The Gahan House

The last time I was in PEI and Charlottetown was in 2010. Back then, I wasn’t on Unilocal,so I don’t have a record of anything that I did there in terms of food. However, I seem to remember going to The Gahan House back then and really enjoying it.
So when our tour guide for the day recommended that we all go to The Gahan House for lunch, it seemed like a good idea to me!
As noted in another recent review, there is construction going on at the front of the place, so you have to go in through the back. Not really a problem, just something to note. The interior is much as I seem to remember it, though this time I was seated somewhat in the middle of the place, and the last time I seem to remember being seated somewhere up front, perhaps upstairs somewhere (if there even is an upstairs). I didn’t explore, so never really figured out if I had been there before or not.
We all ordered the fish and chips, as it seems to be the thing to do, and I also ordered a Somersby cider. Let me tell you, that stuff could be very dangerous… it is like drinking straight apple juice!
The fish and chips were fair. Not the best I have had, not the worst. The biggest complaint I had about them is that they use a beer batter, which comes out too thick on the fish and sort of smothers it. In addition, because it is so thick, it gets a bit slick between the batter and the fish, and you can end up (as I did) getting a big forkful of nothing but batter.
It wasn’t a bad meal, don’t get me wrong, but I have certainly had better. The selection of brews seems to be quite good, though I am not a beer drinker. I would certainly try it again if I am back in Charlottetown sometime in the future.

If you are on PEI, there are a lot of places to chose for a meal in Charlottetown. We happen to pick a winner by stopping at this place.
The service was good.
The pulled port was very good.
The seafood chowder was excellent.
Beer selection and quality: yum!

Had a great time. Restaurant has great ambience old wood comfortable tables. Wife had a Greek salad with lobster which she liked. I had halibut tacos with ring and chowder — very good. We totally enjoyed the home brews. Come have fun and !!!

I had supper this evening at the Gahan House.
They are repairing the front entrance so you have to go in through the rear entrance.
There was a 30 minute wait for a table so I had a beer at the bar … a Sir John A’s Honey Wheat Ale. It was good.
When a table became available, I ordered supper. I ordered nachos for one (with no onions or olives) with spicy cheese dip and salsa. I also ordered chicken wings with 1772 IPA BBQ sauce. Both were good.
They have growlers from other providers on the wall on the way to the basement. They brew their beer in the basement.
Suzanne was my server. She was friendly and took good care of me.

Ate at the bar– great atmosphere and friendly staff. They had several craft beers that they brewed themselves, I tried a blueberry one and it was delicious, not too sweet but with a good berry flavour.
The loaded fries were also delicious. I added the pork and the bbq sauce from it was definitely one of the more prominent flavours.
Other seating seemed cute and comfortable with lots of nooks for a few people as you would expect in a traditional pub.
I would definitely go back here and might this week!

overall a good experience here. my only beef was that menu displayed outside differed in content and in price from the menu received inside. in my opinion, you have to monitor that because the optics make you look bad.
i found it nice inside as a very relaxed pub atmosphere. this is definitely popular place as it was buzzing on a sunday during the victoria day weekend.
i went with seasonal vet flight which consisted of island red, ipa, stout, and a blood orange seasonal substituted for pale which they were out of. my better half went with training wheels flight which consisted of the gold, blueberry, beach chair and a seasonal choice. at 9.99 per flight it wasn’t a bad price. the flights consisted of 4×6 oz glass.
island red ale was my favourite. the blood orange and blueberry were nice surprises also. however, i found the ipa was hoppy weak, i wanted more from it. stout wasn’t my fav either. overall a decent experience.

Can I give Zero stars? Went here on a Saturday evening in hopes to sit at the bar (as the resto was quite busy), and enjoy a pint or two. We weren’t sitting very long before we realized the bar was overran by off duty staff. I didn’t so much mind this at first but after one of them asked me to move down so that a buddy of there’s could sit, I was slightly appalled. His buddy just so happened (or so it appeared) to be one of the kitchen staff who was sat at the bar eating their supper (Had a Gahan house uniform on). Another member of the on duty staff joined in shortly thereafter. It was all very unprofessional. Finally had the chance to relocate to a table, and while the server was excellent, she was very slow. Perhaps there should be more employees working on a Saturday rather than sitting around the bar while the restaurant appears understaffed. Employees shouldn’t be sitting in plain view of customers while they’re on their breaks. I understand off duty employees coming in for a drink or bite but this was ridiculous.

As someone who was born in the Maritimes but now resides away, I’m always thankful for a trip ‘home’ and the opportunity to enjoy fresh seafood.
My original intent was to have a glass of wine before heading back to my hotel but decided instead to order some mussels (in white wine cream sauce) and I am so glad that I did. Each and every mussel was plump and tasty — so fresh tasting — but also wonderfully seasoned with the wine sauce.
Headed back to my hotel much happier :-)

Stopped here for the beer, stayed for the company. My better half and I made two great new friends over several pints of wonderful local brew. Well worth a stop when you are in Charlottetown.

Want to buy beer (like you can take a case home kinda buy) and grab a bite? This is the place for you. Off the main strip but with all these positive reviews, I came to check it out! I learnt my lesson last time, straying away from the experts of Unilocalers.
They are known for their fish and chips but I’m not feeling a full meal so I’m going to try out 2 appetizers.
I’m a sucker for marketing and anything that says «award winning» I’m going to order. Seafood chowder… light but creamy. It looks crazy thick but actually was quite thin, but it was a good thing. Not too salty, which I wholeheartedly support. I really like the dill they put in, it added a different dimension to the flavour. It also came with 2 amazing potato crisps but it should have been a small bowl, I would have paid a few extra dollars for the dish just for that. The soup itself could use some potato, like there was honestly none in it. I know normally potato is added to cheapen the dish but this is PEI. The motherland of the potato. 2 crisps don’t do it for me. It left my wanting.
Next were the lager and garlic flavoured mussels. They have 3 different sauces for the mussels but being in a brewery, beer flavoured made the most sense. It was very nice. Fresh PEI mussels, juicy and tender. Again, I love how tasty the broth was without the overpowering of salt. The natural flavours are able to come out. Only negative, where are my fries??? What will I dip in my tasty broth? #sad.
This is PEI, home of the Canadian Potato!
I honestly found the lack of potato quite shocking… but then again, upon further reflection, maybe it’s because I don’t live here. I figure if you were a local, the last thing you want to do is eat potato… but as a visitor, I not only expect it but I demand it! Just saying.
Props to my lovely waitress, whose name I did not catch. But she was really nice and really attentive. Not that I was there at peak hours but still, I appreciated the service and tipped appropriately. Anyone who brings me a refill when I was half done my last drink deserves to be recognized.
Also, the ambiance is pretty neat. Very old school rustic meets basement hipster. Want to know what I mean, go check it out!

It is a good place to eat but it is very crowd and noisy. The food is very nice and the waitress was very kind and helpfull. I’ve been waiting for 15 min at the bar. Regarding the food the Mussels were ok and the Burguer was nice … not a five start but close.

Recommended by a local, exceeded our expectations .
Had a fresh tapped pumpkin ale with seafood chowder & fish n chips. Great stuff not enough time for repeat visits during our C21 conference

A really top gastropub in the heart of Charlottetown, I would recommend this place as a must-​stop if you ever visit PEI.
Starting with the location and atmosphere, this is one of the nicest and cleanest pubs I’ve been to. For me, a key to a well-​designed pub is to be laid out in such a way as to have many small sections, so no matter where you sit you feel like you are in a small cozy area. Gahan House hits that design very well, is comfortably decorated, and feels like a place you could sit and talk with friends for hours. And their location is right in the center of Charlottetown, no more than a five minute walk from anywhere in the downtown area.
Next comes the food. All the dishes our group had here were very good. All the ingredients seemed fresh and well-​prepared. I had a burger, and it was the best burger I’ve had in a while. The fries were thick cut and tasty. The food is a bit pricey, but we found that to be true just about everywhere in this part of town.
Last, and most important, the beer. Gahan House offers a good selection of their own brews plus local and national beers from other brewers. I particularly liked their own brew, which they really do brew on-​site. (So many «brew-​pubs» actually outsource their brewing to another brewer… it’s refreshing to see the real deal.) Of course, they also have a full bar for those who prefer wine or spirits.
Having just finished a 2 week trip through the Maritimes, and having visited at least 20 pubs in that time, Gahan House is the one pub I will best remember and has me wishing I could go back for more beer and food.

Came here as a group and everyone appeared to enjoy the meal quite a bit. Your typical pub type served in a slightly more upscale setting. The Gahan house really seems to be one of the more popular places to dine at in downtown Charlottetown as the price seems a bit more reasonable than some other restaurants, selection is plentiful and the fresh local beer is flowing like water coming out of a fast moving tap. Usually this is an adequate recipe for success.
We ordered the nachos, wings and calamari as an appetizer. No issues here. For my main course I went with a salmon with mashed potato. The salmon was a very small serving and the potato was quite creamy and delish. If you eat with people and want good old comfort pub food this is your wheelhouse. Overall in our group of near 15 people everyone seemed content with a full belly! Service was on the upper scale of good and the servers were friendly and no issues arose.

Came up here while I was visiting PEI on vacation. I have a serious appreciation for a solid pub with decent, simple food and great beer. For me a good pub needs to check two simple boxes: Beer? Check. Decent Food? Check.
The Gahan House checks both of those boxes.
First, the food. I got an open face steak sandwich and split an appetizer of mussels with my girlfriend. Being in PEI, the mussels were a no brainer. They came out fresh and tasty with a decent broth. My grumbling stomach was placated and ready to attack dinner. The sandwich was really good. Nothing crazy, just shaved steak with cheese, mushrooms and onions. I got the mashed ‘taters for my side and I was a happy camper. Food box checked.
Now, the beer. I love smaller local breweries like this and darn the beer was just great. There’s something about a hearty meal and a hearty stout that you just can’t beat. I had a hard time picking what to try but went with the stout. I am a dark beer fan and it didn’t disappoint. Second box checked.
Well, I’m all out of boxes. And look at that, no checks left either! That’s a good sign.

I ate here on Canada Day with my mother and brother, and let me start by saying NEVER DO THAT! It’s a great place to eat, but soooo darn busy on Canada Day in Charlottetown so probably best to on another day. We had to wait about a half hour for a table, which was TOTALLY not their fault, it was just crazy crazy busy.
So, I got the prime rib sandwich with fries. It was good, but my only complaint would be that it was open faced, which is fine, but it doesn’t say that on the menu in the description of the sammy. Even though it was very tasty, it wasn’t what I had in mind when ordering a steak sandwich (and I think it would have looked nicer on a nice little baguette or something). The fries were delicious but then again I don’t think I ever met a fry I didn’t like.
We got nachos as a starter and they were really good! Not the most amazing nachos ever but good! And my mothers lobster club was (apparently) amaaaazing. My younger brother got the only thing he EVER gets in restaurants (fish n chips) and for what it’s worth, he said they were his second favourite in Charlottetown besides Mavor’s (and honestly he’s probably had it almost everywhere). Overall — good food, fast service once we were seated, attentive staff, and nice décor. And great beer brewed by Gahan House! Would go back :)

Came here for the beer and stayed for dinner! First, the beer: a variety of styles from light lager to porter… everything we tasted was fantastic. We were sorry that we had missed the special cask release. We sat at the bar and had a few beers along with a plate of awesome mussels. We soon decided there was no reason to search out a different place for dinner and were seated at a table on the back patio. I had the veggie burger; it was more like a falafel patty and was a top-​notch vegetarian offering.

The atmosphere of this place is great! The service is fantastic! And I love the way they present the food
Beer, of course is great! I had the blueberry one which is light for my taste.
The grilled salmon is tasty but the mashed potato is not so good. Not mashed…

We were walking around Charlottetown looking for a place to eat and decided to go here because it looked really busy. The food here was a selection of delicious pub fare. I ordered the sliced steak sandwich and my husband ordered the pulled pork. They were both excellent and my husband enjoyed his beer. They also offer brewery tours during the summer. Easy parking and walking distance from cute shops.

ahh… mm. Well the resto did get a bit of an upgrade, but the service still lacks. Honestly for the price the food is sub-​par. Don’t get the flat breads, they sound creative on the menu but are so sparse and soggy that it’s not worth it. Lobster club was nice, but of course skimpy on the lobster. Fries are done well.
The service is just so sporadic and slow that it really kills your mood. It is a good place for a drink or with groups but for a night out, I would skip this spot.