Exile on Main St. and Danforth
The Rusty Nail Pub
2202 Danforth Ave.
The first thing I noticed upon entering The Rusty Nail was the giant photo of Maggie Trudeau on the back wall.
As if that wasn’t enough, the bar has a regular everyone calls “Music Man.” He didn’t want his photo taken because apparently the police had another name for him, “Wanted.” But the cool thing was, he used his cash to fill the jukebox with boss tunes that kept everyone around the bar doing The Hustle.
During my visit, the cherry on top was the free mint I got with every beer I purchased. Then I started to notice I was the only one getting a mint and came to the realization that my garlicky souvlaki dinner might have been coming back to haunt me.
“Hint”
The Nitty-Gritty:
Jacksoul Poster: No
Price: Cheap. $3.50 domestic bottles.
Service:
Subtle. If you’re experiencing halitosis,
the bartender will simply leave a mint
with every beer.
Décor:
Exile on Main St. and Danforth
Rolling Stones photos and signage.
Washroom facilities:
So clean Maggie and Mick would be proud to re-live their Studio 54 antics in a stall.
Cleanliness:
Very clean. If they worried about my breath, they worry about dust and grime.
Games/Amusements:
TVs, jukebox, cheap pool, live bands, and laughing at the guy who gets the mints.
Value-adds:
Musical Benefactor
He hogs the jukebox but picks cool tunes so it’s a win. Until he accidentally played “Stairway to Heaven” four times in a row. “Bustle in your hedgerow” is now tattooed to the inside of my forehead.
Free Air Quality Monitor
As I mentioned, the bartender left a mint for me to deal with my tzatziki addiction. And a guy told me he once saw her leave a stick of Right Guard for a guy who smelled like a rotten milk shake.
A fix for Mommy Syndrome sufferers
With her attention to customers’ corporal being, it’s the only dive where the barkeep is a de facto mother. And like a mother, she wants you to be good and reminds you to obey the rules, including Ontario liquor laws.
Suggested musical accompaniment:
“Rocks Off” by The Rolling Stones
The Last Call:
Dive Bar Mike recommends this bar for cheap beer lovers, 70s-era Stones fans, and those who believe music should be free or at least someone else should be paying for it.