Summer temps may be dwindling, but the Toronto Blue Jays have been on a hot streak, and it’s promising an exciting fall season of baseball. With plays this good, getting out to a game is worthy of making a whole day out of, so we’ve rounded up Toronto’s best bars and restaurants to hang at pre- and post-Blue Jays game to get fired up, celebrate our wins or lick our wounds after losses (they’re rare these days, but they happen).
Some of the best sports bars to watch hockey are also great for baseball, with large screens showing the game (with the sound on, thank you very much). But there’s nothing better than being at the field, feeling the energy of the crowd, even if you’re way up in the nosebleeds. Then, carousing with friends over the highs and lows of the game on one of the best patios in Toronto with a cold one from one of the city’s best breweries.
Get your tickets while you still can and post up at one of the best bars and restaurants for drinks and bites before and after the Blue Jays knock it out of the park.
8 of the best bars for celebrating a Blue Jays win (before or after the game)
1. Loose Moose
146 Front St. W.
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This rustic watering hole on Front Street, just a 10-minute walk from the Rogers Centre, is an iconic spot to gear up before a Blue Jays game, or keep the party going long afterwards. And they’ve got plenty of large screens if you don’t actually make it to the field. Dozens of frosty brews are on tap, from beloved local craft beers to international imports and the big-name brands. Prices are pleasant, especially their $7 beer duo. Plus they’ve got house cocktails, non-alc beer and mocktails, and three different caesars all made with our favourite, Matt & Steve’s Caesar mix. Did we mention they’ve got sharable bar bites and a lengthy list of handhelds, too?
2. Amsterdam Brewhouse
245 Queens Quay W.
With not one, but four of the best waterfront patios in the city, this sprawling, 14,000-square-foot craft brewhouse gets busy quickly on hot summer days. The food is fried and filling, the beer is crisp and on tap, and the vibes are always lively. Fence with your forks (en garde!) over Korean fried calamari bites, or democratically divide a hot honey-drizzled, Windsor-style wood oven pizza with your friends. Rogers Centre food is pricey, so chow down here before the game begins.
3. Bridgette Bar
423 Wellington St. W.
Nothing beats Bridgette Bar’s daily happy hour from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., when draught beer is $7, cocktails are $10 and an assortment of pizzas all come in around $11. Load up before a Jays Game in the bright, sprawling dining room, then shop around The Well if you’ve got time to kill before the 10-minute walk down to the Rogers Centre.
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Read more4. Beertown Public House
125 Wellington St. W.
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If you’re craving some ice-cold craft suds after getting all sweaty cheering after a home run, Beertown’s Toronto location has 10 rotating taps — most brewed in Ontario — to pick from. What’s better with beer than burgers? From the double-stacked Beertown Big to a sauce-slathered BBQ brisket burger, they’ve got the best pre- and post-baseball game bites you could ever want.
5. Queens Harbour
245 Queens Quay W.
We’re obsessed with the new Queens Harbour: its prime waterfront location, two patios, gorgeous interior and vacation vibes, not to mention the Medditer-Asian plates and wonderfully boozy-sweet cocktails. An eight-minute walk from the Rogers Centre, the massive, 800-seat restaurant offers a much more lush pre- and post-Blue Jays Game experience. With the largest retractable restaurant roof in Canada, it feels like being right back at the game with the dome open. DJs crank up the ambient house music and the party vibes when it gets late.
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Read more6. Mascot Brewery
220 King St. W.
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Brew bar, bottle shop and beer garden (the latter which also landed on our list of the best patios in Toronto), Mascot is laid-back and always a good time. Plus, it’s only a 10 minute walk from the Rogers Centre.
7. Pho Ngoc Yen
350 Adelaide St. W.
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As much as we’d love them to, the Jays aren’t always going to win, so sometimes you need a bowl of pho to drown your sorrows. Pho Ngoc Yen — the Kehlani-approved Vietnamese restaurant at Adelaide and Peter Street — is big enough that you don’t need to worry about reservations. Plates are enormous, reasonably priced and so delicious you’ll quickly forget about the final score.
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Read more8. Steam Whistle Tap Room
255 Bremner Blvd.
In Roundhouse Park, Steam Whistle Brewing is the perfect landing spot for your summer plans. Sip a crisp pint before or after a Blue Jays game, wander among historic locomotives, and tuck into scratch-made dishes.
