The Mill Street Brew Pub is located in Toronto’s historic Distillery District amid the restored Victorian-era buildings of Gooderham and Worts, once the largest distiller of alcoholic beverages in Canada. Mill Street Brewery’s award winning beers are brewed on the premises as well as in a larger facility east of Toronto.

The Mill Street Brew Pub offers tours of the brewery as well as an on-site shop to stock up on beers and merchandise. It’s definitely a tourist destination but an excellent one at that… and it’s always a good sign that it’s popular with the locals.

The Mill Street Brew Pub serves decent fare, mostly comfort foods that go very well with their beers. The atmosphere is always jovial and the servers are helpful and friendly.

There were so many beers to choose from so I was pleased to see the beer flight option, where I could choose any 4 beers, in 8oz or 6oz glasses. I decided to go for 2 of their specials, the 100th Meridian organic amber lager and Palomar (chipotle and lime). The other 2 choices were the Belgian-style Wit, a “white beer” served with a slice of lemon, and Tankhouse Ale, an American Pale Ale. I have to say that my favourite was the Wit, not surprising as I tend to favour European beers. However, all 4 beers were good in their own way and the beer flight was the perfect way for me to sample them.

My starter was the short rib poutine with Tankhouse Ale and Quebec cheese curds. The short ribs were braised in the ale so the meat was tender and delicious. I found the gravy to be thicker than I would have liked but it was tasty as it must have been made with the braising liquid. The cheese was a little too melted (I prefer my poutine cheese to be squeaky with a chewy texture). The fries were excellent and the spring onions were a nice touch, so overall this dish was very good.

Another starter consisted of 3 carnitas: smoked pulled pork, tomatoes and cheese with a drizzle of avocado crème fraîche, each wrapped in a fresh tortilla. Absolutely delicious!

There were some tantalising sandwiches on the menu. The beer basted chicken sandwich sounded good. This was chicken breast, smoked pork belly (which was like bacon but more tasty), tomatoes, lettuce, mustard and beer aioli in fresh ciabatta bread. It was nicely presented, stacked on the plate with a large toothpick holding it together and served with a small bucket of perfectly cooked fries. The beer aioli was so good, I was tempted to ask for more on the side.

The stout braised steak sandwich with onions, mushrooms and cheddar was served with a pot of jus for dipping. It came with a seeded bun, along with the same tasty fries. I didn’t try the sandwich but I did dip one of my fries in the jus and it was succulent!

The Mill Street Pub is the perfect place to sample the great beers brewed by Mill Street Brewery. The menu has been created to offer fare that pairs well with any of their beers. The atmosphere is cheerful and relaxed and there is the added advantage of taking a nice stroll through the pedestrian-only streets in the Distillery District… a great post-meal activity!

The owners, managers or staff did not invite me to visit this establishment and were unaware that my experience would be the basis of a written review. It is based on my experience at my own cost and I did not receive compensation for my review.

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