The Mugshot Tavern

While the Mugshot’s gimmick is cute, but their food and drink offerings are stellar. The fried chicken, their Sunday dinner, and the catfish are all absolutely delicious — easily a step above most similar restaurants on Roncie, which would be the closest independent competition. Indeed, Id say the Mugshot is the signature tavern between Keele and Dundas West stations.
They also have a great summer patio. Just the right amount of sunshine and the service up there is pretty fast.
I do recommend calling ahead to ask how busy they are. Mugshot fills up fast on weekday evenings!

Gord and I had brunch today at the Mugshot Tavern.
Gord had the Trademen’s Breakfast and swapped his toast for an English muffin. He said it was really good and he’d get it again.
I ordered a burger (minus lettuce and onions). It was a good hearty burger. I was pleasantly surprised to discover two patties. They were juicy and seemed to be made in-​house rather than frozen. The potato wedges were good too. I’d get this again.

This is the closest bar to me (literally 2 mins down the street) so I don’t know why I had never gone before!
Mugshot has a great laid back atmosphere, friendly staff, huge selection of craft beers (and my favourite Pommie’s cider) and seriously delicious Mac and cheese! The salad that I ordered on the side was average, but the Mac and cheese was so flavourful! (VERY filling though!).
I will definitely be back to this local place soon!

Very over priced food and drinks not the best service very loud so loud that you almost can’t hear the person you are talking to.

My new favorite! The food and service was both amazing. Some of the best wings I have ever had! This is my new local go to!

Hands down, Mugshot Tavern has become our go to local option and I would highly recommend it to anyone living in the area.
Enjoy a delicious local indie IPA on cask or one of their 2 rotating taps. Make sure you come with an appetite because the portion sizes here are huge. Order the Southern Fried Chicken with slaw and a side mac and cheese and you will see what I mean.
Come in for a weekend brunch and take advantage of their $ 4 Caesars (until 3pm). If you are looking for the ultimate hangover cure, the Breakfast Poutine or Southern Eggs Benedict served with 2 poached eggs over southern fried chicken and waffles topped with white gravy (or swap it out for hollandaise) will be sure to hit the spot. Follow through with a 2 hour nap and when you wake up you will feel like a million bucks — guaranteed.
Last but certainly not least, the one thing that really stands out about Mugshot is its people. Super chill and unpretentious, they always make you feel at home, and the atmosphere has this cool rustic, cozy vibe that has really started to grow on us.

Had to try this place because it’s close and got highly reviewed. The place has definitely got great spirit. The staff are friendly and helpful and there is a real community feel with their regulars.
Food was underwhelming though. Had the Mac and cheese fritters by Unilocal recommendation. They were not hot and fresh tasting and had the feel of frozen jalepeño poppers with Mac and cheese inside instead of gooey hot cheese.
I would definitely come again for drinks and ambiance but might pass on the food.

Was back in last week. They nailed it. Had the Fish & Chips — it was perfect, perfect portion size (huge but not wasteful), perfect batter, perfect chips. Malt vinegar brought without asking.
We also ordered a burger. I’ve had their burgers before, they’ve always been great but this time — OMFG!!! They moved to a double patty. I was initially concerned it would be too much meat — not at all, it was perfect! All the cheese was stashed in between the patties so every bite was cheesy deliciousness. The crispy jalapeños had just enough heat. The bun was awesome.
The cherry on the top was some ridiculously good saison that was a collaboration between Nicklebrook and Saw Dust City. I couldn’t get enough of it.
These guys consistently put out great food and drink. A definite must-​go.

Loved the catfish sandwich and the Collingwood saison they had on one of their rotating taps. Very cool décor theme and great service.
Went on a Friday night around 6:30 and got the last table for two. A reservation might be recommended. Most tables/​booths only seat 2 – 4. There is maybe one table that could fit 6. I’m looking forward to checking out the rooftop patio next summer.

I love this place, I’ve been quite a few times and the staff are always lovely. The rainbow trout, wings, and Mac and cheese are fantastic. The fried chicken wasn’t the best, but nothing wrong with it. Aside from that, great décor, newly renovated restrooms, and a bowl of water on the patio for dogs. Great spot.

The service is excellent and the brunch is one of the best in this neighborhood. What else can I say?!
It’s oddly a great place for a date — the back of the bar is quiet and romantic, while the front is more of a pub. Also, they have a great beer selection on tap.

This is a nice neighbourhood pub to grab some drinks with friends. Laid back and with a good selection of beers for all to enjoy.
Near the back of the pub is where you can find the namesake of the place where you can have your mugshot taken. The effect works better after a full night of drinking so you get that really good mugshot. ;-)
I tried their jalapeño burger with havarti and it was good. The jalapeño pieces were crispy and had some heat to it. The rest of the burger was your standard fare but it was done with care.

This place is fun! The staff are friendly and easy going. Loved that our waitress have some good menu suggestions and was very attentive … Service was A+ tried the pulled pork tacos with a side salad. Loved all of it. There are two tacos and if you are hungry or have a large appetite … This meal won’t suffice. My friend ordered the vegetarian burrito and she said it was delicious and really really filling. The patio was open and it was a great night to relax and enjoy the weather. The hot sauce (made by the restaurant) was really really good! Will return.

Picked this place for a first date, mainly because of how close it is to High Park. It was great! The cozy and intimate rooftop patio where we sat, is shielded from the sun so you don’t bake in the summer heat. The wait staff is very friendly and the food we ordered was delicious. We had the Mac and Cheese Fritters and the Buffalo Fries. I don’t know too much about Craft Beers which is what these guys serve, but the bartender was helpful in selecting something that I enjoyed. Would definitely recommend this place to someone for a similar date situation. Very nice to be able to walk off the beer and food across the street at the park.

Pub/​bar with a lovely rooftop patio. I had dinner here with a friend and ordered the server recommended Ancho Veggie Burrito ($ 14). I’m not big on burritos and don’t normally go vegetarian, but I have to say the flavours were incredible. You don’t even notice it’s vegetarian. It comes with a nice house salad which is tossed in a house made (I think) balsamic.
We didn’t drink much but they have quite a selection of reasonably priced craft beers on tap.
Ambience-​wise, I loved all the different mugshots of celebrities, cartoon characters, famous criminals and everything in between. My fav was the Simpsons mugshots poster. The patio is small but cosy. I can see it being packed in the summer as it’s a nice spot to have a couple beers with friends.

Well, I live in the area and yet I usually don’t spend my evenings at local establishments. Even though there are tons of options in every direction, even right next to the place, the Mugshot holds up its own. First of all, The idea and décor is awesome, did you know Jimmi Hendrix was arrested in Toronto? You can see his mugshot there. So many celeb mugshots there, plastered all over any available wall.
Next, the beer… An ever-​rotating list of Ontario casks and mainstay favourites (King’s Brewery for example), whenever friends come down to my area for a drink, that’s the first place on my list. If you are not sure about a brew, the friendly staff will bring you a sample. You’ll probably like it, but just in case :)
All the food I tried there was excellent, from nibbles to full meals, salads, mac&cheese, everything. The kitchen shines in every way.
The staff is super friendly and chill, bartenders there know all about every aspect of beer, I like having conversations about home brewing, they gave me tons of tips and even provided classy bottles for my collection at no charge.
If I didn’t live here I’d be there all the time, but it’s just too easy haha, a great tavern right down the street.

The low down is that this place has great beer selection but service is hit or miss. We came in last night and was greeted by a very friendly female bartender, however our male server had some attitude that made me question why he went into the service industry if he didn’t care about his customers! You are being paid and tipped for being nice!
Located near Keele station, it’s a good location. We had read that the food was amazing, but when we tried the yam fries, they were barely cooked. Yuck!
The venue was fairly spacious and could hold maybe 40 – 50 people. It’s basically a bar with decent food, nothing special except for their «mugshot» theme.
Overall, would not recommend — definitely overrated.

The Mugshot is my favorite spot in Toronto. Here’s why:
–The staff rules! They are super friendly, attentive without being smothery, quick with a pint, and go above and beyond to make everyone (including American tourists) feel at home.
–The food rules! Their barbeque pork sandwich is phenomenal (I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, so I know a thing or two about BBQ) and I have actually considered booking a Porter flight from CHI to TO just to have their macaroni and cheese fritters. And the few times when I have felt the need to order a healthier meal, I have really enjoyed their salads and curry specials.
–The drinks rule! When I travel, one of my favorite things to do is sample the local beer offerings. And The Mugshot has local brews in droves! Bonus: They always seem to have some kind of cool, obscure cask option. Double-​bonus: If you’re on the fence about a particular beer, the bartenders are great about offering up a sample taste. Triple-​bonus: Order «The General»…just do it.
–The people rule! When I came to The Mugshot for the first time, I was a total stranger. When I left, I felt like it was my hometown pub and that the staff and the regulars were my TO family. I know the Cheers reference is totally overused, but it totally applies here, down to the sassy but sweet cocktail waitress and the bartender with the impressive head of hair!
–The location rules! Right off the Keele train station, just at the end of High Park, within stumbling distance from 7-​Eleven (in case you get a desperate late-​night craving for Canadian delicacies like WineGum candies and All-​Dressed chips). If you’re too impatient (or cold) for the train, it’s super easy to hail a cab on Bloor.
I love The Mugshot and I’ll never make a trip to Toronto without stopping there for a pint and a meal. My only complaint is that I need a passport to get to it!

It’s really unfortunate that my previously positive feelings about this place were destroyed by a recent experience. Bf and I walked over to Mugshot on a Saturday evening a few weeks ago. It was the first time I had been there at such a busy time, and there was a bit of a wait for a table. After speaking to someone, whom we believe to be some kind of manager based on the way he directed the other staff, we waited near the front of bar for a while. Perhaps 5 – 10 minutes later we were offered 2 seats at the bar, and told by the same guy that they’d get us to a table «as fast as possible». We ended up having to flag down the bartender for drinks. He took his time getting them to us, and forgot entirely about the water we’d requested. We then asked for menus and ordered food, still awaiting our table 15 – 20 minutes later.
Finally, we saw a booth behind us clearing out, excited that we’d be able to move over in time for our meal. Perplexingly, several guys approached the table. We assumed this was without the staff’s knowledge and it’d soon be sorted out. At that moment the waiter/​manager arrived with our food in hand. We asked him what was happening with our table which was now occupied by other people, and he said something along the lines of «oh, well they are a group of four and I thought you’d decided to stay at the bar». It seemed like he was hoping we’d conveniently forget that we’d been waiting for a table, and like stereotypically polite Canadians, not make a fuss. Obviously four people are more important than two. When I pushed the matter, he threw the bartender under the bus saying he «usually communicates that kind of thing» and again insisting he thought we decided to stay at the bar. I’m not really sure what he was supposed to have communicated being that nothing changed since our initial conversation. Realizing, that I wasn’t going to concede, he apologized to the guys now seated at the booth saying he «didn’t realize the table had been promised» to us. Further angered, I pointed out that we had been promised by HIM and not someone else. After this exchange the waiter/​manager never returned to our table for the duration of our meal. To top it all off, when we left an understandably small tip the waitress whom we were now encountering for the first time, shot us an unimpressed look. At that point we started to question who would even be the recipient of the tip; the shitty manager, the bartender who had served us or the waitress who cleared our table and took payment.
This experience has left such a bad taste in our mouths that we will not return. Sad, because the food is actually pretty good, as are their beer selection and cocktails.

Good local beers, interesting décor (mugshots from the 1800s to the debauched celebrities of today) and good company. Recommende if you are you in the High Park/​Keel hood.