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The Loose Cannon Scottish Public House
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- Background, Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Wed, Sat
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
12 reviews for The Loose Cannon Scottish Public House
12 reviews in English
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Review from Murray W.
Halifax, NS
1/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
The scene: it's January 25th, the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns. Naturally, I want to partake in some haggish and Scotch to honour a dead poet whose only work that I recognize is Auld Lang Syne, and that thanks only to the wonders of Wikipedia.
To fulfill this desire, The Loose Cannon was a no-brainer, as there aren't exactly a lot of pubs in Halifax that bill themselves as Scottish. I popped my haggis cherry here a year or two ago and this Robbie Burns Day happened to coincide with the Cannon's Wednesday Scotch day, when most of their single malts are a mere $5.50. It was destiny.
While I was only able to wrangle one friend to go, that was all I needed to avoid dining by myself, which I can't do expect at fast food joints. We sat in the back, slightly raised area of the Cannon. It's a cozy area with old looking upholstered chairs, quirky wallpaper and lots of darkly stained wood. Although they're Irish, the Dropkick Murphy's are playing in the background (I suppose there's not a plethora of Scottish rock out there).
I, of course, order their haggis special. I've had it a couple times previously, back when they only had haggis on the 25th of each month, although I believe it now occupies a permanent spot on their menu. Today, the haggis comes with mashed potatoes, red cabbage, pickled onions and a half pint of beer for the very reasonable price of $10.99. My not-as-adventurous friend goes with the burger, although he promises he will try some of my haggis. Our food arrives after not too long, presented nicely on rectangular white plates which I like to think of as boats of deliciousness. The haggis doesn't look anything like the horror shows that you'll see on Google images, it looks very much like a hash of finely chopped meat and oats; nothing that's super fancy, but the flavour more than makes up for it. It's seasoned very well, almost reminiscent of Italian meatballs, with lots of herbs and a little kick from pepper. The potatoes contain a pool of gravy which is my favourite presentation for potatoes and gravy, although the potatoes themselves are a little bland, but the gravy pool helps fix this. When I had ordered my food, our waitress raved about the pickled onions that come with this dish, and both my friend and I agreed that she was right to do so - they're sweet and flavourful, without any sort of overwhelming onion flavour that you would expect from eating red onions straight, along with a pungent pickle flavour. It all combines in a way that reminds me of a Big Mac. In a good way. My friend extols the virtues of his burger, saying it's one of the best he's had, although it should be noted that he hadn't eaten all day.
The service is friendly and attentive over the course of our night, taking our empty glasses of Scotch away as we each sample a few of their many offerings. I was pretty once the fence about the rating about this review since I've had some mediocre visits to the Cannon before - them being out of multiple beers on beer special days, meh food, etc. But I felt that this time there should stand on its own. I look forward to going back to sample more Scotches and to see if their burger really is up to par.Listed in: Pub Grub
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Review from Vanessa J.
Halifax, NS
10/23/2011
Hmm, I'm not quite sure how I feel about the Loose Cannon quite yet. The bar is small and cozy, most seats are in bar chairs but you can get the occasional wing back chair.
The drink menu features a lot of scotch, which isn't my thing. I ordered a Strongbow without looking at the price, oops, a can comes in around $9. If I'm paying that much, I want a nice cocktail. I found all of their beer prices pretty high, even for domestic draught.
I didn't order anything to eat, but a friend did and I snagged a few of his fries. They were house cut which was good,but undercooked almost to the point of being raw on the inside.
Service was good, and our waitress stayed friendly even though my table was undecided for ages about what if any food to order.
While this won't be a regular spot for me, but I would stop in again, I've heard the have a good trivia night on Sundays.Listed in: 30 Day Challenge Lists
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Review from Ben B.
6/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
I haven't quite fallen in love with The Loose Cannon yet but it checks off all the boxes for a nice pub hang-out: warm interior, decent service, and menu stocked with favourites for those nights of drinking.
I wouldn't exactly call it a Scotch bar per se but they do have a healthy selection for those where the boozy sipping alcohol is a major draw. Plus, for newbies like me, you can head in on a Wednesday and get almost any of the single malts for $5.50 during their Scotch Appreciation Night. A great concept although I'd love having an expert on hand to either make recommendations or walk you through the tasting process.
As for the food, the nachos had some really nice, fresh ingredients on top while the chips and dip was a great deal for the mound of fries that came our way. No vegetarian options for mains.Listed in: Pub Crawl, Patio Season, My Second-Favourite Argyle, The Five-Day Retox!
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Review from Philip H.
Halifax, NS
7/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Having never been to Scotland (yet), I really don't have much 1st hand Scottish pub experience, but a number of friends and family have sent me pictures of pubs in Scotland, can't say this pub looks similar.
I tend to enjoy the more traditional pubs in town, but this place certainly has its charm. Small and cozy, lovely patio in the summer and a wing special for $6 for a pound of juicy hot wings is a great deal (they only have a couple sauces, but the medium is plenty spicy and they serve it on the side).
Word of advice (that I wish our server would have mentioned) is not to take the window seat at the end of the bar. While the servers will bring your bill and the debit machine to your table, impatient patrons will line up by the machine to pay their bill and crowd your table. Annoying.
No wi-fi and not accessible by wheelchair, washrooms up a flight of stairs. -
Review from Mel H.
10/12/2011
I've been here a few times- with a large group, with just one other person. I've sat at the bar and at tables. Every time, I'm left feeling kind of meh. It's not my least favourite bar in town, but I often forget it even exists. The last time I ate here was just after they opened and our food took over an hour to get to us while the pub was largely empty. The reason is because they shared a kitchen with their neighbours the Bitter End. Not sure if this is still the case, but it was certainly a perplexing experience as we were only told about this when we asked what the hold-up was.
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Review from Navoda S.
Dartmouth, NS
11/27/2011
I should start by stating that I've never eaten here before. But a few friends and I stopped by for a beer and were all a little disoriented. Having both been to Scotland and many a Scottish bar (in many different locations), I was a little confused with the atmosphere. The wait staff and bartender were a little odd and the patrons were diverse to say the least. The seats and tables were a little uncomfortable, but the beer was fine and reasonably price. I would say the most unusual thing was the entertainment. Two guys with a guitar each located just outside the girls' bathroom - which meant moving the neck of the guitar each time a girl passed through. Add that to the fact that the closer you go to them the more out of tune they sounded and I was praying for a break in the set. The highlight of the evening though was watching a rather awkward first (or possibly second) date. This provided our table with an endless amount of entertainment!
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Review from jeff w.
Halifax, NS
7/6/2011
I want to like the Loose Cannon. I really do.
I've been going there since they opened as it's directly around the corner from my office and feels like the neighbourhood pub I want to be a regular at. I've organized small tweetups there that were fine, but nothing special.
We went there for lunch today with six people. It's a gorgeous July day, so we were seeking an Argyle street patio to have a beer, eat some lunch and relax. Their's was the only patio pretty much devoid of people, so it made sense to try it. We pulled a couple of tables together for our group at the end of the patio, which was the first problem. The server chastised us a bit about moving things around, rather than offering to make us comfortable (remember, there's no other patrons in the entire place inside or out, except two guys finishing lunch outside). I worked as a waiter for five years, and rule number one was always to make the initial greeting a positive experience, even if your customers are doing something that's a bit weird. The server did the same thing to a table of nine that arrived after us. People: the place is empty. If nine people show up, you should be showering them with attention and gratitude.
Anyway, it then took 5-10 minutes to get menus, another five minutes to get our orders taken and a full 27 minutes from the time of arrival before we got our drinks. Ridiculous.
The food arrived in a reasonable amount of time after that with just one problem: they completely forgot one of the orders, mine. Since it took so long to get served, I had to run which meant that I had to cancel the order rather than wait for it. This was 50 minutes after arriving. Atrocious service.
Just unacceptable, and the food isn't very good either. On top of that, the lines for their draught need to be cleaned. My Propeller BItter tasted off.
PS: It should be noted that the Loose Cannon has a wide array of draught on tap, but they're usually out of at least half of them. Today, they were only missing two kinds of beer that we asked about. Lame. -
Review from Candice W.
St John's, NL
10/3/2010
A small Scottish pub in a great location with some greasy, good eats. The service was a little cold, but the patrons were lovely. One man stopped me on the way to the bathroom to tell me I'm beautiful -- it's hard not to like a place like that.
If you're a regular, you can bring your own stein to hang over the bar and become a member of the Mug Club. -
Review from Shawna D.
Chester, NS
3/27/2010 1 photo
I have to give credit to Courtney for the first review.
I have seen this place a few times, but never had the chance to stop in.
Well I did the other day. What a great spot. Takes you back in time, with the lantern decor and rustic feel of an old style pub.
If you like Scotch, this is your place. I personally do not , or maybe I just have not had the right one to tickle my fancy.
Beer, well what is a pub without beer. Now the beer is not cheap.
The meal was good, Fish and Chips!
The owner of this establishment is the owner of the one next door as well, Mike Leigh, of Bitter End. -
Review from Deirdre L.
Halifax, NS
8/4/2010
So we were wandering down Argyle Street, hungry and seeking supper-related sustenance. After dismissing the usual suspects, we happened upon the Loose Cannon. The patio had empty tables (not a common sight on a sunny Halifax evening) and since we were starving by this point, that was enough of a deciding factor.
I can't comment much on the scotch selection (I was there for food rather than spirits) or the interior decor - only popped in for a second to ask if we could seat ourselves. I will say that the inside seemed to be populated mostly by staff and their friends (or perhaps regulars?) and I was left with the impression of having interrupted them - not a stellar start.
The outside consists of your basic patio plastic - the table was slanted, but adequate. Had a quick look at the menu and was sad to learn that the "Bangers & Mash" was unavailable - that was my first choice. Discussing my options, I was overheard by the waitress, who advised that the club wrap was really good. We ordered that, along with the grilled haddock and some Garrison nut brown ale from the extensive list of draft beers.
The food came quickly - great news for our stomachs. Grilled haddock was okay (a little dry), and came with mashed potatoes (again, okay) and green beans - which were excellent - fresh and tender crisp. And it turned out that it pays to listen to the waitress - the club wrap was amazing!! Bacon, diced tomatoes, melted cheese, lettuce, chicken (smoked in-house according to the menu) and curried mayo all wrapped in a tortilla with hand-cut fries on the side. I'm getting hungry just writing about it!
Overall, I don't know that I would rush back - everything was pretty average ... except for that club wrap. That alone makes a visit worth your while. -
Review from Laura P.
Toronto, ON
6/16/2010
Ok. Again: Not my typical type setting... so of course, I'm a wee bit on the biased side. None the less; I came, I saw, I meandered.
Its quite nice inside, with the whole "Irish Pub" impression going on. Just the right amount of ambiance to keep things cosy, and it doesn't get lost in its attempt.
Apparently run by the same fellow who owns The Bitter End next door, this newer venue seems to be the more relaxed, little brother of its older, glitzy-drink-serving sis. While I don't find the pub's title particularly alluring, the 15 draught beers, 40 different brands of domestic and imported beer in bottles and 70 different types of scotch, American and Canadian whiskeys holds some weight. No?
Didn't try the food. But this place "seems" to be about quality. Aesthetic appears genuine, comfortable and engaging... and the drink selection is good enough for the scotch connoisseur we all know and love.
I'll come back again... sure! -
Review from Courtney M.
Halifax, NS
11/12/2009 1 photo
On Sunday morning Mark and I decided to head out for brunch/lunch and happily stumbled upon 'The Loose Cannon Scottish Public House.' I was immediately struck by the décor! This is what 'Durty Nelly's' down the road was trying to accomplish (or ought to have been) in my mind! This place is an excellent mix- with old English lanterns sufficing as light fixtures as well as tiny halogen lights designed to look like they have lamp shades around them, you really feel as though an old Scottish pub picked up and moved to Canada (with a few modern renovations). These along with the William Wallace quotes, old paintings and deliberately dated wallpaper... this place gets a 10/10 in the ambience department! You really feel as though you're sitting in a combination of a pub and your old Scottish Grandmother's parlor.
Lots of beer options, although I think the scotch is what most people come here for! I was impressed to see that you could order a glass of the Macallan 18y. That's a pretty nice bottle of whiskey! 'The Loose Cannon' has 70 bottles of scotch available.
I was impressed with the Celtic burger that I tried as well! Mark also loved the: corn beef and sauerkraut sandwich.
Overall, if you're interested in heading out for a genuine pub experience, give 'The Loose Cannon' a try. The ambience alone is enough to get me back! My last name is McLachlan though, so I'll admit to my inherent bias for pubs like this!
PS: Although neither of us tried it, the traditional breakfast was on for $3.99! Cheapest breakfast in the city!
