Food review: Frog and Onion - leaps above standard pub fare

If you think Frog and Onion is just beer, burgers and fish and chips, you are oh so wrong.

Earlier this year, the Island Restaurant Group took over the Dockyard pub and they have added their wonderful flair to the menu.

I had the pleasure of eating at Frog and Onion last month and it was very different from what I remembered.

More upscale

I had eaten there once years ago and just remember soggy fish and chips.

Now, the food is still definitely pub style, but it is a little more upscale.

My partner and I started with the panko crusted Mac and Cheese Balls. As a macaroni and cheese lover, I had to have these despite them not being good for my diet.

They were huge and came on top of a smoky tomato sauce.

They were gooey and cheesy on the inside and crunchy and salty on the outside.

The tomato sauce provided a great warmth and acidity to complement the creamy, cheesy goodness. A perfect appetizer.

After asking our server Kirk what he recommended for my main, I ordered the Beef Short Rib and Black Anchor Porter pie.

I have to say that I am not a beef pie kind of girl, but I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone and try something different.

The flavours in this pie were deep and rich. It felt homey.

The meat was tender and moist, the pastry was flaky and the sauce was delicious. It did seem to be a bit undercooked as I tasted dough a few times where the crust met the filling.

I had the pie with a green salad and a few French fries. Dipping the crispy fries into the warm sauce was heaven for me.

For dessert, we shared a piece of brownie chocolate cheesecake with peanut butter whipped cream.

This was a chocolate lovers dream. The brownie was dense and rich, while the cheesecake portion was light and creamy.

The peanut butter whip added a saltiness to the dish that took it over the top. 

All in all, this was a very good pub meal and I would come back.

*The mac and cheese balls are $12.95, the pie is $19.95 and the cheesecake is $8.