The Raq

Was there last night and first thing that caught me off guard of the night was when I ordered a shot. The server charged me 7.50 and when I gave her a 10 dollar bull she gave me back a loonie and four quarters, so I was 50 cents short. I noticed this right away but I didn’t say anything and tipped her a dollar regardless. She wasn’t friendly really, pretty snobby and rude but I was there to have a good time so I didn’t bother with this.
What really concerns me is what happened later in the night. A friend and I went up to that same server and asked for two glasses of water she told us to get it on the other side of the bar. When we walked over to the other side of the bar, we grabbed the attention of another male server and requested for two classes of water. He pointed over to a COMMUNAL OPEN JUG OF WATER with glasses sitting beside it and said we could help ourselves. We both said no thank you and asked for two glasses of tap water which we could view being poured. He laughed at us and said no. I told him we didn’t know how long it’s been sitting there or if someone could have put something in it and we just wanted two fresh glasses of water that wasn’t from an open communal water jug that had been sitting there all night that the entire bar had access to. He went over to his other server friends told them what happened and they all looked at us and laughed as if we were requesting something completely ridiculous?
One server reluctantly brought over one glass of water.
All these people should be fired.

I came here last weekend with some friends. A couple people I know have mentioned this place to me; I think they like that there is a bar + dance floor + pool tables = something for everyone. I can’t help but feel the same way.
However, they do not accept health cards as id. I know, the preferred forms are a driver’s license or that stupid new ID card. Or your passport. Who is going to carry around their passport? That’s not the easiest thing to carry on bags that are tiny and overflowing with other things. Nor the safest idea… Losing your passport is just awful.
Anyway. Pretty annoyed they don’t take health cards as id. When the place is totally empty and they can make good money off people who only have health cards. We had to talk to the manager and she let us in (obviously. Otherwise our money would have been spent elsewhere hah!).
The atmosphere is fun. The music selection was okay. I believe most mixed drinks were around $ 5. I learned that if you come to the Raq to celebrate your birthday on a Friday you play pool for free til 11 and get a bottle of proseco. Not sure about the costs to this deal but it was advertised in the bathroom!
It was pretty empty when we arrived (quite early, around 11) and we left after an hour and half. It was starting to fill up a bit but not quite there yet.
I found the bartenders to be really good regarding efficient service. The clean up of empty glasses didn’t seem to be a priority for the staff, so there were empty glasses everywhere. And music requests were essentially ignored by the DJ.
While I enjoyed my time there, I don’t think I’ll ever go out of my way to come back. I’m not opposed to returning, but there was nothing so amazing that I have to come back.

I’ve been here a couple of times to dance with friends a few years ago and thought being in my 30s, I was way too old for this crowd, but had to think again because my friends were older than I was in their 40s and they just love it here. I admit the music played was good, lots of old school music, perhaps that was the reason my friends chose to come here. The crowd was a mixed crowd and for a casual place, some of them were dressed to the nines and some hardly dressed at all in their short skirts and skin tight dresses which makes me think they should be on Richmond and in the entertainment district.
On a recent visit, I came solely to play pool with friends and what a surprise we came on a Tuesday evening. Half priced pool and $ 3.50 domestic beers. $ 9 per hour for pool in Toronto is hard to come by, so I will take that price any time.
Good size venue with well maintained pool tables. Plenty of tables available as it wasn’t busy, but the cue sticks can use some replacing because some of the tips were so badly chipped that it took me 4 to 5 sticks before a settled on a decent one.
Bartender was friendly, courteous and patient as we ordered our beers and she told us about the specials available. Ordering by the bar only, but server/​bartender will bring drinks to the table. Place wasn’t busy, so it would be nice if we had some table service instead of going to the bar each time we wanted a drink. There were two staff members on duty; a bartender and the server who literally just served and did not take orders at the table.
If they’re trying to bring a little class and elegance to the west side, by not having table service, makes it more like a casual place. Perhaps it may be different at night when the place is dim and the lights shine from the chandeliers and pendants.
Overall, a decent pool place in the neighbourhood and I will probably come back to give it another try. Pool challenge anyone?

I was there at the place yesterday. The previous time I went there I used my International License as an ID proof bit this time they did not let me in because apparently I did not have a valid ID. I am 24 years old and I don’t look under 21. The guys took 20 bucks each and let me in. It was past 12 and I couldn’t go anywhere else. And these guys made use of the situation. I am never recommending this place to anybody else.

Went here once on a Saturday and LOVED it! Bar is typical, Plays awesome 90s music, has a smoking patio and is pretty spacious. Awesome place to come with friends and dance it out like no ones watching!

I’ve been here several times over the years, and always had a decent time. The décor is ok (although I really wanted to turn on the fireplace, but I don’t have a magic touch so I stared at a sad, dark fireplace for alot of the evening). My most recent visit was by far the most crowded I’ve ever seen it, though. In the past it’s been half full and the dance floor had plenty of room — on Saturday night it was completely rammed with people.
The mandatory coat check is a bit annoying, sure — but at the same time do you really want to carry your winter coat around a crowded bar for who knows how long? There isn’t much seating, so if you’re lucky enough to crab somewhere (which I was) then it’s fine, but otherwise, suck it up and check your coat.
I don’t order anything other than beer, so I can’t comment on the quality of your douchey mixed drinks, but the servers have always been responsive and nice to me here.
The DJ was nice enough to see my friend and I staring up at him (after a couple of beers, it seems like he’s 50 feet in the air) with dumb looks on our faces, and handed down a clipboard to write our requests on. Ours seemed to have gotten lost in space, but I guess it was the thought that counts?!
To the woman below who was complaining about her friend not getting in because of having no ID — have you ever heard of something called ‘the law’? Just checking.
The crowd seems normal, your usual mix of people that don’t know how to dress appropriately for their body types (pretty sure I saw bare ass cheek), girls wearing winter boots and short men who walk up to your friend asking about her vagina (and then denying any such thing happened, when he’s confronted about it later on).
If you can grab a pool table on a more quiet night, it’s a fun place for sure. If it’s not rammed to the brim like Saturday, it can be a relaxing place to chill and dance silly. If it is rammed, I just don’t understand the mix of pool tables and club scene — it’s impossible to walk anywhere as you have to watch out for being stabbed with a pool cue. But hey, whatever!

What a disappointing place this is I’m surprised that people spend their money here. After our Christmas party dinner a group of 10 of us from the office decided to shoot some pool and try The Raq. Immediately upon approaching the doorman asked for I. D (standard procedure) and one of the members of our group did not have I. D and started arguing with a 37 year old woman that she needed I.D. After speaking to the manager she insisted that I. D was required and that there was nothing that she could do. They just turned away a group who‘s minimum bar tab was going to be $ 1,000.
Oh also to mention the place was not busy and they had MANDATORY coat check. Seriously take your money where customer service is a priority.

The Raq deserves no one’s business. I spent over a thousand dollars hosing my boyfriend’s 40^th birthday party, and they treated my guests awfully.
And in other awful behavior, I went to check in my coat, and was fifteen cents short. I told the lady that I would go get the 15 cents, and she should hold my ticket until I come back. When I came back, she said that someone else took my money and that I owed her three more dollars. I asked for my coat back saying that I had already paid it. Then security came to me demanding three dollars. My coat was in my hand. This place deserves no ones business.

This place is the best of both worlds. Lots of places to sit, a good size dance floor and pool tables. It can take a while to get a drink at the bar but it’s to be expected on the weekends. My family stumbled upon this place a couple of years ago and love coming back :-) Word to the wise however if jersey shore and fake and bakes are not your crowd then i’d avoid it on a saturday night

Part 1 of 2 guys night out! We decided to head out to Queen W to check out the area. This place is a bit strange, almost like a pool bar/​club. Keep in mind Saturday night, this place is packed with a young crowd and a live DJ who can spin a good beat. The Raq doesn’t charge cover, however this place seems to have an identity crisis. You’ve got pool tables all over the place, followed by tables and seats, and a central bar area FOLLWED by Bottle Service booths? really? bottle service? I don’t know if its worth paying for bottles, but i’d be pissed if you’re paying an arm & leg for bottles. Its definitely not upscale, but rather more casual, kind of like a Dave and Busters trying to class it up. In a way this place is an ALL-​IN-​ONE type of deal whether its just for drinks, bday, party, etc.

I went here for a friend’s birthday on a Saturday. This place is great. The music was really good and the Dj is really nice and open to requests. The staff is nice as well. It gets really crowded on the dance floor. which is a good thing. If dancing is not your thing… you can always go play pool, chill on the patio and there are plenty of seats to rest as well. Would love to come back.

2.5 stars.
Let me start by syaing that this place offers a combination that can cater to a group of people wanting to emjoy number of different activities i. e pool, food, dancing, nice patio (winter/​summer). For the price savvy folks like I, there is no cover charge.
The music, makes me tap my foot (my best dance move). Pool tables and ques are good quality, but they all don’t have a lot of room around them. You can only pack enough things in a joint.
Service is a whole other story here. The attitude of the servers and the bartenders is like a freakin’ roller coaster. One moment they will be very friendly and the next, horrible enough piss you right off. This happened more then once and with more then one server. I gave The Raq its chances, I wanted to like it. But I quess they just didn’t want it as much as I did.
Now the straw that broke the camels back!!!
I can not seem to get a consistant Jack and Ginger there. It’s a not a complicated drink and I am not 19 who just wants to plastered. I just want to enjoy my drink. No too much to ask, you would think.
Will I go back?
To soon to say. The wound is still fresh.

The Raq looks clean and is spacious but it has the ‘pub smell’ and simultaneously looks like an Ikea model kitchen. 3 strong drinks will set you back $ 42 and the pool tables take credit cards (whaaat?!). Little character or coziness and not good for dates or intimate gatherings. That said, if you are a group of 20+, you may want to reserve this space. Service is standard. Everything is pretty standard. Its just a regular pub with a touch of fancy décor.

Being that I live between both Queen Street W and King Street W then Dive Bar Fridays became the normal Friday night and Fancy Pants Saturday became the normal Saturday night.
So Dive Bar Friday started off at some bar whose name I did not read before coming here.
The rules for Dive Bar Fridays is ‘no shoes or collars (unless it is a plaid shirt)’ so I went that one stop further and wore a tshirt with a hooded gilet which on entering this place the two burly bouncers told me I can not wear and must either tuck in or take off.
Not wanting to look like a hunchback I took it off but not without making a point that this is a pool bar not the ritz. Lost a star there!
The place itself is pretty open and kind of busy on the night.
Crowd was a bit of a surprise in that they must have got mixed up with fancy pants Saturday because there were guys and girls dressed to the nines.
On the other hand you had the stereotypical pool bar clientèle which made me feel more at home in my casual attire.
I will be revisiting this place to go all Tom Cruise on the pool tables so will update this review then, however it is no longer an option on Dive Bar Fridays.
p. s. they have a dj and a dance floor but its all pretty crap

Saturday night:
Out for a friends birthday, bar/​pool hall/​dance venue.
Venue: I liked it! Really good sized space with a decent patio. Quite alot of seating space, we had a reserved booth with table service. Fair number of pool tables… maybe around 8? Dance floor is not big so gets very busy.
Did Air Con escape this place… it was so hot and sweaty, pretty disgusting! (due to how gross and hot this place was –1star, seriously switch the AC on already!).
Staff: Lot’s of staff, bar service when I used it was fast. Table service was fantastic and our server was on the ball
Music: Generally Top 40, some 90’s/80’s and R’n’B. Music was pretty damn good as I recall… I was barely able to leave the (small) dance floor.
Drinks: For 3 shots and a Vodka/​mixer I was $ 24. Drinks seemed reasonably priced for Queen West.
Crowd: A little ‘douchy’, had a bit of a clubbing district feel to it… which is not what I like to experience when out in Queen West.

A pool hall with riff raff you say? I thought that was mandatory for every pool hall!
I come by The Raq for a few games of pool when I’m bored and I like it here. I mean you can’t go wrong with:
— Clean pool hall
— Equipment in GOOD condition.
— Ok price beer
— Music
— No cover
— Dress code so you don’t get as much riff raff (I should really take a star away for this
:))
— Patio in the summer (there are smokers)
— Couches away from tables for people in your group who don’t want to play
I like this place. I feel safe in this pool hall. It’s far from many pool halls I’ve been to were you feel like you have to be extra cautious because a fight might break out any minute.
I don’t know which days or time are more packed but it seems to be random so I can’t recommend a day or time to visit when it’s busy or not. You’ll just have to take a chance!

The Raq is not a bad place, maybe I am getting a little too old for the scene?
The music is just too loud to the point of deafening… I cannot even carry out a conservation with anyone unless I scream into their ears! I am not that crazy to be scream at for sure.
No cover is great though and they really straight with their dress code as I saw people being turned away.
I ended up chilling out on the patio for a little while… but this is not the nicest patio to hang as it is full of smokers.
This place was not even busy by the time I ready to call it a day… 12:30 AM… no action, might as well go home to sleep!

I love you Tony F… but this place is not my scene!
I would only suggest going here if you are honestly just looking for somewhere to play pool. But don’t expect any peace and quiet. Between the douchy patrons and the horribly mixed Top 40 music, it’s pretty hard to concentrate.
I could see it being a decent venue for a private party but since it’s all rather open concept, it’s ruined by all the other people. Raq N Waq had a beautifully finished interior with a very «King West» look, yet was horribly overrun by the 905er «Entertainment District» crowd. Overall I felt it was very out of place for it’s Queen West location.
Make sure to drink heavily if you go here because it was difficult to handle whilst sober.

Been coming here for about 4 years now, mostly for large parties. The reason? Because this is one of those locales that seemingly has it all!
Pool tables, large patio, DJ (HipHop, House, Top 40’s) and a few black leather couches for that lounge vibe. The décor is modern/​industrial with a few metal gears as center pieces and exposed brick.
Saturdays are generally better than Fridays as they get a bit more packed. Now having said that, The Raq’s clientele can vary from week to week. One week the place will be almost empty with the bulk of clients just chillin’ and playing some pool while on other weeks it can be so packed you can’t even walk and there is a line up just to go out to the patio (!). I have yet to decipher the pattern for that because whether it be summer or winter the amount of people here does vary heavily.
As a rule of thumb though the crowd thickens out a bit after 10:30pm after the DJ starts spinning. Although again, sometimes the floor will be packed and at other times there might just 8 girls rocking the dance floor.
Beer is around the $ 7.00 mark and if you are celebrating a party or with a large group, you really can’t go wrong here as long as your people are happy with themselves and are not depending on a crowded place as you can never be sure. I had parties of over 50 people were we are the social hub of the place.
Also over the years I have noticed they are trying to go a little bit up market and away from say, a sports bar by having an age restriction (21) and a dress code, no ripped jeans, caps, sneakers, etc. Which I do not mind since it does not affect me. Also, it is great to know they don’t charge cover although during the winter months they will on a whim charge you coat check ($ 2-​$ 3) Which can be a bit awkward if you have told your guests there is no fee to pay to get in.
Now something I have noticed recently, (I hosted a party and one of my best friends celebrated his birthday there) in the last couple of weeks, «The Raq» is under new management and are not very good at following up with reservations and other inconsistencies.
For example, I called to make a reservation for 25 people, I was told to call back and leave a detailed message with everything I needed for them to make the reservation and that we were a go.
Found it odd since I never had been asked to do that here but sure whatever, I figured that way they have my reservation on record, so I did.
Left a lengthy message, and then showed up on the day, looked up my section and… «We haven’t heard of you.» What!!! And the area I had asked for had been reserved for a girl’s birthday party.
Their answer was, «Did anyone call you back to confirm?»
Me: «You asked me to leave my reservation on your answering machine. Plus no on told me they would call back to confirm. Besides would you? I spoke to someone directly and told them what I wanted they agreed and asked me to leave you a message.»
Luckily they had some extra space where they could relocate my party but still, that’s not cool. Also my friend ended up having a bit of the same issue with his party.
I later spoke to one of the staff in private and he said that yeah, they had some issues keeping things straight. And that they were working on those. Personally I might wait a while before I use them again. I am just sharing this with you as a FYI. Also I might change my rating to 4 where I originally thought this review should be at once things get straighten out.
If you go with 5 friends or so, then you will like this place.

Way back in the day, this was on my circuit for a hang-​out joint. The foods pretty decent, the pool tables are alright, music on the weekend, a great deck overlooking Queen west, and super flirty waitresses who knew the right things to say to me and milk me for a large tip. What else could I ask for?
I’ve managed to throw a bunch of events here, and the staff have always been very accomodating to me. I had my 30^th Birthday bash here and a 5 year anniversary celebration of that party here as well. If I lived closer and played as much pool as I did back in the day, I’d still be hanging out here.