The Poacher.

The Poacher is one of my two “local” pubs in Burlington. It’s less than a 5-minute walk and I go there at least once a week.  I think it’s the most British of the Burlington pubs. They have very affordable, and good quality, pub food. Don’t expect anything unusual in terms of food—but what you get will definitely be worth it.

So long as it’s not busy, sitting inside can be a pleasant experience. But if it is busy, both the noise level and the sense of a lack of privacy can be a problem. When I’m on my own, if the bar is mostly empty, I will sit there. Otherwise, I like sitting on the patio when it’s warm enough. They have an excellent patio and I always feel completely relaxed there.

They have a good selection of beer, with some of the standards as well as some craft beers. London Pride is on a hand-pull, and they have a rotating cask as well as two rotating guest taps. You’re pretty much guaranteed there will be at least one new beer if you go once a week. They’ve imported some really unique beers, which I’ve loved. I wish they would do that more often. My only complaint about their provisioning is that they seem to almost always get beer from the same local microbreweries. I wish they would expand their selection.

Their homemade pub pies use real crust on top, not the puff pastry that I personally hate. When ordering a pie, I order the steak and mushroom. Among my other standards there are the antojitos, the chicken club sandwich, and the Alaskan fish and chips special on Fridays (two pieces for $9.95). They also have good burgers with handmade patties.

Additionally they have a simply fantastic selection of scotch at prices that are lower than any other pub or bar I’ve ever been to. I would unreservedly advise anybody who wants scotch to go to The Poacher. Only if you’re interested in the really obscure brands (where you’ll probably have to spend a lot of money, although that’s just a guess) would I mention a place like the Folly Brewpub in Toronto (although that’s a nice spot to go to if you’re in the area anyway). Their bourbon and tequila selection and prices are also very good.

They have dart boards and a pool tables in the basement—although you can only use the pool tables on certain nights.

My only real criticism is the complete lack of handicap accessibility. If you’re in a wheelchair, this is one of the last places you want to visit. There are no ramps, and the bathrooms are in the basement, down two flights of stairs.

There are far worse things I can imagine than being trapped at The Poacher during a zombie apocalypse…