the 3 speed

awesome looking patio but didn't get to enjoy it because of the rain. indoors has a nice atmosphere and the waiters are great. good selection of ontario alcohol and many other choices. the food menu has lots of choices from a cheese plate to chicken and mac and cheese. don't forget to take a look at the specials menu - something i forgot to so before i ordered. i ate the beef brisket sandwich, which came with a side salad. twas delicious!

what happened to 3-speed's service? is it understaffing that has created an atmosphere (that used to be prevalent a decade ago of "queen street cool") of je-m'en-foutisme that has suddenly migrated here? despite that, the bar is attractive and cozy, with good drinks - i just had a beer as pictured (and did not dare to venture any further with the server).

three speed used to be my go-to place over the summer, but  i've since stopped coming by. the backyard patio was a lovely draw during the warm weather, so i kept coming back, but each time i left, i wound up commiserating with my dining partner about one thing or another and eventually, we realized that each time, the service wasn't so great.

the food was pretty good and their bean and cheese dip was amazing, but we found that the severs tended toward being rude each time we were there. one time, i was eating there with my parents, and my dad asked what the specials were. rather than listing any of them, the waitress replied: "it's on the board" and refused to elaborate. great! but my father has very poor vision, so he can't read anything unless it's in a huge font and right in front of him. so he was asking for a few reasons: first, he probably didn't see the board; second, even if he had seen it, he couldn't read it; and third, it's fairly common to inquire about the specials from the servers.

another time i was in and wanted a mojito and asked if they were able to make one. i usually find that bartenders either can't/ don't make one for one of two reasons: 1) keeping fresh mint in stock is often tricky, and 2) it's labourious, so they don't want to and just say they are out of mint. so, i'm usually ok to order something else if they tell me "no"; you never know until you ask. but the server seemed to scoff a little at my request. i understand that some folks think there are "good" and "bad" drinks to order, but there's no need for the attitude, and honestly, i don't care. i like mojitos.

in general, i also find that it can be tricky to flag down a server, so even if we do get served (with/ without attitude), following up to place more orders can be difficult.

honestly, i really enjoyed coming here in the past, but the repeatedly poor service means that i'm branching out and looking for new places. even though i dig the food and the backyard patio, i'm not interested in patronizing a business if the servers continue to be rude to me, my family, and friends.

the three speed is my local. it's where i go with my family when i don't feel like cooking, the place i meet with friends for drinks after an event and even the bar i can go to alone and feel safe. 

what's food is consistently good. their reuben sandwich is fantastic -- i love the meat as well as the vegetarian version of this iconic sandwich. 

it's morphed from a 'hipster bar' into a neighbourhood staple and i love it.

awesome little pub. delicious sandwiches, cozy atmosphere, and a nice selection of taps. very reasonably priced for the area but what earns this place 5-stars in my books is the service.

friendly staff, quick service, and when they make a mistake, they certainly acknowledge the error and do everything to make it right (unlike a particular other restaurant i had the unfortunate luck of visiting - read my other reviews, you'll see it . . . .).

not only did the server make the order right, he also comp'ed the first drink, no arguments, no question, no fuss, no muss. now this is a place i would go back to and a place i recommend to my friends.

cool place. very hip sat.... cool place. very hip

sat on the patio which was lovely. the food was okay. nothing memorable but rather inexpensive. the service was slow. but to have some drinks with friends on a patio....perfect place

really good!. foods great! beer is great! people are great! and the three season patio with the fire is my favorite part. just sad that it opens at 6 so not great for right after work drinks if you work in the hood.

does this look appealing to you? well let me tell you, it tasted just as bad as it looks. i had one bite and then put it aside. not even my friend wanted to try it.

delicious. nice atmosphere, cool lighting, really good food. can't wait to go back in the summer and try the patio.

delicious mussels!. firstly, i never thought i would begin a restaurant review with that statement but after a recent trip to 3 speed i have been converted! i always thought mussels were a bit over rated but decided to be open minded and share a bowl with my boyfriend as a starter on a recent visit to 3 speed...they came with parma ham white wine sauce and it was really really good. we followed up with chicken curry, which was a daily special, and mac and cheese and it was all really good. the prices are super reasonably too which is a breath of fresh air for the city. highly recommend a visit.

great burger! slow service though.


-----20 oct, 2010-----

great burger, but pretentious crowd


-----24 feb, 2010-----

great place! my new favorite local bar!

went here for the first time tonight and highly enjoyed the food and back patio. the mussels were fantastic and the banana bread pudding was awesome. service is a bit slow, but the quality of the food compensates. don't judge this place by it's exterior; just go for it!

great local hangout. brunch was decent though the chocolate cinnamon chipotle doughnuts were sublime. also, it may be the only place in the neighbourhood that isn't jam-packed by 11 am, but i suppose it's just a matter of time. i've also been for drinks and snacks in the evening and it never disappoints.

4 stars - it wasn't that long ago that bloordale was a strip of toronto that felt neglected. in fact, most people may feel like its still neglected, but looking around, it's evident that there are signs of improvement. that's where three speed comes in. located unseemingly near pauline on bloor street west, they definitely took a risk opening up in this somewhat seedy toronto neighbourhood. but regardless the risk, it seems to have worked for them. packed nightly with 20-something hipsters, it's difficult to get a seat if you show up past 8 or 9 o'clock, but don't let any of that stop you. as far as 'blansdowne' goes, bar-wise there just isn't much that competes with it. three speed is brought about by the same people that started the communist's daughter , and they also have some affiliation with the dakota , so you can expect the same sorta crowd and atmosphere-and dare i say pretentiousness-that you'd expect to see in any of those spots. if you can find the dam place that is… thre

fantastic brunch!. we often go to 3 speed for a beer and a quick dinner. it is close to our home and they are friendly to ppl with kids in the early part of the evening. we've never been disappointed.

but the brunch ... wow.

husband and i stumbled down the street to find 3 speed open for brunch, one morning. first of all, it was open at 10 a.m. which seems to be hard to find for a good brunch place.

next, we were amazed by the menu. i ordered an eggs benny variation -- instead of a muffin, the egg was served on a fish cake made of local smoked whitefish. it was sinfully delicious. i don't know if i can replicate this food experience again.

husband had a salami, egg and cheese sandwich that rivaled something from caplanskys (well, except the meat and cheese being on the same plate thing). together with a bodum of decaf, we had the best brunch together, ever.