Danforth Sidebar

Brownie and poutine? 5 stars. I did order a lemon drop martini and the bartender didn’t put a sugar rim which is kinda a big part of that drink. But I also understand that it’s not a cocktail bar or anything fancy. Either way, I enjoyed myself

December 17, 2024 on Google

Really awesome set of drinks and tasty pub grub. Perfect place to stop by before a concert at The Danforth Music Hall next door. I got the crispy chicken sandwich with fries and a couple glasses of their on tap raspberry sour.

November 20, 2024 on Google

I hate to stereotype, but who else finds restaurants located close to live performance venues meh? Their strength is their location, while the food is merely decent and service passable. Dine along the strip of King West where the Princess of Wales Theatre, Roy Thompson Hall, and TIFF reside, and you’ll know what I mean. Sadly, Danforth Sidebar fits the stereotype… being close to the Danforth Music Hall has its downfalls. Perhaps the dish that best showcases my point is the pan seared scallops ($23). The dish’s presentation was pretty but look closely at the scallops and they are unevenly done. Ultimately, they are a tad overcooked, but tastes good. Yet, good luck trying to add another scallop onto the dish if you arrive as a table of five. The answer is simply, “no”. At first, I thought it was a joke, but it’s sadly not - the reason being the dish hasn’t been priced out per piece. Perhaps it’s my finance background, but can’t the equation be simply solved as $5.75 each ($23 divided by 4)? Rather, the answer is no as Danforth Sidebar doesn’t care to keep guests happy or increase their bill totals. Their menu’s naming convention could also use some work. It lists the cauliflower cotija ($17) as “corn puree, pickled cactus leaf, jalapenos, cotija cheese, hot honey, warm corn tortilla”. Sounds like an incredible vegetable packed queso dip, sign me up! What arrives is a skillet of watery stir-fried vegetables sprinkled with cheese… what? Why was this not listed as ‘cauliflower tacos’ when there’s a similar item called ‘barbacoa tacos’ on the menu? It’s in fact tacos and not a dip. If that weren’t bad enough, the cauliflower was too mushy and for something listing corn as the first ingredient there wasn’t much of it in the dish. Once I got past the queso disappointment I found it made an okay taco - at least it had nice flavours from the pickled cactus leaf and hot honey. The short rib poutine ($21) had the makings of a great dish with a large slab of tender short rib, thin potato fries, large chunks of cheese curds, and a beefy gravy. The beef just wasn’t seasoned enough so the poutine didn’t elicit that sinful richness you normally find in the dish. Under seasoning was a similar sentiment for the striploin in their salad. Thinking a 5oz steak was too small for a main, we added on more steak (another 4oz) to the steak salad (total cost of $27 with the addition). Steak salad plus steak was a great hack as the kitchen ended up substituting the hanger steak (what normally comes with the steak salad) for a full striploin instead. And the steak could have been delicious if it just arrived saltier and hotter. The salad itself was delicious combining cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, avocado chunks, and a creamy dressing. With a full steak, the kitchen should have plated it on a larger dish as the tiny side plate made it difficult to cut the meat. Also, having the cold salad on one side and the striploin on the other would also mean the meat wouldn’t cool down as quickly. One draw to Danforth Sidebar is their reasonably priced wine – a bottle of prosecco was only $36!

December 10, 2023 on Google

Sidebar is a cozy feel and it’s much bigger than it looks from the outside. It’s a great place to stop for a drink or some bar food. I got the crispy chicken sandwich with waffle fries and it was delicious and filling! I found the waffle fries were seasoned perfectly and the crispy chicken sandwich didn’t feel heavy, the bun was lighter too. I asked for mayo on the side and wasn’t charged extra. My friend got the nachos and they do come in a tower, they were delicious. I really like how the staff kept switching out the water on the table for cold/fresh stuff even if there was water left over in the bottle. The only critique I have is the music was loud so it’s hard to talk/hear but that’s normal in a lot of bars.

July 20, 2023 on Google

Great food and atmosphere! Located beside The Danforth Music Hall, Sidebar has lots of good food and drinks for your pre-show dinner. One of the standout features of the restaurant was the display of set times for concerts (at Danforth Music Hall) at the entrance. This made it easy to plan our evening and know when to expect certain bands to take the stage. In terms of ambiance, Danforth Sidebar has a cozy and inviting atmosphere. The decor is stylish and the lighting is low and warm, creating a relaxing and intimate setting with music playing in the background. The service was also great, with friendly and attentive staff who ensured our dining experience was enjoyable. From the menu, we have tried the pepperoni pizza, deluxe pizza, steak salad, and tiramisu. All of them were very delicious! Portion sizes are a bit small for the steak salad. However, the pizza was delicious, from the crust to the toppings; it was very filling. The tiramisu was the perfect end to our meal as well! Also, we ordered some of their music-centric beverages. Do note, they take reservations and have limited amounts of walk-in availabilities. If you can, they will give you a table and let you know when you need to be done by for their reservation. Additionally, bathrooms are located in the basement with stairs and four individual bathrooms. Also, the ATM is located in the basement as well.

January 9, 2023 on Google

Dropped in for a drink and an appetizer after a long walk. The sliders were amazing and honestly a generous portion that was perfect for 2 of us. Great cocktails, nice atmosphere, and quite central (music venue next door and plenty of cute shops along Danforth).

December 30, 2022 on Google

Great spot for drinks and food before a concert. Really enjoyed the poutine, lamb meatballs were served cold and the pepperoni pizza was yummy. I found it easy to grab my waitresses attention and she was very attentive with refilling the mass amounts of water I was drinking. Lol. It did get quite loud so if you like a bustling atmosphere - this would be a good spot.

November 21, 2022 on Google

This place is great! We took our food to go and it was still good 30 minutes later. The burger is extremely juicy and flavourful. The fried chicken was killer. Perfectly crispy and juicy. This place has great seating, somewhat small. The staff is amazing. Would definitely return.

March 20, 2018 on Google