The Main Grill and Ale House

Went into 'The Main' on a whim, Aug, 16.2017 because the patio looked so inviting: facing south onto Main Street in Kingsville, it gives you a bird's eye view of what's going on in this picturesque Lake Erie town in southwestern Ontario. We decided on a couple of glasses of local wine and some shareable plates. First, I love being offered the 'big pour'.....runs about $11 for a huge 10 oz glass of delicious local vintages. The wine region down there is new and exciting for most Ontarians and deserves its own review. The waitress was friendly and helpful. The first thing out was an phenomenal warm baguette with whipped garlic butter; my husband said it was the best bread he's ever had in a restaurant.....oh...and complimentary too! We had the b.b.q. beef brisket sliders and the perch tacos. MY OH MY....the sliders came 3 to a platter and were served on deliciously toasted brioche buns which gave the contrast of texture to the oh so tender brisket in a sweet b.b.q. sauce and the caramelized onions. Just divine. The perch tacos were bursting with freshness.....the perch probably came from just down a couple of blocks to the docks. They had a very light cucumber salad and lots of delicious goat cheese and pea shoots. I would have liked a punchy side condiment like a chili aioli or a local pear chutney, but that is just my palate. You cannot fault the technique, the ingredients or the flavours. We then decided another glass of wine was called for.....bring on the Pinot Noir! We opted to have dessert: a crème brulee AND a chocolate caramel brownie sundae. Both were heavenly. The brulee was perfectly smooth and creamy with a generous 'burnt' sugar layer on top (nothing is more disappointing than a brulee with scant sugar). The sundae? Okay, everyone seems to have a version of this on their menu, but truly, the brownie was almost like a dense truffle...so fudge-y.....delightful. They were very busy with only two waitresses on the floor, but they worked well together and tried to keep waiting times to a minimum.. Since my husband and I have purchased a house in Kingsville and are moving down there in a few weeks, we hate to share too much of this lovely lakeside town but if you ARE in the area, please....try 'The Main' and any of the other fabu restaurants in the town and the region...you won't be disappointed.

Great steak and the nachos are the best ever. Always great service and reasonable portions and prices.

Good food and good service, prices are reasonable and we love sitting outside and people watching. Perch is excellent, skip the nachos!

The Main is a restaurant with good food and friendly atmosphere. They have many types of local beers to choose from. We had appetizers and salad. Both were very good. I would like to try for dinner. It seems like a great place to stop by for a drink also.

I mistakenly thought I had previously reviewed The Main Grill and Ale House, when I spoke to the manager.My wife and I went to this, her favorite Kingsville restaurant, for an early Valentine dinner. There's certainly much to like about The Main: beautiful pub décor, interesting menu and a broad selection of beer. Alexa provided us with friendly and efficient service.The food quality was hit and miss, seemingly due to poor execution. THE MISSES: My wife's French Onion Soup was closer to a cheese fondue. Without toast to support the cheese, it seemed that the kitchen just kept adding cheese until it finally reached the surface and was broiled; there was scarcely any broth. The French Fries were under cooked, apparently removed from the fryer too early. With all due respect to the reported many fans of The Main's meat loaf....ground beef, egg and bread crumbs does not a meatloaf make. Mostly, I tasted bread crumbs. It was dry and under seasoned. THE HITS: The calamari was excellent; lightly breaded with a great dipping sauce. The asparagus was cooked perfectly, fresh, and green. It's obvious that the management is passionate about their business. We'll certainly be back.