It was our last day in Toronto and we decided to take the long ride from our hotel by the airport into town for one last shot at what could be the best plate of nachos in Canada. I wasn't ready to say that the Beertown nachos were the best on our trip or that the Snooty Fox in Fredericton were the best in Canada. I was ready to have my mind blown and when it's your last day in a big city, you have to make it count. I wanted these nachos to be on my mind while we are trying to land in foggy Saint John and then rushing to work immediately after landing with my ears still plugged up from the plane. Plus, who knows when we will be in Toronto again? It's between Toronto or Quebec City for our fall marathon next year. They are doing a battle in my mind. We went to Squirly's because the editor did some research and saw that Squirly's might be good. This restaurant had previously closed their doors after 36 years and recently re-opened to be Squirly's 2.0. How were t...
You know you are talking to a "local" when they talk about the location of the Lock, Stock, & Barrels. They would say "it is where the Portland Pub used to be." If you are not a local, Lock, Stock & Barrels is located around the Landsdowne Plaza in the North end of Saint John, New Brunswick. I will begin my review with the statement that this pub probably specializes in steak, wings and beer and not nachos.
True that. I went again two years later in 2020 and I stand by my statement. It's tough because people really like these nachos and I cannot understand it. That's why different opinions make the world a beautiful and interesting place.
Distribution of Toppings
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| Lock Stock and Barrels Chicken Nachos - 2020 |
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| Lock Stock and Barrels Chicken Nachos - 2020 |
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| Lock Stock and Barrels Beef Nachos - 2018 |
That is one beautiful top layer, isn't it? The picture makes those nachos look more delicious than what they really were, unfortunately. As I said with a few places, the "makeup came off" and I was left with a lot of chips and loose toppings at the end.
Quality
The top layer was pretty tasty and I liked how they mixed cheddar and mozzarella cheese. I also liked how they used tortilla chips instead of potato or pita like other places do. When I went in 2020, only half the nachos were cooked. The top layer was properly toasted but the next layer was cheese that was not melted and there was just toppings everywhere.
I told someone that I had to give a bad review and he said "why did you not send them back?" There are two reasons: I was late getting back to work from my lunch break, and also I think the review should be based on the food as presented. If they had to re-do the nachos to my liking, I would not have the authentic experience. I just don't like the idea of sending the food back.
Quantity
I had them for lunch and it was sufficient as a meal.
Conclusion
They failed in the distribution of toppings and did not properly toast everything, so the nachos did not meet expectations. The experience is like going on a first date with a very good-looking person and then the person talks and you're like "whoa" (in a bad way). On the surface, the nachos appeared great, but most of the experience was lacking.
Nacho Blog Rating: D+