Prairie Inn Neighbourhood Pub
7806 East Saanich Rd
Victoria, BC

Hours: 11am to 11pm, Sun to Sat
Phone: (250) 652-1575

The Prairie Inn is one of those cozy out of the way places for good bites to fill you up! I’ve been here a few times with pals who live in this Brentwood Bay area. They heartily recommend it, but with my critical tastes, it’s hard to say what’s worth ordering every time.

Plus, when this operation is older than me and has their faithful clientele, it’s tough to beat that reputation. I see that they keep up with the traditions of themed nights for every day eats. Although, with the season, the ambience is says it all more than the bites. I’m fairly sure the building is also haunted, and I’d love to return on a paranormal expedition!

After a visit to the Butterfly Gardens (I was chasing after a particularly beautiful aqua blue butterfly in hopes it’d land somewhere to photograph), my pals said I should give up and let’s get a bite.

Overall, they offer good ol fashioned home-style cooking. Even during the pandemic, they were busy and it didn’t look like they removed any tables at all. I did see the patio open for those who love that Pacific Northwest weather! On the day I went, it was raining quite heavily.

To get into the Canadian Thanksgiving mood, I had their Turkey Dip. The bun was tastier than the fowl. The traditional toppings certainly made the meal a sweet treat, but I felt it was missing something. Perhaps it was just the dryness of the meat. Instead of fries, I opted for a green salad, and it was more of the highlight since everything tasted garden fresh.

I visited this pub earlier in the year and had their Tuxedo burger. This meatwich proved to be more memorable. The food is not fanciful, and I can at least say the reason this thoroughfare continues to be popular is that residents living nearby love it when they don’t want to cook at home.

If I’m to learn about the ghosts who linger around this Central Saanich area, I’ll have to come back after visiting the Saanich Pioneer Museum. They may have the records to inform me which places are most haunted (in a good way.)

3½ Blokes out of 5