Phog Lounge

WTF?! Walked in on a Friday night and was greeted by an overwhelming smell of skunk weed and obnoxiously loud DJ turntables. An ocular pat-​down of the clientele and we quickly realized that this place was not for us norms. With all the blatent cons (and no pros), a $ 5 cover charge for mind numbing music and a contact high (lol) immediately prompted us outward and onward. If this is a normal night… holy crap f*ck that noise.

We were part of the Flight Club on Saturday and Phog was our first destination. At first, I was a bit put off by the small, seemingly haphazardly thrown-​together décor; but, as time passed I took in the unique local artist talent (even on display on the ceiling tiles!), and overall quirky appeal. Service was amazing, friendly, and genuine. I’m from Kitchener, but will definitely check this tiny gem out again when in the Windsor area. :)

If you’re a creative type in Windsor, there are a few places to pop into when you’re downtown. This is one of them.
For years, this has been the place for touring independent acts to play. It’s a hub for culture in a city whose population is largely apathetic to the arts, and has helped to bring together like-​minded individuals. Many a band have formed, quit and played one-​off shows here; films have been thought up and shot here; art created, displayed and destroyed.
The success of this establishment is due in large part to the owner, although he might be hesitant to admit that. He works hard keeping his ear to the ground in order to attract bands who might be touring in the (extended) area, by reaching out to various members of the community and staying real at what must be a deep cost of some sort.
But what does any of this have to do with a bar? It’s all what you feel and experience when you’re there. If that’s too esoteric for you, then you probably won’t get it.
All of that aside, Phog has one of the best beer selections in the city, and by far THE best poutine menu Windsor has to offer. They also serve house-​made pizza. When there isn’t any live entertainment, there are board games and assorted fun things to play around with while drinking, and the bartender (whoever it may be at the time) will be more than happy to chat your ear off.
Another shining characteristic is the weekly open mic jams on Monday nights. Besides the $ 5 pints (at 20 oz.), the hosts are great musicians, and very helpful with any of your setup needs. On the odd night, talented local acts will get on stage for superjams or to try out new songs. Never know who you’ll see up there… really.

Windsor seems to have very little going on these days, which is why it is easy to get a free weekend room at Caesar’s Palace. I was told by a local at another bar that this is the place to go for great local music and to get the best poutine, which happens to be the only food they sell.
It has all the makings of a good «dive» bar — it has character and characters, The graffiti bathroom and the small stage. Beers are a bit expensive but only because It’s Canada. In general, the prices are the same as other bars. They have a nice variety from IPA to Porter and it looks like they focus on Canadian brews.
The bands that come through range from blues to rockabilly to acoustic and in general are very good for a 5 – 10 cover charge. The place is small, I’m guessing it can fit 50, and very unpretentious.

Phog Lounge is one of Windsor’s best kept secrets. This place won Canada’s best live music venue a few years back for a reason.
The place is totally divey in the best of ways. There are almost always a group of hipsters playing Jenga and drinking tea if there isn’t a band playing and the bathroom walls are covered with obscene and hilarious graffiti. They boast an all-​poutine menu that’s not quite traditional but is quite tasty. We always found that one was enough for two of us but we know people who go here and order one a piece. Unless things have changed they also have Windsor’s second best craft beer list (after Rock Bottom).
Where Phog will really blow you away, though, is with the music. This place gets amazing — *amazing* — bands, like the Arkells (before they were the Arkells — yes, go here and you CAN be that hipster) and Pack A.D. — and charges a pittance in cover ($ 5 or $ 10) to see them. Windsorites sometimes complain about that cover charge, which is obscene given what you pay to visit any bar, live music or not, in many cities.
The owners are heavily involved in building up Windsor/Detroit’s music scene and it pays off in the great music they’re able to bring to this bar. The whole place probably holds 50 or fewer people, so the experience is really intimate and when it fills up it’s basically impossible for the bands to not get involved with the crowd. Occasionally you can also go and see really amazing bands that, inexpicably, not enough people have come to see to fill the bar. This has much less raucous results, but it’s special in a different way — the bands really end up playing basically just for you.
If you love Canadian music, intimate settings and delightful dives, be sure to visit Phog.

Phog is a great place to down a beer and mix with musicians, artists, writers and filmmakers. It’s the place for the creative class of Windsor – sorry, Milk Coffee Bar, but you don’t get to claim this distinction!
Phog has a decent list of beers, both domestic and craft, but it’s the people that make this place. The owners are engaged in their community and they help support the creative community with local art on the walls, book and poetry launches, and some of the best live music available in Windsor-​Essex.
Make sure to follow the Phog Blog at
to follow all the great live events.