Woody's and SAILOR

Good drinks, good vibes, and great drag queens. Woodys and Sailor is a Church Street must-see. The drinks were well made and to be honest, I have no idea if they have food or not, but there's a few food places nearby if you are hungry. The drag queens performed spectacularly and I will highly recommend for a Friday or Saturday night out.

Woody’s & SAILOR is such an iconic spot in the Village! The place is huge, with multiple bars inside and a great stage for drag shows – the atmosphere is always lively and fun. It’s definitely one of the best venues if you’re looking for entertainment and a vibrant crowd. The only thing to keep in mind is that drinks are on the pricey side – a Corona was $10 and a single shot was $9 – but the overall experience, energy, and shows make it worth it. A must-visit when in Toronto’s Gay Village! 🌈✨🍹

Woody’s and Sailor is a very interesting bar in Toronto, with a unique history behind it. It’s iconic partly because Queer as Folk was filmed there, and the place has been around since 1989. From the outside, Woody’s and the adjacent Sailor look like two separate bars, but inside they’re connected, creating one big, lively space. The North American version of Queer as Folk used it as the main queer hangout, and even filmed street scenes right outside. Early seasons shot interiors on-site, and later a soundstage was built to recreate it. Woody’s has even appeared in comedy skits and inspired parodies in film.” “We went for a jockstrap event and had a great time. The atmosphere was fun, the drinks were reasonably priced, and there’s a safe area to leave your coats, which is a big plus in Toronto winters. Everything was clean, full of screens, and overall very well run. Definitely a memorable experience

Great place to start up your night. Been there twice while in Toronto. Music was great, drag shows too. Crowd of mixed people, handsome guys around. Wonderful atmosphere but room was too bright, too much light.

I was confronted by staff for no clear reason, and the interaction felt hostile and unfair. It completely changed the atmosphere of what was supposed to be a fun night. Based on this experience, I wouldn’t return ever!

I dont know who that DJ was but tonight that DJ sobered me up, held my hand, and prematurely walked me out of that bar on my one day off in weeks! Everybody on that dancefloor was motionless while listening to that chill bedtime playlist. (Other than tonight I usually have an ok time at Woodys.)

I really enjoyed my time here. Great mixed crowds with drag show and a great music mix to dance after the show. Drinks were reasonably priced. Only downside is not to stand over the AC system, it drips water and you don’t want that in your drink or on you. HOWEVER, I’m So glad this space is at a comfortable temperature. Would recommend for new visitors.

Woody’s was one of our favourite bars when we visited Church Street in Toronto. We found it easy to order drinks even during busy nights. The music was really good too. Security could improve on being better at hospitality too. Admittedly, several of their bouncers didn’t seem as friendly as the other bouncers who work for their competitors along Church Street, based on our experience. Despite that, we still enjoyed our time at Woody’s.

Great place for a quick drink and hang out. They offer several drag shows that seem interesting. The bar tender was super nice and made great recommendations.

Spacious setting, drinks are a little pricey for what you get, drag shows can be fun. We saw BOA pretty good

Toronto's well known gay bar, and it's not a bad establishment. I bet there was history because it literally feels like an old house just redeveloped into a bar/business establishment. I wonder what is the story... Anyways, I came with the gaggle of gays from Vancouver for the VELD weekend. And we told all the other Toronto Gays to come as well, and we pretty much took over a huge section of the bar and watched Drag queens all night dancing to Charli XCX, Chappell Roan and Troye Sivan. There were of course random gays from Toronto here that I met. They were extremely nice and welcoming, of course. The bar tenders were nice and efficient at their job, would consider them just ok. But they were extremely attentive. Would come again to celebrate Pride and see how chaotic it would be. LOL

Typical neighborhood gay bar that looks like it has the potential to be super busy at night but didn't get to experience that potential as I went during happy hour hours. I ordered a local Canadian beer, something like to do when I am in a new place for the first time and I was surprised in the type of glass they served beer in. I was surprised by how large of a space it is and the decor is pretty cool. Bartenders were nice and there's plenty of seating and room. Not my favorite of the bars I tried out on the street but nothing really unfavorable about this spot either.

Talk about discrimination. The Security guard named Jason wouldn't let my lesbian friend in the bar because she was supposedly drinking. We were 100% sober. It was a very unusual situation. Traveling from LA California and being recommended to woodys to have this occur was odd. This happened Seven minutes ago. Apparently the manager was named Jason also and unavailable

Very nice, fun and diverse place. The people who come to this bar are all polite and respectful.

I forgot to take a picture of the blue Hawaiian but the bartender did an amazing job making it. As far as the drinks, it was much better than I expected at a gay bar, I was very impressed by that. The part that was a real bummer was that the whole time we were there (Thursday night) it was just drag queens. My opinion may also be biased because I'm not the biggest fan of drag queens, but... is it just because I'm American that I think dancing is fun? My fiancé and I couldn't dance here at all, and that's all we wanted to do but when you look around everyone else seems to be enjoying the show. In the states there's always a club you can go to and dance the night away. Why not here?

Had to come in for my first visit to Toronto. Was such a fun experience as I was with good company and the bar staff were very friendly and engaging with us. I wish I could have remembered our bartender's name. He was very sweet. Of course I was a big fan of the show so I was curious and surprised how big the place is. Drinks were good and ambiance and decor were awesome. Next time I'm in down I'll try to catch a drag show.

As a trans woman who now openly accepts my Jewish non-conforming self, this is a fun club. Although I'm in my 50s, was picked up by someone barely legal lol what a compliment, okay he may have been 25 but anyone under 30 looks like a child to me. Happy Pride. Annette Poizner Clinical Therapist and Gender Specialist Provocateur

It's a staple for the Village, come expecting regular drinks and beers nothing special. It is one of if not the best spot in the Village for a casual night out and why it stands out as the neighborhood go to bar. At the main stage you catch a drag show or dancing. In the back in the Sailor side casual seating. No food offered just drinks. Don't line up too late to get in on the weekend or you'll be in a very long line. Great that they will never charge cover here.

Went to Woodys with 10+ friends and had an amazing time. The bartenders are fantastic, the entertainment was so fun, and the music was great. The night had no issues until it came time to leave and we went to pick up our coats from coat check. At this point we find out that they not only lost one of my friends $300 jacket and then fought back at him when he wouldn't leave without it. When another friend came over, the person called him a "white savior" and kicked him out just for trying to stay with his roommate until her reimbursement and got even more nasty toward him and my other friends. My friend at this point was just begging for soemthing warm to wear home and the general manager eventually gave him a sweater after 20 minutes of them trying to make him walk home in the cold. They said they'd let him know if they find anything but we're not holding our breath and he's already accepted that he'll never see the jacket again. Safe to say we'll never go back there, and will undoubtedly be telling all of our friends the exact same thing whenever we try to decide where we want to go out dancing.

Had such a great time here and loved the queens that performed !! As a straight female, I found that although Woody's caters for the LGBQT community, everyone was really friendly and accepting. The drink selection was awesome, the place was HUGE with tons of seating & mini table areas, clean & well-ventilated, and had 5 bars. Check out their front left-most bar as the bartender there makes some MEAN fruity cocktails, but it'll set you back ~$10. They usually have a show later in the night with their in-house drag queens who had their make-up & outfits ON POINT! It involves some fun crowd-play, dramatic lip-syncing, and fierce dancing. You MAY want to bring some small bills as a few people would tip the drag queens during their performance :)

A staple, classic establishment in the neighbourhood. Decent drink prices and some of the friendliest/hardest working bartenders; the bar(s) have a great set-up, so service is more timely/better. The area is also changing and losing some of it's character, let's hope COVID comes and goes... and with it; a return of WOODY'S!

Super fun this past Thursday night. Fun drag show, fun crowd and great music. Cute bartender in Sailor.

Very diverse and really nice bar. Everyone seem very friendly. If i ever come back, I would definitely come again.

Boring place and dated. No gay village anymore so it's targeted cliental have spread out throughout the city.

Hi, great place. So many good looking people. Mostly men!! gotta rel them in! . Dont forget to buy someone a drink

Over the last few years with this has become the premier spot in the village for game night life. I love through zero cover policy. You literally never know who you're gonna meet as Woody's is known to attract people from all around the world. The drinks here admittedly are rather simple. One time one of the bartenders mentioned to me that I should think shitty Gay bar when thinking about what kind of drinks they would have available. The energy in this place is magnetic after about 11:30 PM but also is more chill and tame during weekdays and afternoons.

Was assaulted by another man at this bar and instead of escalate by knocking him out, I did what I thought was the right thing and reported it to security. The manager shows up and to my shock he was short and disrespectful immediately. I was trying to be reasonable and communicative this whole interaction. In the end he didn't kick the guy out, and when I requested the footage of the assault so I could make a report, he said "good luck with that" and then told my lady friend (who the guy was threatening prior to assaulting me, there's a whole story to that) and I to leave. After 5 years of going out dancing, this is the first time I was hit by someone. And I am saddened to see that management handled it in the worst way they could. If you want a fun drag bar to go to, I recommend Crews and Tango, or any other that is not Woody's. They don't deserve your support and money.

Woody's seems to the most popular of gay bars located in Toronto's Church Street gayborhood area. It's not a dance club, more of a social drinking and stage show entertainment bar, but always great fun, everyone talkative and super friendly. It's one of my favorites as the bartenders are top notch friendly pleasant professionals and the crowd talkative, always willing to enter in to friendly conversation and chat. It can really get crowded, especially on weekends or when they are having an event like the "Best Ass" contest wherein some of younger locals enjoy sporting off the best their assets. LOL! Even though there are usually a good number of those hanging around who have overindulged in their beverages, even as drunks they are nice. Overall, it's a happen place, has a decent décor, a certain vibrancy and above all fun; even for me, a guy over 70.

I had such a fun night watching the talented ladies in the drag show. I was pleasantly surprised to find an extremely attractive crowd that also caught me eye (; This is the perfect place to grab a drink, enjoy good music and great vibes. I came on a Sunday night which meant no cover charge... woot! The typical cover charge I believe is around 10 CAD.

This place is famous as the showtime hit queer as folk used it as filming location for many of its episodes ! As a young gay girl growing up Who loved the show QAF I had to make the pilgrimage to this place . The drink prices aren't too bad . Tip - It's cheaper to order doubles !! I'm sad I didn't come here Friday as Friday night is the best ass contest . Sunday night is smoking hot diva night in which Toronto's best drag queens entertain . In short I love this place !!!! I was entertained . The bartenders are cute and polite . The drag queens are funny as hell. What's not to love ??? Come here if you're gay . Come here if you're straight . Come here if you are bored . I highly recommend it !'

When I told some friends that we went to Woody's it became clear that this is a Toronto institution. This place is huge - like a collection of 2-3 bars into one. There was something for just about everyone. Plenty of bars to hang out at and plenty of places to sit or stand. Too bad that we only had time for a short stay. We will be sure to return for extended play in the near future.

crazy misogynistic. i've been to Woody's MULTIPLE times before and never had a problem until tonight. BOTH bouncers refused me entry despite me being nothing but polite and respectful yet my MALE queer friends were allowed in. I cannot attribute this blatant disrespect to anything other than the desire to keep this club male only. My only goal was to have a good time with my friends, yet as a woman this is clearly too much to ask for. if i could give 0 stars i would, i will NOT be returning.

I love Woody's it has friendly staff you can be who you are you can wear outfits to express yourself you feel safe entertaining drag shows updated dance music and reasonable drink prices.

Travelled from the states to be in an inclusive environment on NYE with my friend I am a butch lesbian and was with my gay best friend, the drinks were great and bartenders were very friendly even spoke to the owner and I had met him the night before and he was very happy I had come back. but after I had been there for hours I was stopped by a bouncer and told I wasn't allowed upstairs in the back room. This made me extremely uncomfortable after I went back upstairs and was sitting on the balcony. I was so uncomfortable I had to leave, Mind you this is listed as an LGBTQ bar and I had on a baggy flannel and jeans.

Not a very fun place for younger people or anyone new to the scene. Mostly filled with older gent-clique-groups who are keen to mark their territories and for the mot part aren't open to newcomers. It's been like this for atleast 11+ years.

I'm on the fence with this place. The bartender was helpful but he took 5min of me standing right in front of him to acknowledge me. He lighten up after talking to me. Great place to meet friends but I have not been there during festive hours it was early evening happy hour.

Fun gay bar with cheap drinks. Went on a wed to check out the gay area in Toronto. Woody has ample space with lots of area to sit. Happen to come on a night with a drag show and it was fun to watch. Bartenders were very pleasant and all the local patron were friendly to us out of towners. The vodka cocktails we order were all under $5.50 and they had 15 pitcher beer. Not sure if it's weekday special.

OK Woody's! Way to be. When we walked in around 11pm it was pretty dead. Everyone was spread out, it was a little awkward. Being that it was a little slow we were able to chat a bit with the bartenders who were super friendly guys. If you're reading this Popeye - you were awesome, thanks for a good night! The prices are outrageous so if you're trying to drink economically, get a pitcher of the blue..something...it's beer anyway. So as the clock struck midnight, this place was PACKED. And there was an (unexpected) drag show. It was OK, not like Chicago drag but Toronto has other strengths, I guess :). I'll be back!

Woody's is the Cheers of Church St. The bartenders are hot and friendly and they often do the kind of other jobs where you end up exclaiming, "you work here too?" when you walk in. Go go dancers and writers and bartenders at clubs and stuff like that. It's open every day all day, and gets a bit of an after work rush in the pub sense. They have a whole bunch of weekday events that pack up like "Best Chest Contest", drag shows and other events. It's predominantly a male but very inclusive. It's attached to Sailor, a smaller more martini-bar feeling joint that shares a wall with Woody's but doesn't necessarily keep the same hours. The one thing I will wan you about with Woody's is that there are like 50 TVs, one in every corner. They are all set to dude on dude porn all the time. Personally, I think it's funny, adds a flair to an otherwise traditional bar setting, but occasionally, I notice that my friends get a little squirmy during the day, when it's not so full, having an after work drink, surrounded TVs blaring pounding man flesh. It's a definite MUST go if you're on Church though. It's the backbone of the gayborhood.

Yes, yes, it's the bar highlighted on Queer as Folk. Truth be told, I completely forgot about that when coming to check out Toronto's diminutive gay village on my little long-weekender to Canada, but once we were there and popped onto Yelp and saw all of those comments, it made us laugh a bit. We'd both seen the show, and it did bring back some memories, though I'd have to watch it again to really have it click back into place. It was an odd night to review it... you see, we were there for Winter Storm Electra, so it was a ghost town. Only a few couples here and there, very slow. But I can't blame the bar for that. The bartenders were friendly, the place was huge and fun, the vibe was good, and I could totally see myself hanging there on a busy night. It was a cool spot, I'll have to return in a summer night and check it out in full effect!

An iconic venue on Church St. in Toronto, Canada. Their icon is a Rhino and examples of it are throughout. Attached bar is Sailor, which has a nautical theme. The place was busy when we got there with a wide demographic. The bar is known for its' drag shows, and events and some shows are worth sticking around for the rest of the night. The place is popular for tourists, and it's where they filmed Queer as Folk.

Very disappointed and upset after my night at woodys. I went with my partner tonight to share a pitcher. Before finishing it the female security guard came to us, telling us we needed to leave. We had spent the night having a good time cheering for drag queens and best chest contestants. She refused to listen or explain anything when we tried asking why, instead she became extremely rude and started using her walkie talkie to call for backup. Saying things like "I'm being nice now, I'm smiling. You don't want to change that." All in all she was terrible and intimidating. We left to avoid making a scene, because of my partners anxiety, but we left confused and upset. We've always loved Woody's but if they're going to employ people of that nature we're not going to return. We've never felt so uncomfortable or insulted at what's supposed to be a fun and friendly venue.

Was Visiting for Toronto Pride, this is a medium sized bar--not a dand club, but lots of space, nice bartenders and clientele.. Enjoyed the Hot Bod show showcasing the local boys.. Many bars spread out the place to getting a drink was never a problem. Highly recommend if visiting Toronto.

Awesome vibe, friendly staff, very social. Is much more spacious than it appears from the outside and has plenty of bars and places to stand and socialize. Though there is no dancing area, it's a great place to mingle and have a drink! On the night I was there, there was a fun drag show and a Best Ass Competition, where audience volunteers showed off their asses and got judged by the crowd! It was all in good fun -- the audience was respectful and it ended up being a good show! (Though I still feel birthday boy Chad was robbed #justiceforchad)

Cool place, very friendly bartenders and patrons, too! I didn't realize that Sailor is connected to this bar until speaking to one of the bartenders. Looks small from the outside but HUGE inside! Enjoyed sitting out on their covered patio.

I'm from NYC and I'm always amazed by how big this bar was! They hosts drag shows, served good drinks, and have amazing taste in music. Will definitely go back if I'm back in town.

This is a nice bar with horrible some, not all cranky outdated staff. One guy a very old ex-stripper with attitude from Florida (someone needs to tell him he is a "has been") is extremely moody and needs to go. He snubs people he doesn't like. He is a bartender, he is a part of your evening out, and he disrespects you, imagine that! Woody's spends a lot of money on trying to keep this place relevant and current and they do a good job and then their antique staff ruin the party. If you are not a part of the staff "click" you may as well go somewhere else. Next time they do some renovations they need to toss out some of the staff.

Woody's has a fun yet relaxed neighbourhood atmosphere. It's cozy-from the strings of rainbow lights to add a bit of flair, to the variety of little seating areas/types and nooks. The staff is friendly and welcoming. The drinks are well-priced. This combined with North of Brooklyn pizza just below (but separate​ take out/bring your own pizza) makes this a fun place to socialize.

A rather large mythic bar coupled with the Sailor. The price is not too expensive in the early evening (when there is no one!) And climbs to 8Pm. Evenings start very late and it's a shame. Too bad there is no terrace. In short, I am a little disappointed. The gay atmosphere of Toronto is definitely not worth the Montreal ....

Come and enjoy a drink as their specials are great. Mixed crowd but everyone was chill. I am clearly not from Toronto but everyone is so nice in this city and that was exemplified in this bar. After 12 it did get full so it was nice experiencing that crowd.

Woody's opened my eyes. We went to celebrate New Years and come the dying minutes of 2014, no one could find champagne, fun novelty hats or whistles - there wasn't even a countdown! Next thing you know it's 12:01 and everyone is confused and disappointed. No 'Happy New Year?' I was let down for a moment but then I realized: something that incredibly disappointing couldn't possibly be an accident at Toronto's biggest gay bar. I saw their point: New Years is celebrated by homophobic bigots. As a proud, gay man, I will do the right thing and never celebrate New Year's Eve again. At least at Woody's.

Woody's is your quintessential gay bar. It's rise to fame was the show Queer As Folk, where it was featured prominently as Woody's, along with Fly (which was Babylon) It's a great place, usually come here before going across to Crew's and Tango. The prices are fair, and the bartender is awesome. I think I may have told him once or twice that we were going to get married one day... There's lots of drag shows, and lots of contests! Best legs, best bum, best chest, the list goes on! It conjoined with Sailor, to make double the bar fun. Be warned, the washrooms are down a flight of stairs, so keep your eye out so you don't slip :) I'd say that this is one of the busiest places in the village. Never a bad time to be had :) 13/15

Best neighbourhood bar in North America Great people working there make it a comfortable place to kick back.

My first gay bar experience in Toronto, and I took my (girl) friend with me. Everybody was fine with her being there (I'm sensitive to that) and we both had a good time. We went on a Monday night, and the TV monitors were all showing music videos, and the DJ did a pretty awesome job of keeping everybody entertained. In that sense, this place (at least on that particular Monday night) reminds me of the same genre of bar as the Midnight Sun in San Francisco or a classic WEHO bar in LA. Other reviews prior to mine suggest a more risque atmosphere (i.e. porn rather than music videos!) on other nights of the week. Sexy, happy bartenders -- which ALWAYS add to the experience -- and strong drinks and lots and lots of room. Also a covered patio for the tobacco enthusiasts.

Its alright Woodys is a happening place, and always seems to feel like there are people in it. Its surprisingly boring for such a busy place. Drinks are alright. Been here many many many times, but would not say I've had negative or positive experiences with service or staff... so thats okay I guess? Its neither welcoming nor bitchy. Staff and patrons seem to keep to themselves, I'd say I have a disproportionately low number of actual contact with random people here. Ive been here so many times over the years, but dont ever meet new people here. The usual experience is come in, consume alcohol and talk to only people I came with.

For the quintessential fruit fly who likes to hit up a bar in the gayborhood every once in a while, this is the place. It pretty much fulfills all your gay needs, and is a great starting place if you want to continue bar hoping. If you are in the mood to watch naked men wrestle on a tv screen, you can do it here too (yippee). I haven't been here for years but Woody's is that classic gay bar - the first one you think of in the 'hood. They also used to host (not sure if they still do) the Miss Bailey's Competition - which is by far - the best drag show I have ever been to. Bailey's used to (not sure if they still do) pick out their spokes model in this competition, and these queens were so hot you'd never know they were men. It's also PG rated enough that I could take my mom here and she really enjoyed it. Woody's is also good, in my opinion, for that first time visitor who is nervous about entering the scene. All in all, a pretty solid place. Oh, and they have a decent brunch as well.

Fun gay bar with friendly bartenders and a great atmosphere! On our second trip to Toronto, we were staying on Yonge and Wellesley, so we made a bigger effort to try the Church-Wellesley scene. Woody's was the first bar we went into, and it was packed on a weekend night. The decor is really interesting, and it has a really vibrant energy. We hung out at the bar for a bit but then were drawn to the the bigger dance floor when the drag show started. Later on they had a "best ass" competition in which young, drunk Canadian men from all across the country compete in an audience-driven contest to see if they have the best moneymaker in all the land (or at least in Woody's that night). I'm pretty sure we have laws against this kind of thing in Ohio, so this was quite the experience! We came back on a slower weekday on our next trip and found it to still be a lot of fun. The bartenders weren't as busy so they were much chattier, and the bar actually filled up quite a bit later on when Drag Dodgeball let out. Overall, this is a fun, unique place worth going to every time I find myself in Toronto.