On Sunday, I headed to Whitby to meet up with friends at BarDown Gastropub. This eatery is located…read moreat Iroquois Park Complex, but runs independently from the sports complex.
I like that you don't have to go through the sports complex to get to this restaurant. I parked in the parking lot in front of this eatery. There are steps to go up to get to the restaurant. It's also wheelchair-accessible with a ramp.
Bar down is a hockey term. When a hockey player shoots the puck and it hits the bottom of the crossbar first, followed by going straight into the net, it's bar down. Some folks also call it bar south.
We were a group of four. It was a thrill for me to get to check out the kitchen. Jody and Chris were kind to give us a tour and were delightful hosts. We also got to meet the chef, John Charles, who is the mastermind behind the dishes.
We ordered way too much food. We wanted to sample lots of it. We did!
Our order consisted of these items:
- BarDown smash burger with fries
- Truly Canadian Detroit-style pizza
- Jerk chicken penne
- Buttermilk chicken tenders
- Cajun roasted red pepper and garlic parm wings, with fries
- Ahi tuna poke
- BarDown nachos
- Street fish tacos
I got multiple refills on Diet Pepsi. Each glass of it was crisp and delightful. This restaurant is on City of Whitby property. The city has a contract with Pepsi, so it's Pepsi products here.
It was nice seeing customers watching the Blue Jays spring training. This eatery houses the largest screen in the city. Wow!
The BarDown smash burger was excellent. It has two beef patties that were juicy with crispy edges. The bun was yummy and held everything together, including the pickles. It was excellent!
The truly Canadian Detroit-style pizza has an odd name, but it is Canadian. It had mushrooms, which made me happy. It also had pepperoni, bacon, and peppers, with a side of ranch. I liked the crispy edges and yummy toppings. The herbed tomato sauce was awesome!
If you like a spicy kick, get the jerk chicken penne. The penne was al dente. The jerk chicken was tender. The heat kicks in slowly after your first bite and builds. The flavours were perfect. So good!
This place is known for its buttermilk chicken tenders. I was in heaven enjoying one. It was juicy and had the best crunch. I dipped it in the plum sauce. Yum! I also loved the coleslaw that accompanied the tenders. It was crunchy and delicious.
The fries were excellent. We got generous portions. I loved them. The ridges were perfect to get more ketchup or whatever condiment you like.
I love wings. This eatery makes fabulous wings. Each one was huge. Both the cajun roasted red pepper and garlic parm wings were meaty and yummy. I loved the veggies, which made me feel like I was eating something healthy-ish.
My favourite item was the ahi tuna poke. Think nachos, but with wonton crisps. The tuna was crusted in white and black sesame. It had avocado, pico, pineapple salsa, pickled chili, ginger soy, sriracha aioli, and cilantro crema. Fabulous! It was incredible. I am still dreaming about it.
You get a generous portion of BarDown nachos. The spicy beef chili was amazing with the melted cheese, pico, and nachos chips.
The street tacos were so bright and scrumptious. We got beer-battered fish, with shredded lettuce, pineapple salsa, slaw, and cilantro lime crema. The fish was flaky and yummy. This place makes such a great pineapple salsa. I loved how light and bright these tacos were.
It's a family-friendly establishment. I saw a group of young hockey boys with their parents eating at a long table after their game.
The hockey arena has a concession stand that sells your usual hot dogs, chips, pop, pizza, and more. It runs independently from this eatery.
I used the washroom a couple of times during the three hours that were were here. The women's washroom was exceptionally clean. No issues.
This eatery is on Skip the Dishes.
I had a wonderful experience having lunch with friends. The food is excellent. I'd return in a heartbeat.
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