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    Poor Romeo

    4.3 (28 reviews)
    InexpensiveDive Bars

    Poor Romeo Photos

    Business Info

    POOR ROMEO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    The bill
    Mike W.

    Lol I don't know how I feel it looks like a dive bar but feels classy at the same time. They give you the bill in a cd album. Awesome interior. Some good cocktails and food. Worth checking out Great place to catch up with old friends or meet new ones. So happy to see my old neighborhood having some nice bars!

    Jay L.

    A really fun place in the up and coming Gerrard and Jones area. It's a dive bar at heart but it feels very classy and casual at the same time. It's a great place to meet up with a few friends. This time, we had the little bit of everything board which included: 1. cheddar jack "cheese" which was thick, gooey, addictive. 2. two chorizo gorditas sandwiches (two-biters) 3. perfectly fried chicken strips that were crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The drink menu here is really fun and has some real surprises. We started with a pair of manhattans that were made very well. The drink that really got our tastebuds talking was the Heaven's on Fire which along with dark rum and muddled pineapple, it had this fiery scot bonnet pineapple syrup that just put some serious heat in there. The heat starts at the back of your throat and just slowly warms your whole mouth with a soothing heat sensation. It was such an interesting feeling and it grew on us as we continued to sip. Overall, I really like the place and look forward to coming back again.

    Heaven's on fire cocktail
    Kat J.

    I had been meaning to go here forever! Finally got to go and the cocktails did not disappoint! Yuuummm Such a great list with so many interesting ingredients. We tried Gin Lizzy which was gin, chartreuse, maraschino, ehh white and lime juice. Mmm a little earth and very citrusy. We also got the Heaven's on Fire. It was dark rum, muddled pineapple (yyaasss), scotch bonnet pineapple syrup (wow) and fresh lemon and lime juice. I was worried this would be too sweet or spicy but it was perfect. Just warmed you a little and tasted fun and tropical. I didn't get to try the food so I'll have to report back! Go for the cocktails at least for sure. Doesn't get a 5 because the two ladies that were on were awful. We popped in and said we just want to grab a cocktail and have to run. Sat down...waited (while they chatted behind the bar), got up, found the menu and sat back down, decided...then waiting...then had to get back up and ask them if we could order. Once we had our cocktails there was a lovely gentleman that came out to check on us and he was super friendly. So we'll have to give it another shot and with food next time!

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    5 years ago

    Pandemic 10k walk with a pit stop for an old fashioned to go in the afternoon. So civilized.

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    8 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Poor Romeo

    As a proud local to the Gerrard & Jones scene, I couldn't have been happier when I heard about Poor Romeo...

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Bovine Sex Club

    Bovine Sex Club

    (62 reviews)

    $

    Alexandra Park, Queen Street West

    A classic Punk / Rock n Roll Bar in Toronto CA. Basically the CBGB's of that scene…read more It's been around since the early 1990's and is exactly what a spot like this should be. Very nondescript outside facade - no sign telling you what it is other than a small "BSC" (for Bovine Sex Club) painted near the door. Hard to miss though as the exterior is made up a punk rock style sculpture of rusted bikes & other assorted ephemera. The interior is similar, visually. Great sound system & chill vibes pervade throughout. Weirdly the stage is right in the entrance of the club, on your left, with a long bar along the right side, heading back. Great, crowd, great location in cool area with lots of restaurants & plenty of parking - both on the street up to 2 hours & extended parking for a flat-rate of CA$20 (~$14 USD) from 6:00pm until the next morning, just 2 blacks away.

    The Bovine is a fantastic place that is the same today as it was decades ago. not only that, but it…read moreis also one of the cheapest pints that you can find. Now, are the taps dry? Maybe. Are the beer cans running out? It's possible. But, it's a dive in the way of the old dives. And the acoustics for bands are... not great. But they are a sign of what once was. Without attempting to try to present a front of a time long gone, The Bovine simply exists today as it once did in that time long ago, before Smokes stickers, before iPhones, back when people would just go to a bar to talk with those they didn't know the morning prior. Bring cash though, unless you're looking to make some big orders, because credit card is a minimum fifty-dollar spend.

    Jenni Place

    Jenni Place

    (7 reviews)

    $

    I am blind and use a guide dog. I walked up to the door and…read moreonly had one foot inside, when I was greeted with "no dogs allowed". I explained to the woman that he is a service animal because I can't see. She then said " some service animals are fake" but she still did not want to let me in. I left and came back 5 minutes later. After a repeat of the scenario above, I showed her my Canadian National Institute for the Blind ID card proving that I am blind. The woman working finally said I could come in. In just under 9 years of having a guide dog, this has never happened to me.

    The first time I went here was on a massive drunken bender several weeks after my girlfriend dumped…read moreme. The night was dreary and the drearier souls within those beaten walls seemed merrily alive. Sordid deals made under hushing whisper, mish mash of faint, passing stenches, and a general loosened definition of socially-acceptable behaviour is the ambiance of this place. A haggard woman beside the jukebox stared at me between her song selections, and eventually took my avoidance of eye contact as an invitation to approach and flirt. She pushed her belly harder and harder into my shoulder as we talked. The more I insisted I was leaving soon, the more she insisted I make the next jukebox selection. Her three-tooth smile grew and grew until a sudden tempestuous surrender. She stormed away to the jukebox scowling, and dedicated her next song to me. I don't remember the tune, but it was a sad classic rock track about a hopeless man feeling sorry for himself. I was thinking "how did this woman nail me so well?" I stood up to exit and she yelled from across the tiny bar, "f***ing loser." Let me tell you, when an obese, toothless, balding old hag rightly calls you a loser, that's a whole new degree of feeling. And that was a quintessential Jenny's Place moment. Walking back, shedding a tear or two, I knew I'd return. The drinks are *DIRT* cheap and they're serving every night till 2am (unheard of in this area until recently)... + sometimes 2am might stretch out a little. If you're too drunk for other places in the area, this is the place to move to. For food, they sell pickled eggs, Jamaican patties, and old bags of chips. If you are a Yelp user, I can only assume there's a high probability you will be treated as an undercover cop. I can't count how many times I've been out for smokes and someone has asked if I'm a cop. If you're looking for an actual dive bar, this is one. They recently did some renovations. But I look inside, and it's still Jenny's Place to me.

    Maple Leaf Tavern - Lasagna ($30)

    Maple Leaf Tavern

    (119 reviews)

    $$$

    Leslieville

    This is an elevated North American tavern. The building was built in 1910 with a wood-dominated…read morevibe. It has since been renovated by the new owners, making it elegant, but keeping the same vibe. The restaurant serves pork chops, steaks, fish, and elevated comfort food. It can seat 130 diners. There is a wood fire grill in the open kitchen; yes i saw them stoking the fire with wood pieces. There is a large selection of signature cocktails, wines, and beers. The menu changes seasonally. Most of the mains are served solo; ie, not garnished. You would have to order shareable sides. The Pork Chop was recommended by the server as the most garnished, do I ordered that. We came there on 2025-06-19 to celebrate my Birthday Dinner. The food was amazing and worth returning to try more of the menu. They do have a kids menu too. We ordered the following: 1. Lychee Grapefruit Highball ($15). Soju, soho lychee, soda, grapefruit, Thai basil, NICE ice. 2. Macaroni & Cheese ($22). With aged cheddar. From kids menu. 3. French Fries ($10). Garlic mayonnaise. 4. Shrimp Toast ($22). BC side stripe shrimp, sesame, apple sweet & sour sauce. 5. Lasagna ($30). Beef bolognese, risotta bechemel, basil. 6. Pasture Raised Pork Chop ($34). 12 ounces, sherry, capers & mustard. 7. Crispy Brussel Sprouts ($12),. Sweet chili, sesame seeds. 8. Sticky Toffee Pudding with Ice Cream ($14). All the food was excellent, and worth the price. The NICE Ice is shipped in from a company that makes perfectly translucent ice. They boil it to be free of impurities, then put the boiled water into a mold to freeze. The Shrimp Toast was crunchy on the outside and the apple sweet & sour sauce was excellent. The Lasagna was great. Even my son loved it. The Pork Chop was perfectly cooked. There might have been 10% fat pieces and the charred bits were divine. The combination sherry and capers was a great idea. The Brussel Sprouts were not too bitter, and tasted great with the sweet chili sauce; it wasn't spicy. The Sticky Toffee Pudding was so moist. The amount toffee sauce was just right, and the vanilla ice cream was the perfect accompaniment. There is music playing in the background. There is a small private dining room downstairs. There is free WiFi. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible, but there is no door-open button. There are two male and two female and one gender-neutral family washroom, all downstairs, so they are not wheelchair accessible. There is paid and free neighbourhood street parking. There are three high chairs for little children. Review 2025-114

    Maple Leaf Tavern is set in a beautiful old building. Both the bar side and the restaurant side…read moreare classy and elegantly designed. They have a nice curated menu, and the food was delicious. Great service. It's a bit more on the expensive side, but it's definitely more upscale and a nice treat.

    The Only Cafe

    The Only Cafe

    (127 reviews)

    $$

    The Danforth

    Yesterday afternoon for my 2nd Saturday in a row I again met two friends at The Only Café for beer…read moreflights the day after a Tap Takeover Event had taken place there. Rainhard was the Brewery for the latest Takeover, and as I did there last Sat. I chose 4 beers and 1 cider for my flight, 3 beers of which were leftover from the Event. Like last Sat. we were there for more than 2 hours and again the venue gradually became quite crowded throughout. This time one of my friends walked over to the Café side of The Only a couple of times after we all had finished our flights and bought 2 non-alcoholic caffeine drinks from the fridge there - which offers various other beverages as well - and shared both with me and our other friend to help us sober up. Both drinks were the same brand (Guayaki organic Yerba Mate) but 2 different flavours: Peach and Berry Lemonade. Both were quite nice but I liked the latter more. The Only never fails to impress me and I always have a most enjoyable time there whenever I visit; this occasion was certainly no exception.

    My last visit to The Only Cafe was in January 2026, which prompted this review. Over a dozen visits…read morein total, I've typically been there after the café section had closed, so this reflects my experience of the main bar area. The bar itself has a distinctive atmosphere with a very eclectic crowd. The real strength of the place is the beer selection, which is excellent and easily among the better offerings in the city for variety. Service at the main bar, however, has been inconsistent across visits. When it's quieter, I've generally had good interactions, and there have been positive experiences. That said, during my most recent visit in January 2026, a bartender raised their voice at me, which I found disrespectful and it made the experience uncomfortable. Earlier that same evening, I also had positive interactions with a different bartender working the café side, who makes excellent cocktails, which made the contrast in service more noticeable. While I understand that hospitality environments can get busy and stressful, I don't believe that justifies speaking to customers that way. A basic level of respect should be consistent at all times. Because of this experience, I don't plan to return. It's unfortunate, as the beer selection and drinks overall are genuinely strong.

    Poor Romeo - divebars - Updated May 2026

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