From the "Devil's Triangle" to The American
The corner of Main Street where The American sits has a long, rough bar history. For years the stretch between the Ivanhoe, the Cobalt, and the old American bar and hotel was nicknamed the "Devil's Triangle." In 2006 the city revoked the American bar's liquor licence and evicted the hotel's residents; the building sat empty for about five years before reopening upstairs as low-income rental units and downstairs as the Electric Owl, an izakaya-inspired restaurant and live-music venue. The Electric Owl closed after roughly a five-year run and sat empty for about a year before operators from the Cobalt directly across the street took it over in July 2016 and reopened it as The American.
Ownership and Opening
The American opened in 2016 and is locally and independently owned. It was launched by Ezra Kish, Patryk Drozd, and Simon Fallick, who took over the former Electric Owl space with the goal of a fun, approachable pub. The trio were already running the Cobalt across the street, making The American a sibling project from that team, built around local beer, cocktails, and bar food.
A Barcade With a Kitchen Built In
The American is a barcade, sports bar, and events space at the seam of Mount Pleasant, Strathcona, and Chinatown. The open-concept, communal room is packed with an ever-changing lineup of pinball and arcade games (roughly eight themed pinball machines, from Godzilla to Stranger Things), billiards, TV and projection screens, and an analog photobooth. Food comes from DownLow Burgers, an offshoot of DownLow Chicken Shack that replaced the earlier Monarch Burger, known for smash burgers and the over-the-top "BFM 9000." Drinks run to craft beer, cocktails, and natural wine.
Programming and Role in the Scene
The American runs a mix of bar programming and live entertainment. It keeps an events calendar and an artist and band booking inquiry, hosting live music and DJ nights alongside weekly trivia, music bingo, and karaoke. It leans hard into sports watch parties on its big screens (FIFA World Cup matches, for example), with some events designated 19+. Quiet early and busy on weekend nights, it works as a neighbourhood social hub and event space rather than a dedicated concert hall.