The Kennedy Public House Reviews

Food is OK. Had brunch and it wasn't anything special. Used to have a better brunch menu in 2016. Place is great for cocktails and meeting friends for a chat, though.

Unfortunately, the Kennedy has gone downhill slowly over the last few years. They never seem to have enough staff and the food is expensive for just being so-so. Yesterday we came in at 2:30pm, it was reasonably busy considering it was not typical lunch hour. There were two servers and one grumpy-looking manager (who was not helping his staff out at all).

We ordered drinks, took about 10 minutes to get them. Then it took a full 30 minutes before our server came back for food orders. We just grabbed our bill and left. Facing the bar, we could see the staff were running around a lot, but I'm not sure why. It was did not seem like an unmanageable number of tables for a server (but I may not know all the information). The manager was walking around, fiddling with his cell-phone and with seemingly random items at the bar. His server was having trouble making drinks and the manager didn't even look at him to see if he could help.

Many times before this, we have had crummy meals, long waits, etc.

We went for an early dinner on a holiday Monday, and while the staff were friendly, the food left a little to be desired. The meals were uninspired and way overpriced for the portions. My husband got the Fish tacos, which each included a piece of fish the size of a McDonald's chicken nugget, and a spoonful of coleslaw. Most of the tortilla had nothing on it, and there was no sign of the "Sriracha aioli", not that the aioli could have saved these sad sad tacos! My mom and I had the Fish and Chips, the size of the piece of fish was no bigger than a granola bar for $18. My dad had the best meal - the pizza. I don't think we'll be eating here again, but we might drop in for a pint and to watch a game.

A gentrified waste of time. The service was terrible. We were seated and then waited forever for someone tot ake our order. The staff were standing around at the bar talking to each other and a few times people walked past us and said hello but never stopped to take our order.

I got the fish tacos, a huge disapointment. There were three tacos, but so underfilled, and with one measly piece of fish in each one. Really only 1.5 properly filled tacos and some extra shells. House salad had dressing, but the dressing was so bland it was hard to tell what kind it was.

Dont waste your time, you will leave hungry and the food is overpriced for what you get. Next time i will just go across the street to that burger place.

Worst manner and management from hostess (I think her name was Jessica) for sitting people. Both times I've been to this place during last yr, we've been rejected to sit in the patio rudely like there's no other patio except theirs. Last week, on a perfectly beautiful sunny warm day (which are very precious and rare) she ruined the day for me and my company.

Dec 2017 edit: Place is permanently closed.

Generally poor/derelict service and overpriced, punctuated by a few bright spots. Hit and miss - depends who you get. In general, not up to par vs. other pubs close by, or compared to the excellent service in Kingsway Village.

Good selection of beers and supernice outdoors patio, I enjoyed a great IPA on a sunny day here :)

No urinals! In a pub!

Is this some ridiculous attempt at political correctness? The toilets are simply cubicles with a shared sink. The result is that toilet waits are much increased, and women may have to suffer drunk men pissing all over the seats. Nobody wins!

Good Food, Good Atmosphere. Food was good - nothing out of the ordinary. Menu seemed too difficult to execute. good beer list. would give 3.5 stars if an option was here.

Great atmosphere and service. Terrible burger and fries! Not the first time aive had not so great food at Kennedy's. Wont be eating there again.

Nice restaurant, food is pricey for the quality, and it's really noisy when crowded

Honnestly the best Mac & Cheese i've eaten in Canada... Seriously... With mushrooms and stuff... Yummy ! Don't go there on a sports night though, it's pretty loud. But it's a sports bar so... pretty normal !

Food was good. Drinks were good. A bit overpriced compared to quality but overall a nice experience.

Didn't even have the Kennedy beer and half of what was on the menu...

Brunch service was slow and the food was expensive for the small amount that you received. The washrooms were also pretty rough.

Great atmosphere and solid service but my fish sandwich sucked.

I felt like I paid $16 for a morsel of battered fish on a glorified breakfast roll.

Used to love my local pub. Just finished the famous Mac and cheese and not a drop of truffle oil. Such a shame! :(

Very good service and the food was quite good too. Whether accessible.

Out of stock of wine, burgers and fish & chips. How are your doors even open?

We dropped by the Kennedy Public House a few months back to meet up with a friend, have a few drinks and a bite to eat. To be clear, it was a Sunday mid-afternoon. And there was an "Open" sign on the door.

We started with ordering a couple of drinks. We tried to order Pinot Grigio, your basic light afternoon wine. Since we both wanted a glass, we ordered a bottle, to be told they only had a glass and a half left in the last bottle they had. Seriously, you carry one Grigio, and you have none available. FYI, there's a liquor store across the street!

Now, let's not shoot the messenger - our server was very nice, and genuinely felt bad every time he told us they had none of what we wanted.

Did I mention this place is largely a bar, that also offers food. Oh, and as such, you might expect clean glasses. Apparently not. The glasses our drinks were served in looked like they hadn't been washed in a week. And as I glanced across the empty tables, one look at the water glasses across the room suggested cleaning glasses isn't really something they do there - yich!

So, back to the food. I was craving fish and chips - and was told they had none.
My wife was craving a burger - and was told they had none (which was weird since 20 minutes later I saw 3 burgers being served to other patrons).

So we were stuck ordering pulled-pork poutine - it was so average. I think poutine seems to be a kitchen's excuse to just jam anything into a bowl, and it doesn't really matter how it turns out. If you're ordering poutine, I guess you probably don't care what it tastes like - that must be what they're thinking when they make this.

I had something called "Baked Gringas". And, upon reflection, I got just what the menu says: "Chopped flat iron steak, cheddar cheese, chipotle sour cream & salsa verde wrapped in a flour tortilla". Needless to say, it wasn't very good. If you're really hungry, you can eat this.

These experiences leave me sad, and frankly, when they said they didn't have the food we wanted, we just should have walked out. But we were settled and who really wants to move about. But we should have. The last thing I like doing is eating lousy food that I didn't want in the first place.

Will never return.

Service was bad, waitress had attitude, and please avoid the fries.

Nice building. Ladies are alright, but can't seem to get a drink without something abnormal in it. In other words, I experience dirty cups often.

Had a Beer it was great, oh and they had the Jay's game on!

2199 salad was supposed to have "seasonal fruits and granola", literally looked like a bowl of spring mix that someone dumped 1/8th of a grocery store fruit salad in. there were like two pieces of melon and I didn't notice any granola. two of these super disappointing salads with two drinks + tip came to 60$.

Guacamole is good. Duck confit is okay. Eccentric might be good at times, but not in the service industry. The waiters and waitresses seem confused or lost here. It might be contagious as I left confused by the experience. Go for the food not the service.

This is the worst restaurant/public house I have ever been in.Nothing redeeming about this place other than some of the staff.

Edit: Gone outta business.

Has really gone downhill in the last year. Still a decent patio for BWV for drinks, food is OK.

Went there to celebrate New Years Eve and had a blast. Food, drink, music and the vibe was great!

Everything on the menu is good. Also there's a lot of salt on the burger.

It's a bit too hipster for me and service when I was there over a year ago was super slow and pretentious.

Awesome as all get out, great fun, easy going atmosphere, pints and good service.

Sangria ... that's not sangria. No flavor, hardly any wine, just ice. And above $ 40. We were a group of 6 and we didn't even finish it.

Food not much better. The very normal Taco El Pastor, the tortilla was constantly breaking. Small portions.

Other friends ordered sandwiches, they didn't finish them either, the bread was a rock.

This place used to be a 5 star location. But I've noticed it starting to slip. I have no idea what happened to the food, It used to be so much better. I remember when this was listed in the top three places in Toronto to get nachos. Now; they are just generic pub nachos and I feel the same can be said for a lot of the menu. Still a decent selection of drinks and nice staff and a decent patio.

Finally! Another decent resto in Bloor West that isn't Dr. G or Yellow Griffin. A welcome change. Good selection of drinks, but fairly conventional stuff. Excellent gourmet sandwiches, pizzas and other mains. The vibe is a bit like an upbeat, hip supper club, except the median age is about 10-15 years older, as in a bizarre mix of "cool", middle age parents out for drinks or dinner with friends, or their teenage kids.

Used to be good, but has really gone down. Overpriced, mediocre food. Chefs hanging out smoking near the end of the patio. Sticky tables - yuk. Needs some strong management to turn things around.

The patio is nice. My only complaint was that I went and they appeared to be understaffed. It took a while for us to get our drinks and food. The food and drinks were good but it took too long.

The Kennedy is one of our favorite go-to places to eat in Bloor West Village: the staff are attentive and friendly, the food is good, and they are very accommodating to small children and young families. We've always felt welcomed and have enjoyed many family dine-out evenings here!

DO NOT EAT HERE! My wife and I Had a pizza on July 4th and got food poisoning from it. This place is really starting to look run-down as well but has seriously bad food. It's a shame there isn't a 0 star rating I feel like 1 is too generous.

Nice location and patio, but underwhelming food. Everything ordered was dry and bland, and did not taste fresh whatsoever. The mimosas, however, were good.

Ordered their steak salad - was amazing! Came here during the afternoon so no one was here. Very spacious space.

Nice patio to have a few drinks but food quality vs price ratio is rough.

Went there about a week ago and ordered the fried chicken and waffles which was around $23. The "fried" chicken was 2 baked frozen breaded chicken pieces, and the waffles were soggy, think and also seemed previously frozen. Absolute night and day difference compared to the same dish at the indie alehouse where it's authentic and freshly made and similarly priced.

Needless to say will not be going here for food again anytime soon, the swan a block over is a much better choice.

The food was decent and didn't standout. Last time I went they were out of half the menu items by 7pm. They expanded their patio so that was nice.

Agree with lots of the comments above. This used to be my favourite pub but the quality of the service and the food itself are so much less than they used to be. Time to find another hangout.....

Food was ok, but the prices were high for the food you get and the portion. Nice patio though.

Go for drinks, but don't stay for the food. Overpriced and small portions, service is never great. Their bathrooms are a bit ridiculous. I have no problem with the unisex nature but the servers have to walk almost through the bathroom to get to the kitchen and something about that just seems very off. Great jazz brunch on the weekend!

Food is good, portions are on the smaller size for the price you pay. Service is always pleasant. Patio is a nice option in the summer. Bathrooms are clean and high chairs are available for kids.

Sat at the bar. Bartender was attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. Great ambience and food too.

Went on a Thursday night with a special someone. Didn't get service for 15 minutes after we sat down(seats in front of bar). finally ordered drinks and waited another 20 minutes but they didn't arrive so we left. Waste of a night.

I've been here a couple of times during the summer and really like the location, decor, cool patio. The pizzas here are pretty good as an appetizer for two or a meal for one.

This is a great option for a dinner date or just some drinks with friends.

This place will be out of business if they continue the way they're going now.

1. Overpriced pub food
2. Food not good. Don't order pad Thai or Poutine
3. Appetizer came out 10 after mains
4. Server was indifferent

Food is way overpriced. $15 for a couple slices of bread with avocado and no side? Puhlllleeeaaaasse!

Update: I decided to give this place another shot. Ordered the Kennedy burger. The taste was good but very small and definitely not worth the high price. Do yourself a favour and go down the street to mugshots or Whelands Gate. It's less money, a much better tasting burger, and you will leave feeling satisfied. Downgrading the Kennedy from two stars to one.

I've given the place around 10 tries. It's in the neighbourhood, it's convenient, it has good atmosphere, and in the summer, a good patio. But honestly, it's the worst. Overcooked or cold food and slow service. We should band together and avoid this place. Maybe they'll make changes or someone will come on staff who cares.

Service was horrible. It took 25 min for someone to come by and take our drink/food order (and okay fine, it was busy). Then we waited another 30 min before we decide to leave without even receiving our drinks. It is very unfortunate since we have been there before and the food was okay but not good enough to wait 1hr without any explanation on why we have not even recieved our beverages.

I went there just now, and I have never experienced such a bad service. Sitting next to the floor manager, he was too focused on his soccer game that he forgot that the staff should not be swearing at people that walk in with inquiries about the place using terms like "creep" "weirdo" and etc. I was sitting at the bar studying for school and the servers were eating yelling and talking about their issues, I had to move seats, I was having a glass of Chianti and I was trying to have lunch, but I don't stand servers and bartenders who yell so much and are disrespectful towards their guests.... I had to stand up and pay for my bill without having lunch (or even finishing my glass of wine) because the service was so bad. If I were the owner I would start firing people for the treatment

Best hangout in bloor west village! Great place to watch sports and very nice patio.

The place is open concept so cam be quite loud at times. The food is good (Mac & cheese). The bar carries a nice beer list. It is on the expensive side for both food and drink.

Nice atmosphere but overpriced for the quality of the food. Good beer selection.

Pakora was overfried but tasted good. Other food was ok.

I feel like it tries too hard to be really cool. Menu items seemed a bit too elaborate. The batter on the fish and chips was very dense and I had to send back the fries.

Pints were good. The food was overpriced garbage. Flatbread from no frills sold as a 17$ pizza.. Nice ambiance.

Great ambiance however the food always seems to disappoint me.

Overpriced. Bad food. Tiny menu. My wife and I had two separate meals - her's was burnt and mine was soggy. Small portion sizes. I feel bad for the staff there because it's a nice place with lots of potential. Someone is messing it all up.

Cool vibe and good cocktails. Service was slow and one woman seemed to be doing everything.

Had an excellent time tonight at the Kennedy Public House. From the attentive hostess, to our excellent server Andrew, I'm very delighted with our choice to eat here tonight. The food was delicious, our server Andrew was extremely attentive to our table, and the atmosphere is great. A small detail, but the chef's choice to add lime to the coleslaw accompanying my Kennedy burger was incredible - just enough bitter to counter the often rich taste that creamy coleslaws usually have.

I will certainly be back, and will have no problem referring my friends to do the same.

not enough staff so service was slow. Servers were all great

Food is good, but the service could be better. Servers make frequent visits to the table at the beginning of the visit, seem to disappear as I want the bill.

Wild mushroom soup is amazing. And the sweet potato fries are great.

$6 caesars and mimosas for Sunday brunch. My over easy egg request came out over hard, and toast was burnt.

Next time, I'd only go for the cheap brunch drinks

I was pleasantly surprised by this local pub located in the Bloor-West area. It has a nice atmosphere. I tried the avocado sandwich and mac n cheese. Both were nice. I'll go back if I'm in the area.

Place is ok with a great location so very busy....however, food is very unimpressive and overpriced though. Took them an hour to bring the food. Drinks are expensive for what they are too.

This use to be my "go to" pub to enjoy a beer or two. They recently changed to mostly craft beer (no Steamwhistle, Stella, etc). The last couple of times I was there, they were out of 2 different craft beers. I left both times without ordering.

This is a happening place. However it is very loud and the attention to detail on their food leaves a lot to be desired. For instance getting your steak cooked as you requested is more by accident than by design.

Great food and decent prices on drinks. Service is a little sparse, but friendly.

3.5 starts if able. Decent food. Pricey. Staff was great. Music was pretty loud.

The place has a nice patio and a good atmosphere inside.

The calamari sandwich is AMAZING!

A decent pub with a good patio. Both the service and food we're good.

I had a burger and two drinks and my total came out to $50 and the burger was subpar. I found the food to be mediocre and the prices to be high for what you get

I had the Baked Gringas and a beer, the perfect combo!

Good drinks, but the music was too loud. The live music was fine though.

Personally I don't understand what a bar is or what they serve here but I found the washrroms to be sub par and the food was made of chicken. I knew a waiter that worked here and she was so beautiful and made of gotten so I gave her one $1000 filler CAD. Great experience overall