The Fifth Pubhouse

Date Visited: Dinner on Saturday Jan 24, 2015
Company: Walk-in for 6

The boys were in downtown Toronto for a suit-fitting all day on Saturday so I met up with them for dinner before seeing American Sniper. We were going to the Scotiabank Theatre in the entertainment district and just down the street was the Fifth Gastropub. I had no idea this was the same location where Easy on the Fifth was in the upstairs. The guys arrived around 5:30PM and got a table for 6, it was very empty when I arrived shortly after. The restaurant looked very cozy with wooden furniture and warm lighting.

Their menu offers an interesting and wide selection of dishes to choose from. I opted for the 5th Burger because I didn't think I could go wrong with it. It took a reasonable amount of time for our dishes to arrive, +Stanley ordered the Duck Confit so they warned us it would take a bit longer. The Burger didn't look like it had very much sauce or toppings on it. From the first bite, I could tell it was very lean and wasn't juicy at all. It tasted fine but it was very plain and needed some flavour. I wasn't a fan of the fries either, they were way too hard and overcooked.

Our waitress was fine except that when she asked if we wanted anything else, but she was distracted talking to +Alex and ended up just bringing us our bills even though some of us were craving some dessert. It was a little awkward to bring it up then so we just let it go...

Food: 1.5/5 - The burger was nothing special, very disappointing for a gastopub.
Decor: 2.5/5 - Good atmosphere and ambiance but we were seated at stools with no backs when the restaurant was empty??
Service: 2.5/5 - It was OK but considering the place was empty, nothing outstanding.
Willingness to go back: 2/5 - Wouldn't go out of my way but it does have a nice selection of beer if you're in the area.
Overall: 2/5

Website: http://thefifthpubhouseandcafe.com/

M.J. Byrne's Irish Pub

Date Visited: Lunch on Saturday Jan 3, 2015
Company: Walk-in for 7

After a failed attempt in going to the Scandinavian Spa during our Blue Mountain weekend, the girls and +Brian decided to just hangout in the Village for a while and grab a late lunch awaiting a call for spa availability. We had a larger group but they didn't have any trouble trying to find us a seat, probably because it was just after the lunch rush. I was pretty hungry but was really craving the French Onion Soup so I got some Sweet Potato Fries on the side also. 

Our waitress was not friendly at all when we were putting our orders in, we assumed that it was because she was already getting a decent tip on a large group. When she came with our Soups, she didn't even care that she was spilling half of them on the table by the way she was carrying them. There was also a hair in someone's meal. Not happy at all with the service we received. 

As for the food, the French Onion Soup looked pretty good and cheesy but it wasn't that hot when we got it. It tasted fine but I really wish it was hot. I also didn't enjoy the Irish soda bread, it was my first time having it so I don't have much to compare it to. The Sweet Potato Fries were also OK, I asked for some mayo on the side but she said it would be $2 extra! I thought that was a bit excessive so I said no. Nothing outstanding about the fries, very standard.

The atmosphere was nice at the restaurant, very cozy pub feeling with lots of wooden decor like a cottage. When we finally got our bills, there was no tip charged already so we really had no idea why the waitress was so rude to us...

Food: 2.5/5 - OK meal, over-priced but not surprised since it was in the Village.
Decor: 3/5 - Cozy and rustic bar.
Service: .5/5 - Awful.
Willingness to go back: 2/5 - Limited options in the Village but I'd avoid this place for sure.
Overall: 2/5

Website: http://mjbyrnes.com/

Ein-stein Cafe & Pub

Date Visited: Dinner on Saturday Oct 5, 2013
Company: Group of 9 getting drinks and food before a night out.

When I saw that Ein-steins was in the area that I was looking for a restaurant for a get-together with friends, I instantly chose it this shady, but popular student bar. I prefer dives over classy restaurants and Ein-steins definitely has a reputation for a lack of cleanliness and extremely cheap prices for good food and drinks. I had walked by before while in the U of T area and my friend had recommended it to me if I was around again as it's a classic student hangout. Thus, when I had a chance to experience some nostalgia for my student days at Waterloo, I couldn't say no. 

+Will and I were the first ones there, so we entered the basement restaurant to find a table for all of us. Walking around the place, they had many large tables for groups, couches for lounging and pool tables at the back. It's not very large but we found a few empty tables as it was 6PM on a Saturday night. 'Dingy' is the perfect word to describe this place, the tables were sticky, students who probably spend the whole day studying and hadn't showered in days populated the area, and very low-lighting all around. 

When the whole group arrived, we all ordered food and drinks. We couldn't resist the $10 Einstein pitchers, where else could you get a deal like that? I also got a single order (10 pcs) of Hot & Honey Garlic Wings with Fries. Ein-steins is infamous for their wings, rated one of the top in Toronto, so I had to see what the hype was about. The service was really lacking the whole time we were there, we had to ask the bar for menus and always had to wave our waitress down to take orders for food and drinks. The hockey game was on a small screen near us so we entertained ourselves by taking bets with each other, for and against the Leafs. 

Just being in the environment, I couldn't blame anyone for being sketched out with having their food by judging the surroundings. There was a bit of nervousness on my part to see how the food would be. When our orders started coming not too shortly after, everything looked extremely delicious and appetizing. I also got an extra basket of fries because I didn't get very many on my plate. The wings were very savoury and delicious. They were a hefty size and drenched in sauce. The Honey Garlic was my favourite of the two. The Hot was very saucy as well (which is a little weird) and not as spicy as I thought. They didn't have Medium for some reason which is my preferred spice level. I also tried +Brian's Cajun wings and they were uniquely spiced, I really enjoyed the flavour. The veggies came with blue cheese dip which I usually hate but I actually enjoyed it this time, as it wasn't too pungent. The fries were so addicting, I could not stop eating them. 

Overall, this is a great place if you don't have any expectations for the night except getting good food and cheap drinks. It probably wasn't the best place for a large group of friends as some people aren't comfortable with sketchy bars. It was definitely more dirty than I had expected but the substances made up for the appeal.

Food: 4/5 - Yummy cheap eats, wings were great but not the best I've had.
Service: .5/5 - Horrific, I'm surprised they even acknowledged us when we called them.
Decor: 1/5 - DINGY & student loungey.
Willingness to come back: 3.5/5 - Like I said, I love dives. So if I'm in the area, I'll definitely be back... as long as I'm with the right people.
Overall: 2.5/5
Website: http://www.ein-stein.ca/