As someone who has drank large volumes of Labatt beer in their lifetime, I am very excited about the new Canadian-themed bar Ontario in my neighborhood. After spending a lot of my youth in Windsor, Ontario, home to Tunnel Bar-B-Q, and cheap casinos, this home away from home is the perfect place to grab a stool and enjoy some Canadian Whiskey while tapping your fingers to Neil Young.
It’s about time these Northern ex-pats had a place to call home, complete with stuffed taxidermy, Molson on draft, and a slew of Canadian indie superstars on the jukebox but sadly no Crash Test Dummies.
Brought to you from the people who ran the Boat, Great Lakes, and Buttermilk, these guys know a thing or two about creating an low-key inviting atmosphere that’s conducive to actually being able to hear your friend’s conversations rather that screaming over bad mash-ups of 90’s rap. Get there early and score a spot at the sweet Pac-man and Galaga table. And if you work up an appetite you can always head across the street to Manna for 24-hour falafel and Bushwick Country Club for cheese balls and pickle shots. At the rate bars seem to be popping up on Grand St, you won’t ever have to leave the strip to get your cheap drink fix. I’m just waiting til they add poutine and air hockey to their repertoire.
Ontario Bar
599 Grand St
Between Lorimer and Union Ave [Williamsburg]
Photo by Sam Horine Photography
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Tags: Bushwick Country Club, Buttermilk, Crash Test Dummies, Falafel, Galaga, Great Lakes, Labatt, Manna, Molson Candian, Neil Young, Ontario Bar, Pac-Man, poutine, Sam Horine photography, Strange Brew, The Boat, Tunnel Bar-B-Q, Whiskey, Williamsburg
Of all the lame concepts for bars, this has to be one of the lamest. I mean, Ontario is by far the most personality-free of all the Canadian provinces and territories. Now Montreal, THERE’S a hot ticket! At least then you could make the drinking age 18, have illegally hot women all up in that bitch, and serve drinks with higher alcohol content to get yourself shitfaced (and dancing) faster. Throw in a few video lottery machines for the wallflowers, some Céline Dion on the stereo, maybe hockey night on the ol’ boob-tube and it’s gold stars all around.
Seriously.