The Bird of Paradise Pub

The Bird of Paradise Pub
4291 Glanford Avenue Victoria BC, Canada Tel: (250) 727-2568 Fax: (250) 727-6466, http://birdofparadisepub.com/

a review by Patrick Simpson

Monday is Christabel's and my day off together. Today, we were feeling quite energetic and since we’re trying to shed a few pounds before our upcoming vacation to France, we decided to go running. We decided that Elk Lake was shady enough to avoid heat stroke, falling unconscious and the subsequent deployment of search and rescue. On our way back home, I was feeling peckish and had come to the conclusion that I deserved to have a beer, or two, after my athletic struggles.   

We ended up stopping at The Bird of Paradise Pub, an occasional and consistent destination. The place has a south western theme with lots of cacti and Tex Mex style propaganda. I also like the fact that the menu and drink specials follow the same Southwest motif. There is nothing worse than a Mexican style restaurant that has a British style pub menu (fish and chips, bangers and mash.) One thing that does rub me a little the wrong way at the Bird of Paradise are those absolutely horrid shirts that the servers have to wear. As far as I could tell, most of the servers there are women and they must cringe at the site of the (ocean blue with tropical birds all over) Hawaiian shirts. Yikes.  

 Something that I really have enjoyed on my excursions to the Bird of Paradise is that as soon as you sit down the server will come straight out to you with a small plate of house-made tortilla chips and salsa.  Today was a Monday and the daily special was 99 cent taco.  For the all the refined food Christabel and I like to eat, sometimes a couple of 99 cent tacos and a bottle of Corona is just what the doctor ordered.  The tacos were basic: seasoned ground beef, salsa, sour cream, lettuce and cheese. However, the taco shells were crispy, the lettuce was fresh and really what more can you ask for at less than a buck a piece. We also liked the little rack of  hot sauces that the server brought out on request.

 One of the few complaints about this establishment is the other clientele. We sat on the enclosed patio and it was very nice. But if you had to sit any were near the actual bar there are a lot of bar flies swaying back and forth, pretty good for two in the afternoon.            

Christabel says...

I like the Bird of Paradise Pub too. Pub food too often torments me with its feeble attempts at sophistication and ends up tasting packaged and over processed. Most of the time, I’d take a greasy burger over some froufrou wannabe gastro pub creation. Selecting a Southwest theme for the menu satisfies my craving for salty and fatty pub food without boring me or poisoning me with nitrates.  It certainly isn’t authentic Mexican, but it is solid and good-tasting beer-drinking food with a bit of a twist.

And hear, hear – the grotesque Hawaiian shirts need to go!!

 

  Reviewed: August 15, 2005