Linsmore Hotel

Cash and drinks only; no food! They let you bring your meal in though. Staff is pleasant and the place is homey. $ 5 Steam Whistle pints on Tuesday where it’s Indie Night a lone pool table is in the back. There’s only two small TVs. ATM is a $ 2.50 charge.

For one reason or another this place was missed on my Danforth pub crawls, probably because they have live bands and a cover on Saturday nights. Luckily there was no cover last Saturday for Mr. Pharmacist, a Fall cover band, that I wanted to check out.
The band is amazing and they really have their Fall act down.
The bar itself got packed and I didn’t explore much. It pretty much appears to be what you should expect: one of those great dive-​y Danforth bars that is keeping it real and is full of character. No ridiculous beer selection and you don’t order a martini here. (My G&T was fine.) But the vibe is warm and friendly. Prices are reasonable. And the sound was good – this is perfectly fine place to play if you are a local band looking to gig.
I should qualify this review by adding that I’m literally 10 min. north which means extra kudos.
I’d come back – even without a band. I love the idea of supporting my local scene and meeting local people.

I am giving 5 stars because the only two times that I have been there were for concerts — the Wholigans and the Neil Young’uns. These were two of the best live shows that I have seen in a long time. The staff is also very nice and friendly. Probably too much drinking going on, so if that offends you it probably isn’t the best spot for you. Even if it does, it might be worth it for the music.

I got my days confused while trying to go to karaōke down the street and ended up here instead. The space is pretty big. It’s in desperate need of a design makeover. It’s really plain and run-​down looking. The bartender was efficient but not particularly friendly. There was indeed a tiny glass of 50 available for $ 1.50. It’s probably not worth the price, but if you are utterly broke and a raging alcoholic I suppose it could meet your needs. The karaōke host was funny and friendly. She’s probably the only reason I might go back. Some of the locals seemed a little rough around the edges but everyone was pretty well behaved. It’s an ok neighborhood place but I don’t think I’d go out of my way to visit.

This place is a huge dump and I like it. It’s cleaner than it looks, but there is always someone smoking in the doorway.
The good:
— $ 1.50 drafts of 50 — it’s a mystery small serving size… I *think* it’s less than a half pint but… more than a third of a pint? It’s a weird size… and it’s definitely not in poor taste to be double fisting.
…I think that’s my entire review.

It could be worse.
Call me sentimental, but I have a soft spot for dives and the Linsmore is right up there, and right in the heart of the neighbourhood.
$ 1.00 6 oz draught — check.
$ 2.00 1 oz shots — check.
$ 1.00 potato chips — check.
That’s about the entire menu at the Linsmore. If you’re lucky, you’ll pass by around 3:30 (pm) to see the changing of the regulars — a non-​stop parade of track pants, brown bean teeth and lost hopes and dreams.
It’s probably best that you don’t go.