Match Eatery & Public House - Point Edward — Restaurant in Point Edward

Sorry for the long review. However this isn’t based on a single visit. This is a culmination from many many visits since Covid.

As a long-time Sarnia resident, I’ve spent many evenings at Match Eatery—especially before the pandemic, when the buffet and atmosphere made for a great night out. Since the buffet’s permanent closure, I’ve continued visiting Match, hoping things would return to form. Unfortunately, they haven’t. If anything, the service has steadily declined—even though the food remains solid.

My latest visit on Canada Day mirrored many of my post-COVID experiences: long waits, slow service, and clear signs of understaffing. Despite the beautiful weather and holiday vibe, the restaurant interior was nearly empty. The patio was full, yes—but inside? Sparse. Yet we still had to wait over 45 minutes for a table.

To be clear: we didn’t have a reservation, so some wait was expected. What wasn’t expected was how disorganized the host station was. Several couples ahead of us gave up and walked out. I was told the wait would be “about 20 minutes,” and gave my number to be texted when ready. No text ever came. After 30 minutes, I sat down near the host station, and 15 minutes later—after clearly being forgotten—was finally asked if I was waiting. Within two minutes, we were seated.

This was Canada Day—a day that, especially in a border town like Sarnia, should feel festive and proud. Aside from our friendly server’s maple leaf headband and his kind “Happy Canada Day” greeting, there was no visible effort to celebrate. No décor, no paper flags, no themed menu, nothing that acknowledged the national holiday in any meaningful way. In today’s political climate, when unity and identity matter more than ever, this felt like a missed opportunity.

From there, the experience continued to slide. Our server greeted us quickly and got our drinks in, but after that it was a long, slow crawl. Food took about 45 minutes to arrive. Our server was genuinely nice and clearly trying, but when he mentioned he was “the only one in his section,” it didn’t really justify the delays—especially since only four tables were occupied nearby. Service was stretched too thin, and drink refills were nonexistent. My tiny glass stayed empty for the entire meal after a single refill before food arrived.

The food? Genuinely great. That’s never been the issue. But food alone doesn’t carry the experience—service and value matter. And at these prices, the service should at least be consistent and timely.

I asked about the Pitmaster—always my go-to in summer—which I’d seen advertised on a screen at the entrance but wasn’t anywhere on the main menu. The server did bring me a menu insert (which seemed to be the only one), then took it back. At nearly $50, I passed. That’s not a summer splurge—it’s highway robbery for a restaurant that can’t even bring the bill in under 20 minutes.

That was the final straw: it took 20 minutes just to pay. In the end, we left the restaurant and went into the casino only to grab our free soft drink—and then walked right back out. Not a dollar spent inside. I imagine most management teams would hope the restaurant draws people into the casino for a full evening. But when the meal feels more like a time-waster than a night out, that opportunity vanishes.

This wasn’t a one-off. It reflects every visit I’ve made since COVID, including the times I brought friends or family from out of town. Each time, I hoped it would be better. It hasn’t been.

The views are beautiful, the food is enjoyable, and the space has potential—but that’s not enough anymore. When you charge premium prices, you need to deliver a premium experience. Sadly, Match no longer does.

I genuinely hope things improve, because the atmosphere is lovely and the location should thrive. But after this last visit, I won’t be back. Not out of spite—just exhaustion. I’ve run out of patience, and it seems I’m not...

I don't normally write reviews, but I thought this place warranted me going out of my way to mention that I have gone here TWICE and have had terrible experiences each time.

Notes: -Had us seat ourselves -Orders mixed up with other tables -Beer sat at the bar for 10-15 mins waiting to be handed off to us -Coughed on hand then grabbed our silverware -An hour later, our food came out BEFORE our apps

From telling the hostess we'd like to eat on the patio and her pointing toward the patio and telling us to find somewhere if there's something available, to having our order mixed up with other tables and them not having any idea which food goes where. Our beer we ordered sat on the bar waiting to be picked up by a waitress for 10-15 minutes before we recieved our drinks. I was tempted just to get up and serve myself.

The second time I went, having thought maybe it was just a fluke - I quickly learned was not. Our hostess (same girl as last time) glanced at us waiting to be seated then looked another direction to talk to a waitress. The waitress repeatedly pointed toward us to signal that people were waiting to be seated, she finally decided she'd seat us (she wasn't headed anywhere busy, just talking to the waitress). She coughed in her hand and immediately grabbed our silverware with the same hand, then we're brought to our seat. We ordered our apps, food and a drink, only for 50 minutes to pass before our food started coming out. Our main dishes came out BEFORE our apps, each of which were cold as though they'd been sitting out waiting to be brought to us.

The view and bar of this place is great, however the service and food leave anything and everything to be desired. I would stay away from this place until they get things figured out. For now, I simply can't recommend wasting...

We get there at 13h, the inside floor of the restaurant is empty, the bar too. We asked if we could sit outside. To my suprise the outside was pretty full but most people were finishing to eat. There was 2 tables left, they were next to the waitress' coner. It still took 15 minutes for the waitress to come and see us.

We order our drinks, pointing in the menu for to Grean Tea Mojito but we got regular ones. We order our food when she came back with the drinks. I couldn't help but notice the giant piece of gum that she was chewing on, it was so unprofessional. It was 13h20.

At 13h50, I asked the waitress if she knew when our orders were coming, she said she didn't know with the attitude of a 5 year old who was happy. Like I had interupted her with her cow chewing.

At 14h, I asked the people who were next to us how long they had been waiting. They said well over an hour.

At 14h05, the food came out. I ordered The big dipper, with onion ring and my husband the Blackjack Chiken Sandwich. My sandwich had no taste and the "dipper" was just like brown water with no taste. By chance, I ordered the onion ring which were good. My husband kept the fries which tasted like they were warmed up from yesterday batch.

While we were eating the waitress' were yelling at each other accross the restaurant. My husband ordered a spiced lemonade (don't remember the name), at the same time a the food came in. We were finished eating when it finaly came to the table.

Needless to say that when our waitress came back with her giant peice of gum, and asked with we wanted dessert, we said no, paid and left. It was not worth the...