The Paisley Common — Restaurant in Arran–Elderslie

Went there for lunch and was very unimpressed. The wait for our drink order to be taken was over 5 minutes, one was a Moscow mule and one was just a regular iced tea. I had asked for the original Moscow mule but it tasted like it had orange juice in it. We had to wait another length of time just place our order, and when informing us of the specials the man taking our order seemed rushed and dashed off before we were able to ask questions. After another long interval he finally came and got our order which was fish and chips and a Greek salad. Now I understand it can be hectic, and I don't always see what's going on "behind the curtain", but it should not take 45 minutes for a meal to hit the table. It also probably wouldn't have if the 2 people working weren't chatting with a customer at the till when you could hear the cook hitting the bell to let them know the food needed to be ran for several minutes. When it finally came the fish tasted like it had been recently thawed and was almost mushy (not flaky, I know the difference) and was a little too greasy- like the food may have been left in the window too long and the heat lamp didn't quite keep it warm enough so instead of admitting the food had died in the window they just dunked it in the deep fryer again to warm it up. I ended up getting it off the bill, but that moves me onto the next issue. Greek salad shouldn't have a heavy balsamic looking dressing on it. It's incredibly simple to make, and whatever they put on the salad was nothing close to a traditional Greek dressing. I'd advise if you're going to try this sald get the dressing on the side, or ask what's in it because it's not what you're expecting. Not sure if it's something they are saying is there in-house dressing, but it should be advertised better so people aren't disappointed. Lastly, I'm fairly certain that the trays of exposed danishes and croissants as you are coming in the door runs a bit of a issue with health and safety. I watched people shaking their jackets and coughing around baking sheets full of food that weren't covered with even a single piece of plastic wrap. Perhaps keep them behind the counter and serve people that way instead of leaving them exposed to the elements. I'll end on a positive- the decor is slightly nice but it tends to make it seem like they're going for higher end dining but falling flat. Work on the food quality and you'd probably be ok, but stop riding on the fact you are in a small town and people don't have a lot of choices for food. They will go elsewhere, it's not going to...

As a long time Bruce County man, and a current Paisley resident, I was both sad to see the previous restaurant at this location close, but excited to see the Common open and have another great establishment in town!

First of all - the atmosphere is great. The interior is bright and warm feeling, and I really enjoy the music they play. The main floor has a large table for almost any group you can throw at the place, and there are enough smaller tables and booths you can still have a more intimate meal with just a few people.

What really motivated me to write a review for the Common is the other reviews I read about the food. I am glad there are so many people who have gone and enjoyed their meals. I - and almost every other person I have taken there - have been pretty underwhelmed. So I wanted to write something a little more moderate for anyone scanning the reviews before checking this place out. Please - absolutely check this spot out if you are looking for a nice atmosphere in a small town eatery. Don't come expecting to get you socks knocked off with every item though. They have some interesting meals both for dinner and lunch menus. Not your standard pub fair. I've tried most things on the menu at this point, and it is all just okay. Never have I left anything on the plate, but when I have a real hankering for anything there I try to get it Port Elgin/Southampton (about 20 minutes away. Has a lot of awesome spots to eat).

That all being said, I have gone and had a great meal there before. They just aren't very consistent. I had a server refer to the place as a "fine dining" establishment before. That is the energy and the atmosphere seem to suggest (and I mean that in a good way), it just isn't what the food suggests. Maybe if they started hitting home runs with their crowd pleaser like burgers (which are usually pretty good), and adding more wraps, soups, stuff like that, then the "fine dining" side of the menu wouldn't feel so in-name-only.

I really want to like this place, and I keep going back hoping to have another one of those illusive great meals. I think after a long enough time they will find their stride, and be a...

Ate here last weekend to celebrate indoor dining opening in Ontario again and I'm very glad that I did. We started with buffalo cauliflower bites and sup, both of which were unremarkable but very tasty. My wife had the steak and I went for a grilled Cuban with a side of poutine. Steak was grilled rare and nice and juicy like my wife likes it, and I ended up eating a bunch of her veggies, which were good. The Cuban was the best I've ever had made by someone who doesn't speak Spanish, piled high with meat and cheese, including real roast pork, delicious. The poutine was also solid, made with excellent curds and tasty fries. For desert we got the tiramisu, which is not only tasty but gigantic. Definitely the way to go for desert. Overall it's a solid place to eat at. Not cheap but the portion size is quite decent, so your wallet may by lighter when you leave, but you won't be. Beautiful dining room as well, highly recommended to anyone looking for a date night...