Football fans now officially have their Sundays accounted for until February.
Diehard NFL fan or not, a football game has the potential to set the stage for a quality – though likely indulgent – Sunday funday, complete with a relaxed vibe, beer, and no shortage of friendly young strangers.
Here are 10 solid spots to watch football in Toronto.
Wayne Gretzky’s Toronto
Longtime Toronto staple Wayne Gretzky’s Restaurant (99 Blue Jays Way) isn’t all just about hockey. You’ll find a slew of football fans on Sundays and a menu that includes comforting (i.e. hangover food) options like home-style perogies, nachos of all varieties, and fajitas.
Craft Beer Market
If you have a soft spot for craft beer of all kinds, Craft Beer Market (1 Adelaide St. E) may become your go-to this football season. In the massive Financial District spot, you will find over 100 unique and quality craft beers on tap, which you can soak up with cheat day staples like nachos, wings, tacos, and flatbreads.
Real Sports Bar
You won’t miss a play at Real Sports Bar (15 York St.), thanks to their 39-foot high-definition TV that anchors the sprawling spot. Here, you’re guaranteed a constant crowd of passionate sports fans – both tourists and fellow Torontonians – and your football fare includes creative comfort food from an extensive menu.
Wheat Sheaf Tavern
The storied Wheat Sheaf Tavern (667 King St. W) – the oldest tavern in Toronto – is packed to the brim with energetic (i.e. tipsy) football fans each Sunday. As an added bonus, their famous, gooey chicken wings are half price on Sundays. Other perks include a jukebox.
St. Louis Bar & Grill (Uptown)
The uptown St. Louis Bar & Grill (2050 Yonge St.) is always bustling on football Sundays, and filled with football fans of all ages. The large space offers an unpretentious, neighbourhood vibe and some of the best chicken wings in Toronto. Every Sunday this football season, the bar will offer 23-ounce glasses of Budweiser or Bud Light for $5.99. Helping your beer-drinking cause, it’s right on the subway line.
Jack Astor’s St. Lawrence Market
In the St. Lawrence Market ‘hood, Jack Astor’s (73 Front St. E) makes a reliable football-watching spot and is always action-packed on Sundays. The restaurant features a massive screen behind the bar, ample bar tables, and no shortage of TVs.
The Dog and Bear
If Queen West is more your Sunday vibe, The Dog and Bear (11 Queen St. W) does Sunday football well – and often a little rowdy, hipster spot or not. The relaxed spot features eight TVs and one projector, quality British pub fare, and 20 beers on tap.
William’s Landing
While Liberty Village has a handful of football Sunday spots, Williams’s Landing (120 Lynn Williams St.) is always a reliable option on Sundays and is filled with young people given its location. An upscale casual menu features options like a seared tuna salad, beef and ricotta meatballs, fish tacos, and maple cider roast chicken.
Hemingway’s
While you won’t get the massive screens at Yorkville’s longtime neighbourhood pub Hemingway’s (142 Cumberland St.), you can enjoy the game upstairs in a more intimate but still busy vibe at the spot’s enclosed rooftop patio, where your football watching comes with a side of people watching thanks to Yorkville’s eclectic assortment of characters.
Wahlburgers
If you have a thing for quality, over-the-top burgers and boozy milkshakes, Wahlburgers (46 Blue Jays Way) makes a good option for Sunday football – especially if you’re a Patriots fan (the spot’s owners, Mark and Donnie Wahlberg, are a major Pats fans).
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It’s #GameDay!?Our flat screens are tuned in and the Wahlbrewski is cold??? #GoLeafsGo
Do you know any other places to watch football in Toronto? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image: Instagram/ @wahlburgersca