I think it's about time someone wrote a review of this place. This is a locals bar on lakeshore by browns line. Have to admit my first couple trips here were not great... it was a lot rougher place back pre-Covid and it was not uncommon for fights to break out... along with some unsavoury characters hanging out by the pool table. Fast forward to 2024 and it's a much different picture. Still very much a locals bar, but it's become a friendly regular hangout for me when in the area. Food (4/5) - I've had multiple items on the menu and tend to try the daily specials which are usually pretty good. The wings are quite good too... meaty and cooked the way you want them... especially salt and pepper. Service (4.75/5) - I get the sense this has improved significantly over time but the current dynamic duo of Ellena and Yasmin do a great job of managing the bar and floor most nights. Food orders come out quickly and they are always attentive and friendly. Ellena is the sole reason I gave this place a second chance after having a couple bad first experiences. Atmosphere (4/5) - it's your typical locals bar with a central bar, lots of TVs and the requisite pool table. SJ is unique in that they have live bands 3-4 nights a week with no cover most nights. Crowds are muted Monday to Wednesday... and then fills up on Thursdays through Sunday. After coming here a few times I had locals coming up to me saying hi and getting to know you. Not at all like those pre 2020 days. Overall (4.25/5) - I think this place got a bad rap before and probably deservedly. This is a different bar now and I would encourage people to check it out. read more

Atmosphere is good, but I was sorely disappointed with the beef ribs. Not sure where they sourced the meat from, but it was dry/chewy and not much meat on it. For $7.50/rib, I should've ordered the tacos read more

Gord and I had a late lunch at Southside Johnny's. It was such a nice day so we initially sat on the patio. But once our food arrived, the wasps invaded so we reluctantly moved inside (as did others). We both ordered wings. I got mine with medium sauce and fries. It was a good meal and I'd get it again. Gord ordered his with lemon pepper and a side salad. He said his was really good too and he'd get it again. I'm not a big fan of salads but his looked good! Yasmin was our server. It was fairly busy so she was hopping! read more

See all

I have been here a couple of times and always left unimpressed. The last time I was there was to meet up with friends and listen to a band, have drinks and food. The servers was irritated and there was a man that I'm assuming is the manager or the owner that I have witnessed calling customers names behind their back and glaring at them. I would be their long enough to witness nothing out of the ordinary by the customers. There was one incident where a man fell from black ice when leaving this establishment, and someone called for help and the same man who I think is the manager/owner yelled "he is a drunk!" and refused to call ambulance as he didn't want any affiliation of ambulances attending the establishment. A very poor impression of this place indeed. They don't accept debit cards and you have to use their bank machine that they own, charge very high fees to get cash and expect to get tip when they already charged a fee to use the bank machine. That also turned me off of this place and never went back. read more

Best darn nachos I ever had. Great service. Cold beer. Great Saturday afternoon blues. What more does one need. read more

Southside Johnny's - Dive Bars Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

The food was ok but I was disappointed in the fact that their online menu pricing was different then what I was charged when I arrived to pickup my food. They charged me more because "their menu had changed". If that's the case they should have changed their website or at the very least, accept what the website stated. Food was ok, but it left a stale taste in my mouth. read more

I've always been curious about this place when driving by. Decided to check it out on a Sunday afternoon. Pretty divey place-which I kinda like and It seemed like a real neighborhood bar with a bunch of regulars at the bar watching football. Cool cozy vibe. Not the best beer selection but It was cold and arrived quickly by a friendly server so all good. So we ordered wings and fries to snack on and they were terrific! In fact, I'd have to say that the fries were probably one of the best I've had at a pub. Every single one was perfectly crisp and golden. Wings were great too, a little heavily sauced but quite enjoyable. There's a nice stage set up for live entertainment on the weekends and an open mike nite on Sundays, which I would like to come and check out. I'd even come back just for an order of that awesome fries!! read more

This is pretty much a roadhouse bar or ya a dive bar. Had about 5 meals here and it was all average at best. Kind of dark for eating. I go because its on my way home and to watch the game. Not too many but enough tvs to watch sports including one big screen. The waitress I usually get is one of the nicest waitresses I ever met I really appreciate her friendly attentive service. Occasionally bands play and it can get loud. The clientele is a little rough. One chick was yammering at me about something before she fell to the ground, a guy had to be forced out - dive bar stuff maybe look for somewhere else to take your sweetheart on valentines. Probably best suited for rockers looking for a casual beer. read more

We'll kind of new to Etobicoke and was meeting a couple friends here...ya April 20th 2018. I believe I was singled out because I was sober and part native so assumed I was drunk and I was kicked out. I still don't understand.. The problem is that I was just me. Cannot believe it. Never seen stuff like this in my life. Anyways....I'm from Alberta and pretty easy going and even Sophie I know said,' he isn't drunk'. It was early. Anyways I met my friends a little later so never thought to post it. Lose the dogmas not everyone is bad. read more

Wings were as good as the reviews but service was awful and the only bartender/server had more drinks than I... who had 4... I was ready for the bill but the bartender insisted I have another . I said "ok and the bill please" I finished my drink and never received the bill. She noticed my empty glass and said she was "going for a smoke and then will get my bill" I said ok . Half way through her smoke she came in because the owner was serving customers . After helping with a few pints she went back to finish her smoke. When she finished her smoke she had to change the keg on a beer. I finally got my bill but wasn't able to pay for at least 10 minutes. From the time I finished my last drink at the bar and asked for my bill to when I got to pay and leave was 30 minutes on a Wednesday . There were 8 people in the bar. Giving this 2 stars cuz the wings were really good. read more

Southside Johnny's is a relaxed little dive on the far west end of Etobicoke's Longbranch strip that I'm willing to brave the Gardner Expressway for at least twice a month. It's not sophisticated, urbane, or especially hip. Your trendy queer friends will hate it (unless they have a bluecollar Daddy fetish). It's also probably not the ideal place for a smootchy first date (unless you're both over 35 and jeans with Rolling Stones t-shirts make for your Saturday night ensemble), but if you're laid-back, unafraid to talk to strangers, and want some solid chow, this place can be great fun. What Johnny's lacks in sophistication it makes up for with comfort, fantastic wings, and probably the most diverse jukebox I've found in the entire damned city. Where else can I spin the Andrews Sisters, Santo & Johnny, Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs, and hundreds of other 50s, jazz, classic rock, and silk-voiced crooner tunes alongside the alternative and the hiphop? In fact, one of my favourite, secret vices is to go here during their wing nights, fill the juke with tunes that the over-40s crowd there will love, and sit back to enjoy my dinner while the blue-collar truckers, retirees, and bikers close their eyes and reminisce of their younger days. They pat my back, shocked to see a younger dude who's into The Four Seasons, and sometimes I get free drinks. Fun. The ambience is somewhere between classic rock worship and sportsbar guyspace, with framed posters of dead rock legends between the assorted flatscreens beaming the games. Weekends feature local rock bands like Kat House, Skip Tracer, the Cadillac Daddies, or the AC/DC cover band Bare Rump (who have to be seen to be believed), with open jams on Sundays. In addition to their full menu of pubgrub (which includes real meals and not just fastfried garbage), Southside Johnny's wings are among my favourite in Toronto. Prepared by the owner's mother, a sweet elderly woman who loves to see folks enjoying her cooking, Johnny's suicide wings are zesty, smooth, always moist and meaty, and swimming in a thin but fiery sauce that's similar to (but better than) Duff's and with a pleasant, nutty aftertaste. Wing nights are Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays, when these large babies are available for .50 each, served in groups of ten. Down a basket with a frosty pint of Rickard's Red, drop a twonie for some Santana, and enjoy yourself. This is a place for casual, unpretentiously good beer and solid food. Simple pleasures at its best. Go to relax, not to impress. read more

Very casual easy going place to hang out and check out the music with your friends or grown up family in Lakeshore West. From the atmosphere, it's a local, neighborhood hang out place. The place has one of the best lineup as far as live music without a cover charges. Price for the drinks are not too high but not too low either. Saturday night and wanted to hear a good music and some cool drinks, I was looking forward to checking out the live music, drink was cold as it should be, food was hot and delicious, the live music was great, except the only dumper was the very rude biker looking waitress who practically ignored my existence the whole evening at the bar yet she had no problem serving my partner or everyone else, even go as far as flirted with my partner knowing he was with me right in front of my face as the place was a strip club. Food was great! I would given higher rating for the venue simply because everything else was good aside from few local drunks slurring their words screaming at the bar, but it didn't bother me, The biker waitress was a real dumper to my visit. Will I go back? Only if there is another great live show again, not as is. read more

Stopped in here after a Sunday drive in Mimico. Checked out the Yelp reviews and decided to stop in for a beer and something to eat. Service was good. The bartender was attentive and friendly and brought us our drinks quickly. She took our food orders, which was the steak sandwich and wings/fries. Food came, surprisingly the steak sandwich was really really good! I was sharing it and actually wanted to keep the whole thing for myself, it was that tasty. Nice tender steak - seasoned nicely, onions and peppers and mushrooms. Delish. The wings were a nice size. Should have ordered them in sauce though. I got the dry cajun which wasn't very cajun'y and was very sparse. But the wings were a good size and I just got hot sauce on the side. Everything was hot and tasty. Beers are VERY cold here. They have a whack of TV's for sports and a juke box. For some reason, I felt really comfortable here and would absolutely go back when I'm in the area. read more

Came here once, and I had a blast. Live music, fun crowd, and affordable food. I have to give this place 5 Stars cuz they hosted the best bar fight I've ever seen in my life! I felt in a Clint Eastwood movie. read more

Horrible service from the waiter (possibly the owner or manager?). He was extremely rude. It might have been excusable if it was busy, but the place was empty. We will definitely not be visiting this restaurant again. read more

Heard about this place, passed by a few times and decided to check it out. Though the service was a little slow at first, the Food was worth the wait. We both ordered a hot hamburger with a side of french fries and steamed broccoli. Delicious and I would consider stopping by again. read more

This place is a sketchy, icky dimly lit dive. I hate going in there. The 4 stars are for the best wings i've ever had. Its fully worth venturing in for a pound of these suckers. They're gigantic and sloppy and always perfectly cooked. The sauces are amazing and they're pretty inexpensive for the size and quality. Best of all they do take out so you don't have to stick around and hang out with random drunk lakeshore lizards. read more

Good atmosphere, nice owner, and the best damn ribs on lakeshore. If you like live music, patio and rock and roll music, this is the place for you. I would go check it out, god knows I always do. read more

i love this bar!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The food is always great. The service is great,and friendly always welcoming! I have to say the juke box is amazing. they have everything in there no matter what music you like, they have it. you feel very relaxed safe and really have a good time. you can walk in there alone sit at the bar, and everybody is friendly. what more can you ask for great music, great food, and good people. and decently priced. over 35 years old and up. they do have pool table. bands and patio. i dont live in the area, but always want to go there sundays. read more

This is a great local spot! Everyone seems to know each other and the service is great. I ordered the Big Johnny (breakfast) and it was a huge serving for only $9. The food is standard pub food, no complaints but it's nothing amazing (it's a pub after all). We'll definitely be back. read more

Weird place!! But the prices are good, service is good.. I had a great time here!! Loaded Nachos is delicious, well seasoned. Club Sandwich also very good. We enjoyed our meals with a pitcher of Rickards Red read more

This is for the live music, though they can't seem to decide whether they're a sports or music bar - the sports screens stay on, by the bandstand, while the bands are playing. Especially amazing are The Essentials, who are there every Sat, with impressive featured singers, from 4-8 - no cover. I never miss one. Service is also great, and friendly. Good pub food, prices reasonable. Unbelievable jukebox! read more

Being a fan of dive bars I was not let down by Southside Johnny's. I have always had fun hanging out there, chatting with locals and enjoying the live music. Although the bartender can be a little high strung at times, it is a good time. Their burger is pretty good as well. read more

Love the wings at Southside Johnny's The service is fast and friendly. The food is dive'ish but so good. Definitely will be back.

Best wings on Lakeshore, no doubt. Girls are great and service is good. Reataurant itself looks like a neighbourhood dive though, time for a reno my greek friend read more

I ate here quite a while ago, but never expressed how I felt about the place. The ambience is great, and the waitress, along with the owner were very friendly. He even put on a 'younger crowd' song for us, since we were a lot younger than the rest of the crowd. Now.. I thought the wings were delicious... until I realized about half of them had feathers on them. We pointed this out to the waitress and she quickly said "oh that is normal! Just pick them off". I understand tiny hairs are normal, but these were full on, sauce covered, FEATHERS. I just wish the situation could have been handled a little less like we were idiots thinking feathers on the wings weren't normal, and more like "oh our mistake, we will make a fresh batch for you?". My boyfriend was disgusted and did not want to finish them so we ended up paying and left. When we told other people back home, we were told that it is not normal to have full on feathers attached to the wings and we should not have paid. It is our fault, because we did not know, but lets just say we have not gone back since and they have lost us as customers. read more