THE PREAMBLE

Now back home, memories of Nashville still were fresh in mind. Memories of skin as sun baked as the earth of the Salinas Valley and memories of the light glinting off bleached blonde hair of bachelorettes who resembled an army of Kate Albey’s. John Steinbeck’s themes of the capacity of self-destruction rang too true when reminiscing about my eating habits in the capital of Tennessee.

THE PLACE

The construction around Dundas Street has been erupting balloons of grey dust, making the London residents feel like they were experiencing the hot volcanic ash in Hawai’i. Frustration from local business owners oozed like lava, the heat radiating from their worn faces matching the 30-degree weather that would usually fill their establishments. With the roadwork clogging one of the cities main arteries, it was only fitting to clog one’s own arteries with a healthy serving of nachos. The meal today would effectively be a small stimulus package to the restaurant of choice. (No, that statement does not make me a Republican.)

TO THE ‘CHOS

Relatively new to the downtown core, The Squire Pub & Grill is a great location to grab a bite before any event at Budweiser Gardens. Even just to hang out is solid, with a pleasant atmosphere and daily specials on both food and drinks. Half-price bottles of wine on Wednesday is nothing to scoff at.

The menu itself is a collection of shareable finger foods, reminiscent of an upscale family picnic. With pretzel bites, hummus, nachos, tacos, hot dogs, wings, calamari, lettuce cups, and more, you are better off getting three or even four of these to share for the table.

The nachos are a stabilizing presence to the menu. Classic ingredients like tomatoes, jalapenos, olives, red onions, and scallions are dashed across the chips under an ornamental sour cream spread. Having to pay extra for meat is a personal pet peeve, but was redeemed by the options of taco beef, BBQ pork, pulled chicken, and Montreal smoked meat. Altogether the dish was well put together, with very good topping distribution.

I would come back here, not necessarily for the nachos. The strength of the rest of the menu, with the atmosphere, proximity to the Gardens and daily specials make it a very solid downtown London experience. Certainly helped that I had the good company of a good friend.

RATING:

• Overall: 14/20
• Taste: 2.5/5
• Presentation: 4.5/5
• Mouthfeel: 3.5/5
• Toppings: 3.5/5

CONTACT:

• https://squirepubandgrill.ca/
• (519) 204-0173
• 109 Dundas Street,
• London, ON, N6A 1E8