The Double Deuce

Sexy bathroom pictures in the ladies room. Someone has been collecting old pron.
Late night karaōke on a Thursday with a great dj, and people who can actually sing. It’s a great place to wind up.
Definitely NOT a dive bar. My shoes did not stick to the floor.

Best karoake on Thursday nights! Drink specials are generous too.

Tonight was the first time I’ve been to The Double Deuce. And if this place is supposed to be a dive bar — as it’s categorized — then it’s definitely one of the nicest ones I’ve been in!
I can’t comment on the food, as I was there to meet friends for drinks. But for West Queen Street West, I’d say pricing for beverages (beer/​wine/​liquor) was more than reasonable. And service in terms of getting refills was excellent. (That may have been because we were there earlier, but it was stellar just the same.)
The DJ tucked away in a corner was also excellent! The tunes he spun totally matched the ambience.
My only quibble was the Deuce’s seating. It’s narrow and skinny — a la Unit — so seating’s not abundant. especially if the group you’re meeting for drinks is larger than three or four people. But it’s West Queen West, so it goes with the territory.
Otherwise, this is one place I’d definitely recommend visiting for dinner and/​or drinks. Giddy up.

$ 12 drinks at a ‘dive bar’?! Our margheritas were average. For a bar that is so casual and low-​key, I can’t get over their steep prices.

I just wanted to add my quick two cents on this one but I’ve been here twice now and loved it.
The DJ that played the first time must have stolen my memories because he managed to play nothing but 90s hip hop and not the run of the mill stuff that everyone heard on the radio but weird stuff like Boogiemonsters, Blahzay Blah and a Bad Boy remix of a Craig Mack tune. Amazing.
The second time was the owner playing his stuff which was also thoroughly enjoyable.
I couldn’t tell you what the back room looks like because it’s always been too full to get back there but the bathrooms were clean and a good size. The bar is a little too close to the wall for my liking if you’re sitting on the little stools but there was plenty of standing/​sitting room at the front.
Great selection of drinks from micro-​brew to speciality mixed drinks and the bartenders were super friendly and attentive. They were also more than happy to join in when everyone started singing Wu Tang’s C.R.E.A.M.
I would happily make this a five if it were a little larger place. I feel a little claustrophobic here.

Simply spectacular.
Sunday to Thursday are the new Friday and Saturday. Come here on any of those nights and you’ll fall head over heels for the marvelosity that is Double Deuce. Bold cocktails expertly made with the finest spirits, plus a selection of beer that everyone already loves. The charcuterie plates and other ‘finger foods’ on offer look wonderful, and were I to visit around dinnertime I’d snatch up a few rounds. There’s a massive vintage marquee that spans the entire westside wall that you’ll wish was part of your home décor. The music is essentially a feed into my brain’s personal soundtrack (Royksopp, Miike Snow, The Antlers, Mint Royale), the vibe unpretentious, and the bartenders and owners terrifyingly cool and welcoming.
Among the drinks I’ve tried here (2 oz. cocktails for $ 12):
* Chef Cory’s Aphrodisiac (Finlandia vodka, Chambord, lemonade),
* Lavendar Sidecar (Hennessy, Cointreau, lavender honey)
* Tequila Maggy (El Jimador agave syrup, basil, lemon, soda)
The New Brunswick Special looks appealing — a bottle of Moosehead with a punch in the face. My brother ordered it but the gorgeous bartender was feelish sheepish and didn’t want to punch him right then and there.
I wholeheartedly endorse weeknight visits — on a Friday or Saturday night you’ll quickly learn that Double Deuce is no longer Parkdale’s best kept secret, and I’ll be crowing «don’t say I didn’t warn you.»
Can’t wait to visit in the summer when the back patio is in full effect.

I really like this place. It has the exact kind of relaxed vibe I like in a local. It’s warm and cozy and the awesome art deco massive Cocktail BAR sign in the front is visually arresting and adds to the cool factor.
The music they play is also very cool and eclectic and not like anywhere else.
Let’s start with the drinks, shall we, as that as where we started last night! Nice beer list, with a mix of local and top choice imports. My eye drifted from the beer list to the drink list behind the bar, and I surprised myself by ordering a Mexican breakfast — a shot of Jimador with a chaser of Sol. Yes, I do like this joint. As Deanna pointed out, the drink list follows that example, with shot and beer pairings. Did I mention I like this joint?
Food-​wise, there’s no kitchen so it’s cold plates and sammies. We opted for the meat plate which was approx $ 15 and included some really authentic tasting chorizo, proscuitto, salami, olives and thin bread. This isn’t charcuterie from The Black Hoof, but they aren’t open on Wednesdays anyway. It was very good and we ate every bite, and the grainy mustard that came with it was appreciated.
Nice staff, if a little scattered. Overall, I am glad it’s in my hood, and it stands a good chance of becoming a local fave.

The Double Deuce is not a dive. Grossman’s Tavern is a dive. Double Deuce: NOT a dive. With a picture of Patrick Swayze adorning the front door and a huge and I mean HUGE «Cocktail BAR» neon sign resting above the bar, double deuce will readily offer you almost-​half-​pint samples of their 12 beers on tap. They will also make you killer sandwiches and chili that will be served up with the nonchalant attitude of a goddess turned actress turned waitress. Her rolling eyes are easily forgettable when the tunes change from Metric to Kim Carnes back to Lykke Li. Such genius is coming from the personal DJing skills of the ‘guys’ behind the bar laughing and joking it up like they’ve known you since grade 1.
The DD feels like a warm Snuggie waiting for you with open snuggie arms and a chilled pint of MacAuslan Oatmeal Stout.

Discovering the Double Deuce feels like hitting gold among the swarm of trendy, «it» places in Parkdale. It’s unpretentious, cozy and dark inside-​it really screams «perfectly put together dive bar». The FARC’s have had their eyes set on this new spot for awhile now and boy are we glad we came because it’s a diamond in the rough. The staff are friendly and on the ball, the music is an eclectic mix of everything and the food though simple, rocks my world.
There a few odd aritfacts decorating this place from the «cocktail bar» fluorescent light sign and a stern boar’s head staring you down at the wooden bar. And there’s wood everywhere. The crowd is a mixed bag and nobody is here to one-​up another in the hip, hot and cool department. In other words, you come here to drink and chat with friends then to worry about fitting in!
The food is listed on a short card and it consists of sandwiches, salads and mixed plates of either meat, cheese or vegetables. A little bit of everything to appease the bar eaters and these are eats are cheap too: nothing is above $ 15 on the simple menu. Our discerning duo share a brisket sammie and some tortilla chips with guac and salsa and are pleased with both. The brisket sandwich is divine intervention for a bar sandwich as it’s juicy and fatty and paired with the right ingredients for extra flavour: cheddar, yello tomatoes, carmelized onions and a swipe of bbq mayo. Throughout the meal the duo is continually enticed by the sights and smells coming from the small bar kitchen, everything looks and smells fab.
The cocktails consists mostly of beer-​tails: a pint of beer sided with a shot of liquour but they’ll gladly whip you up something else provided they have the ingredients. Beer enthusiasts will be happy here as well for there’s tweleve beers on tap and some more interesting selections in bottles. Dogfish head-​wahoo!

I love this bar. I found an new oasis on Queen Street only steps away from the Drake and the Gladstone and the plethora of the usually seen and wannabe seen places that litter the cusp of Parkdale. This is my kinda place. I just want to carve my name into one of their stools and take up residence. Just so you know, a double deuce is a glass of something off the beer tap chased by a shot of hard core booze. The DD lists a blackboard of double deuce combo’s, that they refer to as «breakfasts» guaranteed to kill whatever sorrow you came in to drown. The combo’s are ten bucks… with the exception of the East Coast Breakfast which is a glass of Keith’s followed by a punch in the head, that special is twenty five bucks. :) How can you not love a bar where this kind of wry (or in this case, rye) humour abounds.
Dea, my FARC sista, and I were in serious need of libations and consolation so we huddled up at the bar last night and whacked back some cocktails and chowed down on some of the best bar food we’ve had in ages. At the end of the bar, in a space about 5′ x 5′ a chef/​cook fills all the food orders. When was the last time you saw a basket of gorgeous, ripe, delicious heirloom tomatoes in a bar? While swilling our booze our schnozes were filled with the heavenly scent of grilling cheese sandwiches (aged cheddar!) and percolating chili. There are small cheese boards ($ 8 bucks), meat boards and a decent hummos & olives & crostini board. We opted to share a brisket sandwich that was mmmmmmmmmmmm inspiring. Brisket topped with melted aged cheddar, piled with caramelized onions and heirloom tomatoes and sided with some tortillas chips & salsa.
The taps at the DD are really decent from Okanagan Springs to Grasshopper, glasses range from $ 5.50 to $ 7.50. The tunes rock from Bob Marley to The Clash, as Dea and I sang along (how can you not sing along to Bob Marley?). The staff are so laid back but on top of the comings and goings of their patrons. There ain’t no glitz in this joint. It’s rough and raw and that only adds to why I like this place so much. It’s a long, tall, cool drink of water on Queen Street. Did I mention that I love this place?