Ballygiblins

There's nothing that warms the heart more then a nice evening with your friends, sharing a nice meal and community theater. A few weeks ago, a bunch of us went to support our friend staring in a local musical in Carleton Place, ON. To fill our bellies, one of our friends recommended Ballygiblins. We had a little bit of difficulty finding the place right away, but once we got there, I was impressed. The decor was classy, but still light enough for a friendly atmosphere. I did not feel like this place was snobby, but it was welcoming with a touch of class. Being the holiday season, they did a good job at adding a small festive touch while not going overboard.

For my meal, I ordered the bacon and cheddar burger while the boss ordered the soup of the day(it was an apple cream soup) and quesadillas. Our friends all ordered a mix of burgers, sandwiches and the beef vindaloo. The server was very friendly and accommodating. He was quick with the drinks, smiled and had an opinion on the food when asked. With it being such a large table, our food took a little longer to come out, but that was expected. The place slowly filled up and I found it a bit noisy in our area, but our larger group may have had a part in that.

The food that came was presented very well. With my burger, the sauces came in separate tiny bowls for you to mix and apply to your burger. The patty was homemade and the seasoning was excellent. The only complaint about the burger was that they used what I believe was french bread, or a different type of bread (I'll edit this once I remember the name of the bread), instead of burger buns. This made presentation excellent, and innovative, but practicality was not as considered. My patty fell apart and it was a little bit more difficult to eat. Overall, the burger was tasty, moist and jumping with flavour. The soup the boss ordered was raved about at the table by those who got it. I had a small taste and would have to agree. The flavours really jumped out without being too overbearing. The quesadillas on the other hand was much more disappointing. After seeing how everyone else meals were, the quesadillas was...well...quesadillas. There was nothing special about them. The boss was really expecting something more, even if it were some mix of spices, or different types of sauces, cheese, or dips. This was the only unfortunate part of the meal. For those who did order desert, they were happy that their sweet tooth was satisfied. Once again the presentation was wonderful. Someone even ordered a desert after having a tasting of someone else.

The bills for the food came and the totals were very reasonable. Overall, we had a great experience. The food was good, (except for the quesadillas), the atmosphere was well done, and the service was perfect. This is a classy enough place for a date, but not too classy for a family gathering or a "I'm too lazy to cook" meal. I would go back.

Review (out of 5):
Food: * * * * 1/2
Value: * * * * 1/2
Atmosphere: * * * * *
Service: * * * * *
Price Range (dinner): $12 - $24
Website: http://ballygiblins.ca/