|
Artful Dodger, Toronto |
|
 |
|
|
| |
|
 his one will get you out of the trailer park for a few hours. You crave a burger. She wants a heaping plate of bangers and mash. If this dilemma sounds frightful (and really it does), the Artful Dodger is the answer to your prayers. Mostly, it's the food that's British Pub and the beer that's Irish, but the cross-cultural wackiness knows no strict boundaries here.
Dark and slovenly, the Dodger is the perfect North American joke. It's got a goofy British name that doesn't mesh at all with the music, the vibe, the decor (dark brown semicircle booths and puffy chairs straight out of '70s-era McDonalds), the food (ballpark munchies like nachos), or the clientele (middle-class kids, 30-something men, the occasional hipster).
It's a funny, boisterous dive, the type of place where a group of inebriated friends can be found singing off key to the songs of yesteryear. Open all day and until the wee hours, the Dodger boasts Fagan-free 80's rock and young waitresses squeezed into tight jeans.
The house drinks, though sweet and strong are far from exceptional. The menu, too, evokes warm feelings: Nothing is over $12. The varied card offers the likes of burgers and chicken wings with spicy hot sauce, and basic pub fare. Order a few plates of chicken wings and chicken fingers for the table or quirky dishes made using Brit ingredients. There are only two desserts, so you might want to order both-for yourself.
|
10 Isabella Street, Toronto, ON 
16 Reader Reviews
hahahaha the comments are priceless and basically correct but who cares?! We all go there to visit maybe party and meet new hotties not to watch the dregs smothering bar stools with wide and flatulent arces. We're all doomed anyway so drink heavily!
Ernestangely's Rating: 4 Stars |
 |
Any place that has "New Gold Dream" by Simple Minds on the jukebox will forever be a four star restaurant in my books. The two choices of combo platters is just as good the music (go for #2 - love those spicy jalopeno poppers). The cliente is also very entertaining - one night a man sang into a mirror that hung over the bar for an hour. The smokey environment is the only glitche in this paradise.
Brandon B's Rating: 3 Stars |
|
What a lot of fuss about one lousy restaurant. If the place is that bothersome, then just go elsewhere. But, I have a hunch some of these were written by disgruntled employees.
Jane Diggs's Rating: 2 Stars |
|
Hear they fired Garvy after screwing up her education and ruining her life with all the unpaid "do this" and unscheduled "do that" shit. Nice eh? It aint really a bar its an ongoing sitcom about innocent people workin in a pub owned by Dracula. The wonderful folks who go there go because of the staff and to have fun with each other. Downtown life needs an extension of home cuz entertaining at home all the time is too much hassal. Thats what the Artful Dodger is. If the owners didn't show at all except to fix the toilet stench write cheques and carry home their bags of cash nobody would give a @#%&. Mostly they don't show cept for stuttering Vlad but loos still stink. But they still find time to fire people like Garvy, Mike, Sherry, etc just cuz Vlad aka Fido Wrongski can't find a woman who will date him more than NNNEVVVAAA! I go cuz its better then reality tv but Tom needs to get help from Jerry Springer. Jerry could probably find him a "date".
BArT SImPsOn's Rating: 4 Stars |
|
what did they do with the great cook mike food is not the same no imgnation get him back pay double if you have to place is not the same and tom needs to take lessons on how to interact with people in a pleasant manor smile tom your face won,t break.
Nancie's Rating: 4 Stars |
|
The Good
People who go there are friendly and the waitresses and bartenders nice and work hard to please. The food is good but ask waitresses what to order. Really nice front patio and backyard bar with good beer on tap plus neat shots and mixes
The Bad
Bathrooms are far up stairs on second floor and sometimes they stink bad
The Ugly
Take a small mcdonald hamburger put half a big dill pickle between the top bun and meatpatty so it sticks out like a canoe add weedy black hair on top and two halfs of olives for eyeballs make its slit of a mouth babble like russian duck then y'all will know the manager the other people are talking about.
Yanice's Rating: 1 Stars |
|
visting with my friends in toronto summertime is always nice and when we went to the artful dodger itwas a special treat. food was served nicely by friendly waitress who was sweet slim efficient cute. she left when her shift ended and her replacement was the same! food isn't expected to be top cuisine in a pub bar but it was good and the salad was fresh. weather was sunny and hot on the front patio and when I asked for water I got it pretty fast too. the place was packed with happy people who were at gay pride or just people watching and it was all so funny! value was priceless but seriously not a high cost . went to the back was shocked to see it was packed too and shady with neat seating arrangements all over. center bar was long and cool with a neat guy who gave me directions to toronto zoo not that we had to go there for a display of animal kingdom. me and friends had a problem with the bathrooms that were stinky and high up a long steep set of stairs so i deduct one star for that. i always check this site for comments abot bars in cities i go and laughed a lot about the criticisms. but i don't thinks its right to deduct stars for one idiot. last year when my girfriends and i went there alone we had a problem with some grease thick accent stuttering guy with a big nose and low slope forehead that sounds like the loser the other posters complain about. this time we saw him looking like skinnear gawker bussing tables. good thet thay found right affirmative action job for him and not loose on the premises. its the kind of place you'll love if you love old style building warm service from lovely staff some nice men if you look hard and men staffers - except for bolthead - who are straight hard working and funny to talk to. great to see the same old guy with a hat on who is all working and no stuttered compliments to get in our pants. on a holiday weekend go there and look. its better than the zoo anyday!
Katie's Rating: 3 Stars |
|
The menue is pretty good with a lots of transafattty acid products for those nites when you don't care and some health choices if your conscience is sober. I rate food and kitchen people 3 outof 4.
Service isn't as bad as it was. Seems that one of the management losers think customers are there for him and not the other way around but barservice is pretty good now and if your nice to them waiting staff's cheerful if not efficient all the time. Low foreheaded shifty eyed manager likes to think he's the main man and the staff really have to work hard to keep their customers while he apes around snooping. I rate it 2 because of the stooge manager but would give it a 3 when he isn't there boring the unfortunate customers he thinks like him.
Atmosphere is great but depends on the time. People are real great with just the right number of scumbags for contrast. I rate it 2 but it can be 3 or even 4 on magic nights.
Value is tough to judge. Compare to other local bars its pretty good. I rate it 2 and a 3 in summertime when you can sit in the sunshine or moonlight and have a beer or mixed drink and laugh.
Seating is great and all over the map. Inside, upstairs downstairs, outside front and back, bar stools for the pretty girls (+ a few oinkers and Homer Simeons) in downstairs and upstairs bar and backyard patio. I rate it 5 out of five. Before sitting down make sure the seat is dry.
Great place for a gettogether if yer guests won't judge you if a scumbag tries to cozy up. Don't use the cash machine use the one at the Rabba across the street. Its cheaper.
You will love the staff and they deserve all kindnesses and deepest sympathy.
Have fun!
DTM's Rating: 1 Stars |
|
I always go in for a drink in the later evening and can say the last two reviewers were pretty good but bit out of date now except about KGB spymaster die-job manager [or bouncer] they talk about. I don't think you should take him too seriously. ie Last month he sat himself with some ladies when they asked him but then when he left they giggled and laughed about his defects!!! Some of the cameras & mics he hid around to watch & listen in on what people were saying and doing were taken out. But be fair! He used to think good service was all about trying to hit on staffy girls and spying on them and his customers but now he might take out garbage while he keeps checking everybody's bar-tabs so nobody gets away with a free beer. The real sad part is it was a great place with good cheer nice girls and some hipster exec and working blokes but they don't show up as much now. Service?! Food: Good pubgrub with fish & veg & other items for balanced diet. Beer is good too (mixxed drinks depends on bartender Chris is good but not Liz the Lizard) with lots of choice but wine list poor. I asked and waitress said that die-job looks for cheepest piss to sell for 35$ bottle so value is just a 2. If business drops off the manager's genius solution is to raise prices which explains why business is shrinking overall. He needs to study "value added" but better value would be him going to the competition. Most but obviously not all of the staff is really great so atmosphere is hit & miss. Summer is best time & will save them despite it all. Bathrooms are upstairs and smell awful. Seating outside is nice in summer with back (the best) & front patios. So its a good place to go for pint of beer, look at the slugs orcs & dwarfs slumping & drooling in bar stools & be safe from running into anybody you respect.
M&M's Rating: 1 Stars |
|
It used to be a really good bar if you don't mind waiting and if you just go there to drink beers and yak. Its all about the people and there are some characters and owners Mike and Faygee are good folks. I go hang out and watch the scruffs vegitate then get drunk and rowdy. Its a special place of dankdom and nasty odours. The stoopid "dye-job" manager is something else. He laced the joint with spy cameras and audio bugs and lurks around like a KGB agent (even sounds like a KGB agent) when he isn't trying to hit on the female staff and customers. But some of the girl customers are cute and a few of the male customers ok to BS with. IF you go do it in the PM on Friday or Saturday or early PM Sunday. Be careful wot you say or do - the "KGB" is watching and listening!
Sosolly's Rating: 1 Stars |
|
| Click here to view all 16 reviews | Voice your opinion! Submit a reader review for Artful Dodger. Click here |
|
|
Artful Dodger |
10 Isabella Street, Toronto, ON
416-964-9511
Yonge And Bloor
Pub Fare
Pub
Daily: 11:00am - 12:00am
$ (Budget)
Master Card
Visa
American Express |
|
Related Restaurants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MBO Toronto :: Toronto Restaurants & Dining Guide
