The secret to this pub is the food. Sure, it's a typical packed Crescent street bar on weeknights - making dinnertime ambiance a bit of a challenge, but go for lunch - even a late one - and take a look at the little sheet tucked into the menu. Order something other than a burger and you may be quite delightfully surprised at the quality of what you get.
For example: On my last visit that little sheet had Fried Chicken and Waffles! I have never seen it anywhere other than Los Angeles and the South, so to see it here in a Montreal pub intrigued me. I ordered and it was right on. Delicious fried chicken with buttermilk waffles and a stunning, home made cayenne maple syrup packed with layers of complexity that makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
Now, chicken and waffles may not be your thing but on this occasion something happened that sold me on the place:
I was seated at the bar and a "new" bartender showed up. He sort of washed a dish and looked a little lost - but kept trying to gauge me. I struck up a conversation with him (to his relief I think) and he asked what I thought of the dish.
I told him how much I liked it and that I had other things there in the past - impressed that the menu varied with neat new local items to try and that they were always tasty!
"Who is the chef?" I said.
"uh, me.."
I shook his hand and told him how much I loved coming there. But man, an honest to goodness real chef that cares enough to stealth out a reaction to new dish - that impressed the hell out of me. This guy cares and I hope he keeps doing what he's doing!