Bar On Locke 178 Locke Street South
Locke Street is always such a lovely visit. On a rainy stroll down the street, it was time for a new food discovery. At this point, I was pretty sure I had been to most places along the strip, but Bar On Locke was too often overlooked on my part. Credit goes to Grant for this pick – or I would have strolled on by yet again.
Grabbing a seat in a booth along the side, I liked how they were elevated; it was a cozy little spot. Bar On Locke describes itself as “a welcome home-away-from-home for neighbourhood locals and a hidden gem, for visitors alike.” That’s exactly it – you can tell it is the type of place that has its regulars (in fact, I overheard one server telling a group she sees regular patrons more often than not). But for people like myself, it was completely a hidden gem. Posting about it on Twitter and Instagram, I received the same thoughts from the people who commented – many felt it was an undiscovered gem. The Bar has been going strong since 1997.
Now, the food! I had no idea what to expect from the menu but everything sounded great. We started with an appetizer. Credit goes to Grant again for another genius suggestion – the Baked Brie. I didn’t even know what that would entail, but was it ever good! It was in a phyllo pastry with raspberry puree, with mixed greens and a baguette on the side. I already know we would order that again in a heartbeat.
Grant went with the Pasta of the Day and a Caesar salad and I went with the Cajun Chicken Wrap with sweet potato fries for our mains. The wrap was so tasty – filled with chicken, corn, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and avocado. I didn’t anticipate the brie appetizer to be so substantial, so I took half of my wrap and fries to go, making for a welcomed lunch the next day.
The plates looked so artfully presented that it reminded me of being at a Battledish or Pop Up event – where the food is plated specially for the occasion. How cute are the little ingredients on the edges of the plates? Just that little extra touch that goes a long way and makes the experience.
We were too stuffed for dessert, but they have daily desserts listed on the board, plus you can check out daily specials on their Facebook page.
Another unique aspect to the restaurant is that no one under the age of 19 is permitted. And their hours listed on their website made me chuckle.
What a great discovery – can’t wait to return!
– Kristin
