Mill Street Brewpub

Vet_Fuel · Post by **Vet_Fuel** » Tue May 01, 2007 10:24 pm

Here's a clue:

http://www.fabconcepts.hospitalityjobs.hcareers.ca/

I've been twice. The food is typical of chain "pub" food, the service is occasionally acceptable - in other words, if it weren't for the beer, I'd never go back.

I had the dry-hopped ESB, which seemed a little flat - even for a cask ale, (which is odd since I found the regular ESB to be very good.)

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Wed May 02, 2007 4:21 pm

I sort of concur from my own experience.

For the wonderfully rustic location, the MS pub DID have a slight cookie-cutter Chain Pub feel to it - and the grub was definitely not worth eating out for. We had a few different spongy pizzas with no decent flavour, and it seemed like pre-fab bar food at gourmet prices. If one clearly remembers NOT liking the food one can in fairness say it wasn't that good.

And unfortunately, they made a serious faux pas in the service - they accepted a small voucher before our ordering, & then refused it after the meal. Old story but it really did put us off.

I encourage others to share more positive MS dining experiences & menu tips. And everyone should try the beer of course!

Hamilton Brian · Post by **Hamilton Brian** » Mon May 21, 2007 8:00 pm

My partner and I happened upon the place when we were in the area yesterday. She knows how much I like the Tankhouse and she's a fairly adept beer geek in her own right. So...impressions? Well first off, why in the hell would there be people next to us in for food only? They didn't have any of the beer and instead opted for coffee/pop/etc. Now, if the food had been "killer" then I could understand that. However, the food, though good, was not enough of a draw. So, the beer. First off, the waiter employed a "clueless" attitude...there were items on the "what's fresh" board that apparently no longer there, or he didn't know the difference. My partner asked for the kriek and he asks her, "which one." Well, cherry is cherry. I had the ESB (which I was told was cask-conditioned and dry-hopped but carried neither of those traits) and the coffee porter. The advertised brown ale was MIA. I had a sip of her hellesbock and it was nice.

Overall...there's not a whole bunch happening here that would draw me back. I thought the atmosphere was too generic and light. I worry that the money put into this operation detracts from the main operation which is brewing and distributing beer.

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Tue May 22, 2007 12:24 am

Hamilton Brian wrote:Well first off, why in the hell would there be people next to us in for food only? They didn't have any of the beer and instead opted for coffee/pop/etc. Now, if the food had been "killer" then I could understand that. However, the food, though good, was not enough of a draw.

The Distillery is a tourist area, and Mill Street is the only place for pub-style food in the Distillery. All of the other restaurants are more upscale and expensive. So even if they're not beer drinkers, it would make sense that people visiting the Distillery would eat at Mill Street if they want a burger, fish & chips, or other reasonably priced pub grub.

Hamilton Brian · Post by **Hamilton Brian** » Tue May 22, 2007 6:25 am

GregClow wrote:
The Distillery is a tourist area, and Mill Street is the only place for pub-style food in the Distillery. All of the other restaurants are more upscale and expensive. So even if they're not beer drinkers, it would make sense that people visiting the Distillery would eat at Mill Street if they want a burger, fish & chips, or other reasonably priced pub grub.

Ahhh...that makes more sense now that you frame it that way.

crawler · Post by **crawler** » Fri May 25, 2007 11:47 am

The times I've been to Mill Street Brewpub, the wait staff were familiar with the beer, but I was there over the winter when it was a little less busy. Will have to go now that the tourist season has picked up and they are more busy to see how the service is.

I agree with the sentiment about their food, nothing to really rave about.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 3:59 pm

GregClow wrote:
Hamilton Brian wrote:Well first off, why in the hell would there be people next to us in for food only? They didn't have any of the beer and instead opted for coffee/pop/etc. Now, if the food had been "killer" then I could understand that. However, the food, though good, was not enough of a draw.
The Distillery is a tourist area, and Mill Street is the only place for pub-style food in the Distillery. All of the other restaurants are more upscale and expensive. So even if they're not beer drinkers, it would make sense that people visiting the Distillery would eat at Mill Street if they want a burger, fish & chips, or other reasonably priced pub grub.

What did you enjoy there Greg?

MattB · Post by **MattB** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 9:40 am

It's my understanding that the resturant operation is run by the same people who own the Foggy Dew and other fake Irish bars around Toronto. That may explain the indifferent quality of the food and the poor service.

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 10:02 am

Belgian wrote:What did you enjoy there Greg?

Uh, I've only eaten there once. I had a Caesar salad with calamari. It was alright. All of my other visits have just been to have a pint or two.

Not sure what this has to do with my comment about it being popular with non-beer drinking tourists...?

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 10:24 pm

GregClow wrote:
Belgian wrote:What did you enjoy there Greg?
Uh, I've only eaten there once. I had a Caesar salad with calamari. It was alright. All of my other visits have just been to have a pint or two.

Not sure what this has to do with my comment about it being popular with non-beer drinking tourists...?

Just encouraging all here to share dining experiences & menu tips.

kinguy · Post by **kinguy** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 8:00 am

We were there during the Luminato festival and had to wait for about 20 minutes to be seated. Because of the festival, I expected them to be busy, but when we finally were seated, there were at least a couple of dozen empty tables, so I don't know why the wait.

Even so, the service was hit and miss. We ordered the sweet potato fries as an appetizer and they came cold, but it took at least 10 minutes to catch the waitress' eye. The table beside us had to wait as long just to pay his bill. We were warned going in that food service might be slow; fortunately, we weren't in any hurry because they were right. Although several nearby tables that were seated after us got their food well before we did.

As others have said, the food is standard bar fare...other than the beer, nothing special to really go back for.

skaghevn · Post by **skaghevn** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 11:04 am

kinguy wrote:...other than the beer, nothing special to really go back for.

Not sure the beer is all that really worth going back for; used to love the Tankhouse, but the last few I had (about a year or so ago) weren't up to snuff. Went to the brewpub during Doors Open with a friend and both of us found the beers lacking -- the Wit and the Kriek (to name two) came across as being too watery, as if Mill Street was afraid to hit us with the full flavour profile these beers could offer.

As for the food & service, meh.