TL;DR/The Short Version: Delicious soft serve ice cream in…read morecool flavours at this seasonal pop-up on the side of Stillwell Beer Garden. The Longer Version: So The Dairy Bar is a seasonal pop-up shop that's only open during the summer-ish months (we were there end of September and they were still open). The window is on South Park St, just south of Spring Garden Rd. My husband and I stopped by and shared a large Ginger Molasses soft serve cone ($6). The large is really tall, like comically so and we loved it for that, lol. It was creamy and had a potent ginger taste to it, which we really enjoyed. They were quite busy when we were there. You order and pay and they ask you to stand on the sidewalk behind the numbers 1, 2, 3 or 4 that they have marked off using tape on the sidewalk. Then when your order is ready, they call out your order and the number where you are standing. They only take more orders when one of the spots is empty. So if the spots are full you have to wait in line to have your order taken. The system seemed to work well. It was busy, but it was orderly and customers were served pretty quickly. I hope they're still around the next time we're in Halifax. Would love to try more unusual soft serve flavours. (187)

The list of local businesses co-operating continues to grow, with former home-based cater Manual…read moreFood and Drink setting up a dairy and coffee hut inside Stillwell's new beer garden on the corner of Spring Garden and South Park. The hut conveniently has a window on South Park, bringing much needed summertime refreshments back to that corner after DQ was inexplicably usurped by Eastlink. Bonus, this time around its local, homemade stuff instead of coming off the back of a Sysco truck. The dairy bar has a compact menu befitting its physical size, with caffeinated offerings like espresso and cappuccino, as well as a new-to-me concept - nitrogen-infused coffee, which gives it a slight effervescence and head like Guinness. On the dairy side of things, there are frequently changing selections of soft serve, in cone and cup formats, even fancier sundaes, as well as locally made popsicles. On their first day of being open (yeah yeah, I'm a keener), I popped by on my way to catch the bus to the strip mall capital of Halifax, Sackville. I kept it simple, going for the creative black sesame seed soft serve cone. It seems like crushed seeds were added directly to the soft serve, as it had a grey hue, as well as some being sprinkled on top. It was smooth and creamy like a great soft serve should be, easily giving way to my licks. The sesame seeds added some additional pops of nutty flavour, and just the tiniest crunches. I'm looking forward to hitting up both Stillwell and the Manual Co. Dairy Bar over the course of the summer, as they bring more vibrancy (re. tasty food and beer) to downtown Halifax.

When Halloween came around and my wife and I were looking for some easy eats before the onslaught…read moreof trick-or-treaters, admittedly, R&B Kitchen was not our first choice. Unfortunately, many other people had a similar first choice as us - pizza - and 40 demoralizing, failed calls to Yeah Yeahs nudged us toward our backup plan. Ordering was easy on Skip, with about ten options to choose from. The offerings are mainly Caribbean - oxtail and jerk chicken-based dishes figure prominently - as well as some Southern influences. We ordered a mix of things to try as much as possible, going for the jerk chicken, ox tail, and Canadian loaded mac and cheese. Our order was ready very quickly, barely longer than the drive to get it. Even with said drive, we probably got our food an hour quicker than a slammed pizza place would have been. It's hard to say which dish was the clear winner, as as all were well executed, but the loaded mac and cheese got the most oohs and ahhs. Topped with a hefty dose of Brothers pepperoni, bacon, ground beef, mushrooms and green pepper, it was like a works pizza on mac and cheese, and it definitely worked! The jerk chicken had a really good pop of flavour from its complex mix of savoury seasonings, including a zesty heat that definitely made itself known, but didn't set off any smoke detectors. The meat was deftly cooked as well, with the thigh and two drums tender but not dry and overcooked. A generous serving of rice and peas, coleslaw and cornbread rounded out a container that was on the edge of needing further structural support! My choice was the ox tail - I love the fatty, beefy mix of meat and sauce, and the pinwheel-like tail bones are weird and fun to me. R&B's ox tail was a very good rendition, checking every box. Some very large beans showed up to bulk up the dish even more, and rice and peas soaked up all the saucy goodness. R&B likely cheats a bit with their cornbread and adds flour, but it was light, fluffy and delicious, so hard to complain about. On my next time darkening their doorway, I was dining solo and opted for the BBQ ribs. When you pick up a takeout container and it's got some heft to it, you know you're in for a hearty meal, and while this dish might not check a lot of boxes on Canada's Food Guide, you're not going to be hungry afterward! Three large ribs were nestled on top of a heap of mac and cheese, with a dark glaze that was savoury and sweet - but not too sweet. The ribs were meaty, and bites came away in easy chunks, signaling a spot on cook. Not to be outdone, the baked mac and cheese was well-executed and while not as over-the-top as the loaded version, it was still a great example of this comfort food classic. The green beans were a tasty surprise because I didn't know that they not only had garlic in them, but they had a *lot* of garlic in them. Vampires take heed! A large chunk of cornbread completed the meal with a golden brown crust on top, and pleasant crumb. It wasn't quite as fluffy as a cornmeal-only cornbread, but I can't begrudge them some wheat flour to help hold things together. Consider this review a song of praise, because R&B Kitchen is hitting all the right notes, and next time we order, they'll be second fiddle to no one.

Generous portions of jerk chicken and macaroni /penne pasta with just enough spice. I had the…read moreRasta Pasta and my sister had Chicken and Waffles.Tasty Jamaican beverages to cleanse the palate and refresh. Outdoor seating and cash only ( or e-transfer) may deter some but if they keep the quality and the quantity customers will find this not to be an inconvenience.

Great spot just off the ferry terminal with a waterfront seating area and mini bar. The lobster…read moreroll was delicious; served warm with a good portion of meat. I'd also recommend the Poutine and fish and chips (not pictured).

TL;DR/The Short Version: Seafood restaurant right at the…read moreAlderney Ferry Landing. Food was good, but the Platter for 2 was really small for 2 people. The Long Version: I had heard great things about Evan's Seafood so my husband and I made a special trip to Dartmouth from Halifax on our vacation to check it out. It's right by the Alderney Ferry Landing so we took the ferry over and we were right there (ferry fare was $3 a person and it's a 15 minute ride). We got the Platter for 2 ($40) which came with 2 pieces of haddock, 4 Digby scallops, a half order of clams, half fries and half salad. We got to choose our salad (from Cesar, garden, spinach or Greek) and we got the garden salad with the dressing on the side. The amount of food was not sufficient for 2 people, imo. We had to go get a second dinner afterwards, lol. (My husband is an average-sized man and I am a much smaller than average-sized woman). Everything fit on one regular-sized dinner plate. However, the food did taste good ;) The Platter for 2 is gluten-free by default. The haddock breading was crunchy and I liked that it wasn't overly greasy. The scallops were a good size and were nicely cooked. Tender and not rubbery. The clams were good as well, although there was lots of batter on them. The fries were crispy and although not shoestring fries, I still enjoyed them. The salad was fresh and had a good variety of vegetables, but it was only a few mouthfuls. You order and pay at the counter. You tell them if you want to sit indoors or outdoors. They give you a numbered table sign and you place it wherever you want to sit. They will bring the food to you when it's ready and will clear the table when you're done, but they do not check up on you otherwise. Ambiance is...well...you're eating at a ferry terminal, lol. But if you eat outside, you're by the water. The patio was busy though, so we ate inside. I'm glad we tried it and it was fun taking the ferry over. (178)

Amazing Filipino restaurant with a huge variety of dishes! In a converted house - cute interior!…read more See the pics. Very fairly priced and great portions!!! Super tasty - especially the noodle soup! Wow, packed with meat, spring rolls and lots of other goodies! Best Filipino restaurant I've tried so far in the HRM!!! Great service to boot!!!!

Wonderful service and really cool atmosphere. The food was amazing as well we had lobster sandwich…read moreand the soups are awesome.

If you're in Nova Scotia and are heading to Lunenburg, Dory Mates is terrific! We have a fantastic…read morebrunch there amidst the vintage fishing nets and other interesting decor. Great service and recommendations for dishes (if you're like me and can't make up your mind).

The portable grill formerly known as Mamak, Asado re-branded in the mobile food off-season, and now…read moreseems to be focused on southern BBQ, rather than a tenuous Malaysian theme. For the past couple weeks, they've been set up on North Park Street, just a short walk across the Common for me, so after a failed attempt after they closed early on a previous day, I hit them up on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon.  Their new smoker/grill is an impressive get up, with wheels and a hitch so that it's easily hauled by a truck. They have a fairly compact menu for streetside eats, with ribs, chicken, corn on the cob and drinks available, and rustically displayed on a pallet/menu. On this day there was protein only (sorry, not sorry, vegans), but since I'm not a corn fan, I was indifferent. At $3 for a full chicken leg or rib (4 ribs for $10), I went for the half-ish rack of ribs and chicken. After a quick finishing swab of BBQ sauce on the ribs, I was on my way back home to eat my carnivorous delights in the sun on my back deck. The ribs had a noticeable pink smoke ring, which was encouraging. The flavour matched, and they had a good bark as well. The meat was a marginally overcooked, as it didn't quite come off the bone in clean bites, but it wasn't appreciably dry. Note that these ribs aren't St. Louis cut, so they have the gnarly knuckles on one end. The sauce was good - not too sweet and with a hint of spice. My chicken was just as good, with a nice smoke flavour and I thought the sauce was a bit spicier than the ribs, but I could be wrong and they could use the exact same one. This sort of stuff makes summer days in peninsular Halifax what they are - a combination of beautiful weather (when we get it...), nice surroundings and easy access to entrepreneurs like Asado. Keep on smoking, folks. PS. Asado has an impressive catering menu on their website, full of many southern BBQ delights.

Food was ok at best. Service was very slow and disjointed. Waited 45 minutes for a rack of ribs and…read moresome chicken. Servers were filling orders for people who ordered after us. With so many good choices for food in Halifax, it is very unlikely that I will eat here again.

Decent Spot for Drinks & Apps, but Didn't Quite Wow Us…read more We originally planned to have dinner at McKelvie's, but after getting a few local recommendations, we decided to head elsewhere for the main meal. That said, we still stopped in later that night for a couple of drinks and some appetizers, just to check it out. There's a solid selection of craft beers and cocktails, and the service was friendly. The atmosphere, though, felt a bit underwhelming--not quite as lively or unique as many of the other Halifax spots we visited during our trip. We tried a couple of appetizers: the cornbread with chipotle butter and the burrata. I actually thought the cornbread was pretty tasty, but my wife wasn't a fan of the flavour combo with the chipotle butter. The burrata was just okay--not bad, but nothing memorable. Even the locals weren't praising it. Feels like a chain restaurant. There's plenty of better options around in our opinion. Overall, it was a decent stop for some light fare and drinks, but compared to the other amazing restaurants in Halifax, McKelvie's didn't really stand out for us.

I popped in for a quick pint or two. The garrison red is solid beer. I did not have much honestly…read more I did the 1/2 dozen oysters Rockefeller, So yummy! They have a decent local lunch crowd. That's speak accolades about their food. The open kitchen concept I have always been a fan of. Don't think twice about coming in here for a pint or bite.

On a cruise stop in Halifax, we were drawn to this restaurant by their fabulous sounding menu and…read moreboy were we glad. Our lunch experience was exceptional. The ambiance is warm and inviting, our Server was terrific. And oh my, the food couldn't have been better. From the complimentary focaccia to our mains, wow good! I had the Crab-stuffed Ravioli with Shrimp in a Limoncello cream sauce and Husband had the Shrimp Fra Diavolo. We agreed it was some of the best cooked shrimp we've ever had. And the pastas were outstanding. Highly recommend!

Absolutely delish. This is my second time checking out The Bicycle Thief in Halifax. This time I…read morehad Linguine al' Aragosta & Sangiovese wine which was so good! For dessert, I tried the Butterscotch Caramel Cake and had enough to finish after the Sarah McLachlan concert. My server was delightful and helpful in selecting my meal. The restaurant is classy, with decor that is welcoming and cozy. I plan to eat here each time I am back in Halifax.