Fionn MacCool’s

Went again with my wife and she fell in love, as I did, with the veggie burger. Don’t have a clue what the cook is doing, but keep it up!

Gord and I had supper last night at Fionn MacCool’s.
Gord started with Fisherman’s Chowder. He really enjoyed it.
I started with Shepherd’s Pie Mini Yorkies. I’m not a fan of Shepherd’s Pie but they were really good. I gave Gord one and he like them too. I’d get them again.
Gord had Fish & Chips as his main. He said the fish and cole slaw were excellent. The fries were good but he’d rather a thinner fry.
I had Chicken Tikka Masala Boxty as my main (minus the sour cream). I replaced the salad with jasmine rice. I’ve had a boxty at a Fionn MacCool’s many times before. Though this one was good, the boxty itself was more like a quesadilla … in the past, it’s been thicker and spongier (more like a pancake).
Diana was our server and she took great care of us. She was fun and friendly.

Yikes — don’t go here with vegetarian friends. Checked out the menu, saw a tasty looking veggie burger, and sat down. Ordered a drink, and then found out they were out of veggie burgers. It’s really the only vegetarian option on the menu (aside from a not very filling salad). Check before you sit down and order a drink :-S

How does a restaurant having over 30 people on its patio alone do last call at 12:15 on a friday night? I saw people with food on the table! I was turned away before i had even sat at the bar by one of the servers. Not happy about this. Looked at the web site and said they were open till 1am. Not cool guys!

Delicious! Get the ale and cheese dip! All our meals were awesome, you can’t go wrong.

I’ve been to this location twice. Both times I was craving for a delicious burger. If you’re craving for a delicious Hamburger than this isn’t the place for you. Both times the burger came burnt. I don’t mean crispy, I like crispy, but this is full blown charcoal.
However, my friend did get the veggie burger and says it’s the best he had had.

A couple of friends and I were a bit peckish and stepped into fionn macools around midnight. We were pleased to find that not only was the kitchen open but that their late might menu was pretty extensive.
I got a pint of Guinness which they have on tap, and the pulled pork hogie, which at $ 14 a plate is a bit on the high side for a pulled pork sandwich and salad at an Irish pub, but it’s not outrageous.
Once I got it though, I felt the price was justified. The sandwich was pretty damn good. The pork was moist, the sauce was delicious, and the slaw had good crunch and acidity. What really put it over the top was the pretzel bun. I really couldn’t have asked for anything more.

I came here on a Friday night before going out at some of the downtown bars. The environment is relaxed, unpretentious, and perfect for either after-​work drinks with co-​workers or grabbing drinks with friends before going to the downtown clubs. The drinks were cheap — on Friday nights, pints are $ 5 (or $ 5.50) before 10pm and my glass of wine was under $ 6 including tax. Overall: good service, good vibe, and I will definitely return.

The location of this place is what brought me. It’s down the hall from my hotel. I was able to avoid going outside and braving the chilly windy weather of winter in Toronto.
I ordered french onion soup and the honey cured ham sandwich. This wasn’t a gourmet sandwich. The sandwich was the best grilled ham sandwich I’ve ever devoured that wasn’t made at home. It truly was comfort food and reminded me of home. The french onion soup was also very good — although I would have loved more cheese even though my thighs say «you don’t need more cheese!»
I had an awesome experience and will definitely be back when in Toronto.

We were expecting anywhere from 10 – 15 people for drinks and yummies and although we weren’t exactly sure when everyone would show up and how long they would stay, the restaurant totally accommodated. This was especially appreciated because they were showing the UFC fight and expected to be full that night.
Our server, Katherine was AMAZING. With people coming and going and everyone ordering at different times, she provided great service all night long.
I had the Ruben Fritters and Stuffed Turkey Pie — YUM! Great comfort food!
However the star of the night (other than Katherine, the server) was my Strawberry Rhubarb Daiquiri. Not overly sweet and very refreshing! I will go back just for that cocktail!
Cheers!

Came here on my birthday, bit of an issue with service. It seemed very confused and a bit frazzled. Nothing really to recommend this spot in terms of either food, drink or service.

At the base of an office building, so gets very crowded after work hours on Thursdays and Fridays. The staff definitely seem to get overwhelmed, and the prices are pretty steep.
They had a very cool live band playing jazzy music, which was very nice for the ambiance. The patio is great for breezy summer days.

Smells inside, but otherwise good.
Patio was nice on a warm summers day. And service was friendly and prompt.
We didn’t get any substantial food, another Yvonne T was at the Esplanade location at the same time and looking at her IG photos I wondered where the special summer menu was here. Being in the core, the food here is overpriced, but still not bad.
The crinkly fries/​nachos was quite tasty if you like the taste of nacho processed cheese (yum). We also ordered an expensive calamari but it was no good — tough and cold (sitting outside).
They have nice specials like $ 5 beers today, and cider on tap (always a fan).

I’ve been here a few times including a couple nights ago and it was satisfying.
It’s not unlike most pubs including décor.
In the beginning, the service was a bit slow but when our food arrived, my veggie burger topped with a Portobello mushroom was actually quite good. My colleague ordered a beef pie and really liked it.
It was late – nearly 9 pm and we were tired but we walked out having enjoyed our meal.

I came twice on a Friday within four hours and that is a rarity for me at my age.
Once for dinner before a Blue Jays game, then once right after the game for an evening beer. Yes, I usually don’t go out again after a game, so that is why it was so out of the ordinary.
This place is okay. My food was actually decent. I had the Guiness burger. My buddy had a club sandwich. What’s weird is that they look like they have a lot of beer, but when you look at the options, it doesn’t seem like they have that much beer, esp. not on draft.
The waitress at dinner was kind of a ditz… she brought us the wrong food and then took our food somewhere else. But she was sweet. The bartender later that night was nice.
I would leave you with this caution: If you are coming to eat, ask them to sit you far away from the bar area. One: it’s loud as hell during happy hour. Two: It has that stale beer and cleanser funk that I haven’t smelled since I went to this place during my college days that featured quarter (25 cents) tap beers. (Of course, that was back during the Reagan administration– of for my Canadian amigos, the Brian Mulroney years). Yeah, that smell was pretty offensive. The smell of the bar, not either Reagan or Mulroney.

This place only gets 3 stars because it when we first walked in about 5 minutes before opening, they were a tad rude. Really, we just wanted to get settled after our flight in and just have some food and a drink and we expected to wait the 5 minutes before they would take our order — but they made us come back.
Anyways, we ordered some food — the poutine was ok, but it was the first time I ever had poutine so I guess I really had no frame of reference. I actually ate something else as well but it wasnt memorable really.
I might come back here for a drink, but that’s it.

Came here for drinks after work with colleagues to celebrate, but wasn’t that impressed with the pub overall. The patio is small and there was no seating. The inside looked dated and dark in some sections.
The positives were a very outgoing server and a good variety of beers on tap. The food wasn’t bad as well.
Overall experience was meh or OK. Would probably return again, but still prefer the Duke of Devon or Westminster that are also in the vicinity.

This is a good place to hang with co-​workers, have a few drinks, and unwind — especially when it’s nice outside. I like that they have 3 size options for the wine — 5 oz, 9 oz, and a larger size. Beer selection is also mighty good. I tried the smoked chicken flatbread which has pesto, cheese, caramelized onions, and red peppers — the dish alone is not that awesome but with the addition of hot sauce recommeded by my server — the flavors were better. I really enjoyed the chocolate bread pudding with caramel and chocolate sauce — was really happy that I did not have a carb loaded breakfast earlier today The bread pudding with the caramel sauce reminded me of a french toast — it was not too sweet and the taste of vanilla (french vanilla ice cream topped this treat), caramel, and possibly maple lingered long after.
Service was good.

This is the third FM’s I have gone to and they are pretty much the same. They try to be Irish-​like, décor tends to be on the yellows/​greens and also, tend to price their menu/​drinks at a higher price point than say, the Firkin bars. Which in my opinion is not really warranted because FM’s is only ever marginally better than a Firkin. Maybe they vacuum their rug a few more times a week?
Now this particular location is basically inside a building so, from the outside this places is completely nondescript. You could walk by it without noticing it. Their patio is what I could call depressing as it is simply tables set on an elevated block of concrete. No plants and nothing to look out aside concrete towards and a one way street, which during the day is busy with cars spewing CO2 in your face. So no, not the best patio I have ever been.
The food is pub food and as such, I do not generally eat it, but there was nothing in the menu that could/​should have tempted me either.
Now, why the three stars? Remember that old saying that goes «In the land of the blind, he has one eye is king?» Well, Fionn MacCool’s is the one eyed guy, as there is very little choice in this hood in terms of a watering hole that does not cost you over $ 50 for a meal or is a Subway or another fast food type of joint. And as you know people on their lunch hour are in a hurry and can’t be traveling to King or Queen for lunch. So this place wins, and sadly, by default.
Hence I would avoid it during lunch and Happy Hour as this place gets packed from all the people working on the adjacent buildings rushing down, desperate for food and a few drinks after a day’s work.

Came here for lunch today with a colleague; it was a pretty nice day out so we weren’t able to get a seat on the patio but were seated near the doors, which was nice with the sun and the breeze.
Overall, I don’t typically have high expectations from chain pubs and this place was no exception. I had a not-​so-​memorable sandwich with a semi-​memorable green salad on the side. Nothing to write home about, but not to shabby either. The service was okay, our server seemed to forget about us after she took our order and she reappeared once we were finished. She also seemed about ready to get rid of us and we ordered dessert and it seemed as if she was surprised. The chocolate bread pudding was yummy but again, nothing to write home about.
This place has a nice pub atmosphere, dark wood and a nice big bar in the middle, but some of the seating was odd, couches on one side of the table and chairs on the other, and the staff seemed rather disenchanted. I probably wouldn’t choose to come here again; there are many better places to spend my $ 15 – 17 on lunch, where I can get better food and more of it. However, if you’re in the area and don’t want to look for one of those fantatic hole in the wall places, or are with someone who’s picky, this place may fit the bill.