It seems truly criminal that such a miserably managed pub exists in such a beautiful spot. The Bala Falls Pub is ideally located near the Kee, and is accessible by boat. They offer a few local craft beers from Lake of Bays. Menu is fairly typical pub fare by design. Unfortunately, the ownership has not capitalized on their ideal location. Front of house servers are fairly hard working and busy but there is something severely wrong with the kitchen. 1 hour for a medium pizza is excessive. And this is not a one off event. We have given this location multiple tries and always found the service times to be unacceptable. The pizza, when it came, bizarrely had extreme hot sauce that was smothering everything, whereas the rest of the toppings were fairly cold and slightly undercooked as if it were rushed. There were only four small parties in the pub so this will remain a mystery to me. Wish the management here would get their kitchen in order. Otherwise, you should probably avoid this poorly managed and ultimately overpriced pub.
Craig K.
Place rating: 1 Halifax, Canada
The main courses(halibut and chips, chicken club and chicken wrap) were of poor quality. Service was a miss, we were left feeling like we were disrupting his day by being there.
Sarah W.
Place rating: 3 Calgary, Canada
Great little local pub in Bala with an adjoining Pizza Nova(delicious pizza). We went on a Thursday which was their wing night, great wings with good flavours. Nothing fancy about the place, but they do have a few good beers on tap(Lake of Bays, Muskoka Brewery). A few tables had problem with service, but for a small dive bar in a tiny town I can imagine it is hard to keep good staff. Our service was fantastic, and we had a great time watching the football game with some great wings.
Mac O.
Place rating: 3 Alexandria, VA
Bala Falls Pub just goes to show a dive bar is always in style. Even the sleepy little hamlet of Bala, Ontario, supports one, and Bala Falls Pub satisfies on most dive bar counts. It’s basic, populated by locals, hosts some beat-up pool tables, and drinks are served by tatted-up, friendly bartenders. It’s a really fun place to have a couple drinks in a low-key setting away from the tourists and Torontoans up for a weekend at the cottage. The Pub also serves as a Pizza Nova outlet. Pizza Nova’s a delivery/carry-out chain in Ontario, and the Pub’s owners also own Bala’s franchise right next door. If PN’s closed, ring up Bala Falls Pub. They don’t deliver in Bala, but carrying your pie out is worth it. No trans-fat crust made with purified water, homemade tomato sauce, and high-quality toppings. Not too shabby for a remote lake in Ontario.
