Foods from Ironworks Pub
Comments
2008 Mar 27
We were in Almonte last night so I decided to drop by the Ironworks Pub & give it a try.
I love the atmosphere & the location. At this time of year, the patio isn't yet open but if you sit near a window in the bar area you're sure to enjoy the raging river go by.
The beer selection? Fantastic!
Service? Also fantastic.
I ordered the perogies & squash soup. The perogies were tasty but the soup was very bland.
Q ordered the fish & chips. The chips were super tasty but the fish came across as very mushy to us. Perhaps it was previously frozen?
All said, I'll certanly come back again in the summertime to enjoy some microbrew on the patio!
I love the atmosphere & the location. At this time of year, the patio isn't yet open but if you sit near a window in the bar area you're sure to enjoy the raging river go by.
The beer selection? Fantastic!
Service? Also fantastic.
I ordered the perogies & squash soup. The perogies were tasty but the soup was very bland.
Q ordered the fish & chips. The chips were super tasty but the fish came across as very mushy to us. Perhaps it was previously frozen?
All said, I'll certanly come back again in the summertime to enjoy some microbrew on the patio!
2007 Jun 4
One more comment on this place:
Say no to the hummus.
Reminiscent of, if not actually, Fantastic Foods' dried hummus-in-a-box. Not inedible, but certainly nothing to spend money on in a restaurant.
Thanks heavens it wasn't my snack; I had the bruschetta when that stuff showed up. Bruschetta's quite good here.
They got a bit of a write-up in the Citizen recently for their great patio, so expect perhaps some increased busy-ness. It's not quiet on nice nights now, and service can be a bit slow. Polite, friendly, but -- slow.
Say no to the hummus.
Reminiscent of, if not actually, Fantastic Foods' dried hummus-in-a-box. Not inedible, but certainly nothing to spend money on in a restaurant.
Thanks heavens it wasn't my snack; I had the bruschetta when that stuff showed up. Bruschetta's quite good here.
They got a bit of a write-up in the Citizen recently for their great patio, so expect perhaps some increased busy-ness. It's not quiet on nice nights now, and service can be a bit slow. Polite, friendly, but -- slow.
2007 May 27
Went here last night for dinner al fresco, on the patio overlooking the water. It was lovely! We loved the view of the old textile mill and the rapids below. The service was extremely friendly and adept, and we were able to walk right up at 7:30pm on a gorgeous day and get a patio seat.
Draft beer selection is fantastic, and served at the right temperature in the appropriate glasses, with selections from Wellington, Mill St. Brewery, MacAuslan and Heritage.
The menu was varied -- you could either go upscale or downscale (pub grub) -- it didn't matter. My fiancee had the filet mignon ($22), which was overcooked from the requested medium rare, but so tender he didn't mind. He substituted fries in place of the mashed potatoes, and that was a great decision -- the fries were tasty, and the dijon aioli that came with it was great. I had the bison rib, which was the special that night. Delicious, particularly the whiskey peppercorn sauce. The portion was a bit small, but for $19, I wasn't complaining. I went with the mashed potatoes, which were the only disappointment -- very dry and flavourless. Both of our entress came with grilled veggie skewers, with a nice selection of cherry tomato, red onion and green pepper, perfectly grilled.
The wine list was sub-par, but evidently they are having a wine dinner this Thursday evening to try out some new wines, and a woman from Savvy Grapes in Ottawa will be there. The objective is to revamp the wine list, and the new list should be available shortly. Also worth mentioning (we really wish we'd known prior to coming!) -- they have a new BYO wine policy. Corkage is free T/W and $8 Thurs-Sun. Not bad.
For dessert, we moved inside, as my fiancee was getting eaten alive by mosquitos (nb: wear pants and long sleeves, as I did, and you will be fine -- it was chilly by the water, anyhow). I must say, I found the room in need of a 'Restaurant Makeover'. Nice exposed brick on one side, but really cheap, heavy curtains on all sides, which obstructed the gorgeous view. Also the ceramic floor was ugly, and the table bases were a really nice cast iron, but the table tops were a hideous laminate finish, much like a Perkins or something. They also played the oddest mix of music -- some oldies (e.g. Mr. Postman) and then some stuff like La Bamba. Huh? Atmosphere aside, we finished with a butterscotch cheesecake that rocked!! We almost ordered the chocolate truffle cake, but the waitress opined that it was a bit dry (I am always grateful for this), so we chose something else. They get the desserts from a bakery down the road (I believe she said, although I wasn't paying enough attention at this point).
To sum it up -- good value, great beer selection (and hopefully great wine selection soon!), darling town, not a bad drive from Ottawa, great service, great food, and an excellent patio. I sould say the interior could use a little help... but I'm fussy about that stuff. Also, if you go for the "nicer" entrees, I'd recommend ordering your meat a notch rarer than you want, as both of ours were slightly overcooked.
Draft beer selection is fantastic, and served at the right temperature in the appropriate glasses, with selections from Wellington, Mill St. Brewery, MacAuslan and Heritage.
The menu was varied -- you could either go upscale or downscale (pub grub) -- it didn't matter. My fiancee had the filet mignon ($22), which was overcooked from the requested medium rare, but so tender he didn't mind. He substituted fries in place of the mashed potatoes, and that was a great decision -- the fries were tasty, and the dijon aioli that came with it was great. I had the bison rib, which was the special that night. Delicious, particularly the whiskey peppercorn sauce. The portion was a bit small, but for $19, I wasn't complaining. I went with the mashed potatoes, which were the only disappointment -- very dry and flavourless. Both of our entress came with grilled veggie skewers, with a nice selection of cherry tomato, red onion and green pepper, perfectly grilled.
The wine list was sub-par, but evidently they are having a wine dinner this Thursday evening to try out some new wines, and a woman from Savvy Grapes in Ottawa will be there. The objective is to revamp the wine list, and the new list should be available shortly. Also worth mentioning (we really wish we'd known prior to coming!) -- they have a new BYO wine policy. Corkage is free T/W and $8 Thurs-Sun. Not bad.
For dessert, we moved inside, as my fiancee was getting eaten alive by mosquitos (nb: wear pants and long sleeves, as I did, and you will be fine -- it was chilly by the water, anyhow). I must say, I found the room in need of a 'Restaurant Makeover'. Nice exposed brick on one side, but really cheap, heavy curtains on all sides, which obstructed the gorgeous view. Also the ceramic floor was ugly, and the table bases were a really nice cast iron, but the table tops were a hideous laminate finish, much like a Perkins or something. They also played the oddest mix of music -- some oldies (e.g. Mr. Postman) and then some stuff like La Bamba. Huh? Atmosphere aside, we finished with a butterscotch cheesecake that rocked!! We almost ordered the chocolate truffle cake, but the waitress opined that it was a bit dry (I am always grateful for this), so we chose something else. They get the desserts from a bakery down the road (I believe she said, although I wasn't paying enough attention at this point).
To sum it up -- good value, great beer selection (and hopefully great wine selection soon!), darling town, not a bad drive from Ottawa, great service, great food, and an excellent patio. I sould say the interior could use a little help... but I'm fussy about that stuff. Also, if you go for the "nicer" entrees, I'd recommend ordering your meat a notch rarer than you want, as both of ours were slightly overcooked.
2006 Dec 4
The first time we were here, the omnivorous Mr Kmennie ordered a burger, praised everything from the bun to the meat to the toppings, ate, and promptly ordered a second. Presumably a safe menu choice.
Nachos: as pub nachos go, thumbs up. Bean burritos: nice, savoury plain food. Salad with "crispy beets": worth a try; very fresh greens.
Fries: do not hesitate to order.
A very relaxed and nice-looking place -- overlooking the water! -- so it's nice that the grub matches. Service has always been great, and the beer selection is to be commended. Ask for "that dark stuff brewed in Carleton Place" which I keep forgetting the name of.
On a Sunday afternoon, one room was full of families with well-behaved, slightly dressed-up children, and one room had a pile of country gentleman types with fiddles &c. If you're out in Lanark County and don't want to risk one of those twee touristy places or suspicious vinyl-seated relics, don't hesitate.
Nachos: as pub nachos go, thumbs up. Bean burritos: nice, savoury plain food. Salad with "crispy beets": worth a try; very fresh greens.
Fries: do not hesitate to order.
A very relaxed and nice-looking place -- overlooking the water! -- so it's nice that the grub matches. Service has always been great, and the beer selection is to be commended. Ask for "that dark stuff brewed in Carleton Place" which I keep forgetting the name of.
On a Sunday afternoon, one room was full of families with well-behaved, slightly dressed-up children, and one room had a pile of country gentleman types with fiddles &c. If you're out in Lanark County and don't want to risk one of those twee touristy places or suspicious vinyl-seated relics, don't hesitate.
Cherrylola