Restaurant

Review: East Coast Hub Saloon & Hoghorn BBQ

Every Wednesday afternoon I take some time to review a product, place or experience in hopes I'll inspire someone to try something new!

So it was Monday afternoon, I was minding my own business when I get a frantic text from my boyfriend stating "We're going out for dinner... My treat. Tell me when you can go out" 

East Coast Hub Saloon

Whelp I never say no to a free food so Tuesday night we headed out for dinner! He informed we were going to the "Hub too" in Dartmouth which I always remembered it t be a dirty bar that I would never want to go near.. But apparently recently it has changed owners! I had noted the beautiful painted mural in the past but my thought process really ended there for the poor old bar.

We arrived a few minutes before 6PM, the dining room area is petite but functional, one waitress can manage the whole place herself. We chose a seat in the top corner comfortably on the slightly warn booth seats (they were a tad ripped up- they could probably use some reupholstering.) Not much seemed to be updated in the dining area, but from what we heard the kitchen was redone completely to cater to their smoky BBQ menu. 

I'll start off by warning there is definitely some growing pains with the servers... The waitress was pretty quick to arrive at our table. We ordered our drinks, Mike got a Pepsi and a water and I ordered the same... I only got my water womp womp.

Pulled pork from the East Coast Hub Saloon

Pulled pork from the East Coast Hub Saloon

After that we took a look at the Menu, it's a one pager all meat and very select options (always a good sign that the food is going to be amazing). I ordered the pulled pork and Mike got the brisket. Mike got fries for a side and I got beans... Which sadly I never received.... I also ordered deep fried pickles... which they were out of... BUT I will say that the meat was absolutely delicious! Lots of flavor and the portions are great. The fries were amazing as well, they were soft but fully cooked and had an incredible amount of flavor.

Brisket from the East coast hub saloon

Brisket from the East coast hub saloon

To summarize; great food, not so great service... However every new place deserves some growing pain time and the server was incredibly friendly. We'll be back, and I have no doubt my opinion on this place will grow. (I hope..)

Prices are reasonable for the delicious food (and I was happy to see I wasn't charged for the things I ordered and never received. Also.... LOOK at that wine price!

Hoghorn BBQ

Review: Antonio's Italian & Canadian Cuisine

I’ve been driving on Hwy 101 literally my entire life. My family is from Meteghan River which is almost as south as you can get in Nova Scotia. Completely unaware this entire time I’ve been driving by a little hidden gem of a restaurant.

Antonio’s Italian & Canadian Cuisine can be found right off Hwy 101 just after the Digby exit (coming from Halifax) They’ve been in business for 22 years (so literally I’ve been passing this place almost all my life) and it’s owners are the only cook and server in the place.

Coming home from a long weekend my boyfriend and I found ourselves starving around 3pm and just happened to see the fish and chips sign on the side of the road… So we decided to stop!

Full disclosure: it looks like a hole in the wall when you first get there BUT within seconds of arriving we were welcomed by the owners, and were just made to feel so at home! You can tell they invest in their service and their food as opposed to the décor but I’m perfectly ok with that.
Known for their FRESH fish and chips that's exactly what we ordered and it was amazing, the batter on the fish was incredibly light and flaky. Portions were large and price was great. 
They've been in business for many years and the pride this couple has for their restaurant is amazing. I even had a conversation with the cook about his recent potato order. 
You need to stop here! Just watch their hours, on weekdays they only open at 4pm-8pm (understandable considering they manage and run it themselves) but on weekends they're pretty much open all day! (12pm-8pm)

You need to stop here, it’s worth it if you’re in the area! You’ll feel so at home.

They have a great reputation on Trip Advisor, some amazing reviews and photos can be found there. If you do end up there, make sure you give them a great review. They will really appreciate it!

 

I also wanted to take a little space to showcase one of my cakes this week. With the theme of fish and chips here is a blob fish birthday cake!

Said to be the ugliest fish in the sea!

Said to be the ugliest fish in the sea!

A real blob fish!

A real blob fish!