Listed in Restaurants
Black Irish Whiskey Bar & Oyster Saloon is an working man's canteen situated at the corner of Queen and Sherbourne. Despite being just a block from the newly minted food truck alley, it's kind of a rough neighbourhood. I saw a fight spill out of the convenience store across the street days earlier ... in broad daylight. Partners Joey McGuirk, Kevin Wailoo, George Skopelanos, and chef Danvil Daley (formerly of Triple A) clearly dig the tough vibe - the bar channels the notorious Five Points of 1800s New York for inspiration.
The address was most recently a Popeye's; before that, a Coffee Time. In its current incarnation, the comfortably rough-hewn 80-seat room consists of retro booths recast from the set of Bomb Girls, a skeletal upright piano and neon sIgns over a well-stocked bar.
The menu covers the types of dishes you'd expect of any pub - wings, nachos, quesadillas and curries - though you'll also find a serious selection of seafood. Lobster finds its way onto poutine ($15), nachos ($20) and housemade potato gnocchi ($24) that are pan-fried, then baked to puff up, before being tossed with fresh peas and roasted red peppers in a luscious brandy cream sauce.
Seafood starters include clam chowder ($8), shrimp cocktails ($12), steamed mussels ($12), and cajun grilled calamari ($12), while oysters from Rodney's sit in a bathtub of ice in easy reach behind the bar. 
From 2pm to 7pm daily (except Saturdays) half shells are priced at $1.25, twenty-five cents of which are donated to Fuck Cancer, a charitable promo aptly dubbed "shuck & fuck".
The drinks list is illustrated and features straight-up classics; Tom Collins ($6.50), Singapore Sling ($7.50), and Old Fashioned ($7.50) cocktails. On draught there are 15 beers - mainly national brands, plus some more interesting taps like Steigl ($7) and the 8.5% Delirium ($7.50).
The kitchen at Black Irish is open daily from noon until midnight - except on Sundays, when the brunch menu (which features a lobster benny, BTW) starts at 11am. 
Photos by Jesse Milns