Real Sports Bar and Grill: 7 Things the Real Sports Fan Should Know

1. Line ups to get in – You won’t read about this one in the papers. That’s because journalists for the Globe and Mail and The Star aren’t waiting in these lines. They are let in by the bouncers through the velvet roped VIP line. Yeah, you read right, bouncers, velvet rope and VIP line.

Fact: You better get there mighty early to watch a Leafs game. Whatever you think early is, go earlier than that.

2. Waiting for a table – Finally, we’re in! Let’s get a table. I got pretty hungry waiting in that line up. Time to eat right? Wrong. Getting in this place is the least of your problems. If you want a table to eat at the Real Sports Bar and Grill, you will have to get on the waiting list. How long is the wait darling? “I’m sorry sir, it’s hard for me to say. There are no guarantees”.

Fact: Just because you’re in, doesn’t mean you’re going to eat or sit.

3. Corporate Functions – Ok, now we got time to kill while we wait to be seated. I heard the hype about how big this place is and all the cool features. Let’s check them out! Wow, a golf simulation machine. Let’s take a peak. “Sorry sir, this is a restricted area”. Ok, let’s keep walking. Sofa chairs, just like the newspaper said. Let’s sit down. “Sorry sir, these are reserved”. Ok, let’s move on. This room looks nice. It’s on the second floor. What a view! “Sorry sir, you have to clear this area. This room is booked”.

Fact: The Real Sports Bar and Grill is a real big place ……. but corporate functions will limit your space.

4. Suits, Suits and More Suits – This bar is full of corporate suits, I thought somebody was getting married. When I think sports bar I don’t think suits. I would never walk into an American sports bar wearing a suit. I knew they weren’t catering to the real sports fan when I never saw any sports memorabilia on the wall.

Fact: This is more of a posh nightclub atmosphere than a sports environment.

5. Don’t get offended, it’s just business – As you might expect with anything Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the Real Sports bar is all about money. Corporate suits get all the good seats. Company parties restrict you from areas of the bar. Don’t be surprised if you see somebody get seated ahead of you even through you have been waiting for a table for over an hour. Apparently that guy had a “reservation”.

Fact: The Real Sports Bar takes reservations.

6. Reservations – After a few failed attempts to get seated in the main room (This is where all the good seats are), I decided to try and make a reservation to sit there for an upcoming Maple Leafs away game (there are no reservations for home games). The main room makes up for most of the 25000 square feet the Real Sports Bar has. It’s also where the giant HD projection TV screen is and by far the best spot in the bar to watch sporting events. I like to call this area “The Money Pit” because of all the suits and money flowing in there. When inquiring about reservations I was told my name would be "put on the list, but there are no guarantees”. We did end up getting a reservation confirmation email 1 week later.

Fact: You will need to make reservations weeks in advance to watch a game.

7. Limited Seating – Due to all the reservations, It’s almost impossible to get a seat in the money pit. I mean come on, I can’t even secure a guaranteed seat 1 month before game day. If you expect to get a decent view of the big screen or sit in a nice booth for a random Maple Leaf game just by showing up, it ain’t happening. This leaves very limited seating for the true sports fan. A small isolated bar area is where you will likely end up sitting, but here the TV’s aren’t as big and the seats are high tables and stools.

Fact: Limited seating decreases your chances of eating.

Real Sports Bar & Grill Helpful Tips

If you are determined to check out the Real Sports Bar and Grill, here are some helpful tips that will guide you through your experience.

1. Bypass the line – If you want to bypass the line, tell the bouncer you are just going in for some drinks. He will let you through.

2. How early should I go? – If you really want to sit and eat, you should get there 2 hours before the game. If the game starts at 7 pm be there for 5 pm. Showing up at 6 is risky and will just result in you leaving, unless you want to starve and stand all night.

3. Are you here for the game? – If you get asked this question when requesting a table, don’t give a definitive answer. Say “Maybe” or “You might catch the first period”. I am not sure why they ask this question. What difference does it make if I’m staying for the whole game or not? I want a table. My theory is they want to seat people who aren’t watching the game first. The table will make more money if you aren’t hogging it for 4 hours. If they can squeeze a few meals in before the game starts, they will. This is good business for them, but sucks for you. Play it safe, don’t answer “yes” to this question.

4. Don’t Go for a Leaf Game or a Big Event – Most of the problems arise for Leaf games or big events. You will be able to get a table on non-game days, but when a Leaf game is on, this place is elbow to elbow. You have been warned!

What’s Good About the Real Sports Bar

Although it is difficult to get a table at the Real Sports Bar and Grill, if you do get seated your experience will be a pleasant one. Here is what you can expect from the Real Sports bar;

1. Amazing Food – I can’t say anything bad about the food. Maybe the best food I have ever tasted at any sports bar. The nachos, the burgers, the steak sandwich, pretty much anything on the menu is top quality and reasonably priced. If you think you can eat, try ordering the 67 ounce steak! This incredible piece of meat is cooked to perfection by the head chef. It takes over 1 hour to prepare and comes with 1 pound of fries and 1 pound of coleslaw. If you can eat all this within 1 hour, this $100 meal is free!

2. 112 Beers on Tap – The Real Sports Bar has lots of beer on tap. They’ve got 29 flowing taps serving domestic beer and the remaining 83 taps serving imported beers. There is plenty of options to satisfy your craving, ales, lagers, reds, darks or pales.

3. Friendly Service – The doormen, hostesses and waitresses are all accommodating and very friendly.

4. TV’s Everywhere – No matter where you sit or stand you will have a TV in your face. It might not be the big HD screen you expected to watch, but hey, they got good food. You will also find TV’s showing other hockey games so you can follow your pro-line bets if you’re the gambling type!

67 Ounce Steak at The Real Sports Bar and Grill

Conclusion

In conclusion, I wouldn’t consider the Real Sports Bar and Grill a real sports bar. It’s a sports bar with a corporate twist. Reservations, line ups, VIP areas, velvet ropes, corporate parties, these are all things that go against what a true sports fan considers a traditional sports bar. That’s not to say this isn’t a great place to watch sports. It’s just difficult to get a table due to all the corporate hula hoops you must jump through.

Real Sports Bar and Grill Location

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Toronto Radio
Interesting Fact:
Several Canadian radio stations broadcast from the CN Tower

Toronto Radio AM Stations

The Fan 590 | Listen Live
Toronto Sports Radio, The biggest listened to sports station in Toronto. The fan 590 radio station airs live sports games from all major Toronto sports teams as well as a long line up of sports radio shows that includes talk about anything sports.

680 News | Listen Live
Toronto News Radio, 680News is Toronto’s only all news radio service providing immediate and essential information to more than 1.3-million listeners each week The station delivers news, traffic, weather and business information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Newstalk 1010 | Listen Live
1010 is a news talk radio station. The station broadcasts a mix of talk, breaking news and in-depth coverage of local, national and international events. The main offices for CFRB are located in midtown Toronto near St Clair Ave and Yonge Street.

CP24 Radio 1050
Local Toronto News, Long known as 1050 CHUM, the station currently runs as local all-news cable channel for CablePulse24, with separate advertising and a few hours of radio-only programming on the weekend. The radio broadcast is similar to the news reported on CP24 TV Channel.

CHKT 1430 AM
Chinese Radio, CHKT airs mainly Chinese (Cantonese & Mandarin) language programming as well as programming in the following languages: Afghan, Bosnian, Cambodian, Croatian, Filipino, Irish, Laotian, Macedonian, Malaysian, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Thai, Vietnamese.

CHIN 1540 AM | Listen Live 
Chin is the first multicultural / multilingual station to be established in Ontario. It is the pioneer in multicultural radio broadcasting and has led the way for similar broadcast operations to be established in other communities. Chin Radio also has a FM channel.

Toronto Radio FM Stations

Z 103.5 | Listen Live
Z1035 broadcasts Rhythmic / Dance Top 40 and serves Central Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area. The radio station fills the market’s Top 40 niche and includes a certain degree of dance music in its playlists. Popular shows and times to listen are top 6 at 6 and top 9 at 9.

Y108 Rocks | Listen Live
Y108 is a classical rock radio station broadcasting at 107.9 FM and serving the Hamilton, Ontario market, but licensed to the nearby city of Burlington. The station broadcasts an active rock /  format as Y108 and also reaches the city of Toronto listeners.

The New Flow 93.5 | Listen Live
Canada’s first urban music station airs a popular urban and rhythmic top 40 format with a slight urban lean.  Popular music genres to hit this radio station are Rap, Hip Hop, R n B and Reggae. Flow is a popular radio station among students and club goers.

Kiss 92.5 | Listen Live
Kiss broadcasts a rhythmic-leaning contemporary hit radio format. The music playlist consists of mainly pop, hip-hop and R&B music. The station often avoids rock music, but with the exception of some Canadian rock artists because of Canadian content regulations.

CBC Radio
CBC Radio is the radio division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The division operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches. The 3 main networks are CBC Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio 3. 

CBC Radio One | Listen Live
Primarily news and information, CBC Radio One broadcasts to most communities across Canada. Until 1997, it was known as “CBC Radio”.

CBC Radio 2 | Listen Live
Broadcasts music, arts and culture programming, including opera, classical music, jazz and theatre. It was previously known as “CBC Radio Two”, and before that “CBC Stereo”.

CBC Radio 3 | Listen Live
Broadcasts a youth-oriented indie rock format on Internet radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Some content from Radio 3 was also broadcast as weekend programming on Radio Two until March 2007.

Boom 97.3 | Listen Live
Formerly known as EZ Rock, broadcasts classic hits music. The time period of the music on the current playlist is roughly music released between 1964 and 1999 with a core focus on music that was released in the 1980s.

CHFI 98.1 | Listen Live
CHFI broadcasts an adult contemporary format and plays a wide mix of soft music favourites including timeless classics and today’s songs to keep you up to date. This Toronto radio station is aiming to target younger listeners.

Jazz.FM91 | Listen Live
Jazz FM91 is Canada’s only not-for-profit radio station dedicated to jazz and all its communities of interest. This Radio Station has a long history, formerly known as CJRT-FM, the radio station at Ryerson University, broadcasting an eclectic mix of educational programming, classics and jazz.

Virgin Radio 99.9 | Listen Live
Virgin Radio this radio station airs a hot adult contemporary format, and is the flagship of Canada’s Virgin Radio stations. Formerly known as 99.9 Mix FM, the station had rebranded to Virgin radio in the summer of August 2008.

CHIN 100.7 | Listen Live
CHIN is the first multicultural / multilingual station to be established in Ontario. It is the pioneer in multicultural radio broadcasting and has led the way for similar broadcast operations to be established in other communities.

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1. Toronto Television & TV Guide Listings

High Park
1873 Bloor Steet West
Toronto, ON
416-392-8188

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High Park is the largest park in Toronto spanning 161 hectares (398 acres, 1.61 km²) of land. It is a mixed recreational and natural park, with sporting facilities, cultural facilities, educational facilities, gardens, playgrounds and a zoo. One third of the park remains in a natural state, with a rare oak savannah ecology. With over one million visitors annually, High Park is the jewel of Toronto’s park system.

The park features many hiking trails, sports facilities, diverse vegetation, a beautiful lakefront, convenient parking, easy public transit access, a dog park, a zoo, playgrounds for children, a couple of eateries, greenhouses, picnic areas, several squirrels and various events throughout the year.

The park is located to the west of downtown Toronto, north of Humber Bay. It stretches south from Bloor Street West to The Queensway, just north of Lake Ontario. It is bounded on the west by Ellis Park Road and Grenadier Pond and on the east by Parkside Drive.

High Park History

In 1836, John George Howard purchased a 160-acre (0.65 km2) property in the County of York, to the west of Toronto, for a sheep farm, at the cost of $1,000.00. On this land Howard designed and built Colborne Lodge, a high end home that complements its natural surroundings, for him and his wife to live in. The Howards named their property “High Park”.

Howard had a successful career as architect, engineer and land surveyor to the City of Toronto before he retired in 1855. The Howards agreed to convey their property to the City of Toronto in 1873 under the conditions that the Howards continue to live at their residence, no alcohol ever be served in the park, and that the City hold the park “for the free use, benefit and enjoyment of the Citizens of Toronto forever and to be called and designated at all times thereafter as High Park”.

High Park Features

Gardens and Nature

High Park has so many different plants and trees and flowers that you will discover a new species or pick a new favourite tree each time you visit the park. The most famous part is Hillside Gardens which starts by the restaurant in the middle and ends by the lakefront. The best known maple leaf  landmark is located at the bottom of Hillside Gardens.

Waterfront

A walk along Lake Grenadier on the west side of High Park will make you forget you are in the largest city in Canada. High Park is bordered by Grenadier Pond on the west which is a fair sized pond, a calm and beautiful body of water. It starts on the North by Ellis Park Road where a tiny bridge marks the entrance to the park if you are coming on foot or by bicycle.

Off Leash Dog Park

High Park has a designated off-leash area for dogs. While the dog park is not completely fenced in, it is surrounded by natural borders such as thick bushes and trees.  The off-leash area inside the park is located between Grenadier Restaurant and the High Park zoo. Dog walking on-leash is allowed in all areas of the park except for the children’s playgrounds.

Zoo

The mini-zoo at High Park keeps bison, llamas, peacocks, deer, highland cattle, yaks, and sheep. The hours are from 7 am until dusk and admission is free.  The zoo dates back to the early 1900s when deer were kept inside High Park. The zoo is located on Deer Pen Road and is accessible via the Parkside Road entrance. There is plenty of parking just in front of the zoo’s entrance.

Sports

High Park offers many sports facilities for sports enthusiasts including 6 tennis courts, 3 baseball diamonds and 2 soccer fields. The open area of the park allows for many other sports that can be played on the large grassy fields. The park also has an outdoor swimming pool for the summer and an ice hockey rink for the winter. The park is also full of beautiful trails ideal for running, walking or jogging.

Picnic Areas

The 18 designated picnic areas seat hundreds of people. Bring food from home or prepare it in the park on the barbecue. Picnic areas are available by reservation only.  For groups of more than 25 people you are required to obtain a permit from the City of Toronto. Each picninc area is marked with a wooden pole with a number on the top of it and reminders that no charcoal BBQs are allowed in the park.

Hours of Operation

Dawn to dusk every day, year round

Directions and Map to High Park

By Car

The park is located between Bloor Street and The Queensway and is bordered by Parkside Drive on the east. The main entrance is from Bloor Street – turn south at High Park Avenue.

The other car entrance is from Parkside Drive: turn west onto High Park Blvd.

The south entrance from The Queensway doesn’t get you too far into the park. You can drive up to Colborne Lodge and the children’s picnic area where the road loops around and leads you back out of the park. If you want to drive deeper into the park use the Bloor St or Parkside Dr entrances.

By Public Transit

Subway:  Get off at High Park station on the Bloor-Danforth subway line between Keele and Runnymede stations. The park’s north entrance is a two minute walk from the station.

Streetcar:  Take the 508 Lakeshore streetcar and get off at the Parkside or Colborne Lodge stops or take the 506 Carlton streetcar all the way to the High Park loop by Parkside Drive.

Bus: Take the 80 Queensway bus route which runs between Keele subway station and Sherway Gardens. Get off at the Howard Park Avenue stop on Parkside Road.

Map of High Park Location

Video of High Park

Contact High Park

Phone:  416-338-0338
Picnic Permit:  416-392-8188

Email: parks at toronto.ca
City of Toronto Parks Inquires: 416-392-1111

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