork neck pancakes and mushroom cabbage rolls were the best. read more

Pinkerton Snack Bar - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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It's been about a week since I was here, and I'm still thinking about what a great place it was. I love the vibe here - the music is old school hiphop/rnb. I love how it's busy but not too busy that you can't get a table and the service is missing. The drink selection is also really fun. The cocktails aren't just juice in a fancy glass!!!! They are nicely strong and flavourful for the price point. Lots of ciders and sours to choose from as well - they have a pretty big drink menu. Unfortunately, I haven't had any snacks here yet, so I'm excited for the next time I'm around the block! read more

Best bar in the east end. Stupidly loud. Always comfortably busy. A massive constantly changing selection of craft beer. And the food is wicked. Firmly rooted in the 1990s, but a perfect match for the clientele. This is the shining star on this block. A place that doesn't take itself seriously, but offers a consistently great experience. read more

This place blew my mind. With the renaissance of the east end on going, the area can consider this place one of the jewels of the neighbourhood. The food was amazing. A friend and I shared the tartare, mushroom rolls and tuna tostadas. All were fantastic and left us wanting to come back to try the trio special on a Sunday. Drink options were extensive, or you could keep it simple with standard cocktails and cold beer. The crowd was unpretentious and friendly, just like the staff. The music was good. The space was casual and intimate. This is going to be my new favourite snack bar. Well done. read more

Expensive Dim Sum Went last weekend - prices are very high for what is presented, which is essentially dim sum in a dark bar. $17 for dim sum meatballs (meatballs in a bread wrap). $11 for a small pork dim sum appetizer. $9 for a can of beer and $12-13 or so for a six ounce glass of wine. To top it off, they seemed to be having trouble controlling the music level - it would go up, then down, then up... Best part was the service, which was friendly and prompt. I think if they really want to have a "snack bar" theme and survive the next recession, prices have to become more moderate. read more

Is this really happening in the East? With a number of new eclectic bars popping up along with a new brewery almost every other week; I would say yeah, the East is happening..just a little. It's an interesting state of affairs with the old relics slowly disappearing, paving a way for a few new bars and eateries to breath new life into this historic part (more like run-down) part of town. The decay is suddenly not so decaying anymore it seems. Anyhow, Pinkerton is loud. Almost too loud to hold a decent conversation so it's definitely not the time to talk to wife about baby plans or any other sensitive topics because yelling a spitting in each other's faces might send off the wrong vibes. You don't actually need a conversation here when the beats are loud, food is awesome and the atmosphere is lively; just don't let the tap run dry and keep the drinks flowing. Fyi, this is a young crowd so don't be here if you hate young people. There's a good mix of small eats to satisfy carnivores, omnivores, flexiterians and even vegan wannabes like me. I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty and thoughtful the menu was (seriously). There are a lot of Asian influences on the menu and coming from an Asian myself, they do a pretty damn good job fusing the flavours of the east with the west. The drinks are decent I would say as they don't have an extensive list of craft beers and exotic cocktails but whatever they serve will satisfy you. The space is a little tight so don't bring your entire extended family. Real cool loud place to hang with a few friends and enjoy lots and lots of great tapas! Definitely a go-to. read more

What a little gold mine! Have worked and known Adam for years. They are attentive, professional, cool with a great grasp of the business. The food, drinks and service are superb. How you know this place is good is when people in the industry go there for drinks. I recommend it! Go! You won't be disappointed! read more

My friend and I were visiting from America to experience the great food and bar scene Toronto has to offer. Every bar we had been to, we had been greeted and welcomed very warmly, and we were offered several recommendations to visit other bars. Pinkerton came up several times, so we decided to walk over. We were ID'd, and after seeing we were from California, the bartender said that "We don't serve people from California." I naturally laughed and played along with what I believed to be a joke. However after a couple minutes of what I thought was banter, he grew increasingly aggressive and said that we needed to leave. We were shocked that we were overtly discriminated against, and we finally decided to leave and go to Lloyd's nearby, which was much more fun and pleasant. This bar seemed very cool and we wanted to experience it. It's a shame that the bartenders and management are either xenophobic or racist, or both. read more

I actually really love this place and the service is great...until we got the bill for a group of 6 and gratuity was already added (18%, which i don't mind because I would have tipped 20%). However, if you're going to auto grat a group it's a good faith practice in the industry to let inebriated guests know that the tip has already been added and that you thank them. I want to believe (based on how nice the servers were) that they weren't trying to be sneaky and get tipped on top of the tip already embedded in the bill, but it's easy for customers to feel duped when businesses don't let you know that it's there. read more

Cosy leslieville bar with an intimate feel and super friendly staff. The beef tartare was very flavourful with a yummy kick to it. The bao buns were also filling and comforting. The Asian inspired shrimp was light but had all the coconutty Asian flavours. read more

Awesome experience. Super friendly although I'd swear you have to have a full beard to work here! Food was outstanding. Everything had great flavours and not your standard fare. Literally tried everything on the menu in our party. We sat at the chefs table by kitchen and made a comment during dinner about an ingredient they had sitting nearby that wasn't on the menu. Next thing we knew they brought us a special plate. Will definitely make the drive across the city to go here again. Great vibe to the place. read more

This place is awesome. I came back with a couple friends. The eggplant was tasty, and prawns were good as well. The winner for us were the baos. We were definitely suckers for the baos, we ended up getting a second order. Cocktails were good, though i think they mixed up my old fashioned with my friends negroni, but a drinks a drink. Service was really quick and atmosphere great. This is a cool spot, and I liked it more the second time. read more

Just had dinner there, Sunday special 3 dishes for $30 is great deal, all the dishes tasted really good, especially the pork neck pancake!!! The staff are really welcoming, service is attentive and warming. Had a really great dinning experience there, will definitely go back again. read more

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I can't comment on the food, because I never had a chance to eat there. However, a review should include more than what I thought about the food, or the environment. I attempted to make a reservation for a party of 8 people. I called the establishment, emailed, Facebook messaged, and posted on the Facebook official sites wall, inquiring to my request. After 6 days without a response, I heard from a friend that they don't take reservations. I checked the website, and at the time there was no mention of this. Maybe they do have good food, but I'll never know... read more

Went last night for the first time, sat at the bar with my husband and had such a fantastic time. Drinks are amazing but FOOD is unreal. We had pretty much everything on the menu ... bao, duck neck pancake, meatballs, chicken and tartare ... Delish! Thanks Adam for a great evening. read more

Pinkerton Snack Bar - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Meh. Just meh. Underwhelming unfortunately. Drinks and vibe were great. Food was a disappointment. Nothing was stand out nor worth returning for. Tuna tostadas - bland. Very 2010. Beef bao - boring. Trying to be something it's not. Curry prawn were a complete miss. Totally forgettable. Meatball lettuce wraps were decent mostly due to the fresh cilantro and gojichung sauce though difficult to eat. Overall, food felt dated and very uninspiring. The menu def needs a total refresh. Too bad. read more

Great resto-bar. Service is excellent and very friendly. Went there with our baby a few times and they have been great. Went there for brunch a few times (though I hear they stopped serving brunch which is a HUGE disappointment) and for dinner twice. The tapas style food is excellent. We tried most items on the menu and they were all very good!! Go and support them. read more

Cute atmosphere with really helpful staff. The fried chicken was absolutely amazing and the tuna tostadas were great as well. Good beer list, and a good selection of other booze. Felt the prices were just a little high for the amount you get, but I'm also a very big eater, so that may colour my opinion. read more

This place is a little gem! We went there on a Friday night. It was a short wait for a table around 1030pm. Seating is cramped but the ambience is great. Upbeat, good music and just relaxed. We tried the bao buns, squid and chicken special and the Thai mussels. Just excellent. The sous chef Greg brought out some of the food himself and you could see the passion and excitement in his descriptions of the food. Drinks are good as well the beers are priced well, the cocktails are about 12 bucks a pop. The service was great! I wish I could remember the servers name but she was fast and friendly. read more

Definitely $$ rating for cost. Small "snack" dishes are $15-17 which I think is overpriced for what you get. I tried the pork neck pancake which was delicious but too salty, the Thai coconut prawns which wasn't as flavorful as I would have expected. Korean meatball sam was the winner but not worth the money, you can get a full Korean bbq dinner for the same cost. I wouldn't mind paying if the food was spectacular but I can't say it is. It's a tight space I felt like I was at another hipster bar on ossington. P.s. this is the eastend read more

Love that we are getting a place like Pinkerton in Leslieville. I hope the rest of the neighbourhood catches up. Great place for an after work hangout or date. The interior is nice, beautiful bar, tables in the front, along the narrow corridor and cozier dining in the back, somehow it all works. Great music, I feel like I'm listening to my iPod. Their food is OK. Nothing has wowed me yet but it's good, just not special. I'm hoping their menu will revolve and evolve. The drinks are all bar standards and they don't have any original drinks which is a little disappointing in terms of originality but at least no surprises and you're guaranteed a solid drink. I recommend it to all those in the neighbourhood to go out and support this establishment and get it on the map. May not yet be worth the trek for west enders. read more

Awesome little bar! Fantastic beer can selection with a lot of rarities I never thought I'd get to try, also had some of the baos which were absolutely fantastic, super fluffy bun, insanely flavorful meat, great spot overall! read more

Pinkerton's is a great new spot on the East end! The food is great and the cocktails even better! Definitely come for both. My husband and I tried the entire menu (they are mostly small sharing type plates) and each dish was very unique and delicious. I highly recommend the calamari and the beef tartar, both were a standout for me, but everything was delicious. The cocktails were all amazing too, the bartender is meticulous when making them and you can tell the craft put into each. The paper plane was incredible. We will definitely be returning. read more

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