One star would be more than this hole deserves. I have heard many things about this place over the…read moreyears. My husbands first experience was last night at a work function. Over 2 hours waiting for meal that wasn't coming while everyone else at the table ate. Dessert and doggy bags were being handed out before he even got his meal. It's hard not to see the coincidence that he was the only visible minority at the restaurant and only one not to be served. I would love to say I am surprised by the blatant racism he experienced but I am not. We will never be patrons of this establishment again and will make sure everyone we interact with knows that racism is alive and well at "The Well"

Dropped in last evening for a much needed snack after a long day travelling. Atmosphere was very…read morefriendly. It was busy but the service was prompt and waitress even corrected the bill to give us the half- priced appetizer. Food and drinks were very good. We will be back.

My First Friend and I decided to check out Oxy last night. It used to be a venerable watering hole…read morein a hotel called the Occidental. We'd heard it had been renovated recently and wanted to see what it was like. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful, and got my FF's drink order spot on. We ordered a couple of half-price appys - onion rings and vegetable samosas - and a couple of entrees - a Reuben sandwich and a rib-eye steak sandwich. Everything that was deep-fried was a little too soggy with oil for my taste, and the Reuben could have used some real Swiss cheese instead of processed, but the steak was tasty and the fries were good. Standard pub fare, really, but that's not what folks come to the Oxy for. What they *do* come for is the atmosphere and camaraderie. There was a good mix of younger college folks with more mature types like ourselves, all very friendly and looking to have a good time. We specifically came for the karaoke and were not disappointed; the DJ was friendly and never overbearing, only singing one song himself, and his selection was the best I'd seen in Nanaimo so far. All in all, a fine time. Highly recommended, especially if you're looking for some karaoke on a Friday night. We'll be back.

The Oxy is a classic! Although they sold the pool table to make it through Covid :( great staff,…read moreand great patrons full of stories! Food menu is good, but if you're over 50 and get the poutine, have some tums ready...

Extremely dirty bathroom, can't be up to code. Open mike, unorganized, no sign up sheet, started…read moretoo late. Great idea, but make a few improvements.

Under new management. Brian and great staff deliver superior customer service in this small bar…read morein the heart of Nanaimo. Lovely place to rest and enjoy a beverage. No food sold yet but you can bring in your own or order from a great kiosk a couple doors down. Give them a try - you won't be disappointed.

ABSOLUTEY TERRIBLE! Some of the worst food we've ever had, but they have a great selection of beer,…read moreand the bartenders are amazing. When we do get food everything comes out cold, and the BLT was two measly strips of gross hard bacon, wilted lettuce and a slice of old soggy tomato. The fries used to be great but now theyre the worst ive ever seen, theyre just bland and dark, and always mushy, sometimes they switch back to the old ones and its great. Come for the beer, and stay for the more beer, if you have to eat the food stick to something deep fried. All in all, don't go. Save your money, save your dignity, and enjoy the next few days of your life since you didn't just get food poisoning.

I've said this before I love this neighbourhood pub. Always fantastic service. And the food is not…read moreoverly priced big portions and always tasty. They are definitely doing something right at this local watering hole. Servers are always friendly and Sherri is fantastic. I used to come here years ago and I'm so happy I'm back. try it for yourself. You won't regret it.

Randy was a pro for our wedding 10.10.22! From the first contact he was helpful, thoughtful and…read moreorganized. He delivered on his promises (to keep the party going and read the crowd) and our guests all raved about him! He helped us ensure our live musicians had what they needed, too. We highly recommend him!

From the owner: Service on Vancouver Island, BC Canada…read more Whether it’s a large gathering or something small, “Party on the Island” has got your entertainment covered. Our professional, fun, interactive DJ’s and Operators provide an exciting, entertaining atmosphere to any celebration. Our Photo Booth services with karaoke feature takes your full entertainment package to a whole new level. Set your celebration up for success and contact the professionals at Party on the Island.

Great way to spend a rainy afternoon, especially during all-you-can-sing, where it's $25 per…read moreperson! I didn't walk in intending to spend 5 hours here, but the time flew by. The staff were nice, the karaoke machine was easy to navigate, and the rooms were comfy. Also the FOOD, omg!! Best food and drink options I've had at a karaoke place so far. My friends and I split some fried rice, salt and pepper popcorn chicken, and deep fried buns with condensed milk. I also got an iced mango black tea. It all hit the spot. I can't wait to come back and bring more friends!

I'm going solo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo... I'm sorry I had to because the karaoke place is called solo and I…read morecan't help but sing solo by Jennie from kpop group blackpink. This was my first time here and I'm happy they have the all you can sing deal~ it's a good deal only from Monday to Thursday from 2pm-7pm it's $10/person! We definitely sang the whole time so worth it! They have a pretty good music selection, the system is easy to navigate and seems to download songs and have up to date music and music videos although some were kinda weird but not too old and good quality! We mostly sang a lot of kpop, yup they can satisfy all your kpop needs.. if you are a fan of BTS, look no further because they had 14 pages of bts songs... I think that's the most I've seen at any karaoke place so that was quite impressive. Albeit some of those songs were in Japanese version and I would have liked the original Korean version, but at least they also have the most up to date songs so I was very pleasantly surprised! I like the decor outside in the hallway and the rooms are quite simple. Not much special inside the room, what sucks is seeing people walk by in the hallway when I had a side room. Also it's very very cold here, my hands were freezing, I think their AC system is pretty strong so you need a jacket for sure. It's tough to just sit there and be cold and sing your heart out while you are cold but at least they give you water to soothe the throat, which is cold water... it's a nice gesture! The mics are also cordless which was nice and they provide a cover for the mics which is good. I am impressed by the music they had and it was lots of fun to sing k again, especially it's not super busy here which is great. Just a few things they could improve on like making it less cold in there but anyways I hope they keep this deal going!

Cool old dive bar / hotel saloon. Not a hipster dive bar, but a barfly bar…read more There is a weekly meat raffle where you actually win meat if your name is drawn from the hat. Awesome. CASH ONLY.

Teddy Roosevelt once got punched by a Canadian hooker here. There's a dancing pole that's reserved…read moreespecially for Ryan Reynolds's character Deadpool. Nice patio out back.

We've stayed in the neighbourhood a number of times in downtown Nanaimo and have read about this…read moreplace a few times. Finally took the plunge, and really wish we hadn't, and certainly will not again. Our server was quick to seat us, took good care of us, gave us some insight into the menu items, and generally speaking was great. The view from the top floor part of the Lighthouse is great. Overlooking the marina and sea plane dock in downtown Nanaimo, there is plenty to see, and plenty to watch, it should be a licence to print money. Sadly to food was atrocious, in both taste and the visual. Looking at it as it was as delivered, we should have left right then. The salad that I chose with my beef dip was terrible. The mixed greens part had black ends, and black slime on it. I tried picking through it, and finally gave up and didn't touch it. The dip for the sandwich was thick, very dark and had what looked like the part that sticks to the pot while it's reducing. The meat colour looked a little off as well. K had the wings and clam chowder. The wings looked like they had been sitting for quite a few hours in a bowl on the counter prior to tossing them on the plate. The cut veggies had also been out for a while, she had to cut each end off the celery. The soup was hot, but had no flavour. I could go on, but you get the idea, don't go to this restaurant for food. Have a beer enjoy the view and eat elsewhere. The photos attached say a lot!

We wanted a restaurant on the water with a view. This restaurant has that…read more We were seated and then no one came to give us menus or take our order. Finally, after having multiple employees walk past us, someone stopped and asked if we had been helped. They apologized and we got water and menus. We ordered a local wine which turned out to be the only item we ordered that was good. We ordered clams for an appetizer. Those were basic and nothing special. They were out of oysters which was our first choice and the waitress recommended the clams. We ordered fresh halibut fish and chips for dinner. The fish was way overcooked and dry. We were only traveling through so we will not be back. We recommend you find another location for dinner if you are traveling through.