Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, Wide Open is a bar that is quite the opposite: my friends and I are still not completely sure this isn’t just an alleyway with a roof. This narrow watering hole on Spadina Ave. just south of Richmond is just wide enough to accommodate a bar and a few booths for seating. Wide Open is the definition of a dive bar, and if you’re looking to grab a few beers or mixed drinks before or after a night out, or maybe even after a local baseball game, it is a great place to do that on a budget.

They have daily specials on beer, shots and mixed drinks, all under the $5 mark. As such a small establishment, there is usually only one or two bartenders on staff but there is always fast and friendly service.

Again, because of their size, they don’t have the capacity for a kitchen, so bar-goers are allowed to bring in outside food. Being so conveniently located to late-night Chinese take-out, Pizza and McDonald’s, this is easy to take advantage of.

The saying “great things come in small packages” has never been more true – Wide Open may be small and discrete but their deals always have us coming back for more.