According to YELP the Longest Yard is Permanently Closed.
For a number of years this was the website of the Toronto restaurant, The Longest Yard.
According to YELP the Longest Yard is permanently closed.
Content is from the site's archived pages and other outside sources for a nostalgic look back.
The Longest Yard
535 Mt. Pleasant Road (at Belsize, just north of Davisville)
Toronto M4S 2M5
Tel: (416) 487-6468
Takeout: (416) 480-9273
Fax: (416) 239-9479
Email: thelongestyard@bellnet.ca
The Longest Yard
3313 Bloor Street West (at Eagle Road, three blocks east of Islington)
Toronto M8X 1E7
Tel: (416) 239-9484
Takeout: (416) 239-9482
Fax: (416) 239-9479
Email: thelongestyard@bellnet.ca
After 30 Years, The Longest Yard Will Close on Sunday, May 1
Monday, 11 April 2016 | www.mountpleasantvillage.ca
Within a couple of minutes of announcing on social media that The Longest Yard restaurant/bar on Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto will close its doors on Sunday May 1, responses poured in to owner Debra DeMonte.
Messages of sadness, fond memories, best wishes and even protests “no, please don’t close” continue to arrive from as faraway as Vancouver, Ottawa, Halifax, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia, even as far away as Australia and Greece. The volume is a surprise. The Yard has been a landmark on Mt. Pleasant for nearly 30 years as a social gathering place, neighbourhood pub and family restaurant that promotes culinary, sports and political events.
For Debra, the decision to sell is bitter sweet. “Closing the restaurant is a lot harder than opening it in1987. The Yard has been an important part of my life. I’m overwhelmed that customers are as emotional as I am. Wrapping things up is heart wrenching. Sometimes I feel I’ve betrayed the many thousands of customers who have passed through our doors in the past three decades, but it’s time for me to move on.”
For Debra, the decision is a lifestyle choice. “I’ve rarely had a day off, let alone a vacation, in years and came to the conclusion that working all the time is not the way to live a balanced and healthy life.” She will, however, continue to own and operate The Longest Yard at 3313 Bloor Street West that opened in 2007, and will finally take a vacation with her extended family to Italy in July.
Saying goodbye is shaping up as a grand celebration. The Yard’s final Lobster Fest on Monday April 25 (with the lobsters flown in seawater fresh from Nova Scotia that morning) is filling up fast with advanced bookings for sittings at 5.30 pm and 8 pm. The Yard inaugurated semi-annual Lobster Fest in 2003 and it remained a popular event.
The celebration will culminate on Saturday April 30 with an all-day Farewell Party. Past and current customers, some of whom have been regulars for decades, will take the microphone to share memories of the good times, arguments about sports and politics, and reflect on a special place where they met their true love and made life-long friends.
Many customers first visited The Yard as babies and small children, worked as servers to put themselves through university, and came back as adult customers with their own families.
Debra is a well-known figure in the Toronto restaurant business and at City Hall. For 26 years, she served as a director and the first female chair for two terms of the Toronto restaurant industry’s association and a director of the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association.
John Oakes, owner and operator of The Harbord House on Harbord Road, Toronto and a longtime restaurateur, will open a new restaurant at The Yard’s Mt. Pleasant location in May under the name the Belize Public House.
About Us
Toronto’s two Longest Yard restaurants are synonymous with fresh, nutritious and affordable casual dining, a great selection of beers and wines – and a fun place to hangout with colleagues, friends, lovers, family and teammates.
The first Yard opened in 1987 on Mount Pleasant Road and was followed in 2007 by the Yard on Bloor Street West.
The restaurants take their name from two sources – the 1974 Robert Aldrich movie The Longest Yard starring Burt Reynolds and Eddie Albert and the 17th century yard of ale drinking glass (trumpet-shaped with a trick bulb as a drinker’s challenge). We have a three-pint yard glass at the restaurant on Mt. Pleasant.
We open at 11 am every day (except Christmas Day) and close at 10 pm on Sundays, 11 pm on Mondays and 1 am Tuesdays through Saturdays. Occasionally, either restaurant is closed for private parties.
The Yard is more than a restaurant/bar. We are the number one place to be for all major sports events, catering festivities (such as our popular twice-a-year Lobster Fest) and political events, including major elections.
Menu
The Longest Yard offers a well-balanced menu of casual dining suitable for all palates and at affordable prices. Our emphasis on quality includes local naturally raised grade A beef and free-range chicken. Fruits and vegetables are local when they're in season. We make everything fresh daily and supplement the menu with daily specials.
Our kitchen is peanut free and trans fat free.
We offer a wide selection of draft beers, including micro-brews, bottled beers, wines, liquors, liqueurs and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
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Special Events
Our special events include culinary occasions, political events, charitable fundraisers and celebratory parties.
Parties
The Longest Yard is a popular place for parties. The Mt. Pleasant location is licensed for 68 customers, including a small bar that seats 10, and the Bloor Street West location for 124 customers, including a horse-shoe bar that seats 20. With at least two weeks notice and a non-refundable deposit, you can book the entire restaurant for a private event.
We can configure the restaurant for virtually any style of party – from pub style to fine dining, with or without live music.
Groups of any size are encouraged to make reservations.
The Longest Yard has raised funds for many charities since 1987 as part of our community commitment. In 2007, we created The Longest Yard Children’s Fund to help the kids of low-income families in Toronto have fun, join in and get ahead. We received charitable registration under the Income Tax Act from Canada Revenue Agency, effective January 1, 2008. Our registration number is 85433 8183 RR0001. We issue tax receipts for donations.
The Fund makes grants toward the cost of kids participating in sports, recreational and educational activities, such as after-school tutoring and day camps. Financial assistance is provided through registered community groups and schools.
The Fund is governed and managed by a volunteer board.
YELP REVIEWS
Dale M. Toronto, Canada
4.0 star rating 12/16/2009
Decemburger Discord.
Having just read my dining partner, Shari "I'm full" M's review, I need to clarify a few things:
1. The outside does look posh. But the inside is actually kind of lame. On the plus side, it's definitely low-key. But there was something about the row of tables (about 12) sitting mostly empty and running straight down the center of the dining room that made me feel like we were crashing a really lame private party.
2. The saucy fingers (some call them Buffalo Chicken Strips) were awesome indeed. Try the "Hot and Spicy" sauce - it's a little something different. Onion rings were also fab. Fries were great. The burger, however, sucked. Thank god I had gone for cilantro salsa, Monterey Jack cheese and guacamole on mine - these toppings were delicious and rescued the dry, slightly-tough-on-one-end, I-don't-care-if-it's-organic patty. Also, the bun was a bit soft by the time I got to it.*
3. Our server was a darling. To clarify, she wasn't checking in in an annoying way, but rather in a conscientious, want-to-make-sure-you're-enjoying-your-stay way. We had, after all, ordered three meals between us (by which I mean Shari paid lip service to the fingers and rings that I all but demolished, and we each had a burger and fries). It took us a while to get to our burgers, and I noted at the time that our server made an extra stop after that point to make sure everything was good.**
If I were to judge the place by the burger, it'd be three stars for sure. But overall, this is a four-star joint and I'm confident enough in the rest of what I saw from the kitchen that I'll be back to try some more.
I happened to wander by the kitchen when searching out the bathroom and found a very lovable lab sleeping on a colorful round dog bed and went over to say hello. A waiter introduced me to Sally, the mascot, and pointed out that Sally was severely injured and could not walk without assistance. The restaurant's owner bought her this designer bed online so that she could spend her days relaxing in comfort. It was very clear that Sally loved this dogs round designer bed and appeared to be blissfully unaware of the bustle going on around her. To me, an avid dog lover, it's a huge plus that the owner and staff care for an injured dog in these premises.
* If you like well-done organic burgers, disregard my 'beef.'
** Actually, I think our server fell victim to my boyish charm and kept coming back for a little more of it.
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Diane C. Toronto, Canada
4.0 star rating 6/23/2015
I'd been eyeing this place for the better part of the last year, walking by without going inside, and today - while out drinking with a friend - I finally got to visit.
We opted to eat inside as opposed to the patio, which was fairly full. Decor was nice and neat, and service was very good.
The food: I had the lamb burger, while my friend tackled the calamari po boy sandwich. First of all, I don't know what these guys used to season the fries beside salt, but they were delicious.
As for my burger - it was great. The meat - and the seasoning - was so savoury. The dip was great, and the bun was nice and buttery. My friend loved her sandwich, but was so full she couldn't finish.
Nice place. I'd definitely come back.
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ed B. Kitchener, Canada
5.0 star rating 3/29/2015
A regular place to take my father for lunch. He's happy with the "regular" (all day breakfast or peameal bacon sandwich) -- and there are so many other choices for me :).
Looking forward to having the Prime Rib Dip today and it will go well with Steamwhistle.
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Cydney L. Toronto, Canada
5.0 star rating 1/30/2016
Great food & easy going atmosphere. Couldn't find a menu online but was pleasantly surprised by the selection and quality. Posting photos of the menu now for the world to see :)
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Y L. Toronto, Canada
3.0 star rating 5/2/2015
We were in the area on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and was looking for a good patio brunch restaurant. We decided to come to here for its distance. The food took a while to come (20-30) minutes.
We ordered eggs Benedict and French toast. It was decent but nothing spectacular.
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Mariko M. Toronto, Canada
Follow Mariko M.
2.0 star rating 5/14/2011
Came here this afternoon due to proximity to my gym. Since I read so many great reviews, I suppose my expectations were too high for this place.
I ordered the Summer Salad (Asian Sesame Dressing) with a piece of chicken souvlaki on top. It was edible, but nothing to write home about.
The service was 'meh.' I understand that they were busy, but it was very hard to get anyone's attention when we wanted to pay for the meals or get a refill on water.
The Highlights:
- Bottomless soft drinks
- Free one hour street parking (which the LY is in no way responsible for)
- Extensive menu with items ranging from salads to burgers
A solid 2 stars.
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Lawrence W. Toronto, Canada
4.0 star rating 4/30/2014
They treat the locals right here. Great environment for kids, with a decent and affordable kids menu, and a balloon at the end!
Affordable, consistent dishes. Not exactly overly inventive menu here, but I think for the clientele that come here, that's exactly what they are looking for.
Nice place for a casual dinner or a quick pint.
Feels like home. :)
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Shari M. Toronto, Canada
4.0 star rating 5/9/2010 Updated review
2 check-ins
Still a fan of The Longest Yard. I feel the need to update to share more interesting facts about this spot:
- they have frozen cocktails! Highly recommend the strawberry daiquiri
- like most Toronto restaurants, their bathrooms are in the basement. They have the towel that you yank on and it is supposed to give you a clean few inches of towel. I thought this type of hand dryer was eliminated in the mid 80's?!
- when you go down to the bathroom, they have an old sit down and drive video game....maybe they get lots of bathroom lineups?!
- credit cards accepted, no debit. Debit machine is in basement next to video game
- great place to go to with a group of friends
- most of the clientele are older, not a hipster or young crowd. So - make it your own hipster/young crowd!! Start a new trend!!
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3.0 star rating 7/22/2011
This is a pub but with a bit of family-restaurant atmosphere at the same time, especially at brunch time. The place looks clean and the decor is cute, with a couple of old school video games scattered around.
Sunday brunch is pretty popular, with most dishes coming in just under $10. I wouldn't say that any of it is anything to write home about, but at the same time it's all good and reasonably priced.
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Tim B. Los Angeles, CA
1.0 star rating 1/15/2014
This restaurant is really not good. The reviews are obviously posted by either employees or long time customers/freinds of the owners. I was in recently, first time I'd tried it and the food was well below mediocre, overpriced, the service was slow and terrible. The look of the room is really outdated and resembles more of a gutted office with a few chairs and tables thrown in. I was really disappointed with the whole experience and will never go here again.
Fun fact: If you like food trucks, you can thank the owner of this restaurant for playing a huge role in keeping them out of Toronto. She's afraid of the competition and her business quality explains why.
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Nicole W. Toronto, Canada
5.0 star rating 5/13/2012
I love the longest yard I have been going here for years! They have a really good veggie burger! I really suggest the nachos.
They are very friendly and welcoming
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Joanne S. Toronto, Canada
If there's one word to describe The Longest Yard, it would be reliable. It's not the best food you've ever tasted, but if what you're looking for is a beer and some good 'ol pub fare, this is what you will get here. Situated at the corner of Mount Pleasant and Belsize, this pub has a family-friendly feeling while retaining the ambiance of a sports bar at the same time.
The menu consists of your usual pub fare (wings, ribs, burgers), and also has some unique choices (souvlaki plate, grilled salmon, chili). There are also a few vegetarian options (veggie burger, avocado and brie sandwich, vegetarian chili).
Friendly service, has a nice patio, selection of beers on tap, reasonable prices, nothing negative to say about this place!