The Brunswick House

The infamous Brunny. Cheap cover, cheap drinks (relatively speaking), and «just-​enough-​to-​get-​by» service. The only thing that really stands out is the dancefloor.
You need to be hammered to enjoy it.

If you’re looking for a true college bar with 19 – 24 year olds getting hammered, getting sloppy and having a good time this is your place. It’s not the fanciest or the classiest, but it’s cheap and fun. Friday nights are free for ladies before 12 and Thursdays is quintessential student night. If you’re a student looking for a cheap place to drink, dance, and maybe hook up this is your place. Otherwise, maybe not your cup of tea. Normally $ 5 cover, $ 3 coat check

Terrible managers who treat their employees and customers like crap.
Bouncers at the front door are a bunch of wannabe losers who somehow get off on the tiny amount of power they’ve been given. Couple of the ones who seem to always work inside are pretty cool dudes however.
Lot’s of frat douche bags inside, and not the funny kind you can laugh at, the type that are constantly looking for a fight or some kind of trouble. I am 6 foot 2 and 220lbs and even I have ended up in some sticky situations that left me feeling unsafe at no fault of my own.
Beers cheap. Bartenders are cute and nice. Music is OK. Crowd sucks.
Would rather stay home than have to spend a few hours in the Brunny looking over my shoulder for drunk insecure losers and tough guy bouncers.

Negative reviews for this place are because of one of two reasons. Either one unlucky thing happened to you, which would be shitty at any venue, restaurant, bar or club. Or you’re just not the Brunny type.
Basically when my friends and I are deciding where to go out, the Brunny is the safe plan B (have some actual ‘plan b’ on hand if you go here too). It’s essentially a big high school dance where they sell alcohol (for pretty cheap). The girls are young, like 17 – 21, and drunk. Obvi it has it creeps/​random brown guys standing alone, all the usual things you’ll see at a student bar.
If you’re a student looking to get drunk, dance like no ones looking, and make out with a girl who you thought was a lot better looking than she really is, this place is perfect.(there are some good looking girls too).
Also if you’re over 22 this place is not for you, you’re too old.
And lastly if you’re underage and nervous about trying your new fake ID this place is perfect to do that, I’m not even sure if the bouncers actually look at your ID.

A lot of my friends have been telling me about this place and they would always invite me. Every time they do, I always refuse because of all the negative remarks I’ve come across. Yesterday, I finally decided to check this place out and the outcome… it wasn’t that great.
The only good thing about this place is that it’s affordable (perfect for students). Cheap drinks ($ 3-​$ 4 Shots), $ 3 coat check, $ 5 cover and free for ladies before 12 on Fridays. It’s a bar/​club. They have tables for you to sit and enjoy your drinks and a dance floor. They have uneven flooring since there are steps, so be careful when you’re walking because it’s hard to see whether you’re walking on a flat surface or not!
Dress code is casual and they play top hits/​main stream music, house and reggae (depends on what time you arrive).
It’s a young crowd (19 – 23); mainly college/​university kids. I prefer an older crowd or at least a classier crowd… You’ll see girls in skimpy clothing, twerking and just falling all over the place because of the aftermath of alcohol. The guys. they are touchy! They like groping, so ladies just watch out for each other unless you enjoy being groped and violated.
Overall, this place is just grungy. When it gets packed, it gets really humid that it makes everyone sweaty and sticky and you’ll smell a combination of BO in the air. It’s just disgusting.
If you don’t mind the crowd and ambiance then sure, why not; come party here ’cause after all, it is an affordable place.

Such disgusting
Much humping
Very douchy
WOW
This place is beyond gross, the customers, the staff (some of them), the place itself, the vibe.
Waste of a night.

I’v seen a lot of bad reviews for this place and most of them are due to something that happened on that night. I’m a sucker for places that let you party and don’t break your wallet while doing so.
The Brunny fits right into that list. We were looking for a place to celebrate on a Thursday and ended up going here. Did not regret it one bit. Put ourselves on guestlist and got in for free. Coat check is $ 3 which is quite reasonable. I saw people taking their coats in so that might be an option.
Anyways, this is quite the place to dance and have fun. We partied till around 2am. The songs were the usual top 40 with some old school tracks. The drinks are cheap ($ 3 drinks before 12, $ 3.50 tequila shots all night). The crowd is young and energetic considering most are students. Did not order food or anything. Pre Drink and go there to have a fun night.

I used to frequent this dive during undergrad, before the renovations and when it was «less fancy» so that should tell ya somethin.
I’ve done and seen it all here: bar sanctioned drinking contests; thrown out for no apparent reason; couples getting their freak on the dance floor and all sort’s of debauchery I don’t care to rehash. Anyway last time I dropped in to meet someone I felt terribly out of place.
There’s always been a rumour this place recycles draft beer which was reported by the Star years ago, resulting in a suspended liquor license for a few weeks.
This Brunny is a right of passage for the 1% of U of T students who like to party while the remainder prefer to study at Robarts Library till past 10:00 on a friday night. If you want «Animal House» this place is for you.

Uhhhh. Grimy. Super grimy. Big dance floor, lots of underage peoples and really gross looking girls. Not to be judgmental or anything, but at first glance it looks like an Urban Planet outlet.
On Friday night they have $ 10 mini pitchers of Canadian, two of while is plenty to maintain a pre-​drink buzz.
Ladies, watch yoselves because the boys here are gropey. We ended up getting one dude kicked out because he was beyond rude. That being said, even though this will probably get taken advantage of, it seems to be QUITE easy to get someone kicked out. The bouncers were nice, no problems there. Girls free before 12am.
If you wanna party like you’ve got a fake ID, go to the Brunny.

It’s a good place to go out on Thursday night and chill out, drinks are cheap. Other than that this place is packed with ignorant women, dumb college kids and the music is completely off.

No, no, no no no, no, no, no no.
Don’t go. Bad place. Very bad place.

My drunk self gives this place two stars and sober self gives it one star. A year ago when I lived uptown, my friend and I had a few too many drinks, took the bathurst night bus downtown, thought we had already been to the bar and went for ‘after bar food’, realized we hadn’t been out yet and went here. I had fun that night BUT to be honest, like most other reviews have stated, only go here if you are drunk. Lots of young, creepy, drunk men and a packed dance floor. NEVER toilet paper in the girls bathroom. CAN’T believe they charge cover. On a very much more sober return to the Brunny, I ended up staring in disbelief in what I had thought was a good time/​nice place/​cool people only months before. But really — everyone must experience the Brunny at least once. It’s kind of just ridiculous and I’m sure you’ll leave with a dumb/​hilarious story to tell.

Let’s just say that in order to have a good time there, you most likely have to be hammered. The cover is cheap $ 5 and there is also coat check. I kind of enjoy the half pub/​half club feel but over the past few times, it seems as if the place has become less of a college hang out to more of a WTF where-​did-​these-​people-​even-​come-​from type of place. One thing seems to be apparent though: underaged kids go here. Some of my high school former coworkers used to go there and it really is a bit of a turn-​off. Also, the music kind of sucks but once you’re drunk enough, top 40 sounds amazing and you’ll be singing along to craptastic Rihanna. I promise you.
I forewarn everyone who has never gone and are planning on going: this place is trashy. You’ll be groped and ass-​slapped so be careful.
One more thing! Why do a lot of the women’s washroom stalls have faulty locks and even worse… why do they never restock on toilet paper?
All in all, as much as I don’t like the place, I always end up coming back and having a great time. I swear I will never come back (but probably will next weekend).

My friend and I were inebriated this past weekend. Somehow, we wound up here to meet with a buddy of his. He misunderstood a few things. One, it was the wrong buddy he was messaging on his phone and two, it was the wrong bar. Being as ridiculously drunk as we were, we stayed. Terrible place that smells funny. But they serve alcohol. It will do.

I really thought this would be my first one star review, but alas I’m too nice.
I am often heard to say «I hate the Brunny» when someone suggests or brings it up. It could still be the best of it’s kind out there and I would still not be a fan. I don’t really care for the kind of crowd that frequents it, I do not enjoy this sort of set up where a venue is half a club and half a pub. Sure it seems to make sense, but every place like that just does not appeal to me. This is a place you go to go get drunk, trashy and dance on its big stage. If that’s your cup of tea, you will love this place.
Having gone to UofT there have been a few events held there I’ve had to attend and it gets 2 stars as it has cheap drinks (mini pitchers, really cheap shots), Thursday nights is also reverse cover night where if you enter before 10 or 11pm they give you $ 5! With ennough disguises you could sort of make a living doing that!
And to be honest, pictures from my nights at the Brunny do show me having a good time.
I can understand the appeal of it for some people and the fact that it’s been a staple for generations of UofT students to go out and get wasted is something I can appreciate it. I do enjoy old buildings with a history.
But realistically, it’s a dirty trashy place, but with the right amount of alcohol and the right crowd to go with you will definitely have a night to remember (or not depending)!

The worst.

It was a girlfriends birthday 2 weekends ago.
Lets just say it was VERY HOT that Friday night.
The ENTIRE place felt like it was 1000 degrees once it started to get packed and people were dancing.
The lineup to get outside to the smoking area was almost an hr wait.
EVERYONE looked like they just had a shower– people were sweating that much.
It was so discustingly hot, I dont think I can ever go back durring the summer.
No open window/​doors… ICKYSTICKY!
p.s no coatcheck durring the summer — dont bring bags with you!

I found myself going to this place thinking I would going there for drinks with friends, instead found myself walking into what felt more like a club than a pub. There was a dress code though it wasn’t made clear what that was, regardless I could tell that in my jeans, uggs and sweater, I was completely under dressed
Lineup
Purse check
Cover fee
Mandatory coat check (which was another fee might I add)
The top level looks like itwould be a quieter sitting spot, although you can still hear the music
Bottom level, was a dark, dingy club type place with loud music, poor dance skills (the man on the pole was pretty entertaining though)
All I wanted was a calm place with nice music, a few friends and a few drinks. This place is usually compared to the maddy, to me it was completely different but I think next time I’ll stick with the Maddy instead.

Last night was the second night I found myself going to ‘The Brunny’. The first time was enough to throw anyone off going again, and that should’ve been my hint from the start. But it was the whole, my friend knew a friend that could get us in for free and get us free coat check, etc. etc. So, without any other plans for a Friday night, I took up my friends offer of going. Again.
Now, before I go any further, please disregard any personal intonations that may connect you to this description. I perhaps may have entered the bar last night a little too sober, and suddenly everything was highlighted. The overweight gina’s in belly tops standing on the dance floor in WAY too high heels and apparently dacning, although I don’t know if you call the minimal motions that they were doing dancing. It may have just been the latex fit of their two sizes too small clothing that prevented them from making any exaggerated movements. Then there were your American Apparel girlies, clad in cotton dresses that rode higher and higher as they booty dipped to the ground to peacock for the surrounding male crowd. Which, by the way, stands around the dance floor, in a circle, and literally, points and laughs, or points and makes inappropriate pelvic gestures towards.
I had the overwhelming feeling that I was part of an ape pack when I entered the Brunny last night. Albeit, I am aware that these are the goingons of most night clubs and bars down town (don’t even get me started on places like Circa). But it was all just so absolutely carnal and taking the human genotype back a few generations to the point where I found it necessary to go home and read a book or have a weighty conversation with someone who wasn’t clad in bright colors or corsettes.
The crowd this place attracts IS WEIRD and I’m pretty sure most of their IQ’s aren’t helped by dousing themselves in alcoholic beverages as they chase stumbling female apes up and around the barrel like stages while they dry hump a pole.
On that note. If you’d like a laugh, go here sober. I swear, I was cracking up until some hairy chimp started checking me for head lice.

Oh the Brunny, memories, memories, memories. This place is absolutely disgusting, down to the busloads of students that come in from out of town schools (like Waterloo), the initiation parties that come thru (think swim team dressed in drag), the puking freshmen who actually just puke where they sit, the guys walking around the dance floor trying to grope the female dancers, the bras hanging from the ceilings, and the morbidly obese DJ getting lap dances from girls who want something from him.
Gee, sounds like a great time eh? Honestly, if you are a freshman at U of T it’s worth coming at least once on a Thursday night — it is an experience, to say the least. Sadly, I’ve been here on a Thursday night more times than I can remember, and it was *the* place for sororities and frats to come to. Actually, if you are looking for that frat experience this is the next best thing to an actual frat party.
Wow, I can’t believe I enjoyed coming here, but I did. I admit it. Gross.