Restaurant Review: Mug & Anchor Pub at the Mahone Bay Scarecrow Festival

Over the weekend we went out with our friends to enjoy Mahone Bay’s Scarecrow Festival once again. You can see and read more about it on my personal blog. The last time we were there it was so busy there was no way we were going to get into the pub but this year there was a thunderstorm in the morning and the skies were quite grey which seemed to keep people away.

Every time someone comes to visit, we take them to the Mug & Anchor Pub in Mahone Bay. It has fantastic atmosphere and this year for the festival it was all decked out with pirates.

A pub with pirates? What could be more up our alley than that?

My husband got right into the pirate spirit by ordering a pint of Strongbow Cider and a hot plate of food.

Sadly, their menu has changed! You used to get a giant platter of seafood with shrimp, clams, mussels but now it is come with fish, mussels and fish cakes. Not what I wanted at all! I almost ordered the seafood crepes but I have not had much luck with them lately so I ordered one of my favourites: clams ‘n chips. The clams were super crisp which was great but they were under season and almost flavourless. This is the first time I have been disappointed with their food!

I think my husband ordered a hot sandwich slathered in gravy and I tested the gravy out, it was fabulous! My friend Jen ordered the hamburger which she liked and Mike got the seafood chowder which was a lovely thin pink broth with lots of chunks of seafood in it that he really liked.

I do not know if the pub is as old and as authentic as it feels but who cares? We love it and always look forward to spending an afternoon in the bright and airy restaurant overlooking the bay. This is the place for a pint and some hot grub if you are down by the south shore. Maybe if you are lucky you will even see the famous ghost pirate ship The Teaser burning in the harbour.

Even with the under-seasoned clams, if I were a pirate ghost, this is the pub I would want to haunt.