On Spadina just south of Richmond is a tiny bar that's basically a hallway. I swear, at 30 people, it's rammed. Wide Open is a good local joint, no frills, friendly family-like staff and decent prices. I often get people to meet me there before I have to go into the club district for work. It's a good spot to get away from the hustle and bustle that is Queen and Spadina on any given night. read more

Wide Open - Dive Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I love this place, it's a great hole, just beware of prices changing after 8pmish. Staff is friendly & great! read more

They should have named this place "Tits Up", because that's a good way to describe anyone in the bar after about half an hour. If you like your drinks and want a solid place to get 'em in ya after work, you can't do any better than Wide Open. Amazing drink specials every night of the week and friendly and efficient service tops off a graffiti filled evening with loud classic rock and revelry. I should specify that I probably wouldn't have given it such a high rating if we hadn't had a table, but I'm a smart cookie who reads the reviews on Yelp before I go anywhere. When a friend suggested this place, I knew we'd have to get there early and snag a table for our group. I'm really claustrophobic but this awesome table offered us ample room to drink and watch the crowd swell within the tiny space. Plus I can walk home. Well-- that's debatable. read more

Wait, How have I not reviewed this place before? This is actually the Hubster's hangout, and once in a while I'll come to crash the party. The service is super friendly (though Hubster and his friends are regulars, so that might have something to do with it). The atmosphere is fun, but the place is CROWDED every time I've been and it's a bit grungy. But in a good way. I think drinks are well priced. I'm usually pretty out of it by the time we get around to paying. read more

I've gone to Wide Open for a few Thursdays. The place is certainly an "authentic" dive bar. Meaning they didn't try to dress it down, it really is cheaply made. The bar itself is an old counter top, with the base made of 2x4's and plywood, you probably wouldn't notice if I didn't mention it though. I wouldn't dare look at the place in the daytime! The bartenders try hard, but they are not "real" bartenders; get you a pint of blonde or vodka soda no prob, but don't go asking for no fancy barbook drink. Honestly should you even tip a bartender that is not qualified to make drinks? The owner here is chill, but is there such a thing as being TOO chill? Happy hour on Thursday ($2) is now only until 8pm instead of 10pm, he said due to people punching holes in walls and such. Music is now country. Atmosphere reminded me of high school at 5pm, when they were trying to get everyone out of the building with show tunes. It's a lot less busy then it used to be, but it's "safe" now I guess... (2 and a half stars if I could) read more

Not a classy bar by any means of the imagination - Wide Open has it's own charm; namely, the 1/2 drinks ($3.50 for a vodka drink) and $10 pitchers of beers on Mondays. It's a narrow bar with only a few tables and a long bar, and if yesterday was any indication, you'll find yourself standing in the cramped space as the place fills up with those looking for a cheap drink. They play a nostalgic mix of decade old hits that doesn't always make sense, covering pop, rock and even R&B. At one point I realized I was standing beside a graffiti covered wall, watching baseball highlights, drinking from a $10 pitcher, and listening to a Boyz II Men hit from the 90s while a group behind me was teaching others in the bar how to do a proper salmon handshake (apparently a Nova Scotia thing...). That might be the first time those 5 things have ever co-existed at the same time - but that's fine by me! "Dive" doesn't begin to describe Wide Open, but give me a few wooden benches and $10 pitchers of beer (Mondays) and I'll give you two thumbs up. read more

I came here recently for the first time in what seems like a decade the other week, and I can say its still what I remember of it. -Relatively cheap drinks, at a cost of rather shitty selection. -Tiny and super narrow room that will make things awkward when 2 people try to pass the bar in different directions. -A very interesting mix of people inside. It is what it is, and while not what I'd consider a destination, the place seems to stick with what they do well (which is being a dive bar, nothing more nothing less) and for that, I can't hate on it. read more

Wide Open is one of the rare dive bars in Toronto - and like any real dive bar, it's got tons of character. The first thing you'll notice about Wide Open is that it's basically an alleyway. Nope, it's not ON an alleyway, it IS the alleyway. The bar itself is super tiny. It's not the place for groups, but it's got quite a good setting when drinking with a close friend or two. Also, it usually gets really busy over the weekend, so you shouldn't expect to find a seat during party hours. Some of the other reviews noted the bad service, but for me, the service was like any bar in the area. The beer is good and cheap. Drink up! read more

It's a total dive. There's very little in the form of atmosphere. And the place is filthy and probably hasn't changed it's appearance in its entire existence. But you know what else? NO ONE CARES! This place is always, and I mean ALWAYS, busy. As long as it's open there's patrons there, at least as far as my general observation as someone who lives in the neighborhood goes anyhow. If I were to liken it to anything it'd be the coolest treehouse that you had ever seen as a kid, but it serves beer and you're all grown up now, at least according to your drivers license anyhow! Cheap beer, bar rail and shots. Close to the bar you were going to go to afterwards. If you can't be around hipsters then maybe stay away, although after enough affordable drinks you probably won't care anyhow! read more

Always loved the ironic name of this place - if you're not at the bar, then you're pressed against the wall. A wide open space it is not. But welcoming it is with cheap drinks and chill crowds. read more

I fell for the hype and I'm disappointed to say it did not live up to it at all. I understand that it's a dive bar, but it's very dingy and unclean. I did not feel comfortable in here at all. If you're into cheap, low quality drinks and good music then I'm sure you'll enjoy this place. I'd rather spend my time elsewhere. read more

Love this place. Cheapest pub I have found in Toronto so far!! Half price and $10 pitchers on Mondays. $3 bottles on Tuesdays. $4.50 pints and mixed drinks on Wednesdays. Happy hour 5-8, $2.50 drinks on Thursdays. $12 pitchers on a Friday. What's not to like??! I love how unpretentious this place is too, nothing spectacular about it's ... just tables and chairs and a bar. It's pretty narrow so expect to bump in to people! They play a variety of loud good music too. Go here for: Pre drinks and pub crawls. Don't go here for: A date, a catch up with old pals you haven't seen in a while or a quiet drink. read more

Definitely a great local dive. Crappy wood tables. Long bowling alley type of place. Strange cool crowd. Normally everyone is very causal and chill. I love hanging out in the evenings after work, typically having some cheap drinks :) I think they only take cash, but they do have a bank machine in the back. I music is generally rock, but it's fortunately not blasting loud so you can actually have a conversation. read more

It's small, cramped, hot in summer, cold in winter, the service is poor and yet the experience is great. I've given up trying to put my finger on why this place works, it just does. read more

The drink deals here are incredible; I don't know of another place in Toronto that compares to Wide Open on that front. I went to the Thursday Happy Hour, where everything is $2.75. That is a ludicrously good deal for this city. It appears they have similarly mind-blowing deals every night of the week. Add to that the fact that Wide Open is in a great location, in close proximity to other Toronto nightlife, and it really becomes a no-brainer where you should meet up for a pre-drink before going somewhere else to dance/see a show/etc. The place is small, so expect to stand if you show up at the wrong time, because people in the area all seem to be well aware of the deals here and will crowd the place accordingly. But there is a decent amount of space and some good seating to be had if you're punctual. The aesthetic is cool, with a huge graffiti mural running the length of the wall. Graffiti Alley (the actual name of the street) is right around the corner and was probably an inspiration. Again, and most importantly, this is your one-stop-shop for cheap drinks, and that is by far the biggest strength of Wide Open. read more

Great prices, horrible people, tight spaces. This review is relative to the demographic you're in though. I'm edging closer to thirty, and in my early twenties I'm sure I wouldn't mind wading through a couple dozen big chubby men to charm my way to $3 drinks. Enough about that, there's a drink deal every night that any working person can afford. Wide open is discrete like a dive bar with a booming following of barely-legal teens and middle-aged men who used to be sports bros. The drinks aren't very fully poured, like there was still an inch from the top of my glass when I ordered the amber, but you get what you pay for. Music is crazy loud and you'd have to shout. For more space and better ambience, I'd go to Nirvana or Ocho... read more

Best known for it's cheap drinks and location. They're not stingy with the amount of alcohol even though drinks are so cheap which is amazing. But the server ruined everything... We were a group of 6. She was so rude to us since the second we walked in. 3 times not even just once. And she demanded a tip.. We literally had to leave at some point because she made in so uncomfortable. Watch out for her. read more

Well-priced but the service is rude. I went last week with my friend and we both ordered gin and tonics. Mine was fine (kind of weak, but fine), but hers serious didn't have any gin in it. It was just tonic water. We asked four of our other friends to taste it for us and they all agreed it didn't have any gin. My friend very politely informed the bartender of the mistake and asked for a new drink. The bartender immediately got extremely defensive and insisted that it was impossible. My friend didn't want to argue so she dropped it, but that attitude was really unimpressive. On top of that, the bartenders (two blonde women) spent about 50% of the night texting and it was hard to get their attention. read more

It was mine and my boyfriends first time going to this place. We thought it may be cool, we went in and it looked alright. So we decided to sit and have a drink. We each had a rum and coke which was good, when we went to the bathrooms we noticed that there bathrooms is where they decided to store... everything. It was disgusting. My boyfriend then decided to get another rum and coke, it was a blonde who served him and when he came back he said it was coke, no rum. So I tried it, and it tasted exactly like watered down coke. He went up to the blonde and said that there was no rum in it and she got an attitude quick time about it calling him an idiot and stated that she had made the drink. I came in calmly trying to be polite and said I had tried it and so had my other friend that was there and we all knew there was nothing in it, she started freaking out, her and the other bartender. We left the place saying we were not going to come back, and they were yelling "Good never come back I never want to see your face again." Needless to say, do not go to this place, you pay $4 for a good first drink, but then $4 for a small watered down coke after that. And on top of that you get unbelievably rude service. read more

Yes 12 dollar the pitcher.. wonder why? Yes, they serve you the beer warm, really???? and the tbest the servers can do is give you ice, really????... not coming back thanks. read more

I gave Wide Open 3/5 only because me and my friends were constantly being told that "tip isn't included in the drink price" and the male bartender told my friend to "slow down, because this isn't highschool" because she was sipping up the last bit of her drink as she was starting on a new one. Aside from those instances which were a real mood kill, the drinks were super cheap (we went for Happy Hour on Thurs), and service was surprisingly really fast despite how busy the bar was. read more

I love the cheap prices, but the bartenders here are repeatedly rude and inconsiderate. They have given me incorrect change multiple times and it is only through my own attentiveness that I get my money back. Most recently, we came here on the night of a raptors game and asked whether, when they came started, they'd turn on the sound on the TV's rather than blasting music. They said yes, so we stayed for the game. Once the game started, they turned on music super loud rather than playing the sound from the game. We asked about it and the bartenders very rudely told us that the sound from the game was ruining the vibe in the bar. And that is FINE but what isn't fine is: 1) the rudeness 2) telling us they'd play the game with sound and then not doing it. Very disappointed in the bar and the bad attitude of the women who work here. read more

Great Dive Bar! Awesome drink specials and friendly bartenders

Over crowded Very very warm Extremely dirty and there is liquids everywhere. But worst of all, terrible service. I was new to Canada and tipping is not something I was familiar with. First time out in Canada, I went to this place after seeing some reviews. I didn't tip, and the bartender came up to me with the money I had paid with, made a show of counting it, and proceeded to berated me infront of everyone for not tipping her. I tried to explain that it didn't cross my mind because it was my first week in Canada, and I apologized, and she responds loudly " IN CANADA. WE TIP" and then stalked off. I have never beenn treated like this before. I'm glad I didn't give that horrible entitled person the money she clearly didn't deserve. read more

As an absolute shit-hole DIVE bar ... it gets 5 stars. So if that's what you're looking for, reverse my 1star to an absolute 5/5. I'll tell you my experience with what is trying to be a local dive bar, and failing. I've lived in Toronto and GTA for 10 years of my adult life ... 4 of them with 50 meters of Queen and Spadina and the good ol Wide Open bar. I'm gonna have to take you back, ohhhh, about 8 years ... My first experience upon seeing this place open its narrow ass door ... was a random Tuesday night in December, when we'd stuffed 40 people into our 1350ft condo for a Christmas party, had a sensational night, opened random gag xmas gifts, and 25 of us ventured out for last call at 1:35 ... now I understand the dude, who I see unloading cases of beer out of the beat up old jeep parked on the sidewalk of spadina, had just got a liquor license and was just opened and trying to figure it all out ... but at precisely 1:40am, we were refused last call. I was astonished to see that a) as a local and b) with 25 people basically filling up the bar surely to spend an immediate bar + shot each ... to a new business that should be trying to win over new customers. Ugh --- thank god for the Rivoli and Cameron House is all that turned into. Being so insulted, I had not stepped foot into this shit hole I hadn't seen change much in the 8 years I'd walked by its narrow ass door. However ... it was approaching midnight of my birthday the other night. A friend had just dropped by with a bottle of 100 proof belvedere ... and it was fitting to pop out for a local quick Monday night drink. After a long day and being out for dinner and drinks for hours already, arriving back home but being (easily) convinced to pop back out for one last one cuz it was officially my birthday . . . seemed all very logical and fair to me. My objective was honestly to stay as close to home as possible, and I opened up my heart and mind to give "wide open" another shot. We walked in noting a standing chalkboard outside on the street stating "everything 1/2 price happy hour" ... grabbing one of the 4 tables up front, all of which were empty ... the (easily) counted 8 patrons lined up along the bar, all with full drinks ... attractive yet not hot gal bartender had literally grabbed empty glasses from the table as we'd walked in and sat, so 100% saw us .... and yet for a good 5 minutes she felt it just to chill and chat behind the bar, even hand wash glasses and not take an order. We chuckled at the novelty of her authenticity of being a quality dive bar bartender ... Yes, only Amsterdam on tap. One of these, "I'm too cool and busy" attidudes where even upon walking up to the bar to order, and she doesn't even pause her chit-chat with others to promptly take an order. my friend also notes "well, it surely isn't happy hour". We enjoy ourselves amidst the modest and although artistic, outright ratty interior ... watching sportcenter highlights on mute and an odd mix of music. Bartender chica even popping out front for a smoke. I get it. Dive bar ... like I'm a bartender okaaay ... Upon leaving ... I notice a small chalk writing in the corner of the sign stand out front above "everything 1/2 price happy hour" .... "ends 11pm". Dive bar or not ... something is just off with the service and vibe of this joint ... and I wish with all my heart I could've written a raving review for the bar that could've been my local many years ago, for many years, or even had another recent chance ... but failed miserably. Go straight to the Cameron House, Rivoli, hell even Horseshoe. Anything but this. Suck it. read more

A nice casual dive bar with drinks. Not a lot of room, it's a very cozy place but has great music. The washrooms were clean and useable. The bartender was inattentive and uninterested in her job. I would go back for the drink specials since it's a cheap place for drinks. read more

An awesome little bar for many rounds of beer. Amsterdam Blonde or Big Wheel pitchers are $12 - all night. The bar is tiny - it's essentially one narrow little hallway and a few tables near the door. It was packed when we first arrived, but a group was leaving as we walked in, so were able to grab a big comfy table near the front door. No food - but they're cool with you bringing in your own pizza slices from Momma's. read more

Finally stopped in here for a pint after the missus finished work the other day. Had walked by the Wide Open a number of times this summer, and had read about it on Twitter a few times. But last week, when I was informed that @wideopenbar was now following ME I thought they deserved some of my holiday money. I was the first to arrive - it was sometime after 4 - and was pleasantly greeted at the bar by the actress bartender (overheard her convo, that's how I know). While the chalkboard out front usually advertised the drink specials, today it was empty. Still, I asked and yup, $4.50 pints TAX IN! Deal. Excellent deal. No patio but sat by the window to watch the after work crowd go by. I was halfway through my pint when the missus made it over so, as we were uneven pint wise I think we downed 3 before we finally got going. The place filled up quickly but comfortably. The music was current of 102.1Edge playlist variety, the washrooms were amazingly nasty and if they had a menu I wouldn't know. Worth a happy hour drop in. read more

It was a lot smaller than I expected, and in turn, very crowded. I had to stand and wait a bit for a table to open up, sitting at the bar was not going to happen. This was a Monday night. TWO FOR ONE DRINKS!! on Monday nights. How sweet is that? The drinks I got were like $3 each. So it's worth putting up with disgusting bathrooms with pee on the floor, crowds of young and belligerent people yelling, and at times, extremely loud and bad music that makes it hard to hear the person you're talking with. The music ranged from some Katy Perry-esque sounding crap, to Sublime, to Rage Against the Machine, to some dub step. It even gets more random when you notice that there is football on TV, a picture of hockey players in a frame set up against the wall (not hanging) and graffiti all in the same view. I had a look at their drink menu thing on the table, and there were really good deals on alcohol every single day of the week. There were also all different colours of candle wax spilled all over the tables, it looked pretty cool but I could see how it would be a turn-off for others. So I'd recommend this place if you are really short on cash and want to go out and get shitfaced. Especially on a Monday. Which is exactly what I like to do all the time so because of its cheapness, I'm giving it a good rating. Don't have high expectations though, it IS a total dive. read more

Omg! So mess. I never go back again. It is ok to sell cheap drknk but need to be clean. I prefer to drink at home.

I don't think there was I time I left this place sober considering the fact that their drinks specials are just crazy cheap. $2.50 rail drinks until midnight on Saturdays, really. I seriously go crazy with it and literally double fisting drinks with that kind of special. THe place is very small and can get really packed, so come early to get yourself a seat; unless if you're okay standing. Love this place, even if it's dirty and etc, it's a dive bar, what do you expect? read more

this place is awesome, i tend to come here alone for a night cap after i get off work. usually end up making great conversation at the bar and the night cap turns into two or three. which i don't really see as being a problem. this place has a totally ambiguous atmosphere, which is great because it brings in an interesting crowd. (be aware sometimes the music is god awful) read more

It's not for me but I see the value of the place. Booze is cheap and cheap booze is becoming a rarity in this city. I got a bottle of beer for like $3.50. The place is long and narrow, no room to breathe, and not air conditioned (at least when I was there melting). It was also almost at capacity around 6:30 PM when I went in. I don't think I'd go there with a group but if I were by myself waiting to meet people in the neighbourhood I'd pop in for a quick sip. read more

So many memories through the years here, defiantly a good place to start and end. Music is always rockin and it's a blast meeting new people. Everyone's in a good mood here as the environment is happy and chill. read more

Had a blast here. So tiny and invade your personal space but ok because no d bags seem to make it inside. Met some new pals while here and had some cold beer. Thanks for the good time. read more

The bouncer was a complete asshole to my friends and I. He continued to tell us that the bar was 21+ but last time I checked it was 19+. Completely unprofessional. read more

I just love this bar. It's one of the last true dive bars in a real sense, not some hipster re-creation of a dive bar *cough* el furniture warehouse *cough*. The drinks are incredibly cheap, the crowd is very diverse, and you never know what you're gonna get with the music. While the bartenders are the usual aloof 20-somethings, hired more for their "accoutrements" than their customer service skills, you really can't complain when the drinks cost like $4. read more

Just the right amount of dank! Have been in here a few times, funniest by far was when the owner (who is pretty drunk most of the time) slapped my friend because he thought he hadn't paid for his drinks (which he had!). The bouncer ended up having to throw out the owner! Still giving the place 4 stars though because that was funny as hell, and most of the time he throws out a few free drinks and is a good laugh! Cheap drink, good music, beside a kebab shop, it works. read more

Best dive bar in Toronto, cheap booze, great mix of people and the staff are excellent.

Excellent service for a dive bar. Cheap drinks. Great place to drink after work. Loud. Don't worry about sitting, there isn't much space here. In fact, they should get rid of all the seating. read more