A bit rough, but I like it. Friendly staff, and usually, talkative patrons.

Small bar on College st with solid beer list. Service was friendly but nothing exceptional. Tends to get bid loud. Did not try their food.

Pretty good for a little hole in the wall of a bar, although just average for a beer destination in Toronto. The patio out back is definitely the highlight for the summer. There are a lot of Ontario tap beers here that seem to rotate along with a few casks. Mostly around the $6-7 range, though naturally the Spearhead costs $8. The bottle selection is limited to a couple of pissy lagers. There was a band covering Johnny Cash songs in the front part when I was there. Back patio is really dark, hence the name I guess.

Small, dark, dank bar. A little bit claustrophobic as well. My wife would definitely hate it - but I really do quite like it. A solid selection on their 20+ taps. One cask that was actually in pretty good condition. Friendly locals and a knowledgable bartender make this a fine spot to grab a pint or two. It’s a welcome spot on the Toronto Pub Crawl itinerary.

2011-03. Visited on a Saturday afternoon last March for a pub crawl, our group took over the bar for about an hour while we got sorted out. We tried a few of their many taps as well as a nice fresh cask (different from the first time I came here, when the cask was sadly not fresh). No food today as our visit was short; the staff was friendly and helpful with the pints. We sat on our red cushy seats in the booths and listened to Bob Marley. Nice to visit if in the area. (4/9/9/NA/10/10) 64%

This place is one of the better beer spots on college. Considering that the majority of bars/pubs on this strip are geared towards a younger crowd that support that industrial crap, this bar is decent. They have a cross blend of micro’s and macro’s. But when i was there they had Densions, Flying Monkey, Steam whistle, Mill st, F&M, and Wellingtons. If your in the area, check them out. Service was great, the lady we had was really friendly and enthusiastic. The patio is neat too, surrounded by exterior walls, the patio has a number of picnic tables that can fit large parties. The only downfall is that they have to clean out the patio by 1AM due to their license. Overall, a good place to re-visit.

a fair number of beers, although bias to micros. Some bottles as well. Student hangout.

Visited with a friend on 12th June 2008 during a holiday in Toronto. Very much in the style of a UK venue, a small pub with a lot of wood and traditional pub fixtures. Real ales (1) and craft beers kept. Live music staged; contact pub for details. No website could be found at time of visit so best contact pub before travelling to check what beers are on and in the cellar.

With all the local type spots added in the Toronto section which serve some micro’s but are hardly beer destinations, it is hard to believe this place was not in the database. More than a local, it actually serves to promote Ontario micro’s and real ale. In fact, many seasonal and one-off beers make their way here first, away from the Toronto beer crowd (Church Key and F&M are the two best examples I can think of). Under new ownership as of a few years ago it should be noted. Tiny place, maybe a little bigger than Smokeless Joe’s. Service is bar only, which is just fine by me. Small patio out back. Wellington Cask Beers available, usually in very good shape. British or Irish Pub type of atmosphere, but certainly gives off a more authentic vibe than many others in the city. Neat spot with a great selection of Ontario micro’s and the odd macro - I was really surprised to see the amount of micro’s on here and in great shape - Church Key, Black Oak, Wellington, F&M. Didn’t try the food. Warning: it can get very loud when there is a small band playing and that nice looking old piano starts going. Really young hipster crowd and times to mixing with ex-pats and locals - it can get crowded in a hurry. A neat spot that I would frequent if I lived nearby.