Was a bit hesitant based on the negative reviews but me and my friend were pleasantly surprised…read more Place was packed when we arrived so we opted to sit outside. Although it is winter, with the strong heaters we were completely fine. We ordered the poutine, calamari and two works burgers one with a caesar salad. The poutine was amazing! Could have been a bit hotter but the taste was great, and the fries were well seasoned. The calamari also had a great taste to it, but to our surprise it's only about 40% calamari and the rest tempura peppers and diced cucumbers. The sauce the calamari came with was also not the greatest. The two burgers were quite tasty, and they got our special request right for my picky friend. Unfortunately, the caesar salad was quite a disappointment (wet pieces of lettuce, very tasteless sauce, one singular crouton and WAY too much powdered cheese) but for $1.50 upgrade from fries, it's not a huge concern of mine. The waitresses were friendly and the wait wasn't too long, but they did take a while to bring out the debit machine only to say they only take cash or credit. Overall, we will be back, a nice, family friendly place for when you're on a budget.

Such hidden gem! Good food at an amazing price point. Service was good. Clean and cozy…read more Generous portions for the cost.

Have been to Wheelies Cafe numbers of times over the past years, so when I picked up a friend, I…read moresuggested the establishment for lunch. We attended and entered. Good atmosphere and funky. The experience went downhill from there. My friend sat at a seat in the middle of the restaurant, and I ordered food and attended the washroom. When I returned he had moved, saying a music speaker was right above him and he knew conversation would be difficult. We soldiered on in our new seating but it was still hard to hear conversation. I attended the young staff person at the counter and suggested perhaps slightly lowered volume. Her singular response. "No!" Single word response. I suggested perhaps the manager might assist but that led to an indication he would refuse........ Oh yes, the brisket sandwich was of mediocre quality and value. Never again will I recommend nor will I attend. Pity.

A very unwelcoming environment. Servers seem snooty and the food is average at best…read more Over priced cheap quality merchandise.

I always felt that people were more prone to write a negative review instead of a positive one. I…read morehave never written a formal review of a restaurant before but I felt that it was necessary in this case to save people from the terrible experience we went through at The Baja Surf Grill in Victoria. On our recent trip to Victoria, we found a Groupon that looked like it was worth trying. In hindsight, we would have been better off paying full-price at any other location in Victoria. Upon arriving, we were told that if we did not have a reservation, we could only sit at certain less than desirable tables. This would have been fine if the restaurant was busy or if it filled up after we arrived. In our time there, it never reached a quarter of its capacity and they actually turned business away because the people did not have a reservation. The workers were far less than professional and lacked the basic skills that you expect when dining out. Even with only a handful of tables seated, the service was slow. There seemed to be plenty of people at the restaurant who were either employees or friends of employees, but they did not seem to be doing anything. We decided to let the quality of the food and drinks do the talking and sadly it did. The drinks were not refreshing and the food left a lot to be desired especially considering the prices they charged. There seemed to be a lot of effort put into creating a certain feel and "talking up" certain items, but none of the items held there own when the time came. As a restaurant, there should never be the need to artificially attempt to create a buzz about your place; it should be your actions and product that cause your customers to do the talking for you. With so many other fabulous options within a short walk, I would recommend taking the time to search out another restaurant. Although we cannot go back in time to make a different choice, hopefully we can save you from making the same mistake we did. With the exception of this restaurant, everything else on our trip was excellent.

Awful. Like the first reviewer, we went because of the Groupon. We will not be going back. While…read morethe food was average at best, the service was terrible and it was too dark inside to even read the menu. NO JOKE: we saw patrons at another table using a flashlight to see what was on the menu.

This is usually the spot to be if you're looking for good wings in Victoria, but sometimes it's a…read morehit and a miss. The food is better than you'd expect for a bar, and gets quite busy with their comedy show nights. The servers are generally pretty friendly, but I've had times where nobody comes to help you for a good 15-20 minutes after having been seated. There is an underground parkade that leads to the entrance of the restaurant with a decent amount of parking, but sometimes it can be difficult to find a spot.

Exceptional place for good food and wings. I just wish they controlled the language that goes on in…read morethere. I had my parents in for dinner and we enjoyed the meal. We would have enjoyed being there if it wasn't for a table next to us they were dropping the f bomb every end or third word. Probably explains why we have been there since. Yes I understand it's a pub but the language sounded like that of a prison.

The pizza! Mamma Mia need I say more?…read more That Zesty Italian is great in delivery or in pickup/in store (when we were allowed to do this)! Great family owners business, hard-working, and care about the sale and your satisfaction. Great pizza, # 2 fan next to my father who's #1! Keep up the great work!

Why are some reviews so bad? I was hesitant but the daughter wanted Italian and we didn't want to…read morewalk far from the condo we were renting. So of the review had me thinking this was a family hole in the wall. We were pleasantly surprised to see spacious clean restaurant with full bar. Our daughter enjoyed her Caesar salad and fettuccine Alfredo. Pasta was al dented and the sauce was very tasty. I had the soup and salad conk I with cheese bread. The cheese bread was loaded with gooey cheese. The Greek salad I had was full of fresh greens,cucumbers and bell peppers. The Mediterranean soup was a tomato based soup that was very good. Service was spot on.

Service started great. Server was helpful in selections and explaining the menu. After we ordered,…read moreour drinks came quickly. Food out timely.... And.. the server didn't come back after our food was dropped off. We had to ask a host for help for more sauce. The server came back after that to ask if the sauce came and immediately walked away. I "loudly" said excuse (while my water and cocktail was empty)? The server turned and I ordered another drink. The drunk never came. Dinner was beyond finished and the server blamed the bar. We weren't buying it was the bartender given the experience and timeliness of all other stuff. Either way- chicken tenders were great! We highly recommend those. The rest of the food was good and it is likely this place has decent service normally.

A truly comfortable place to unwind, but still has a fun mood at dinner time. The rotisserie…read morechicken corn chowder was fantastic! It would have been a great meal by itself. The burger and fries were solid (fresh toppings and a soft brioche bun). The hostess appeared quickly and was very kind. The server (Jenny) was outstanding... I'll say this again - outstanding. Greeted us as soon as she walked by, had my normally shy child beaming from the start by asking about his toys with sincere enthusiasm, and brought the beverages and hot soup out within minutes to get us going. The food came out soon after, was the perfect temperature, and she checked on us twice. Seeing my 4-year old so relaxed and us both willing to finish the whole plate is a true endorsement. We would absolutely come back. Thank you, Jenny!

Their food is all frozen and then reheated. Frozen fries are deep fried (I think) and come out as…read moresalt sticks. I had a BLT, a hard sandwich to ruin but they managed it. Instead of using toast, they used a too thick, poor quality baguette, so each mouthful was a wodge of cheap bread. The music was too loud for lunch and we got attitude from the manager when we politely asked if it could be tuned down. Given how McRae's began as a neighborhood pub with fresh food, this "evolution" is most disappointing. We won't be back.

Upgrading McRae's to 5 stars because after 9+ years of coming here consistently, I still love it…read morejust as much (maybe more). When I was in college this was mine and my friend group's go to weekend brunch spot. We knew all the servers by name, they knew our orders, we were the weekend brunch regulars. Fast forward to 2020, everytime I visit Victoria, I still come here. To me, it's not a trip to Victoria without having at least one McRae's caesar. In the past, I usually stuck to the traditional breakfast, breakfast burrito, or the pulled pork burrito. However, I'm not eating meat these days, so I strayed from my usual and got the curry falafel wrap. It was delicious and jam packed with flavour in every bite. Pair this with a poutine, some $5 caesars and a round of shafts and I'm a happy camper with a very satisfied belly. Like I mentioned, in my previous review, you really can't go wrong with their menu. The only things I'd avoid are the burger and nachos as I feel like you can get a better bang for your buck with other dishes from their menu. Service has always consistently been fantastic. The staff that work here are gems and very down to earth. Kudos for always hiring great staff, McRae's! For Covid, they've extended their patio more out into the parking lot to accommodate more people outdoors and are only allowing 6 to a table (as per BC regulations). Thanks for always making me feel at home over the last 9+ years, McRae's. Love you long time.

=== 1. VERDICT/VALUE 3.0 to 3.5 stars: the price is…read morereasonable and the building seemed to be relatively new and clean but but the quantities were a little small and service was slow/hard to get. Competition in town makes it harder to score higher. === 2. FOOD Berry Waffles Slam (19.79) Two eggs your way, two pieces of bacon, two sausages, hash browns, and a whole waffle that's covered in fruit. It's decent but it felt a little small compared to the competition (see picture). Wheat Cakes Breakfast ($16.59) Two eggs your way, two sausages, and two whole wheat pancakes. The value and taste were decent! Kid's Meal ($10.08) The junior-sized spaghetti with tomato sauce and a chocolate milk = depending on the size of your child this could be good (if 6 years or less in age). Coffee ($3.89) OK, but expensive compared to some competition. === 3. SERVICE It was slow and hard to get their attention at times. When at the table, the staff were nice in English but perhaps the lack of staff made it difficult to attention. === 4. ENVIRONMENT Maybe constructed in the last 10-15 years; it's a contemporary space that's relatively clean. Groups up to 8 in size would be fie and baby strollers and wheelchairs would fit without too much issue. Parking is in the parking lot out front shared with the hotel, so good luck!

It started with a disgusting bathroom with overflowing garbages and a drug pipe in the stall with…read morethe baby table. Staff sent in the kitchen staff to clean it and said it's not their fault cause it's a "public bathroom". The food: well the pancakes were over cooked with rotten bananas. The eggs, sunny side up were so overcooked they were chewy. The shedded hash browns were undercooked with unmelted cheese. They re-cooked what I complained about but my family was done eating by that time. The "Manager" also the "host" took no accountability and didn't offer any discount until I refused to pay for what was improperly cooked. He was quite rude actually. I will never go back. SAVE YOUR MONEY AND TIME. Would not suggest and would give 0 stars if possible.