Porters Lake Pub
Restaurant: Porters Lake Pub
Address: 5228 Hwy. 7, Porters Lake
Date: September 5, 2010
Fish: Haddock
Cost: $8.99
Minnie’s favorite radio station is Q104 (she thinks Bobby Mac is dreamy) and this past Summer they’ve had a slew of advertisements for the under new ownership Porters Lake Pub. So on a late Sunday afternoon we found ourselves schlepping down to Porters Lake to check this place out.
Upon entering we knew we were in for a treat because live music was blaring from the stage. Sweet! Unlike our experience with Jamieson’s Irish House where an additional cover charge was required when live music was present, this time it was on the house.
It seems every Sunday the patrons of this establishment are entertained with well known cover tunes done by Dave O’Grady and friends. They were excellent, treating us to songs by Pink Floyd, Van Morrison, Blue Rodeo and many, many others. While the music was fairly loud, it was very enjoyable to sit back, relax and listen to these golden musical nuggets.
And it was a good thing the atmosphere was so enjoyable because we suffered a veeerrrry long wait for just about everything related to our meal. Whether it was waiting to get a menu… placing our order… and then what seemed like an eternity until our food arrived. Had the musicians not been so outstanding I think we would have been out standing in the parking lot deciding where else to go eat that evening. We discovered that the crowd and slow service had a bit to do with many locals still being without power due to Hurricane Earl.
Having said all that, the owner came over and offered us nice coupons for our next visit there (pretty wise guy… he didn’t discount our current meal but ensured we’d have to come back to get the discount).
Well, music and atmosphere are nice, but let’s be honest… we were at Porters Lake Pub to check out their fish and chips, and the batter and fish were very good… exceptional even… among the best we’ve reviewed so far. However, the fries left a lot to be desired. And I mean A LOT!
In the end, three of the four reviewers scored it high enough to be HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, while the fourth was just a point off. And when you add in the excellent music found there on a Sunday afternoon, Porters Lake Pub is among our favorites. Don’t miss it!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Fish and Chips Score: 81
FCP Review Crew
Rachel’s Thoughts
This place was hopping. Tons of people, and a live band. We had a small child with us on this visit, so it was a bit noisy for him, but the music was good.
The fish & chips was quite good. The batter had a nice taste and the fish was fresh.
The fries were nothing special, but overall it was enjoyable.
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Rachel’s Final Score: 79
Poochie’s Thoughts
The live band was excellent! I could listen to them for hours… which was a good thing because we waited over an hour for our food!
But between the music and the fish, the wait was worth it. The fish was nicely seasoned and the combination with the crunchy batter was good… very good… exceptional!
The fries, however, were another story. They were of the frozen variety, boring and blah. Worst part of the meal by far. And the easiest to get right in my opinion.
The meal was less greasy than what you usually encounter with fish and chips, and the portion was excellent for the price.
The tartar sauce was homemade and decently tangy, while the coleslaw was a bit mushy.
Not only can I say I will be back… I can say I have been back… and on a Sunday to enjoy the most excellent tunes by Dave O’Grady and gang.
This place is a keeper!
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Poochie’s Final Score: 81
Minnie’s Thoughts
I didn’t think this was a good representation of this restaurant… Hurricane Earl came through the town and we had to wait an hour for our food because of the amount of customers.
I was so looking forward to eating here, it was a good thing we had live music to listen to or I may not have stayed so long.
The coleslaw was salty and just OK. I really liked their tartar sauce. It was homemade and yum-yum. The fries were not home-cut, and average at best.
When our food arrived it was nice and hot and I reeeeeaaalllly liked the batter… crunchy… a little salty… very good. The fish was very fresh, very good and I really liked it. The combination of the batter and fish was simply amazing.
If they had home-cut fries and decent coleslaw, this place would be just about the top of the list for me. As it is I still HIGHLY RECOMMEND it!
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Minnie’s Final Score: 82
Skippy’s Thoughts
To quote Arnie in The Terminator (can you guess?)… “I’ll be back.”
Oh, yeah – it was that good. Well, at least the fish was. It’s too bad the fries were less than average, otherwise this place would have been a home run in my books. Or at least an inside the park home run. Or does that make it more unique than a regular home run, seeing how those are so rare?
Regardless… if you enjoy some good ol’ rock and roll with your meal, this is the place. I thought the live band music was excellent – and not so loud that you couldn’t carry on a conversation at your table.
Getting back to how tasty the fish was for a sec – on the drive home I asked my teammates what constitutes a “10″? I mean, this fish was close, but how do you KNOW when it’s a bona fide ten out of ten? I think Rachel said it best with this answer: “You know it’s a ten when you cannot stop talking about it and it’s the BEST you’ve EVER tasted.”
Wise words. And thanks to that tip, I realize I have yet to taste a Fish & Chips that’s a ten out of ten. (Dare to dream.)
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Batter
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Skippy’s Final Score: 83
