Somehow, I've forgotten about The Thistle since I've been back in town and it was time to rectify…read morethat with a revisit to this rebranded mainstay of New Glasgow's food and bar scene.
I'm not sure when The Thistle rebranded as a "gastropub", but not too much seems to have changed with their menu or interior. Their food offerings certainly aren't the chef-driven, creative stylings of a true gastropub.
That all said, I still appreciate that these guys are open seven days a week, and are actually open beyond 7-8:00pm, unlike many other places in town.
I ordered the Farmhouse burger, a now-longtime fixture of The Thistle's menu, which harkens back to the Man vs Food days of food eating challenges and mash-ups of over-the-top (and belt) menus. Comprised of a 6oz patty, two chicken fingers, bacon and cheese, it's all your day's recommended calories in one meal - so efficient!
My wife went with one of her go-to choices, the pulled pork sandwich.
It wasn't too too busy for a weekend evening, with a wet spring day keeping some people home, so we got our food in good time.
Gastropub moniker or no, pub burgers can be a bit hit or miss, depending on how much the cooks actually give a damn about their job, but my Farmhouse turned out quite well. The patty had a nice char and wasn't dry and overcooked, while the chicken fingers and bacon added some savoury crunch. I'd generally not a fan of BBQ sauces on burgers, as the cloying sweetness really isn't necessary, but the chipotle BBQ sauce had a good flavour. The cheese was good and melty, and the bun toasted - checking some more boxes in Burger 101.
The fries were *incredibly* plentiful. Like Five Guys amounts of fries! They could cut back a good 20% and no one in their right mind should complain. They were on the oily side, however. I'm not sure if this is from the fryer not being up to temp after doing some orders, or just not having a proper double fry, but this was a missed opportunity for my mound of hand-cut spuds.
My wife's pulled pork sandwich was a solid execution of what's now a very common sight on bar menus. Coleslaw and lettuce brought a little texture, while a large Caesar salad was shared between us (I shared fries too, I promise!).
The Thistle may be trying to pull the wool over people's eyes with this rebranding, but this dependable bar is a town fixture for a reason. This meal was more hit than miss, and for that, I'll give them a star upgrade nearly 10 years (!!!) after I first reviewed them here.