What lead me to visit Pacific Junction Hotel was a series of misleading signs. The first being that this place is not, in fact, a hotel. It’s a casual restaurant and bar. Passing it quickly many times on King Street East, I thought it was a backpacker’s hostel. There are no rooms at the Pacific Junction Hotel — though people have walked in asking about rates.
The second wrong sign that lead me to finally try Pacific Junction Hotel was a sandwich board outside that read, “We’re closed! Open tomorrow. Go to Betty’s”. But I looked in and I saw a table of men joyfully stuffing hamburgers in their faces. I pushed the door open and asked if they were closed. Is this like when your name says “hotel” but it’s not, so when you say you’re closed, you’re really not? The staff insisted they were indeed open — the sign was left over from Easter weekend — and I found myself ordering food at the hotel. The owners are the same as Betty’s next door.
The menu is a mix of foods that, if this place were an actual hostel, I would say represented the different cultures of people staying there. There are several taco options such as the Cajun Fish Tacos ($13), with pan-fried tilapia inside warm corn tortillas with roasted salsa, mango salsa, lettuce and sour cream on the side. Popcorn Oyster Tacos ($13) are on the menu, and buttermilk-battered alligator tacos are also available.
A French-Canadian and Asian mash-up is one of the most popular items ordered at Pacific Junction Hotel in the form of Poutine Springrolls ($10.25). The menu does a good job of catering to vegetarians — the poutine springrolls can be ordered with oxtail gravy or caramelized onion gravy. If you hate eating the carrot sticks and celery off the side of your friend’s plate as they eat chicken wings, you can order Buffalo Tofu ($9) made with crispy breaded tofu, hot Buffalo or jerk sauce, and blue cheese dip. Almost like the real thing, but not at all. Even a simple Vietnamese coffee gets hipified by being served in a mason jar.
Pacific Junction Hotel is the kind of place where you go for a margarita after work — or between classes, as it’s near George Brown College — and nibble on something a notch above typical bar food. Not every bar is going to offer you bison sliders, conch fritters, and jerk shrimp. Entertain yourself with the games room in the back and nap in a dark corner if you must… but you can’t stay the night. There are no rooms for rent.
Follow Pacific Juntion Hotel on Twitter: @PacJunkHotel
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