Wellesley Lounge - Wellesley, Ontario

Hunter T.

I really wanted to like the Wellesley Lounge — small-town pubs have a certain charm, and I feel bad leaving a negative review. But unfortunately, our visit left a lot to be desired.

We were served a drink in a cracked glass to start, and our second round came in a tall glass that was visibly dirty. The Caesar I ordered had no garnish, no seasoning, not even ice — just tomato juice and vodka.

There was no music playing, so the place was completely silent, which made the long wait for food feel even longer. When the food did arrive, it was a letdown. We ordered the ABC burger, and ironically, it came without the apple butter — in Wellesley of all places, a town known for its Apple Butter Festival. The burger was burnt and dry, the buns were so stale they crumbled, and the fries had no salt. The dill aioli had a skin on it, which made it seem either old or like it had been sitting under a heat lamp far too long.

The only upside was the pricing, which was reasonable — but unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to make up for the experience.

I hope this was just an off night, but based on our visit, I can’t recommend it.

Suhan B.

It's great to have a restaurant back in town!!!! The service was great, our waitress was attentive and quick with food and drinks. I had ordered the buffalo chicken poutine, it was a large portion. I wish it was served with think cut fries instead of the thin shoe lace fries. The fish and chips is a large portion. Looking forward to trying other items on the menu.

Am H.

We tried the new Wellesley Lounge tonight (Sunday). We were 1 of 2 tables. Food came out fast and it was good. We ordered Yes Fish and chips and wings. The homemade tartar sauce was more like mayo with dill mixed in. The fries and fish were fantastic. The coleslaw was very different, but ok. The wings were very good!
I think for a Sunday night it would be a great idea to add a special like roast beef or prime rib to get more people in the doors. The menu was good but more of pub fair, great for Friday Saturday nights, but maybe not so great for a Sunday evening…. Just my thoughts.

Jim V.

Sad to say (because I really want a place like this to do well in small town Wellesley), but I think this it the last time I'll go to the Wellesley Lounge. Everything you can think of complaining about in a restaurant, you can do here. Food is hit or miss, same can be said about service. Every time we've gone, there's only been 1 wait staff member working. Overall cleanliness is non-existent (I dont think the floors have ever been mopped as you tend to stick to them), the patios are an absolute mess. There's always a menu item that they're out of. Sometimes the beer taps don't work, other times it's the ice machine. This is a place where the owner CLEARLY has no interest in putting in any effort. I predict it'll be out of business before the end of the year.

M P.

Ordered take out, been to this restaurant when it was known as chop house & mikes tavern before. The decor inside has not been updated, as soon as you go to the pay counter first thing you see is a mini split unit blowing air onto you absolutely covered in dust and debris. To you're left is a door with paint flaking off, then meeted by a server that was eating at the table next the payment counter. Now I feel as tho I interrupted their dinner or break. Ordered nachos, cauliflower wings and warm pretzel. Pretzel was rock hard, no flakes of salt or seasoning on top, bland, hard and dissapointing. Never had such a greasy nacho chip in my life simply tasted like grease. Cauliflower wings, again just a plate of grease, breading is spongy and soft. Was very much looking forward to what should be farm fresh food, being in the community this establishment is in. However am greeted by undertrained personel, filthy atmosphere and greasy food. Please for the love of food, please, please change and don't follow suite of the last 2 restaurants that are doing the exact same thing as this establishment is currently doing. Be better, please for all us in the community.

Muskan M.

I am so excited this finally opened up in the area. We went to have dinner on a Saturday. It was a very busy night and even then we were treated so well. The service was great and the food was delicious. We ordered roasted chicken and buffalo wrap. I highly recommend this place. Looking forward to visiting this restaurant more often.

Sahil D.

Amazing experience! The chicken leg dinner was perfectly cooked, juicy and flavorful. The service was quick and friendly, and the overall vibe of the restaurant was super cozy. Highly recommend!

Nick

Please do something with the patio. The front patio needs a lot of work. Weeds are growing high between the cracks of the ground and walls. Tables and chairs are always extremely dirty and we always have to ask to get them cleaned, when that should be the first thing the server does when seating us. The railing is falling apart, with the paint chipping, some of the poles are missing or hanging loose. Its aesthetically unpleasing to sit out there while having a drink, let alone eating. I suggest maybe adding cheap twinkle lights or something as well to make it look warm and inviting from the street. There's no care out there.

Any time we've ordered a cocktail, it's always something a bit different than what the description on the menu says. It seems as if the staff hasn't been properly trained on how to make those drinks. It took a while to receive our drinks, because watching the server make the drinks, it didn't seem like she knew what she was doing and it came out different than what we expected. The drink menu is great and has a great variety! Maybe just make sure the staff is confident on making them 🙂 My beer has always been cold and delicious!!

Food has been okay. Not horrible but not wowing us. Cauliflower bites are a hit or miss, they've been good but they've been mediocre. Sometimes they're nice and crispy and hot, other times they're not hot on the inside, the breading just falls off when you try to stab it with your fork and has a slimy consistency. Had a couple pieces that had flour in the batter as if it didn't get mixed properly.

Service is okay. The staff are very friendly and personable, but lack the customer service needed in a restaurant/pub. Again, it just seems like a lack of training.

Atmosphere needs a HUGE redo. Half the time there's no music playing and dead silent, I feel like I need to whisper. It needs to have a good vibe, especially on the bar side. Feels weird coming in for a drink, it's not the bar vibe you'd expect from a pub/lounge.

I want to keep supporting this place, but it's hard when there's been something to complain about the last 5 times we've been here. Just put in some extra effort and make the place look lively!