Gameday

Steam Whistle Tap Room and Kitchen

5 minute walk

Right across the street from the Rogers Centre on the southeast side is an excellent brewery built on an old train yard. It’s a great place to grab a local Toronto pint before the game, especially if the weather is nice and you can sit outside amongst the vintage trains. The biergarten is great and the views are lovely, so this is the spot to choose if you’re looking to have a refreshing local beer outdoors, right next to the stadium.

Rec Room

5 minute walk

Also right across the street from the stadium on the southeast side is this fun and spacious pub with local craft beer, arcade games, pool tables, and more activities to keep you engaged while you wait for first pitch. This is less a bar with an arcade attached than it is an arcade with a bar inside (think: Dave and Busters). It is mostly games and prizes, with food and drinks as kind of an afterthought. If you’re attending the baseball game with children, this may be where you want to stop beforehand. 

St. Louis Bar and Grill

1 minute walk

This is a typical sports bar located across the street from the stadium to the southwest side that offers a casual hangout spot and some decent grub. It is also stocked with quite a few TVs in case there are other games you want to watch before heading into the Jays game. This place isn’t really anything particularly special, but it’s serviceable as a sports bar and is typically a little less busy than the other bars on this list. So if your primary choices are too busy, this may be a decent backup option for pregaming.  

The Pint Public House

3 minute walk

This local fan-favorite sports pub is located directly to the north of the stadium, and its entrance is connected to the stadium courtyard by a bridge, so you don’t even have to cross any streets to get between this spot and the ballpark. There is a great outdoor patio, and the inside is filled with TVs and friendly staff. The food is pretty solid here as well. If you want a typical sports pub experience before the game, this may be your best bet. This bar tends to get busy on game days, so arrive early if this is your destination, at least 90 minutes before gametime. 

Boston Pizza

4 minute walk

Directly across the street to the north of The Pint Public House is this chain restaurant and bar that offers a casual sports-watching atmosphere with solid food options. The pizza is delicious and there are a bunch of specialty pizzas to choose from, but they do run on the expensive side. Overall this is a solid choice if you’re looking for something a little more quiet and family-friendly, or if you can’t get into The Pint across the street. There are some patio tables, but you’ll have to show up pretty early to grab one of those.

Amsterdam Brewhouse

7 minute walk

South of the stadium and located on a pier on the water, this huge brewery offers a great patio and tons of seating, along with a nice selection of local craft beer and some interesting food options. It’s a good spot if you’d like to sample some interesting beers and spend some time outdoors, or if you’ll be coming from the waterfront area. If you’re coming from the north side of the stadium, it’s probably not worth it to trek past the stadium for this place and then back. There are plenty of closer options for that. 

Real Sports

10 minute walk

This sprawling sports bar is a little further from the stadium, but with over 200 TVs and more than 100 different beers on tap, it is worth the short walk if you’re looking for a prototypical sports bar experience. The food and atmosphere here are great, and the place is truly massive. There is also a huge jumbotron-type TV above the main bar, which can be seen from the main-floor dining room or the second-floor dining room. This place is normally packed both before and after games, and it’s even more busy if it’s the time of year when NHL, NBA, and MLB games are all happening at the same time. If this is your destination, you should go ahead and make a reservation in order to assure yourself of a table. The link for booking tables can be found here: https://www.rs.ca/book-a-table Reservations can be made up to three weeks in advance.

C.N. Tower

Given its location right next to the ballpark, it makes sense to take a trip up the tallest freestanding structure in the western hemisphere before the ballgame. The views from up top are breathtaking and make for excellent photos. 

Ripley’s Aquarium

This excellent aquarium is right next to the Rogers Centre and the C.N. Tower, so it also is a great gameday option. If you’re a fan of wildlife or ocean creatures, this will definitely be worth the price of entry. It is also a great place to bring kids.

Hockey Hall of Fame

This is a few blocks away from the stadium, but it is a must-see for any hockey fan. The interactive exhibits are also great for children. If you have a few hours to kill before the game, I highly recommend a visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame (I might lose my Canadian citizenship if I don’t recommend it). 

Sportsnet Grill

Part of the Marriott Hotel inside the stadium

This is probably the only in-stadium restaurant that’s worth eating at (mostly because it isn’t really a stadium food spot, but rather part of the hotel attached to the stadium). This is an excellent sports bar that has windows which look out onto the field, so you won’t miss any of the action if your pregame meal runs a little long. The tables with views of the field need to be reserved ahead of time, however. The food is also pretty good here, so don’t sleep on the 24-inch fully-loaded all-beef hot dog called “The Slugger” – if you finish it in under 5 minutes it’s free and you get your photo on their Wall of Champs (eat your heart out, Joe Carter).

The Catch Bar

100-Level, Right Field

This is a great spot to grab some cocktails and aesthetic selfies while you wait for first pitch. There aren’t any seats though, so you’ll likely be standing the whole time, but there are ledges to set your drink down while looking out onto the field. This bar does not offer food, so you’ll have to check out some of the concessions in the area if you haven’t eaten before coming into the stadium.

Corona Rooftop Patio

500-Level, Right Field

If you’re set on pregaming inside the stadium, then your best bet may be to grab a general admission ticket and get to this patio early and just post up here. The general admission tickets can be hard to maximize to their full potential without arriving early to grab a top-tier spot. Getting there right at gates open and securing a rail seat at this upper-deck area with great cocktails might be the best way to do it. The atmosphere is lively, the food and beverage options are amongst the best in the stadium, and the view isn’t terrible considering it’s on the 500-level. The only downside is if you leave that rail seat even for a few seconds, it’s gone forever (unless you have a buddy save your seat for you).

Notes and other considerations during the game

Gates Open

The gates at the Rogers Centre open 90 minutes before gametime on weekday games, and 2 hours before gametime on weekends. So if you’re planning to pregame inside the stadium, set your watch accordingly. You can enter at any open main gate you prefer; you don’t have to enter at the gate recommended on your ticket.

Outside Food and Beverage

You are allowed to bring outside food and non-alcoholic beverages into the Rogers Centre, provided the beverage container is 600ml (that’s only 20oz to you Americans) or less and is not made of glass or metal. Food containers must be sealed or sealable to avoid spillage and must be able to fit under your seat. So, if you’re on a tight budget, feel free to grab food at a spot outside the stadium and bring it in instead of paying stadium prices.

Rogers Centre Tours

Historically there have been tours of the Rogers Centre offered, but as of April 2024, they have been suspended with no information about future schedules. Take a look here to see if that has been updated: https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/ballpark/tours

Family Friendly Features

The Rogers Centre has a permanent children’s activation zone located at section 237. The stadium also recently opened TD Park Social, found on the 500 level in left field, which is geared specifically towards children and families. There are also Jr. Jays Sundays, which are described in a little more detail below. 

There’s arcade games at the WestJet Flight Deck, console gaming up at TD Park Social, face painting, chalkboard coloring, photo booths, mini-golf, hula hoops, and more. If you have young children, Sundays are definitely the day to be at the ballpark. There are activities and attractions on every level as well as outside the ballpark. 

Batting Practice

There is no specific designated way to see batting practice for either the Jays or the visiting team, but if you get into the stadium right when doors open you’ll maybe catch the very tail end of the Jays’ BP or at least most of the visiting team’s BP. 

However, true Jays fans know a little secret about catching the whole Jays practice – if you make a reservation at the Sportsnet Grill around 4:00pm for weeknight games and request a table with a view of the field, then you’ll be able to see the Jays BP over beers and dinner. 

Autographs

There is no designated autograph time or area at the Rogers Centre. The only way to have a shot at an autograph is to get in at gates open and run down to the field to try and catch players leaving batting practice. It’s not easy, and there’s a good chance you won’t get anything at all, but it helps to believe in yourself. For example, when I was a kid, I got an autograph from Valdimir Guerrero SENIOR after the end of the Angels BP down around first base line. Anything is possible!

First Game Certificate

First game certificates, or fans celebrating a birthday, can pick up their commemorative certificates at any Fan Services stand in the ballpark, which can be found near sections 123, 141, 212, 236, 508, and 532.

Outfield District

Even if you bought a standard seat in the bowl, it’s worth making a trip to the Outfield District to check out the different “neighborhoods” and eclectic design. There are plenty of beautiful backdrops in these areas for grabbing that perfect Instagram selfie. I personally like the graffiti art walls of The Stop, or the wall covered in greenery with a neon Blue Jays sign up at the Corona Rooftop Patio.

Mascot Pics

The Jays mascot, Ace, is a large fuzzy blue jay who can frequently be spotted dancing on top of the dugouts. He does wander around the stadium, and is happy to grab photos with fans if you run into him, though he does not have a designated photo-taking area. However, on Jr. Jays Sundays, Ace and his buddy, Junior (also a large fuzzy blue jay) are frequently hanging around in the kids zones to take photos with young fans.

Loonie Dogs Night

Every Tuesday home game at the Rogers Centre is Loonie Dogs Night, where you can grab hot dogs for $1.00 CAD each. Attend on a Tuesday and help our fans try to break our record of 75,173 hot dogs consumed in one game!

Jr. Jays Sundays

Every Sunday home game is Jr. Jays Sunday at the Rogers Centre, which provides spectators aged 14 and under with activities and prizes in several areas all over the stadium. Jr. Jays are also invited to run the bases after the game on Sundays. TD Park Social on the 500-level and the WestJet Flight Deck on the 200-level become wonderlands for kids on Sundays.