The Red Room

Red Room has always been a go to spot, but the ridiculous instances are piling up.
1)
Charged me twice, paid with card, they insisted that it didn’t go through and made me take out cash, i kept the receipt, obviously the transaction went through and it was the biggest hassle to get them to give me my money back.
2)
Was there with a group of 3 and they insisted on charging us the 6 or more gratuity charge. We were going to to tip 17% but he insisted that we had to tip 18%, was ridiculous and cherry on top, he was the worst server – did not know what french fries were.
3)
Was there last night, accosted by a staff member who said two grown men who i was with were there with underage girls the week before – they had simply never been to red room before yesterday. Dude wouldn’t let it go, checked everyone’s IDs and was so insistent that they had been there before. Was ridiculous, but at least a little funny.
Like, honestly, probably will go back due to nostalgia, but if you aren’t emotionally connected, you should avoid at all costs. Crown and Tiger now has a great Indian Food menu, you should try there instead.

I really don’t know what has happened to this place but every time I come here, I just dislike it more and more. The first time I came here I absolutely loved this place! The food and service was impeccable. Yet, the past few times I’ve come here I’ve had to face horrible and rude service (what happened to the nice servers?!) and mediocre food. Every time I came I just told myself it was an off day but that’s clearly not the case. The service was not good at all which just ruins the dining experience for me. I likely won’t be returning here.

The next time you’re drunkenly roaming the streets of Spadina and College, be sure to stumble into The Red Room. The food and alcohol is cheap, the lighting is dim (so you can remain in the shadows while you continue to obliterate yourself).
The staff is good, and very hipster. If you’re not wearing plaid, glasses, a beard (guy or girl) a kilt, a tuke, and/​or denim suspenders from the 90s, you might feel a bit out of place. But that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying The Red Room.
⁴⁄₅

On the weekdays I love this place. My server is great, she remembers my order and treats me like an old friend. The problem has been every weekend I’ve come here. I’ve tried to give it a few shots. One particular server, Jessi, is awful. She has gotten my order wrong (I have an allergy) twice, which meant everyone in my party ate and I had to take mine to go. She has overcharged me and added a 15% gratuity on my bill when I dined alone. She really has to go. The wait staff here are so hit and miss. I’ll probably still go back for my regular server who is awesome!

I use to love this place however I had a bad experience there on Saturday night. A few friends and I came after hitting some bars at midnight to grab a bite to eat and have some beers. The waitress (a stubby Caucasian lady) came over and we asked about their beers — she promptly turned a drink menu to us. Then we asked about the shooters they had and she rudely said «uh like all of them». Okay. I think part of your job should be to know at least a few of those shooters and beers to recommend to customers. It was apparent she didn’t want to be there.
Later on, the bill came to $ 46 so my friends put down two twentys and a ten. The waitress came over and said «you need change?» and we did not. I did not want my friends to pay for me but I only had a $ 50 bill with me. She saw that I wanted to pay for my own meal so she came over to me and quickly said «Your meal was $ 10, if I give you two twentys (from the pile) and take your fifty, then you have paid for your meal». Me, being a bit buzzed and tired said «Sure» and then she quickly took my fifty AND the ten dollar bill. Right away my friend realized «You know we tipped her $ 14 for shitty service right?» I was appalled — it felt like she manipulated me in order to get $ 10 more tip. I would be ok with tipping 30% IF the server was friendly and actually made it seem like she wanted to be there but she didn’t. The waitress didn’t come back with the change. I hate being played so I asked the other waitress there if we could have the change back and I would leave the tip on the table. We then watched as the other waitress talked to our waitress in the corner clearly throwing shade and talking shit about us. And boy, did she take her time getting the change. My friends were «too prideful» to stay and wait for the change but I’m quite sure she had no intention of bringing it to us.
I use to work as a waitress and I NEVER would assume that I could keep the change nor would I ever manipulate customers to tip me more. The next day I called and explained the situation to a worker there and she took my name and number and said she would call back later — she never did. Obviously, a $ 10 loss isn’t a big deal at all (even though I am a poor student). However, I don’t like how she manipulated the situation and took advantage of customers. Really disappointing

I didn’t HATE the place! Hate is a strong word but I wouldn’t come back again for its food! My friend says that people come at night and drink. I came here during the middle of the afternoon and I didn’t enjoy my experience here.
Food: They had a lot of asian fusion. I for one, despise Asian fusion cuisine! It’s just weird… if i want Asian food, I would get asian food. Unless I have no other alternative…
I ordered a burger there and it tasted OK. Not something i would pay that much for again. The prices weren’t high but taking the taste into consideration, i wouldn’t pay over $ 10 for an OK burger and fries. The french fries weren’t that great… I had to force myself to eat it; just so i didn’t waste food.
Service: VERY SLOW. The place was almost empty during the middle of the day but the services wasn’t very good. The waiter was slightly stuck-​up! He wasn’t very friendly but he wasn’t rude. He seemed unhappy to be there and serving us.
The atmosphere: The place looked old like it needs to be renovated. IDK if that’s intentional or not.

Red room is what it is. An extremely affordable, University student hang-​out with an eclectic menu to please everyone’s palate.
For less than $ 15, you can find yourself with an entrée and beer/​rail. The food is tasty enough, and mostly Asian influenced with sandwiches, and pastas sprinkled through.
I still visit occasionally because of the relaxed environment personally. It’s dim and relaxed, a great first or last point of destination for any time of day
(Great for breakfast as well).

(2 stars)
It was a good day spending time with my lovely friends. However it wasn’t a good experience we had with the restaurant service. Our waitress didn’t seem to pay attention to our needs. After serving our food and drinks, she disappeared for more than half an hour. We tried hard to call for her attention but she never walked close to our table. It wasn’t busy at the time we were there. There were only few tables at the time. We only needed WATER but it never came.
After half an hour we saw another waiter showed up. He noticed that we needed his help. He was busy with another table but he came by after that. We got water afterward but the waitress never came back again.
Service was very poor and they really need to improve it. Though the food was ok, their service was bad. Wait staff is the face of the restaurant. If the service is bad, I don’t think we should talk about coming back at all.
Food: 2.5
Price: 3.5 reasonable price
Service: doesn’t exist! They need a big change!

Idk, I felt like I only had an «ok» experience here. Only came cause cheap drinks and sangria pitchers on an a Thursday night.
Their house beer is not bad. Some of my friends commented that it had a nacho aftertaste LOL but I didn’t taste it. Sangria was ok too but I would have preferred more fruit bits in it.
I felt like the servers were kind of rude (esp. The male) that night.: Maybe because we came as a group of 10? But when we were still looking at the menu, we told the female server we needed a couple more minutes and literally 10 seconds later, we were asked again if we were ready…
I know it’s the holidays but really lame xmas music for a bar haha totally not feeling it. Place is dark but candlelight which is cute. Really ghetto washrooms… Graffiti everywhere and no paper towels. Uh hello?!
Meh.

The Red Room was all dolled up for Halloween and it just felt so right. I came here with a couple friends for an evening of cheap eats and cheap booze and fell in love with the ambiance. It’s dark, it’s divey, and it’s eclectic… that’s my jam right there.
I was told I had to try their Pad Thai so I went for it, when in Toronto? Okay, maybe not. It was good, not traditional by any means, and cheap+delicious. I also got to try some of the crispy chow mein which was also up my alley. The best part? They give you pretty large servings as well. As a permanent resident of the U.S.A, I approve.
For drinks we split a pitcher of their «white sangria-​y but not sangria» drink. I didn’t really look at the menu, my friend ordered. It was mostly mixer with a lot of white wine for $ 15.00 ish (can’t remember exactly).

Oh Red Room. This place was a staple for me during University. I lived right down the street from here and I can honestly say I have had Breakfast and Dinner with beers in the same day here many o’ times. Sad. probably– but when it’s that cheap why not?
General rule, go for whats popular here AKA cheap sangria and pretty ok Pad Thai. Always my go-​tos.
If you’ve ever been to and liked Java house/​Green Room /​Nirvana then you’ll probably like this place too. Same general menu and vibes. Also They always have great tunes playing :).
If you’re looking to get full and or a little tipsy on a budget check this place out!

From the first time I entered, I never thought I’d give the Red Room 5 stars. I’ll admit, I might be getting soft and sentimental in my old age (of 20-​odd years) — but it holds a special place in my heart, and at the end of the day I think the 5 stars are justified.
The food: DIRT cheap, but still yummy. The avocado and brie sandwich ($ 4.25) is amazing — elsewhere a sandwich of this size and creamy delectableness would probably run you closer to $ 10. It’s my go-​to. The pad thai ($ 7.50) is also generous and noms, and outcompetes many a $ 10+ pad thai elsewhere. Other things friends have tried have also received positive reviews (they do a pretty legit all-​day brunch also), but these two dishes are what bring me back. Whatever you pick, you’re bound to be impressed by the eye-​popping quality/quantity:price ratio.
The drinks: how are they so cheap. ($ 2.75 bottle specials? $ 14 sangria pitchers? $ 18 litres of wine?) I don’t understand — but I’m happy to profit!
The vibe: a hippie/​student lair with questionably tasteful décor & art, complete with invariably hippie/​student patronage. They also have a patio up front, which on a breezy summer evening is the perfect place to gossip over dirt cheap drinks.
Overall, the Red Room is not dressed to impress. What it is is a place where you go with your friends to eat simple tasty food, get cheap drinks, and make some lovely memories to a casual but lively backdrop. I have lost count of how many times I have been here, and I will continue to return every time I am in Toronto.

I will start with the good. The food was good all of us
enjoyed what we ordered great price and good variety.
The bad is the service. It’s hopelessly slow. To the point that I called the restaurant to ask for the bill. They didn’t answer so I left a message. Servers are way over worked.
Finally, the ugly, management was standing around and no help. The meals all arrived as they were made so one person was having their main and others didn’t have a starter.
I will not be going back

This is one of my favourite pubs in Toronto! Not because of the décor or the food, but just because it’s so cheap! I’m practically still living on a student budget, so if I can get a hamburger and a drink for no more than $ 10, I’ll keep coming back for more.
I haven’t tried a lot of the food here, but I can say that their hamburger is decent. It comes with fries and if I remember correctly, it only costs about $ 6 – 7! As for drinks, their sangria is good, and their mixed drinks are strong. It can get pretty busy here, especially since they have a nice little patio on Spadina, so don’t expect the best service. But, if you want to go out for some drinks in a relaxed atmosphere without it costing you a small fortune, this is definitely your place!

Red Room is a decent place for a well-​priced meal or drink when you’re out with your friends for the night. The Asian-​influenced menu has some goodies to check out. The environment is pretty chill (and literally red).
However, don’t expect anything too phenomenal from the place. The food isn’t going to blow you away and I’ve had some bad experiences with some seriously rude servers. The Red Room is a great example of «you get what you pay for»

Cheap food, cheap drinks, eclectic atmosphere. It’s a chill place to hang out, but don’t expect top notch service, food or drinks.

The sign makes it a bit hard to find at night but the amazingly cheap food and drinks plus ALL DAY BRUNCH makes it a win in my book. I got a stuffed french toast with ham and cheese (came with a big side salad & a serving of fries) for $ 6.00! The portion was so big my friend and I couldn’t finish it together. $ 4 shots also make this place great for a night of celebration. Even all their salads are under $ 5 — definitely a big inclination to eat healthy for a change :)
Only reason it doesn’t get a 5* is that the service wasn’t great, the waiters were very nice and everything but they were very understaffed and it took ages to find a waiter to place an order, there were only 2 working on the night I went and the place was pretty busy!

Great place to hangout with friends. The atmosphere is more like a coffee shop than bar. Drinks are all reasonably priced but not necessarily the best tasting.
The only thing refraining me from giving this place a higher rating is its cleanliness. Strange stains on their couches and dingy colored walls makes one wonder when was the last time they had a thorough cleaning. Probably a decade ago. Service is also mediocre and they do not do separate bills.

I came here with my boyfriend for a snack. From the outside, the restaurant looks really sketchy. However, the interior was very cute because everything was mismatched in a good way.
The service was a bit slow but I didn’t mind it considering the prices on the menu. They have a HUGE selection of food here for a very cheap price! We got fried calamari and wings. The wings were average but the fried calamari really hit the spot.
I would definitely come back here for some cheap eats!

$ 18 for a litre of wine. Wine from a bottle and not a box? Let that sink in. That’s practically zero mark up.
Was it the best wine ever? No. Was it totally drinkable? Yes. Did we get a second litre? Yes. Since there were three of us, I feel this is OK. Not great… but it was the holidays.
The pad Thai here is generally liked by students, but as a grown up I only go for the cheap drinks here. I’m really mature.