The Dock Ellis

What is The Dock Ellis? Anchoring the corner of Dundas Street West and Dovercourt Road in Little Portugal, The Dock Ellis is the west end's antidote to sterile chain sports lounges. Named after the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher who famously threw a 1970 no-hitter on LSD, the venue pairs exposed brick, low-slung lighting, and sports memorabilia with barroom staples like pool, shuffleboard, foosball, and pinball. Seating includes communal wooden tables, a lively bar counter, and booths arranged with direct sightlines to screens tuned to European soccer, baseball, and hockey.

The Dock Ellis Menu & What to Order The kitchen sidesteps standard freezer-fryer fare in favor of thoughtful, scratch-made pub food led by the signature Dock Nachos, which swap ordinary tortilla chips for crispy fried wontons smothered in queso, fresh salsa, and scallions. Protein standouts include the Hot Dock fried chicken sandwich on a potato bun and jumbo chicken wings served crisp with house-made scotch bonnet or dry spice seasonings. Plant-based diners have strong options in the crispy cauliflower and vegan chili, while the bar backs it all up with eight rotating Ontario craft taps and classic cocktails.

Know Before You Go Tables run mostly on a walk-in basis, though larger groups can call ahead to reserve space for draft parties or major fight cards. Expect packed rooms and loud cheers during weekend Arsenal fixtures—as the bar is the official west-end outpost for T-Dot Gooners—as well as during Leafs and Blue Jays playoff runs. Catch the 505 Dundas streetcar directly to Dovercourt; doors open by 3:00 p.m. on weekdays, noon on weekends, and even earlier for morning overseas kickoffs.