Match Eatery & Public House — Restaurant in North Bay

I'm sorry, this is going to be long. So, my wife and i had discussed coming here several times. S, she wanted to go for her birthday. I said sure, why not. So, I made reservations 2 weeks out, as I'd been told it can get pretty busy. Honestly, after this experience we are most likely never going back. So, we'll talk about things in parts. The server we had was very good. Attentive but not hovering. She was very pleasant, humourous. Just an overall good server who understands customer service, making sure that it's a positive experience. The food was mediocre. The fish was decent, the fries were horribly overcooked and dry. This means they were over cooked, then left to sit under a heat lamp. The Guinness gravy was not good at all. If you're going to make a goo gravy and add a component like Guinness, you have to build the gravy around that taste, not just make a canned or powdered beef gravy then pour some Guinness in. It overpowers the flavour in negative ways, leaves a poor after taste and is just an overall unpleasant experience. The other members of my party seemed to enjoy the food, so it wasn't terrible, just not the fine dining experience that's touted. One thing to mention...the "special bbq sauce" for the ribs. Sorry, that was a joke, right? Ketchup mixed with some lemon juice? And the sauce for the ribs was literally that.....ketchup mixed with lemon juice for "tang". Hmm...... So, on to the rest. The atmosphere isn't too bad. Very Casey's and Montana-like. So, not really a fine dining atmosphere. But, it was nice. An oddly shaped dining area with a HUGE bar. When i made the reservations, I specifically asked to be someplace quiet, away from the noise. So, where were we put? Literally right beside the small stage where we had to listen to the local talent they'd hired. While he weas decent, it was so loud that conversation at our table was impossible. When I spoke to the girl at the front, who turned out to be the manager, the entire attitude presented was "I don't care". And, after talking to her, I can completely understand the negative reviews here. That appears to be her mantra when presented with a problem..."we'll try to do better next time". in a lot of cases, there isn't a next time. You had your chance and blew it. I pointed out that it would've been nice to have been told that there would be live, loud entertainment and that we'd be placed next tot he stage. Her reply was that I should've checked the website and I would've seen that there's live music every friday/saturday and that I could've requested someplace away from the stage. Well, yes this is a point. When making the reservation, however, I specifically stated quiet. Instead, we're put int he noisiest section of the establishment. Her reply when I expressed my concerns? "We'll try to do better next time". So, this is the customer careless equivalent of "I don't care, get out of my face". It's like having someone say "I'm sorry you feel that way" which means "I don't care". So, as a recap. The server was great. The food was middle of the road with some very odd flavours that just didn't meld together well. And i honestly believe this simple thing....the issues people are experiencing are stemming form management. Staff follows the lead of the person in charge. If there's an issue, climb the management ladder and you will eventually locate the source...

To begin with, our server was quite slow and would disappear for amounts of time. It took a while to get our drinks, and it got worse from there. We waited almost an hour for pizza after ordering. When it arrived it was very soggy and not hot. It was lukewarm to touch. We were asked how our meal was, and we responded honestly, that it was soggy and not very hot. Our server responded "Well, it has been a while." I said "You just brought this out, what do you mean it's been a while?" I'm my head, I'm thinking that our meal must have taken so long and been poor quality because she left it sitting in the kitchen, considering her remark. She proceeded to argue and made excuses and then walked away. We each ate a slice because we were starving and then waited 20 minutes to see her again and asked for our bill. It took 15 minutes longer for her to return with no bill but boxes. We said that we didn't want to take any with us, which she argued about, and we insisted that we didn't want the food, just the bill. We waited another 20 minutes, continually scanning the dining room trying to see where she may be. I was starting to feel very uncomfortable because at this point, I just want to leave so we can go get some better food elsewhere. The manager comes out and we explain that we are just trying to pay and leave. She also tried making excuses for the food and even said we shouldn't expect it to be hot when it arrives. Really? I had to insist multiple times that they allow us to pay and leave. I felt very trapped. No, we don't want a second terrible pizza. No, we don't want a credit. No, we don't want to take the awful food home. We also really don't want to be held hostage any longer. It's like they weren't going to let us leave unless we decided to change our minds and say, oh, you know, you're right, we totally made a mistake, your watery limp pizza with canned toppings and cheap sandwich meat is fantastic, what were we thinking. There were also cleanliness issues, such as the drink menu having pages stuck together and visible dried...

We have now been here a handful of times and tend to always look forward to the next time. This place has hired some seriously good chefs. From appetizers to main entrees everything is fresh, tasty, flavorful, filling and a pleasing experience. The fish and chips is a MUST, no excuses. The batter is a beautiful golden color with a deep crunch and the fish itself is a fresh light taste. The Tarter sauce complements the battered fish well and the fries are the perfect kinda thick. Definitely a dish that feeds the soul. The 2nd dish we shared was the Grilled Chicken Green Goddess and it was well balanced with all the combination of elements. The 6 minute eggs were perfectly done and I think it may have been pickled with the onions in the dish as it has the same light pink tint color and sweet prickly taste. The chicken breast was smoky with a hit of chard in the background, very well done with a juicy texture; Cooked perfectly couldn't have done it better. For dessert we had a slice of chocolate cake. It's presentation was nice but not in the same league as the meal itself. We are sure it wasn't baked there as it didn't hold the same level of quality it taste however not bad. I wouldn't say we wouldn't get it again but it didn't leave the same feeling as the rest of the meal did. Still decent just no WOW factor. The staff is attentive, respectful, and well coordinated. They did everything on point from drinks, ordering and checking up once dishes were served. Recommend this place 💯 Look forward to trying more on the...