The Irv Gastro Pub

Came here for lunch.
Service is awesome. The server refilled my Coke without asking. Free refills
Food was delicious. I ordered the St. Lawrence market sandwich with hash browns. The sandwich was pretty good. The mustard sauce was a bit overwhelming and not too sweet, but the bacon was delicious. The hash browns had both sweet potatoes and regular potatoes. $ 12
Prices are reasonable.
The place is bigger than I thought. there’s a whole area in the back and it can accommodate large parties.
Will definitely come back!

Great place for drinking, eating and patio sitting!

I am usually a purest when it comes to pouting — fries, gravy and cheese curds. So I was a bit apprehensive to try something new. They had a pulled pork pouting and I desired to partake. It was friggin’ incredible. It had the perfect balance of gravy to fries to curd ratio. I talked about it for days, weeks even.

This place is precious. The employees are so friendly and the vibe is great.
They always change up the menu and have great specials.
I’ve been here a few times but last time I got the tacos (every Tuesday they have a new taco special). Delicious.

Burgers were good, I had the kobe and brisket burger and my friend had chicken burger, both were very good. In house made ketchup mustard and mayonnaise was a nice added touch. service was on point, atmosphere was welcoming. Prices were average. It’s a small place so if your traveling in large groups reservations would be ideal. (Not sure if they accept reservations) given the food service and atmosphere I would return in the future.

My son-​in-​law Matt hosted a birthday party for my daughter Nadia here last night.
They discovered this place while visiting Toronto a few months ago.
Nadia is from Toronto and likes to visit frequently to see family and friends.
Matt worked here for a few years and likes to touch base with friends he made at that time. Now that they have two children, Nadia likes to introduce my grandchildren to her favourite places she remembers visiting as a child.
The restaurant has a semi-​private back room, which although noisy, can handle 20 or more guests allowing some privacy for a party.
The owner greeted us all at the door. Street parking is available. Washrooms are located at the bottom of some steep stairs on the lower level. A small patio is off to one side of the restaurant allowing those wanting to eat outside a nice place to do it.
We were greeted with platters of cheese, bread, fruit, chutney, shaved meat and popcorn and edamame bowls as starters. The selections were printed on a private birthday menu with my daughter’s name on it, which was a nice touch. We were offered the choice of a half chicken or baked halibut dinner. Both were delicious. The appetizer was a wonderful mild curry soup. Staff were very attentive and gracious. Our drinks orders were taken and filled regularly according to our requests.
It was a wonderful night. I would return in heartbeat for another meal if I lived closer.

I went to the Irv for lunch on Friday with my husband. I ordered the chicken and waffles and they came at a very reasonable time. However when I bit into the waffle it had a chemical taste to it — not expected! The server even tasted the waffles from that batch and confirmed that it was not very good. Then I had one of the chickens and it tasted fine but when I cut into the second piece I was very disturbed. The chicken was was still bleeding and raw! Let’s just say I wasn’t in the mood to eat after that. But the server suggested I order something else. I ordered the kale and beet salad and I wasn’t too impressed. The beets were overcooked and the raisins in the salad just didn’t go with the whole thing.
The server was really apologetic and comped my meal which was a positive.

My partner and I arrived at the Irv with the magical mix of high hopes, great moods and middling expectations that make for a truly delicious night. We wandered in from the street expecting nothing but cheap beer and acceptable burgers, but alas the Irv ultimately delivered a difficult to swallow mix of rapid, delicious and beer discounted expectation growth and followed by dry, slow disappointment.
When we arrived, the place was busy and pleasantly loud— there was catchy, live music in the front bar, a packed patio with perfect weather and a booked solid back room from some sort of large party happening. Our server was funny, friendly and immediately pointed out great cheap drink specials. We snapped these up alongside a delicious goat cheese/​chickpea fritter appetizer that set us up for a night of big joy and mild to moderate drunkenness.
But then, alas, we were forgotten by the staff. I think our waiter (and the kitchen) were overwhelmed by the big party, as a long stretch (a good 25 min) passed without service, food or refills. No biggie. Really. Our server showed up eventually and offered us a pitcher of beer on the house, and I was immediately back to high flying goat cheese joy.
In theory.
The free beer never came! I waited in cotton mouthed anguish for another 20 minutes (still no service) until a decent but somewhat dry half chicken (and my partner’s similarly decent but dry Cobb salad) arrived to simply mock our empty beer glasses. The bill came brusquely and without commentary an hour later, no free beer, paid for beer or even water had arrived, and we left saddened and full, but thirsty.
Such high hopes!

I wanted to love Irv Gastro Bar. We entered off the street without a clue of the establishment’s reputation. However, unfortunately my dream was a bust.
We were greeted by a nervous man in shorts who abruptly set us down. A second server, a lovely man with a luscious beard, approached us and was our main server about 50 percent of the time. He was great, gave food advice and was a general cheer to be around.
We grabbed the generous drink special (10 dollar mini pitchers) and ordered our meal. We had the goat cheese and chickpea fritters, the Cobb Salad and the ½ chicken. The meal took a ton of time to get out. My girlfriend and I were having a great time, so that wasn’t a big deal. We joked with the servers about the delay, and it was all in good fun — however, the server with shorts made the generous offer of free drinks due to us being so cool about the delay. Unfortunately, the free drinks offered were a bust — they never showed up. And neither did any other servers for the rest of our meal! We sadly sat there with no drink refills.
The meals themselves were not up to our high expectations. Our cobb salad didn’t have enough dressing nor protein. It was more like a side salad, rather than an entrée. The half chicken was not deeply marinaded and thus was dry on the inside. The corn bread was great as was the purple potato salad.
Overall, we were very excited for this to be a great spot, and were charmed by the bearded server and great ambience, but it failed in its number one mission: decent food and properly served drinks.

My favorite Cabbagetown eatery hands down. Great food. Amazing staff. Nothing beats sitting on the patio with an Irv draught, grilled cheese (best ever!) and pail of frites. Definitely my summer hangout.

My friend and I were looking for a place to grab a bite before seeing a concert at the Phoenix. I didn’t have high hopes especially when the one ok-​looking place was closing it’s doors just as we arrived. We decided to walk down the street and try our luck, and happily we landed upon The Irv.
It’s a small place but it was packed and they had a guy playing guitar and singing which was a nice touch. There was a large patio but given how beautiful the weather was, it was full as expected. Luckily there was some seating in the back. The inside is really cute, this place isn’t something I would expect in this area. Then again, I’m rarely downtown so what do I know!
I wound up having the chickpea and goat cheese fritters, was supposed to come with carrots and coriander salad, but thankfully the coriander was swapped out for arugula which I had no beef with. They were DEE LISH. Sadly my only complaint is that I wish there were more! Lightly crispy on the outside, the insides were not burning hot. Didn’t taste greasy. Yum. My friend got the roasted beet and kale salad which was presented beautifully and she seemed to really enjoy it.
I’ll have to keep this place in mind for future concerts… from the looks of these other reviews, I want to try the fish & chips!

The Pulled Pork Poutine was really good but not as good as the Fish and sweet potato fries. Quality service and quick even though it got a bit busy.
The waitress was nice and noticed that something was wrong with one of the meals we ordered and she took the charge off the bill. That wasn’t needed but it shows they care and we greatly appreciated it. Great food at a good price… Go and you won’t be disappointed.

Nice atmosphere, probably a good place to take a date if you’re not depressingly single like me. I really liked the techno-​jazz music in the background, and the modern yet comfortable furniture. It’s modern and mostly metallic with stone, but with wood table tops and seats making it warm and inviting.

The fish n chips are delicious. Fish is nicely cut. Their fries are not as crunchy as I would like them but their sweet potatoe fries are awesome!

I’m always interested in new restaurants opening in this area. Unfortunately this one wasn’t that exciting.
I like the décor and the back patio looked awesome (though it was too cold to go out there when we went).
The food was only okay, and the menu was quite small. I doubt I’ll come back here for food, maybe a drink when the weather is nice.

Looking for a legit patio with a romantic, relaxed atmosphere and comfy seating? The Irv’s back patio offers the perfect summer evening getaway, especially as the gastropub boasts one of the most interesting and reasonably priced menus in Toronto’s Cabbagetown. I have been to the pub about six times and am always fully impressed by the quality of the food and its presentation.
The back patio’s wide wood benches, treetop canopy and large tables cultivate the perfect setting for enjoying a cool, refreshing drink. While The Irv’s fenced-​in side patio is not nearly as private, it still offers a nice atmosphere within which you can lean back and take in Cabbagetown’s neighbourhood charm — a lovely brunch setting. Inside, contemporary upscale décor shows off the gastropub’s high quality and unique vibe before you even look at the menu, which is a treat in itself. It’s an all-​around excellent place whether you’re with friends or business clients and my go-​to for a quick, filling lunch that’s way more worth it than shopping down the street at the more overpriced foodshops.
For the adventurous, the Philly cheese steak spring rolls or the duck confit club are set to fit your fancy, and for those with classic taste, try any number of The Irv’s poutines or Mom’s mac & cheese for a satisfying meal you’ll remember. The Irv also sticks by its 15-​minute «Express Lunch Menu» guarantee, and the food is great, especially the feature chicken wrap with sweet potato fries I recently tried.
SATISFYING: Sweet Potato Fries — A bit on the salty side, but just perfectly so. The Sriracha aioli is a nice touch.
DELECTABLE: Ontario Roasted Beet & Kale Salad — Large enough for a light meal, this salad is a healthy choice with optimum flavour.
GOOD PORTIONS: The Ultimate Irv Burger — This giant burger is a great value. It’s delicious, but you’d better slice it in half before biting in. With a big bucket of fries on the side, it’s an excellent choice if you’re really hungry.
The Irv’s menu has remained generally the same since the pub opened, with a few changes here and there. I tried some amazing scallops there once that I sadly no longer see on the menu, but I do see a pear & gorgonzola flat bread that I am excited to try. The one time I went to The Irv for brunch, it was fantastic, but I can’t remember what I had and for some reason the brunch menu isn’t on the website (which is my only disappointment about this place).

Visited on a weeknight for dinner. This place has two very nicely shaded and quiet patios. The interior of the restaurant looks very new and clean as well. Service was a bit slow but the waitress was nice. Bathrooms were very clean and had an assortment of hand creams, hairsprays which is always a nice touch.
Food was fantastic. I had the garden burger which had pesto, goat cheese and other grilled veggies. Very filling for no meat! The salad side was a bit plain. Others in my party had: Flatiron steak, fish and chips, and the blackened halibut and everyone enjoyed their food a lot. Sweet potato fries were also very good! Portion sizes were not too large which is always nice and the prices were very reasonable.
Would definitely come back here again for dinner, or to enjoy drinks on the patio.

The owner is a really nice guy and he strives to give you the absolute best. He knows what he’s doing! They make all sorts of their food in house — cheese curds, brioche, sauces etc… You are getting some serious TLC when you dine here. My fiancé and I came later on a Friday night and had a nice, quiet patio all to ourselves. The music was wonderful (80s!!!)
I had an excellent Pinot Noir and my fiancé enjoyed a beer from the rotating cask that had just been opened that day. We had fish and chips and a Prime Rib sandwich with poutine. I walked home in a food coma! It was incredible and I know I’ll be back often. My poor wallet! But seriously, it’s so nice to support a local place that clearly goes above and beyond.

Went here with my friends for the first time and we are not disappointed, the food is good I had a Steak with vegetables and I must say the veggies are my fave the sweet potatoes is a bonus :)
The staff are friendly. They have a variety of alcoholic beverages. We will definitely return.

Um, hello, $ 5 Caesars and mimosas at brunch? YES PLEASE. The friends I went with are much more knowledgeable about beer than I am and they were impressed with the tap selection – though it’s small, it covers a lot of ground.
Food was great; I had the classic three egg breakfast with pulled pork and felt comfortably full when finished. The pork was under-​sauced (a friend had the pulled pork sandwich and reported the same) but quite tender and my eggs were perfectly cooked. Definitely a great addition to the neighborhood!