Great bar. Cheap, cheerful, clean. Not rushing patrons out the door. Good drinks, fair prices. Good music. š
Samson Roberts
Top industry bar in the city, hands down.
Maya Dowman
Very nice bartender! We loved the green shots!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Melissa Ren
Great drinks, wonderfully kind bartender. Would recommend! Only thing I wasted was me after five drinks
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Max Ellithorpe
Incredible bar with wonderful staff. So glad that this place was recommended to me.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Bill Dean
Fun little hole in the wall with extremely affordable drinks and a little patio area in the back to enjoy the weather.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Ashley Grafe
Great ambience, great service, excellent ppl. As punk bars go, this place is elite.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Stephen McGill
Wonderful bar with great music, great beer selection and great staff. Lovely times on the back patio and at the bar.
The Wyck
The Wyck Recommendation: Wasted Youth (Dundas West) Rating: 4.0/5 Smiles, Shots, and Sinkhole Charm
Intro Scene We walked in somewhere between āletās just have oneā and āwe might never leave.ā Within minutes we were knocking back Jameson and beer combos, chatting up a bartender who radiated actually wants to be here energy, and being complimented by a random couple on my āI Love Older Womenā T-shirt. Maybe Iām the older woman now. Maybe Wasted Youth is a mirror. A filthy, graffitied, $4-shot mirror.
What Was Ordered
Several Jameson & beer combos, obviouslyā$11ā12, repeatable
$4 Jameson shots, which is basically a public utility
Stared at the Fuck Juice on the menu. Didnāt have it. Didnāt need to. Just knowing it exists is enough.
Service Commentary The bartender? MVP. Big grin, no judgment, and managed the entire bar like heād taken a course in Zen and mixology. Didnāt blink when we kept ordering more, didnāt flinch when we asked about the dollhouse replica. Probably knew our secrets before we even sat down.
Vibe Check Imagine your favorite house party from 2009 if no one had cleaned up sinceābut like, in a sexy, intentional way. Itās dark, loud, graffitied, and full of people who look like they could lend you a lighter and ruin your weekend in a good way. No pretension. All mess.
The Space Itself The space is unhinged in the best way:
Thereās a dollhouse of the actual bar, because why not
The hallway to the bathroom is lined with graffiti, busted theatre seats, and deep emotional risk
The bathroom itself is a literature major on acidāyou could spend 45 minutes reading the walls if youāre high, and honestly? 10/10 recommend
Warning: If you have ADHD, this bathroom is an immersive theme park. Enter at your own risk. You may never leave. You may also feel deeply understood.
About the Neighborhood Right near Ossington, Torontoās unofficial runway of curated cool. You can throw a rock and hit a microbrewery, a concept art gallery, and someone in a $300 beanie. This place? Itās not trying to be coolāit just is. Wasted Youth feels like the dive bar Ossington wishes it had the guts to be. Iām coming back. Obviously.
Hits & Misses ā $4 JamesonāTorontoās last great deal ā Bartender deserves a memoir ā Bathroom = cryptic treasure map for the very stoned ā Unexpected T-shirt compliments from strangers ā Vibe for the misfits, the wasted, and the weird ā You will question your life choices mid-pee ā Patio is more like a metaphor
Final Verdict Wasted Youth isnāt just a barāitās a fever dream with good lighting and no judgment. The drinks are cheap, the people are wild, and the bathroom might double as an escape room. If youāre wearing a questionable T-shirt, theyāll probably love you for it. If not, just order the shot and shut up. This is my new go-to in the west end. Tell Ossington Iām cheating.
Perfect For
Getting weird without apology
Wearing clothes that start conversations and possibly fights
hugh daddario
Broad range of wonderful music, lovely staff who are fun and accommodating, cool artwork on the walls and restrooms, and cheap booze. Best bar in the city hands down
The ambiance is relaxing, the music is chill and reasonably priced drinks just keep flowing
Japhet Bower
The best industry bar in the city.
Daniel Kim
Everyone who works here is super friendly, the drinks are very affordable, and the atmosphere is great for either somber solo drinking or intimate conversations. Their back patio is also very nice when itās open. Itās a little dark inside so be prepared.
Billy M
Exactly what you would want in a local spot. Owner/operator always around. Everyone knows your name and drink preference. The kind of place you can sink into a chair and blend in for a few hours. Mike is a salt-of-the-earth kinda guy who will be your best friend within minutes.
William Crothers
A little biased as I'm friends with the owner Mike, but here it goes. Very happy this place made a successful transition to its new location on Dundas just West of Ossington. I'll miss the subway line access the free Buck Hunter at the previous location, but not a bad trade for a patio space off the back. Quintessential dive bar. Cheapest drink specials I've come across in the city (usuals include a Jameson special, and/or a beer plus shot combo), plus Mike's a very solid mixologist (would recommend an Old Fashioned). Good mix of local crafts and domestics. Doesn't operate with a kitchen but in some ways fills a gap by being friendly to outside food, which can help on the affordability of a night out. Classic Toronto long skinny bar layout with little tables (2-4 person) at the front, and seating for bigger groups towards the back. Spring-Fall rear patio space for some sun. Great vibe, encourages conversation and friend-making. No TV distractions, indie/eclectic taste for tunes. Highly recommend.
Great bar. Cheap, cheerful, clean. Not rushing patrons out the door. Good drinks, fair prices. Good music. š
Top industry bar in the city, hands down.
Very nice bartender! We loved the green shots!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great drinks, wonderfully kind bartender. Would recommend! Only thing I wasted was me after five drinks
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Incredible bar with wonderful staff. So glad that this place was recommended to me.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Fun little hole in the wall with extremely affordable drinks and a little patio area in the back to enjoy the weather.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Great ambience, great service, excellent ppl. As punk bars go, this place is elite.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Wonderful bar with great music, great beer selection and great staff. Lovely times on the back patio and at the bar.
The Wyck Recommendation: Wasted Youth (Dundas West)
Rating: 4.0/5
Smiles, Shots, and Sinkhole Charm
Intro Scene
We walked in somewhere between āletās just have oneā and āwe might never leave.ā Within minutes we were knocking back Jameson and beer combos, chatting up a bartender who radiated actually wants to be here energy, and being complimented by a random couple on my āI Love Older Womenā T-shirt. Maybe Iām the older woman now. Maybe Wasted Youth is a mirror. A filthy, graffitied, $4-shot mirror.
What Was Ordered
Several Jameson & beer combos, obviouslyā$11ā12, repeatable
$4 Jameson shots, which is basically a public utility
Wasted Youth Blonde Aleāsolid, easy, non-threatening
Stared at the Fuck Juice on the menu. Didnāt have it. Didnāt need to. Just knowing it exists is enough.
Service Commentary
The bartender? MVP. Big grin, no judgment, and managed the entire bar like heād taken a course in Zen and mixology. Didnāt blink when we kept ordering more, didnāt flinch when we asked about the dollhouse replica. Probably knew our secrets before we even sat down.
Vibe Check
Imagine your favorite house party from 2009 if no one had cleaned up sinceābut like, in a sexy, intentional way. Itās dark, loud, graffitied, and full of people who look like they could lend you a lighter and ruin your weekend in a good way. No pretension. All mess.
The Space Itself
The space is unhinged in the best way:
Thereās a dollhouse of the actual bar, because why not
The hallway to the bathroom is lined with graffiti, busted theatre seats, and deep emotional risk
The bathroom itself is a literature major on acidāyou could spend 45 minutes reading the walls if youāre high, and honestly? 10/10 recommend
Warning: If you have ADHD, this bathroom is an immersive theme park. Enter at your own risk. You may never leave. You may also feel deeply understood.
About the Neighborhood
Right near Ossington, Torontoās unofficial runway of curated cool. You can throw a rock and hit a microbrewery, a concept art gallery, and someone in a $300 beanie. This place? Itās not trying to be coolāit just is. Wasted Youth feels like the dive bar Ossington wishes it had the guts to be. Iām coming back. Obviously.
Hits & Misses
ā $4 JamesonāTorontoās last great deal
ā Bartender deserves a memoir
ā Bathroom = cryptic treasure map for the very stoned
ā Unexpected T-shirt compliments from strangers
ā Vibe for the misfits, the wasted, and the weird
ā You will question your life choices mid-pee
ā Patio is more like a metaphor
Final Verdict
Wasted Youth isnāt just a barāitās a fever dream with good lighting and no judgment. The drinks are cheap, the people are wild, and the bathroom might double as an escape room. If youāre wearing a questionable T-shirt, theyāll probably love you for it. If not, just order the shot and shut up. This is my new go-to in the west end. Tell Ossington Iām cheating.
Perfect For
Getting weird without apology
Wearing clothes that start conversations and possibly fights
Broad range of wonderful music, lovely staff who are fun and accommodating, cool artwork on the walls and restrooms, and cheap booze. Best bar in the city hands down
Restaurantji Recommends
The ambiance is relaxing, the music is chill and reasonably priced drinks just keep flowing
The best industry bar in the city.
Everyone who works here is super friendly, the drinks are very affordable, and the atmosphere is great for either somber solo drinking or intimate conversations. Their back patio is also very nice when itās open. Itās a little dark inside so be prepared.
Exactly what you would want in a local spot. Owner/operator always around. Everyone knows your name and drink preference. The kind of place you can sink into a chair and blend in for a few hours. Mike is a salt-of-the-earth kinda guy who will be your best friend within minutes.
A little biased as I'm friends with the owner Mike, but here it goes. Very happy this place made a successful transition to its new location on Dundas just West of Ossington. I'll miss the subway line access the free Buck Hunter at the previous location, but not a bad trade for a patio space off the back. Quintessential dive bar. Cheapest drink specials I've come across in the city (usuals include a Jameson special, and/or a beer plus shot combo), plus Mike's a very solid mixologist (would recommend an Old Fashioned). Good mix of local crafts and domestics. Doesn't operate with a kitchen but in some ways fills a gap by being friendly to outside food, which can help on the affordability of a night out. Classic Toronto long skinny bar layout with little tables (2-4 person) at the front, and seating for bigger groups towards the back. Spring-Fall rear patio space for some sun. Great vibe, encourages conversation and friend-making. No TV distractions, indie/eclectic taste for tunes. Highly recommend.
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