Canada's Craft Brewery Map

Sunday, October 6, 2024

Braaibar was our first disappointment in Stratford, unfortunately. Usually we have amazing dinners in this city. First, cocktails are the best part of this place. I enjoyed my choice (heads in the cloud). We ordered fries and spring rolls as starters. Fries were soggy and the portion was really small. Rolls were good but they arrived just warm. But the entrees was the biggest problem. This time fries were good, But the steak was terrible, opposite of tender and tasteful. The doneness was supposed to be medium rare, but came more for rare. It was supposed to come with vegetables, not only peppers. I enjoyed the sweet peppers but I expected variety. PEI Mussels were poor and the hamburger was good. No one asked how it was our dishes, otherwise I could say it personally about my steak. The waitress was so busy that she almost never appeared in our table.

Sunday, September 15, 2024

Visited for a pre-theatre dinner on a friend's recommendation and was so impressed. The interior is beautifully decorated, but we took advantage of a warm September Saturday to sit on their quiet alleyway patio - also great. The streamlined menu allows for fast service, and I love that they that they offer half pints of their draft beers. Spring rolls with mango chutney and burger were both excellent, flavourful, and reasonable portions - some of the best fries I've had too. I'll be back next time I'm in Stratford! PS - they didn't have the same line down the block as some of the touristy restaurants, perhaps because they're about a block off the main drag. Don't waste your time lining up elsewhere - just go to Braaibar!

Monday, September 2, 2024

Braai Bar atmosphere is incredible, as well as the service. My partner and I went to Stratford Festival (August 31st)and between the matinee show and the night show we booked a table at the bar. Our table was initially to dine indoors but the hostess kindly rearranged our reservation and had us sit on the patio. We decided to book a table at the Braai Bar because I'm vegan and we wanted to make sure we went to a place where we could both enjoy the meal. Braai Bar sounded like the perfect spot, as on the first page of the website you have "Our talented team have curated a bar menu that will leave you wanting to try every dish. Whether you're vegan, vegetarian, gluten free or a carnivore, we have something for everyone". My partner called the restaurant Friday night to confirm whether there'd be vegan options, which was confirmed. When the server gave us the menu, I couldn't find many vegan options. More precisely, the only vegan option they had was the Hippy Bowl and 2 vegan salads (options that were not originally in the menu but could be made vegan since I asked). Since we had the table booked already and had a limited time between the shows, we ordered drinks, a tomato salad (really good!) as a starter and the main dishes - Hippy Bowl for me and a steak for my partner. I don't have words to describe the Hippy Bowl. That was EXTREMELY disappointing. The Hippy Bowl was essentially a quinoa salad with vegetables. No dressing, no further preparation, no taste. And $23! I couldn't eat half of the bowl because how tasteless it was. My partner is an excellent cook so we asked for a take-out container and brought it home to use the leftovers for something else (picture attached of the delicious vegan sandwich he made with it). We had a show to attend at 8pm, and would get home (Toronto) only around 1am. Therefore we had to stop by at a vegan diner in town to get me another meal (more $). I understand the Braai Bar menu is focused on steak. However, when you advertise you have options for everyone, including vegans, the customer expects a dish that at least requires more preparation rather than throwing vegetables into a bowl. We all know that Vegan cuisine can be more than just plain vegetables. It was extremely disappointing, considering the place is awesome, the service, and the patio is lovely. I'm not the one to leave bad reviews or express my disappointment. I know vegan cuisine is still on the rise and places are getting used to having vegan clients and catering to them. This is feedback for a place that has potential and I would love to return to and have reasonable options with substance (e.g. pasta, risotto, flame roasted hearty vegetables, toasted crostini with heirloom tomatoes and balsamic reduction. For dessert: vegan chocolate cake, cookie, sorbet). Thank you!

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Thank you to our hostess Leah for providing such a great experience. Braaibar is probably one of my favourite restaurants now. The food is top notch, so while it is pricey, you will get some of the best quality food you have ever had. The extended menu is available after 7pm only, so I was disappointed that I could order only from the fixed menu, but the dishes I received were fabulous. In the end, I'm glad I got to try something new. I highly recommend the patio!

Sunday, April 2, 2023

My wife and I are in love with the Braai House and Bar. Came back here after an amazing night at the House two days ago and the bar is equally as good in food quality but not as a fine dining experience. The food was phenomenal. We didn't hesitate to get both desserts because we knew the quality. The service was also phenomenal here. The best service we had in the whole of Stratford. The waitresses were pleasant and attentive. The food has the same smokiness and depth of flavour in everything that was served. Our only regret is that due to our limited nights here, we can't try every single thing on the menu because we know it would've been an experience every time.