On sunny days, I like to make my way across the harbour to pick up a coffee or meal at one of the wonderful little restaurants and cafes that pepper downtown Dartmouth. If nothing else, the ferry ride offers an easy adventure and the chance to breathe in a little more salty air than usual.
Alderney isn’t the only landing—a familiar fact for any peninsula-dwellers who happen to be Value Village aficionados, NSCC students or hospital employees. So I switch routes to try out the Woodside restaurant Pilot’s Pub. An easy few strides from the ferry terminal, the pub is big, with a woody bar in the front, a rosy pink dining room in the back and a deck that sprawls along the length of the back, with views of the harbour.
My first visit is on a warm afternoon. We sit watching Theodore Tugboat make his way around distant waters outside. A server drops off a huge menu that, on the weekend, includes brunch. After a lot of page-flipping and omelette-ogling on our part, another server shows up at our table to hear our decisions. We pick lunch, ordering the Philly cheese steak ($8.99) and the mushroom melt burger ($8.99), each of us adding a 10-ounce Garrison brown ale ($4). We also both opt to switch the frozen fries out for ones with a homemade beer batter.
After a wait our food is delivered, but it’s clear that the servers—at this point we are on our third new face—have forgotten we each ordered a beer. Our latest server apologizes and heads off to grab our ales.
The cheese steak is not great. The cuts of meat are more like roast beef, and the sandwich is sadly lacking in cheese. The melted cheese on the burger is also on the thin side, overpowered by a small pile of bland sauteed mushrooms and a dry beef patty. No matter how much I slather on, the side of bistro sauce—a garlicky, horseradish mustard/mayo mix—fails to make a dent in the lack of juiciness.
Luckily the caramel sweetness and slight bitterness of the eventually delivered Garrison turns out to be a nice complement to the flavours of the sandwiches. The French fries are also really good. They are light and crispy, if a little oily; the definite highlight of our meals. Still, we leave disappointed.
A week later we give it another shot, this time ordering some of the house specialties: the double sirloins ($8.99) and the coquilles St. Jacques ($11.99). This time we just get a few canned sodas ($2).
I order the sirloins medium-rare, but I get them medium-well. The server never returns to see if we are happy, so eventually I shrug it off and dig in. They are still slightly juicy, and the bacon adds some enjoyable smoke and saltiness, but overcooked as they are, they can’t help but disappoint.
The coquilles St. Jacques ($11.99) is a pleasant bowl of comfort food. A handful of tiny, tender bay scallops sit on a bed of mashed potatoes, both covered in a garlic mushroom sauce and a gooey mess of melted cheese. The potatoes themselves are actually quite bland, but the tasty sauce is rich with garlic. The accompanying Caesar salads, however, are just OK. Crisp romaine lettuce, real bacon and an average creamy sauce are done a disservice by shredded mozzarella, a poor replacement for Parmesan.
When we are finished, our server finally re-emerges, noting she forgot to come back, wandering away again without a word, returning only to drop off the bill. We pay and head off, ready for another ride on the ferry.
It wasn’t all bad at Pilot’s Pub, but from food to service, it was far from great. It might be a passable neighbourhood pub, but I can’t say it was worth a trip.
This article appears in Jul 8-14, 2010.
how did they get coquille st. jaques out of the dish you just described; coq.. is a CLASSIC french dish and that what you described is a a WT version of idk 🙁
Christ! By the sounds of the headline, it’s the worlds worst dining experience ever!! After reading your article, I thought it wasn’t all that bad. So they overcooked your steak and the server never came by…..ever think of flagging them down? Typical…you complain about the food after you decide to eat it anyway knowing it’s not what you ordered.
Dear Miss Buote
I would like to comment on your article about Pilots Pub,in Woodside Dartmouth.My husband and I have ate there many times I have always found the food excellent we have had many items on the menu , including the coquille st jacque yes it is a gooey kind of meal but when cheese is melted I believe it becomes gooey but oooh so tasty, the ceasar salad that accompanies it is as you said fresh crispy and real bacon bits but you are wrong on the mozzeralla topping that is real grated parmesan chesse I know that because I have ate it on many many ocassions.
You mention that you had three different waitress well in my view it sounds like you were very well taking care of, most places we have been we had only 1 waitress and it was hard to even get the attention of the other wait staff , I thought your review in general was way off track and in my opinion not one of a real connoisseur
I think you mean “foundered on the rocks”. Although a pub-cum-ship could theoretically flounder, normally they are not that animated or flexible.
Oh Ms. Buote, how entertaining was your review of Pilot’s Pub!!! A good read should envoke some form of emotion, which yours certainly has. Line after line, I gained more and more annoyance and irritation.
I am always amused at how those with absolutely no experience or knowledge of the restaurant industry love to express unfounded opinions! Had you ever worked in a restaurant on a busy day, or even taken note of the many other customers surrounding you on your visit to Pilot’s Pub, you may have been grateful and impressed that you were getting attention at all, instead of complaining that you had three different faces serve you. You may have even recognized the team effort that went into your table not being neglected, and the fact that your meals were delivered hot.
Had you given it more thought, you may even have recognized that your meals were phenomenally priced all being around the ten dollar mark. Alternatively, you chose to grumble about the cheese instead.
Pilot’s Pub provides large plated meals, served hot, and with a smile at great prices. And, is the cleanest pub I have ever visited in the metro area. It offers an exceptionally welcoming atmosphere that is appreciated by it’s many regular customers, and new visitors. And, since it somehow escaped your attention before, it is called “PILOT’S” Pub, referring to the navigator of a plane, not a boat as you so sarcastically titled your review. It is clear to me that the Pilot’s Pub crew would have a difficult time jumping overboard hence, and in reality are quite happily soaring high above the other shoddy pubs that have managed to escape your wrath.
I was at Pilot’s on two occasions and was not impressed both times, and by the way, the service was shoddy both times too. Whether an establishment is busy or not, is no excuse for lack of service. If the Pilot lovers on here want an example of excellent service with constant business, check out the Micmac Tavern.
hey im a well visited patron of pilots pub and i just like to say i have always had great service . with real parmasan cheese on my salad lol. it makes me wonder if you cant tell the difference maybe you shouldnt be writing reviews .obviously you know nothing of food . try the ribs they are my favorite . or v the real hamburgers pilots pub is a place where you are welcome and made feel that way
I’ve never eaten at Pilot’s and frankly I don’t care.
But what I’d like to point out is that none of you were eating with Ms. Buote so you don’t know if she got Mozzarella instead of Parmesan. So stop asserting that she can’t tell the difference. Seeing as that she’s contracted to review eateries, I’m sure she’s had to prove some sort of expertise. More likely, you defenders can’t tell the difference.
Further, the original definition of a Pilot is someone who steers a ship (particularly out of a harbour) not an aviator. Stop trying to be such smart asses.
capriciousfry, if you can’t handle criticism, don’t work in the industry.
If service sucks, it sucks!
I must admit tho, over the last 3 years, service has really degraded in public places here. Sometimes you don’t even get a smile.
I also believe any human can tell the difference between Parmesan and Mozzarella unless they’ve never seen cheese, and I believe what she said. Maybe they ran out of Parmesan! It is possible you know!!!
Just recently ate at Pilots pub, this past Friday. Was the worst fish and chips I have ever eaten. The batter on the first piece was so well cooked it had dry fish inside and the second piece was not fully cooked on the inside of the batter, still gooey. I was very disappointed also to see frozen string fries came with it. The worst fish and chips I have eaten here in Dartmouth/Halifax ever. Wont’ be returning there. My husband said he didn’t much like the food either.
I have been to pilot’s Pub about 6-10 times over the last 4 years. I have never been greeted with more than two people. One to give the menus and one to take the order was the most I personally encountered. I have had the Pilot burger, ribs (they even told me the sauce they use when I complimented), wings, beer, fish, two types of fries and various other things from the menu. I have not once been disappointed fortunately and those who have had a disappointing visit to Pilot’s should consider giving them a second chance.