Amsterdam Barrel House

87 Laird Dr, Toronto, ON M4G 3T7

Call: (416) 504-1060 

Another Amsterdam Brewery location is here! Called the Amsterdam Barrel House, it’s located a ways off the subway line in Leaside, but is reachable by bus if you’re taking transit. The most direct route would be taking the 56A bus from Eglinton Station to the stop at Laird Drive and Canvarco Road, which is two blocks south of the barrel house on the opposite side of the street. If familiar with the neighbourhood, this took over the now closed Against the Grain. 

If you are familiar with the waterfront location they have a very similar menu, with a few additions such as the gluten-free Leaside bowl and the second best fish and chips in Leaside – paying respect to the legendary Olde Yorke fish and chips across the street. They also boast a wide selection of Amsterdam beers on tap and seasonal specials. With floor-length south facing windows shedding lots of light during the day, and soft lighting in the evenings, they offer a great casual dining experience.

With the entrance facing the street, there is plenty of parking around the back of the building including wide, marked accessible parking spots. From the parking area, there are cut out curbs up to the level sidewalk leading to the front entrance. The front entrance has double doors that each measure 36 inches wide with one being operated by an automatic door opener. NOTE: when we were there, the automatic door was actually catching on the manual door so it needed a little tug before the motor would open it the rest of the way; we brought this up to the restaurant staff and it has since been fixed.

Barrel House offers a large, outdoor patio that is accessible from the dining hall or from the sidewalk level through a wooden door that needs to be opened by a staff member.  The patio features 29 inch tables with umbrellas and chairs, if you plan on soaking up some rays. Inside the restaurant you will find a large foyer area populated with welcoming staff to get you started. From there, you can take the wide walkways to several different sections of the restaurant. There is a bar area containing high top tables and chairs and a more formal (but not too formal) dining area with standard 29 inch tables and cushioned chairs. There is reasonable room to manoeuver around the tables, but you may have to rearrange a chair or two to get where you need to go. 

The washrooms are located down a wide hallway with the doors on the side, so it’s sharp left to get through the doorway. Inside the washroom we’re talking a 60 x 60 inch accessible stall with a 36 inch wide door and 2 grab bars around the toilet. There is a large counter with sinks that is 29 inches high and no obstructions underneath, and motion activated taps and hand dryers. 

There are also stairs with a sturdy handrail leading to the upstairs level. As there is no elevator, what goes on up there is a mystery to me. All of the staff seem to be very warm and helpful, chatting with us about the accessibility features and letting us know that come January they will hopefully be offering UberEATS for delivery. Of course service animals are also always welcome!

 

Review team Paul & Lauren