Lansdowne Brewery

The beer was great although I felt the stout could use some more aging. The lack of coziness is a real problem though. It just isn’t very inviting. Now I know that a brewpub should be all about the beer but in reality when I enjoy that beer I want to be in a space that makes a statement. Whether it say industrial or working brewery or cozy nook or über-​hip — it doesn’t matter but it has to have an attitude. The room just feels bland. When people go out for a beer but it isn’t just about the beer it is about the whole experience. Designers and furnishings are expensive but you simply can’t ignore ambiance when the competition isn’t. Either make the room more inviting or lower the prices accordingly. Again, great beer though.

Gord and I headed to Lansdowne Brewery this evening for supper. They opened in July and we have been wanting to check them out.
The eventual plans are to brew their own beer in the back. For now, they sell beer from some of the smallest craft brewers and cider makers from in and around Toronto.
Appetizers were $ 5 ’til 7pm. Gord got two orders of the chicken skewers. I got an order of chicken skewers and frites. The skewers were thighs and were tender and flavourful. The dipping sauce was good. The fries were freshly cut and the aioli was good too.
Nicole was our server. She was friendly and took excellent care of us. Darrin, one of the founders, was there and we had a good chat with him.

Pretty good experience, maybe closer to 3.5 stars but I’ll round up since these guys are new to the neighbourhood and I see lots of potential.
As mentioned in other reviews, these guys aren’t actually brewing beer yet, so they instead focused on bringing in a slew of unique craft options. Standard 20oz pints go for $ 8, served in their customized/​branded glasswear goblets. A 12oz glass goes for $ 6, and tallboy cans generally go for $ 8 as well.
I was impressed with the beers since I actually got to drink a couple of beers that I have never had before. Although I will say that as a piece of criticism, they should try to be a bit balanced. The tap menu was completely devoid of any kind of golden lager or pilsner. While I and most craft beer snobs I know are up for hop heaviness or full flavoured ales all the time… This leaves a blank spot for people like my wife who just want easy drinking crushable beer. Perhaps flights or sample glasses could be an option as well to lesser the intimidation of trying such unique beers, and would especially be valuable once they are actually trying to showcase their own brews. In my wifes case though, the wildcard flavour potential lead her to quickly reverted to the wine list to get back in her comfort zone.
Food wise, I would say the food is all pretty good. Admittedly the portions could be a bit bigger, but for its price was reasonable. The Involtini (braised pork wrapped in thinly sliced rib eye — $ 15) was probably the best tasting thing we had. The deep fried pickles ($ 8) were good too but the horseradish-​mayo-​mustard sauce was a less than exciting dipping companion.
In the end, Lansdowne Brewery is a welcome addition to the neighbourhood with the arguable the most unique beer selection west of Ossington. And for that fact alone, I’m sure I’ll stop in again real soon.

Had dinner there last night. Good spot, great addition to the neighborhood. Had the daily pasta (chicken meatballs and linguine) and the flank steak. Both were very good. Service was friendly, playlist was charming. The space is still a bit echo-​y and lacking a coziness, but I think that will come in time. I’m happy it’s finally open!

The Food: We shared the pickled eggs. They were very lightly pickled, more just hard boiled, but tasty nonetheless. The flank steak was great and a very generous portion. The pickerel was perfectly done and the salad it was served with was good too.
The Beer: See the photo. Would be nice to have the apv of the cans listed on the menu. Great unique selection! Yay beers!
The Service: Attentive. Good overall. I asked about a patio. Not totally ruled out for future, so good news there.
The Ambiance: Kind of noisy. Warehouse space means the sound bounces all around and you can hear every chair move and every voice. Not that much of an issue. A bit bland in the table/​chair choice. The old photos of the area on the wall are fun and an understated art choice. Hope they come up with a coat rack or something come winter.
The Bathrooms (w): Clean. Well lit. Not huge.
We’ll be back. Glad this place finally opened and it’s really good!

After a long wait and walking by every once in a while, my local brew pub has finally opened. Passed by on a Sunday evening after a weekend away and wanted to get home, but couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
For various reasons unbeknownst to me, they are not brewing their own beer yet. However, they do have about 8 – 10 craft beer draught selections, and around the same amount in bottles. Was able to try some small samples and pick the one I wanted. I hadn’t heard of a few of the selections, which is what every craft beer junkie wants to see when going in an establishment.
They also have a small menu thus far, which includes a house ground burger and a hand made pasta dish. I had the burger and it was solid but unspectacular, which is fine by me. Looking forward to trying the pasta dish next time.
I’m rooting for this place to do well and will go back. There will be some growing pains along the way, but hopefully they work out the kinks and get some traffic heading that way.