Stopped in for a quick meal on our way up island so decided to go with a chain restaurant. Food was…read moresuper average but priced accordingly, it did its job for what we needed! Service was really good, our server was hilarious and very witty! Ambiance is nice, it's a clean restaurant. If you need a quick meal this is a good place to stop, it'll be consistent! If you have more time I'd do some research and find some of Duncan's more hidden gem restaurants!

Went for a Saturday evening meal. All the food was pretty good. Portions were slightly on the small…read moreside. The service was good. However a little bit of an attitude from the hostess taking reservations.

A very cute and small neighbourhood restaurant. I loved the atmosphere walking in here and they had…read morelive music playing. The crowd is a little older, I'd say mostly in their late 40s to 50s. At one point in the night, there was a table celebrating a birthday and the whole restaurant joined in on the happy birthday song which was very cute. Prices are similar to the Keg. I ordered the scallops, a Caesar salad and the masthead steak. Everything was very well made and they were very accommodating to substitutions. I did expect a bigger and more elaborate "show" for the Caesar salad since it was made at the table but there was no announcement for it nor was there anything special. We skipped on desert because the portions were so generous. Will definitely come back another time I'm in town.

We have dined at The Masthead a couple of years ago, and at that time it was regarded as one of the…read morebest restaurants on Vancouver Island. At the time, it certainly lived up to its reputation. Would that still be the case on our return visit? Read on... THE ROSES: Lovely ambiance. The dining room is spacious, classy, and peaceful. They also have a very large deck overlooking the marina for outside dining on nice days. The staff is efficient, accommodating, and gracious. THE THORNS: Staffing issues in the kitchen meant rather long waits for food to come out. To their credit, the server did let us know when we came in that this was the case. We weren't in a hurry, so it wasn't an issue. The dinner menu was somewhat more limited than I would've expected, and I was very surprised to see my first choice (Bison Bolognese) run out at a rather early in the evening (6:30), leaving me with rather humdrum choices to pick from. WHY ONLY THREE STARS? After our first visit in 2023, I would've given The Masthead a solid 5-star review. Unfortunately the chef they had at the time has moved on, and the current chef, while competent, doesn't have the came creative flair in entree design and execution that their predecessor did. My steak was just fine, but the presentation was rather uninspired, and my wife's chicken was a bit 'over'. THE VERDICT: Considered on its own merits, The Masthead is an OK fine dining restaurant, but it suffers in comparison to how it was two years ago with a different chef. That said, The Masthead has been around a long time, and restaurants like this do have their ups and downs. Perhaps they'll be different in a couple more years?

I am sorry to say that this is the second time we were disappointed with this restaurant. When the…read morenew owners acquired the Masthead several years ago we tried it only to be completely disappointed both with the food and the extremely arrogant waiter. When we saw a new name appear "Oliver's Lounge and Grill" we made the assumption the restaurant was under new ownership. WRONG. It was the same owner and the food was still terrible, with the exception of the calamari apps., which were very good. On the other hand the staff were very friendly and attentive. I am also aware that they were having water issues but this should not have affected the food. We will not return.

We arrived from Southern Ontario on vacation. Was highly recommended to try Oliver's Lounge &…read moreGrill; that was newly opened. Went there without reservations and was very pleased to get the last two seats at the bar area. Ordered the Full Cowichan Greens, 8ozs. Grilled Ribeye Medium Rare (melt in the mouth to perfection!), Dungeness Crab & Prawn Linguine, and a glass of red wine. Service was attentive and the food was delicious !!! Highly recommend with reservations. Beautiful lake view

Four of us came for an afternoon tasting and bite to eat…read more We had a tour with Roddy and enjoyed it very much. Quite the character. We tasted four ciders and two liqueurs. Afterwards, we had a dessert afternoon tea accompanied by more cider. All very good and great staff.

If you're in the cobble hill, please make sure you stop here! We visited Merridale for a tasting,…read moreand what a hidden gem it is! The food and cider menus were extensive, featuring special items, mocktails, and cocktails. The service was excellent, and the spot is beautiful. It's also kid-friendly with games on the lawn and other activities. I enjoyed each of the ciders. I had the non-alcoholic flight, and my favorite was the lavender one! The fennel soda was very interesting, the ginger soda was a take on a ginger ale and the apple juice was great. Great value as well for $7. My husband had the world alcoholic cider flights and thoroughly enjoyed his selections. The farm itself is incredibly charming and offers activities for both adults and children. They also have some tours. I will definitely return for another visit and highly recommend Merridale cider and distillery

This venue is truly a different experience. Not only was it my first time trying yerba mate, but…read morethe live music was great! The lighting really adds a nice, mysterious ambiance to the venue. For drinks, we tried the kombucha, the yerba mate kombucha fusion, and the nitro horchata mocktail. The horchata was really good; refreshing, creamy, and light, at all the same time! I would highly recommend. I also tried the garrapinadas, which were excellently seasoned and caramelized. The lime gave the caramel a really nice kick! We were able to catch the Alec Shaw performance that night, and the performance was absolutely amazing. The energy in the room, the acoustics, and obviously the performers themselves, provided an amazing experience for everyone. I would highly recommend visiting Mateada if you are looking for some authentic South American food, tasty drinks, and great music!

Amazing service, truly inspiring drinks, excellent ambiance and a staff who really takes pride in…read moretheir work. Miss this experience at your own expense.

Food is inedible! I even got food poisoning on my second last trip there. Food has been really…read moreawful now for over a year. Took relatives there last summer and my brother could not even eat his porkchop it was so hard and dry. My latest visit, I tried soup and sandwich. Soup was good but beef sandwich was so uninspired that I did not even eat more than one bite. The second last time I had my usual beef. Forgot to ask them not to use any mayo - BIG mistake as I actually got food poisoning! Barely made it home before I lost the entire meal, so to speak! Last three visits there has been ALL new wait staff. Apparently also changes in kitchen. Third try is a charm I guess as the servers were lovely the last time. Very high prices relative to value. I would nevertheless recommend it as a stop provided you just want a drink and to enjoy the outstanding views of Cowichan Valley. You overlook a beautifully groomed golf course and can see ocean, mountains and valley from both inside and on the balcony. Tables are well spaced so you can visit or be peacefully by yourself.

I was there for a function that served Curried Chicken or Lasagna. I am afraid the reviews were…read moreterrible. Maybe the chef could get some recipes off of Pinterest as they know what Curried Chicken is. The Lasagna was a mess too. I know I will not be back and most others would not be either. It was not worth eating at all. There wasn't any service as it was in the banquet room and was buffet style. The price was extremely high for food I would never have served to a guest of mine or my husband. it was pretty much inedible. Kathy CH

Really just bad, day old and reheated food, some of which was obviously frozen. The pulled pork…read moresliders where roast beef that is unexplainably weird and the chicken was definitely the frozen patties re-fried quickly and burnt. The Frys where plentiful but at least from yesterday. Not to mention the only sauce on anything was a small amount of mayo. Honestly a no go.

This little burger restaurant is definitely a cut above…read more.. THE ROSES: Clean dining space. Very pleasant staff. Nice location with an outdoor dining patio that overlooks the harbor. Very tasty burgers that appear to use the best and freshest ingredients available, and very competently executed. The lettuce-wrapped burger option is quite remarkable, looking like a green UFO or a clam, depending on your perspective. THE THORNS: Music is a little loud. THE VERDICT: Let's face it; burger making isn't rocket science, but Burger Bar 537 stands out with really superb execution. Recommend.

was looking again for a quick place to catch a bite to eat on a Monday nite…read morealot of places were closed so we were told to try the golf club it was quiet there - we were the only ones in the place not much ambiance, but a great view as the sun went down over the course and the hills of salt spring in the distance was a simple grill style menu - salads, sandwiches, some entrees the waitress was friendly, accommodating and we went with soup , salad and sandwiches and were not disappointed the kids had an awesome grilled cheese sandwich and chicken finger - all disappeared and that grilled cheese sammy looked pretty good to me I had the onion soup and a roasted garlic Caesar salad with grilled salmon,and a couple of beers they had on tap my sis had a cheese stuffed phyllo appy and a pulled pork sandwich with some hard cider all around a nice find, decent food, good prices , pleasant view and great waitress, so , if you find yourself on salt spring and are looking for a simple , well prepared meal - this is one to keep on a list - again - no ambiance to speak of - this is not fine dining but you get to look out on the course while you eat or watch your fav game on the tv and eat a decent meal Oh yeah - I hate fries - but they kids had them on their plate and I reached over to try one as they looked big and crispy - they were very good, and as I said - I HATE FRIES

Tried the Sunday buffet breakfast. Food was alright, but the staff just could not keep the food…read morestocked up. We were always waiting for serving dishes to be filled up.

Duncan's best-kept secret just set the gold standard. From the moment we walked into the Old…read moreFirehouse, it felt like we were stepping into a vibe that hits that rare, perfect note: elevated but unpretentious, energetic but intimate. Huge shoutout to Owner-turned-Mixology-Mastermind Jeff, who absolutely crushed it behind the bar -- every cocktail and mocktail was a handcrafted work of art that could hold court in any top-tier city. We're talking serious flavour fireworks here. And April -- what can we say? Her service made us feel like VIPs who owned the joint. She read the room, anticipated every move, and wrapped the whole evening in the kind of hospitality you can't teach: pure instinct, heart, and grace. The food? Next level. Every bite was a flex of flavor and presentation. The kitchen is clearly playing in its own league, balancing creativity with pure culinary muscle. Combine that with an ambience that feels like cozy meets cool, and you've got an absolute home run. If you haven't experienced Firehouse Grill yet, fix that immediately.

Excellent eats and great service. Interesting specials, and a cozy vibe. No notes. Friendly and…read moreattentive staff.