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| - I think this place used to be a biker bar back in the day. It's definitely got its roots there, and you get the feel that a few years ago, there may have been people leaving with bandaged heads, blood-splattered shirts, and snapped-off pool cues protruding from them at odd angles. And thanks to the gentrification of Queen Street West, those days are gone.
Kind of.
There's still a seedy strength to the Black Bull that makes it still feel not a full on biker bar, but definitely "biker friendly". The roughness of the décor is still there with faded pictures, two well-worn bars, even more well-worn pool tables, and booths and chairs that have probably seen better days. But that's all part of the charm. That, and it was one of the few places in the city that you could get a pint of 50.
One of the things that I think has gone a long way to alter the clientele is the size of the patio. Patios on Queen Street West are typically smaller in stature, but The Bull is relatively large, and is packed with office workers and trendoids alike on summery days. On the days that I can't get a spot on the patio, I'm left wondering where's a biker when you need one.
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