The Garage Pub & Eatery — Restaurant in Medicine Hat

How did I forget to review this place? Well, simple, I was too busy enjoying the food.

I started ordering from the Garage on Skip. I always wanted to go in but, being a minor before Skip was a thing, I couldn't. Eventually, I stopped getting the same food over and over and saw that this place was on Skip.

This place captured my heart since that day.

Now, up until somewhat recently I hadn't stepped inside, but one day, not being complacent with Skip's delivery fees (maybe I'll review THEM one day), I decided to walk to the Garage Pub and Eatery. Now, let me just say, the owner KNOWS how to build atmosphere. It is indeed themed like an automotive garage. The exterior always had an eye-catching paint job, but the interior is truly something. It begins with entering, seeing the diamond-plated furnishings and the open-concept kitchen next to the high bar counter and you know you're in for some great pub food.

That said, this is why I can only rate it four stars; See, I actually don't really like some of their stuff. The fries are hit or miss, and the burgers seem like they're missing something. Yes, that extends to the poutines. By far the best items on the menu are the hot dogs (chili dogs AND chili cheese dogs included), the wings (boneless OR bone-in, go for the hottest mix you can think of and you'll see why I fell in love), and the hubcaps (the hubcaps are basically in-house prepared thick-cut potato chips that are deep fried and seasoned with your choice of seasonings from salt and pepper to even garlic or cajun). They also sell cinnamon doughnuts, but they don't season them as much as they used to. Still good, but I wish they did a bit more of the cinnamon (perhaps it is possible to request it, but I haven't tried... yet).

Great selection of alcohols, and if you don't do alcohol, then you can do soda as an option, Pepsi products in this case (I'm more of a Coca-Cola type myself but soda is soda in the end, so no-devil there).

The TV inside plays sports channels. I think they change it to a different sport now and again, but it may depend. I've seen at least football on display.

So uh... How would I raise the rating? Well... I think the fries need to be figured out and the burgers revitalized. Something just seems bland about the burgers and the fries, like I said, are hit or miss. Sometimes they taste more or less overcooked, so that would be a good area of focus.

Besides that, you still have a whole menu of great products, and delicious pub food in a spectacularly prepared restaurant. Definitely go inside if you haven't yet! It's...

I was here a couple weeks ago when working in Medicine Hat. Ordered on line, pick up time said 30 min. Went to pick up my food about 25 min after ordering and after standing around by the bar for 10 min someone sternly told me i was at the wrong door? So if you order on line do not go into the pub to pick up your food. And whatever you do dont talk to any of the wait staff and try to check on your order. After being redirected into a really gross and dirty back entrance which is full of flies. I got to stand there for another 10 or 15 min befor i finally asked the cook what was happening with my order, he said he did not know. A few min later he said he was just going to make it now. So again left standing in the gross little room for another 15 min or so. I ordered a cheese steak sandwich, with fries and gravy. Figured it would be pretty standard fair. I got a sandwich. Pretty much just meat and cheese on a bun. No veggies. And rather than gravy i got a tiny little container of what i can only assume was some kind of oil and broth mix? It looked well seperated and kind of gross so i did not try it. They were busy when i was there, and only seemed to care to look after you if you were drinking. I get it. They make more money that way. But if they dont want to serve take out, they should not...

Haven’t been in the Garage in years. We used to live the vibrancy and uniqueness of the garage when it opened.

Did it lose some of its…panache somewhere along the line?

Still full of kitschy fun stuff on the walls, this place was real busy in middle of afternoon.

AKA: A bunch of daytime drinking going on. Happy holidays!

Steak sandy was great, cooked medwell as requested. Usually get a heh…bad taste in my mouth over other places ‘famous’ steak sandwiches but The Garage showed me there was hope.

Screwdrivers and Caesar’s were $4 and $5 respectively, am arguable good buy for those.

My buddy got the chicken sandwich. It looked awesome and no, was not cheap but remember what McDonald’s forcibly charges you for their food delivered-about the same as two meals and drinks from the garage give it take.

I don’t think they e changed anything since they opened but maybe that’s what makes them good.

Moral of the review; daytime drinking is surprisingly economical...