Great food. Lively atmosphere. And a new ballpark to admire.
A meal at Sportsnet Grill is a great way to enjoy a Toronto Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre.
Located just off the lobby of the lively Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel, the grill has stepped up its culinary game with a new menu that debuted April 4.
You can still get nachos and wings, as well as a Beast Mode Burger with a beef patty, bbq brisket, Nashville-style chicken, crisp bacon, chipotle, mayo and cheese, decked on a bed of lettuce and tomato. Hungry (make that starving) visitors also can try the Sportsnet Grill 24-inch Slugger, a two-foot wiener topped with bacon crumble, our signature bacon jam, Swiss cheese, chipotle mayo and a sprinkle of spring onions. Eat it on your own (ask about their #SluggerChallenge!) or enjoy with friends.
A very good Caesar Salad at the Sportsnet Grill at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Those are nice, but the menu has been nicely broadened and includes a variety of other interesting items, including edamame, salads, a chicken tikka bowl and tacos with fish, chicken or jackfruit.
We opted for two appetizers, the Shutout Caesar Salad, and the Firecracker Calamari (both $17). The calamari was pretty crispy, with enough spice to give it a nice kick. It came with a tasty mango habanero aioli and grilled lemons.
The Caesar was excellent, with crisp romaine hearts, brioche croutons, real bacon bits, grated parmesan, Caesar dressing & lemon. I’ve had Caesar salads all over the world, and this was definitely one of the better ones. I personally enjoy a touch of anchovy paste with mine, but many people don’t like it so I can see why it was left out.
We also sampled the Nashville Chicken Sandwich with hot sauce, jalapeño, coleslaw and pickles, on a brioche bun. It’s a pretty good sandwich, and comes with a sizable side of good fries for $19.
Delicious Korean Short Rib at the Sportsnet Grill at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. JIM BYERS PHOTO
The chicken was a solid, run-scoring single. The Korean Short Rib was a two-run smash homer; a sizable portion of super-tender beef in a rich, smoky sauce. Delicious, and then some. The rib came with kimchi, perfectly cooked broccoli (thank you) and a scoop of fluffy jasmine rice.
A friend on Twitter later told me I should’ve had the beef brisket. Doh! Maybe next time.
We opted to skip dessert, but offerings include a flourless chocolate cake and the Triple Play Sundae, with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream. Topped with: Kit Kat, Ferrero Rocher, Cracker Jack, M&Ms, mini-Oreos, chocolate sauce, strawberry drizzle, candy floss, and, just for good measure, rainbow sprinkles. Not quite low-cal, but almost certainly delightful.
Sportsnet Grill has a nice variety of local beers, including a dark Henderson Amber Ale I enjoyed.
The Old Fashioned Ball Game cocktail features bourbon, cherry bitters, a sugar cube, and an orange twist. They add Benedictine for a twist on the conventional recipe. I wasn’t sure about that so I went for the Smokey Margarita ($15) with Mezcal, Cointreau, lime juice, simple syrup and a lime wedge soaked with Lagavulin scotch; a great idea that added to the smoky flavour of the mezcal. A very nice drink.
Fans check out the action from Sportsnet Grill at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Bonus: Door Dash is available from Sportsnet Grill for takeout.
I strongly recommend reservations, as tables by the floor-to-ceiling windows can sell out quickly.
We had a great window table, with a couple of small smudges. It wasn’t a big deal and they didn’t interview with our view, but a clean window would be nice.
The restaurant is perched high above the left field wall at Rogers Centre, and there’s a terrific view of the new Blue Jays elevated bullpen. We were there the night Chris Bassitt threw the first nine-inning, complete game shutout for the Jays since 2015, so there wasn’t a lot of bullpen action. But we could see Yimi Garcia warming up mid-game, and then Markham’s own Jordan Romano late in the contest.
We had a great view of a nice, sliding catch by centre fielder Kevin Keirmaier, and a nice angle for Daulton Varsho’s solo home run to centre.
A view of Rogers Centre from the Sportsnet Grill at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. JIM BYERS PHOTO
We couldn’t hear much of the sound of the game as last Friday was also (sorry to remind you) game five in the Toronto Maple Leafs-Florida Panthers playoff series, and fans were eager to keep an eye on the score of both the hockey and baseball game. There are tons of TV’s around, so it’s not a problem to keep up with what’s happening in other sporting events.
Just as the hockey game was going to overtime, Blue Jays announcer Buck Martinez wandered into the restaurant and sat at the table next to ours. After reminding him that I covered the team for the Toronto Star from 1992-1998 (back when I had dark brown hair, not the luxurious grey I now feature), we had a nice chat about sports and travel before my wife and I headed home.
If you’ve never been to Sportsnet Grill, you’ll find great food, reasonable prices and potentially a front-row seat to the game. If you’ve been before, it’s definitely worth going back to try the new menu and see the new design features at Rogers Centre.
Note: My visit to Sportsnet Grill was paid for. They did not review or see my story prior to publication.
