Gull & Firkin

Good late night spot!
They also have a good collection of beers on tap here.
I really enjoyed this joint.
Can have a wait. Pretty good service.

Now I may sound a little bias considering this is my local watering hole, but its my local for a reason. Usually when you visit large chain establishments they tend to all conform to a similar approach, varying very little and remaining somewhat…“Alright to decent”.
This is where the Gull changes gears. I’ve been to multiple Firkin pubs throughout the city and hands down this one is something special.
Firstly the food is amazing! Made with extra care and thought. Secondly the staff are fantastic, fun and on the ball. Lastly when you visit a few times you become a part of a family. They remember your likes and dislikes. Now THAT is service!
Keep up the great work !

I got to enjoy lunch here with my girlfriend and her family on their beautiful patio. it was my first time at the gull and firkin and I was pleasantly delighted. I ordered the veggie burger and it was a great tasting choice. Everyone’s meals looked great, they were good portions. I look forward to going back to this location when I’m in the beach is next!

The Gull and Firkin is very hit or miss. It’s a okay place to grab a drink and their fish and chips is pretty decent but the service and some of the other things off the menu is a gamble. I’ve given it a try several times and there have been times when everything has been good and times when everything has been bad. So unfortunately on my last experience is what will be cited most. We ended up with 3 different waitresses taking orders from us (weird) and NEVER order the crunchy chicken sandwich. The first one came our and I took a bite which was just bread I then opened it up to find that I had scared the chicken into the furthest corner of the bun. It was literally the size of 2 quarters and that’s generous. The good news was they apologized and had another one ordered right away. The fries were good though.

The Gull and Firkin is like any other pub. Nothing special in my opinion. The food is just okay. The drinks are decent, they have an okay selection of beers. What gives this place a better review is that they have a patio so when the weather is nice its great to be out there and enjoying the beach atmosphere. FYI there is NO if hardly any reception. So be prepared to actually talk to people instead of being on your phone. Not such a bad thing but something to be aware of.

Food was bland and subpar. Usually Firkin has good food, but it was not great here at all. A disappointment. Avoid at all costs.

Dropped by to get some take out wings and fries for the kids. A bit $$$ for a lb of wings and a side of fries $ 14.99 + taxes and it would have been worth it if they weren’t so small and dry. Beer specials were good.

I’m usually very hesitant when I go into any Firkins, however with the limited choices that far down Queen E we decided to take a chance. I ended up being pleasantly surprised! The atmosphere was quite cozy and the place was filled with regulars where they stepped in and the bartender already had a drink waiting for them.
There was decent drink selection with Pimm’s cocktails available! Unfortunately, I was the DD, and therefore will haven to come back for that wonderful summertime drink. My dinnermate had chicken fingers and fries, neither of which looked house-​made. However, it would take a lot of mess up deep fried chicken and potatoes, and they definitely did not here. If you want something safe and reminds you of your university days, then it’s here waiting for you. I had pot roast with steamed veggies and Yorkshire pudding. The pot roast was deliciously tender and the smothered in salty gravy. A gravy that was delicious, but lacked depth of flavour. The surprise of the dinner was the Yorkshire pudding. It was light and fluffy with a slight eggy flavour.
After this Firkin experience, I would not be as hesitant to head into this highly franchised pub. I will have to return for several Pimm’s cups. :)

Came here for the first time while on vacation. Sun was shining and after a walk along the boardwalk, my friend and I wanted to take in the beautiful patio weather. So we headed to the Gull and Firkin. Patio was nice. Had some regular outdoor chairs and then some outdoor seating with cushions if you prefer. Food was good. I had the BBQ chicken wrap with fries and a beer. My friend had the pulled pork sandwich with fries and a beer. Both were good pub food. Would like to return again for a second time, as I like the area a lot!

I don’t usually like chains, but this pub is great. The service is friendly and quick and the menu is pretty extensive, covering your standard pub fare very well and a few more interesting dishes as well. They have several big screens and some smaller sets for sports, if you’re into that. Accommodates kids well and has boosters for them etc.

Still a solid 4 stars for me. But i wanted to add a few things.
Sometimes i work late, quite late. Yet i’m still peckish when i’m on my way home. What to do?! Pizza Pizza… well sadly yes, sometimes i do. But the Gull & Firkin also has a pretty good late night menu to order from after 11pm. Hoorah!
Nachos, irish nachos, curried fries, samosas, sweet potato fries all yummy after 11pm :) I think they have the calamari too, but i can’t remember because i’d never order that.
The service has been great lately! Super quick and always friendly. Sometimes i ask them to make me a fancy alcoholic coffee drink, but hold the coffee, and add some hot chocolate. Now that’s good stuff.

My family and I were visiting my father in Toronto for the July Jazz Festival. He lives in The Beaches, so we spent a lot of time on Queen St. E.
We must have eaten at the Gull and Firkin 3 or 4 times during the 10 day trip. We loved it! Never bothered going across the street to the Lion, because Dad said the G&F is where it’s at for food. Dad knows TO.
Coming from California, and wanting some good Canadian pub food, we were not disappointed. The poutine, and perogies were amazing! I was even impressed with the spicy beef nachos (and we have no shortage of great nachos in Cali).
As for the drinks, we were fortunate to have such an awesome Ontario brew as Creemore Lager to drink. Living in a place where there is a small craft brewery in every town, we thought Creemore was excellent! The staff even served it with Creemore pint glasses on Creemore coasters, a nice touch for us tourists.
The service was also excellent, and eventually the server knew my son wanted a chocolate milk upon arrival. We also enjoyed watching golf on the big TVs.
I would go there weekly if I lived in TO, but as it stands, I know I will definitely hit that place up the next time I’m back in Toronto.

This place is just like any other pub on the strip. Their food is greasy and delicious if you’re in the mood for that kind of thing. They have an okay selection of beer. The service here is pretty good. I have no complaints. One night I went in after volleyball down at the beach and we had most of our 8 person team with us and they were able to accommodate us inside (because it was too cold to be out on the patio). The nice thing is they do have a good size patio for the small pub that it is.
Last time I was here I didn’t feel like eating the pubgrub they offer but I was hungry so I opted for a Caesar salad (knowing that ordering a salad at any pub can be hit or miss, and often a miss). My two cents on their Caesar salad is that it is way over priced for the little bit of lettuce, a few croutons and salad dressing that you get. Not worth my money, but now I know.
Like any pub I’ve experienced around town, if I’m in the area I have no problem going here, but otherwise I’m not going to go out of my way to go to this place. Most often when I’m out at pubs it’s more about who I’m with than where I am, though what I do appreciate about this pub is the absence of live music. At this place you can actually sit and talk with the people you’re with!

It was a sad sign of the times when the Gull and Firkin opened up shop a few years back and replaced the legendary drinking hole appropriately named… well Legends. Long gone are the days when crusty owner/​operator «Pete» stalked the dimly lit and hastily constructed bar, discriminating at will who he dispensed alcohol to that evening or even afternoon if that was your particular thing, and it was for many a patron at Legends.
The Gull and Firkin is yet another incarnation of the corporate pub where every menu item, color scheme and square inch is planned according to a highly disciplined corporate agenda and is based upon exhaustive market research-​all geared toward getting us to eat and drink more. The Gull is no exception, and as part of the Firkin Group Of Pubs now spanning the GTA it is precisely what one would expect of a pub that is slave to the corporation. The menu comprises standard pub fare but does have some diamonds in the rough. Most notably the Irish Nachos which are essentially seasoned waffle fries with melted cheese, bacon, green onions and sour cream. If anyone is familiar with Licks Homeburgers you will probably recognize this as Taters and cream under a different name. Licks does them well, but the Gull does them better.
Another plus is the impressive patio which fronts Queen St. E. and is absolutely ideal for people watching and consuming massive amounts of alcohol in the summer months.
When in the process of completing this review I did come to ponder the question as to what a Firkin actually was. I Googled it and came across this fairly succinct Wikipedia entry. Without further ado, a Firkin is an old English unit of volume and for beer and ale a firkin is equal to nine imperial gallons, seventy-​two pints, or a quarter of a barrel.
In concluding I feel that firkin moniker is apt. The Gull and Firkin is a quarter barrel pub. It does everything «ok,» but nothing exceptionally well and the deliberate corporate crafting of pubs just doesn’t do it for me.

The food here was shockingly good. My grilled cheese with fries (only $ 8.95) was scrumptious — the aged cheddar, Monterey Jack and Swiss cheeses were deadly sharp and perfectly melted. This is not for fans of dull, processed cheese — this cheese has SOUL! The bread, if I’m not mistaken, was half rye, and it held up really well to being grilled. Perfect. Fries were OK too, but not my favourite style of french fry (sort of McCain-​ish).
Service was efficient and accommodating — I had no trouble at all extracting my portion from a 30 person tab nor was I given a hard time for asking for a separate bill. They have a great selection of beer here in full, half or ¾ size pints. No doubt owing to the World Cup, a few of the selections were sold out. They have eleven flatscreens showing the games and a 50 person raised patio that faces onto Queen Street, and being in The Beach (es) it provides some great people watching.
For a Firkin, this place is firkin’ great!

After a tiring afternoon of beach volleyball, my friends and I decided to go to the Gull & Firkin. I assumed there was no way we’d get a spot on the patio given that it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and well over 30 degrees.
I asked the waitress if she could place us on a waiting list for the patio, and she sat us down near the doors. Not even 5 minutes later (we didn’t even look at our menus) she came back to say a table of four was available.
The service was great and so was the food. I ordered the Irish Nachos (highly recommended) and the calamari. My Long Island iced tea was perfect and tasted like it was actually made versus poured from a pre-​mixed bottle.

It’s rare to find a pub these days that is both atmospheric and provides great service. I was st the Gull &Firkin tonight and u must say it lives up to all of this. The servers were friendly and swift. The food (beef dip for $ 10.95) was well prepared, hot and tasty. And the Creemore Springs draught when down smoothly. I was thoroughlly impressed. I highly recommend the Gull for a great evening out.

My only complaint about this place is that it can be hard to get a table!
Great Fish and chips. Great sweet potato fries, fun variations on bar/​pub fare (like popcorn lobster and Irish Nachos).
Last night we were greeted by a wonderful host, served by a friendly and helpful waiter, and had a couple of other passing wait staff who were equally as friendly and helpful.
Good times!