What’s on the menu at WVRST, Union Station’s brand-new beer hall

By Rebecca Fleming| Photography by Gabby Frank

| December 18, 2018

Photo by Gabby Frank

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Name: WVRST Contact: Union Station, 65 Front St. W., 416-283-3251, wvrst.com, @wvrst
Neighbourhood: Financial District Owners: Aldo Lanzillotta and Sal Tino Chef: James Hall Beverage director: Patrick Thomson

The food

The new-and-improved Union Station has a shiny food court, a couple of sit-down restaurants and now—after an almost year-long wait—its very own beer hall. “Your second location is more important than the first one,” says Lanzillotta. “With the second one, you’re really putting your stamp on the city—so it was very important for us to find the right spot.” And what tourist or sports fan or commuter won’t appreciate having the chance to enjoy WVRST’s staples (build-your-own sausages, duck fat fries, house-made pretzels) made popular at the King West location? New additions to the Union Station menu include charcuterie boards, speck and raclette pretzels and a tasty little treat called the CinnaWVRST bun. Still to come: coffee and morning fare, like breakfast sandwiches.

The leafy green salad’s ingredients may change depending on what’s seasonal or available, but it will always be leafy... and green. Choice of two dressings. $7.25.

Hand-made pretzels include (from left to right): jalapeno and cheddar ($5), salted ($4), speck and raclette ($5.50) and an everything ($4.50). For an extra $3.50 you can (and should) throw in an order of cheese sauce for dipping.

A charcuterie board for two, served with giardiniera and pretzel epi. $18.

An order of currywvrst, consisting of cheesy sausage, toasted country bread and tomato curry sauce ($9.75) and an order of duck fat fries with two dipping sauces ($8.50).

Here we have the Oktoberfest sausage ($9.50) paired with an order of Dirty Fries, Belgian-style fries topped with peppers, jalapeños, onions and the bar’s signature curryWVRST sauce. $6.50 and up.

Salted maple rosemary ice cream ($6.50) and a salted chocolate pretzel ($5.50).

The CinnaWVRST bun, an homage to Cinnabon (a longtime Union Station tenant), is essentially pain au lait piped full of cream cheese icing. $4.75.

Here it is in action:

Behold.

All of the meaty (and even a couple vegetarian!) options.

The drinks

Twenty taps pour a rotating selection of (mostly local) beer and cider, while an extensive list of bottles and cans focuses on imported products, and all of the wine (and there is a lot of it) is by-the-glass. “I feel like WVRST is the perfect thing for a train station,” says Lanzillotta. “If you go to train stations in Europe, there’s always a bar just steps away, enticing you to have a drink before you catch your train.” It’s a real step up from the old Commuter Lounge.

The 20-tap beer-and-cider lineup rotates regularly.

The space

As at the original location, most of the seating is communal, though there are a few booths and lots of bar seating. The same ordering process applies here, too: place your order at the counter and take a number—your meal and drink will be right with you.