Mug & Anchor Pub Ltd — Restaurant in Town of Mahone Bay

After a long day, two friends and I chose to dine at The Mug and Anchor Pub. At first glance, the pub has a cozy, welcoming aesthetic with a traditional charm that we appreciated. However, that first impression quickly faded due to a series of issues throughout our visit.

Upon arrival, we noticed some food waste on the floor near our table, something we assumed would be addressed shortly, but it remained untouched for the entirety of our meal. While a small detail, it reflected a broader lack of attentiveness from the staff.

Our server, Heather, greeted us and handed us menus promptly. She returned within five minutes to ask for our drink and food orders. We asked for a bit more time to decide on food but placed our drink orders then. It took approximately 10 minutes to receive our drinks. Unfortunately, the soda served was completely flat, and despite chocolate milk being listed on the drink menu, we were told it was unavailable.

When Heather returned to take our food orders, she did not use a notepad, which became a problem later on. We made a few specific substitution requests, which she acknowledged verbally. The three of us ordered: • Guest 1: Poutine • Guest 2: Smash burger (no mayonnaise, pickles, or tomatoes), with fries and a side of ranch • Guest 3: Salmon with a side of Caesar salad

After waiting over an hour for our food, the meals arrived with mixed results. • The poutine was fine, nothing exceptional, but hot and reasonably presented. • The smash burger arrived with pickles on it, despite the request to exclude them, and the ranch was missing. • The salmon dish was disappointing. Instead of receiving a portion of salmon with a side salad, it was the reverse: a small amount of salmon atop a disproportionately large Caesar salad. The salad itself lacked sufficient dressing and felt unbalanced in portioning.

When we mentioned the missing ranch, Heather did bring it over quickly. However, the incorrect burger order was a bigger issue. We attempted to flag her down, but she did not return to our table for approximately 30 minutes, even as our glasses sat empty despite the restaurant advertising free refills. Eventually, another server passed by and agreed to take the incorrect burger back to the kitchen and have a new one prepared.

Unfortunately, the burger that came back was not a new one, it was the same patty with the pickles simply scraped off. The strong pickle flavor lingered, making the meal unenjoyable. I decided not to eat the burger and waited for Heather to return so I could address the issue.

After another long wait, Heather finally came to our table. When I politely asked to have the cost of the burger removed from the bill, her response was completely unprofessional. She raised her voice, spoke to us in a loud, confrontational tone, and blamed us for not informing her sooner, despite our repeated attempts to get her attention. Her demeanor was aggressive and inappropriate for a customer service role, especially in a hospitality setting.

Eventually, the cost of the burger was removed from the bill, but the damage to the experience had already been done. Between the inattentive service, the confrontational attitude from our server, and the poor food handling, it was clear that customer satisfaction was not a priority.

To make matters worse, the food waste we had seen on the floor at the beginning of our visit remained there the entire time. No one on staff appeared concerned with cleanliness or maintenance of the dining area.

In conclusion: While The Mug and Anchor Pub has potential with its charming atmosphere, the service was inattentive, the food inconsistently prepared, and the staff (especially our server) handled customer concerns with hostility and a lack of professionalism. Based on this experience, I will not be returning, nor can I recommend this...

Daughter visiting from Ont for her Birthday, I decided to take her to Peggy’s Cove and Lunenburg. After a beautiful day looking at the fantastic views and speaking to so many nice people we lost track of time. It was about 7:30pm and restaurants closing we asked a local where we can eat. They referred us to Mahone Bay and we looked up the Mug and Anchor for wing night. Upon entering we found restaurant had a view and was excited to be sat there, unfortunately full in that area. The hostess was lovely, but she sat us in a two seater table in the middle of restaurant where the servers would be running by, when many tables empty inside. She then allowed us to take the four seater in corner out of the way, putting us on wait list for outside. I being disabled with a very rare nerve disorder that’s painful 24/7, from waist down, outside and in, have to walk with either cane or walker and gel seat to sit down. After a day out I am in extreme pain, but try to smile and be respectful. We were lucky that three tables outside emptied out giving us an opportunity to watch the boats. The hostess now sat us in the doorway in a two seater when a four seater sat empty with no one sitting there for the two hours we were there. In order to get into this two seater I had to squeeze my body in against the corner, barely able to get my legs and cane in, sitting my purse on the railing of the alley way, looking at the garbage cans of the neighbours. I was so uncomfortable I wanted to cry, but it was my Daughters 34th Birthday. Once again I felt the youth had no understanding or empathy for an older disabled individual, by trying to sit her where it may be more comfortable, instead of thinking two people should sit in a two seater table. I know rules in place if busy, but this was 8:30pm and restaurant was empty, but for the tables outside and two in. The whole time we were there the four seater table on balcony remained empty. My Daughter and I were very fortunate that a regular customer saw my discomfort asking us to join her and her husband. Wow I cannot say enough good things about this couple for their understanding of the situation, showing such kindness to two strangers. I want to thank them again for their generosity and I wish them nothing but happiness in their marriage and future, thank you again for the great conversation and providing me the comfort I so needed. I hope that this young hostess reads this and learns from it, that there may be rules, but common sense should always come first. You were a very pleasant young woman to talk to, but when doing any job in your future please put yourself in the other persons shoes and treat them with the same kindness you would expect for you or your Mom. It’s difficult enough to be disabled not by choice,, a little understanding and kindness we really appreciate in a world that has become more difficult, this comes with age and experience . I would come back to this restaurant for my wings and to say Hi to the hostess and waitress and with the hope of seeing this lovely...

I recently visited the Mug & Anchor Pub and wanted to share my experience. While there were some positive aspects, there were a few areas that left me wanting more.

Let's start with the food. The mussels dish was a bit disappointing. Instead of being served in a flavorful broth, they came with a shot-sized amount of oily butter. This didn't allow the mussels to truly shine. The accompanying bread slices were very thin and small, which didn't provide enough substance to balance out the dish.

On the other hand, the scallops and chips were decent. The scallops themselves were good, but the portion size was far from plentiful. Chips (fries) were crispy, providing a pleasant texture to accompany the scallops.

One positive note was the house beer made by Propeller Brewery. It was enjoyable and added a nice touch to the dining experience. It's always a treat to try a local brew, and this one did not disappoint.

Moving on to the pub's aesthetics, I must say they were great. The overall atmosphere and design of the place were appealing. However, I had hoped to enjoy the back patio overlooking Mahone Bay, but unfortunately, the weather was a bit too chilly during my visit. It's worth mentioning, though, that the patio seemed inviting and would likely be a wonderful spot to relax and take in the view on a warmer day.

In summary, the Mug & Anchor Pub had its ups and downs. While the food execution fell short in some aspects, the server was fantastic and the pub's aesthetics were pleasing, the server was great, and the back patio overlooking Mahone Bay seemed like a lovely spot. With some improvements to the food offerings, the Mug & Anchor Pub could become an even more appealing destination but don’t...