The Rhino Bar & Grill Inc — Restaurant in Toronto

(1/2) I’ve visited the Rhino on multiple occasions and had a lovely time, unfortunately all that changed this last time around in a drastic way. I joined some friends there, party of 6 by the end, and we had a nice time catching up and chatting over food and drinks. ($350-$500 bill for the table. ) Two months prior I was celebrating a milestone at the rhino and we had a really great evening with warm, respectful service…

It wasn’t very busy, but our server seemed not to be coming around super often which was fine as we were in good company and were able to get adequate service, though not pleasantly delivered by any means. But whatever! People go through things and it’s not my place to judge and we were having a nice time regardless of the fact our server genuinely seemed irritated and standoffish toward us since we stepped foot in the establishment. We received last call around 1:15, asked for the bill, and when it arrived I immediately noticed I had been charged for an extra drink.

I made a point to look because not long before our whole table ordered another round at the same time, and my drink was the only one that did not arrive. After about 10 minutes I asked the passing server if my drink was coming (she seemed annoyed or like she didn’t care?) so I just stated I had ordered a drink when the table got another round and she kind of dismissed that point so I said well I ordered another drink too, and could I please get that drink.

Our server (Coral? At least that’s the name on the the receipt) took payments at the other end of the table first and when she arrived to me I stated in a genuine non-aggressive tone that had I been charged for an extra drink on my bill that I did not receive. Her response was to say the least, unprofessional, rude, and aggressive.

The server ungraciously refused to even consider giving me the benefit of the doubt and contentiously stated I had been served the amount of drinks on my bill (I then simply stated what had actually happened and that there must be a mistake somehow) and in a haughty tone she demanded I pay for every drink on the bill because I was served each of those drinks. Period. I stood my ground and said there must be a mistake. She then cavalierly said “I can brink out the empty glasses to prove you’ve had X amount of drinks.” My response was “if that’s what you think you have to do, please do, because I do not believe I received the drink.”

The server left for a few minutes and our table was sort of dumbfounded at the interaction that had just occurred: her attitude, tone, lack of responsiveness, and general negative approach to the whole situation. Most of us have worked in the industry and were sort of bemused by the unpleasant way our night was seemingly ending now.

The bartender, a tall blond woman, then approached me holding a chit with hand written time stamps of when the drinks were ordered. She also insisted I pay for the drink because of the “proof” that I had received the drinks… I explained again to her where the confusion came from. Her response was that she had made exactly 8 hot toddies that evening, and that another table ordered two, therefore I had 6 and was paying for 6.

At this point I was completely taken aback and disgusted with the contemptuous attitudes and hostile way in which the staff was treating me. My friends and I were literally cracking jokes about the fact I was drinking hot toddies, and we each recalled how many I had ordered, received, and consumed. Now half the table were explaining to the bartender that there must be a mistake. They not only confirmed my statement of accounts, but went on to explain that the way in which I was belittled and discredited by the server was also now becoming the major issue here.

Again, the bartender refused to budge and insisted I owed them for a 6th drink. She half heartedly agreed that she did not witness the way in which the server treated me, but regardless, that was that, and handed me the...

The Rhino: Dive Bar Stockholm Syndrome, Served Cold

Intro Scene

I’ve spent the last 15 years trying not to come here. And yet, there I was—squinting at a TV through the shadows, half a power bowl in, wondering if nostalgia qualifies as a drinking problem. The Leafs were winning, the bar was howling, and Parkdale was putting on its old leather jacket just to remind me it still fits.

What Was Ordered

A pint of something suspiciously citrusy—probably Belgian Moon but with more attitude

Two tequila shots, because I’m emotionally reckless in public

Rum and coke, for balance

A power bowl that looked like a Pinterest post but tasted like defeat (my friend liked it; I questioned our friendship)

Service Commentary

I’ll admit it: the staff showed up. We were seated quickly, right in front of the screen like royalty at a dive prom. Three different servers checked in, all alert and sober-looking—rare traits in this building. No sarcasm, no side-eye. If anything, I felt... cared for? Disturbing.

Vibe Check

Loud. Like “I can’t hear my own thoughts and that’s probably a blessing” loud. Hockey game energy, tightly packed tables, and everyone shouting their drink orders like it’s the floor of the NYSE. It's the kind of chaos that feels curated, like Rhino knows exactly what level of noise makes you forget your ex's name.

The Space Itself

Big. Mysteriously big. Feels like a converted airplane hangar where someone just kept adding furniture and beer taps until it felt like home. Candlelight flickers over half-eaten nachos. Pool tables mope in the back like neglected teens. I couldn’t see my food under the moody lighting, which honestly helped.

The patio, though? Recently renovated and still excellent for emotionally ambiguous dates.

About the Neighborhood

Parkdale, pre-gentrification, was all grit and guyliner. We’d hop from Stones Place to Cadillac Lounge to Rhino without looking at our bank balances or our futures. Now, it’s Pilates studios and six-dollar croissants—but Rhino still squats here like an old roommate who never left. It’s comforting. It’s also a little sad. Perfect.

Hits & Misses

✓ Surprisingly attentive service (I know, I’m shocked too) ✓ Iconic patio for summer drink dodging ✓ Huge beer list if you're feeling indecisive and unstable ✗ Power bowl tasted like a consequence ✗ Lighting = interpretive shadows and mystery textures

Final Verdict

The Rhino is like that friend you unfollow but never block. You keep running into them, they’ve got a new tattoo and a slightly better attitude, but they’re still the same mess underneath. It’s too loud, too dark, maybe a little overpriced—but it remembers who you were. And sometimes, that’s worth coming back for.

Rating: 3.4 / 5

Perfect For

Second-tier dates you’re not ready to impress

Remembering who you used to be, while dodging...

We knew the deal when we went there....just wanted some beers and bar food.

Long story short... our beer was pretty much flat (that's what we get for ordering the house beer on tap) we told our server who was new that it was flat and we would like to order something else. I guess she asked their "strong server" on shift what to do and the chick came over with guns blazing. Even though she didn't rip us up at first you could tell she was irritated and basically said that every other one of her tables was drinking the same beer and not complaining. I didn't say this but I'm sorry that your other tables are willing to comply with your gross flat beer. So we asked for other beer menus and when she brought them over we wanted to know if we were going to be charged even though we're not drinking them she said she could give us a discount off one possibly 50% or 10% off each...I don't remember what silly options she gave us. She was clearly upset that we were being a "bother" Clearly we weren't backing down because we're not drinking that beer but anyways, so as she cleared our table she kept on saying something and trailing off and not finishing the sentence. So I asked her to finish her sentence and she didn't. She does it again and I ask to please finish what she was saying again....and she didn't.

Of course there was a ton of remarkable comments that she made during the whole thing but it was insulting. Anyways if i didn't have food on the way or if our original server wasn't as nice as she was I would've absolutely left.

I've never been made to feel so upset and challenged by a server. Oh did I mention that 3/4 people at that table work in the industry? So it's not like we were going out of our way to be dicks.

Disappointment and definitely leaves a bad taste.

If any people go make sure you don't get the server with short blonde hair or if you do hopefully...