Split Crow Pub-Truro

Before heading to Truro this Summer I was given a list of suggestions of places to eat. Having already exhausted all of the places I already knew in town, we decided to take one of these suggestions (which was also seconded by hotel staff) and check out the Split Crow. For those who don't know, the Split Crow got its start as the first pub licensed to serve liquor in New Scotland, some 250 years ago. It has since branched out from its original Halifax location, with one of these branches being a fairly new spot on Prince street in Truro. The restaurant certainly seemed appealing- the front was opened onto a patio, with patrons enjoying the cool evening over a pint of beer and a meal. With this promising setting, we decided to give the place a try. The first thing the waitress did was to ask for our ID's, on the assumption that we would be ordering alcohol. I suppose, given that the Split Crow is first and foremost a pub, that this shouldn't seem to strange; nor should we have been surprised when, after only one of us ordered a beer and the others water, she suggested we let her know if we change our minds. I can now see that these were clues as to what kind of an experience we were going to have, for it became clear to us over the course of the meal that, while the Split Crow boasts a wide and moderately-priced menu, the establishment exists solely for the purpose of selling you beer. I ordered the fish and chips, beer battered haddock and a favourite at the Crow, according to the menu. Many items on the menu including a suggested drink pairing, and so I figured I might as well try that too. After all, a place with this kind of history and reputation should be able to do a good fish and chips, and pair it with a good beer, right? Wrong. The fish and chips were, hands down, the worst I've had in my life. Rather than beer-battered haddock, it was more haddock inside a crusty batter shell. The overcooked batter didn't seem to touch the fish but rather imprisoned it. It was also rock hard- I've never struggled to cut fish and chips before- and tasted horrible. The tartar sauce had way too much dill in it, and the fries weren't bad, but some at my table felt they were far too salty. For fairness sake, though, the fish itself did taste very fresh and well cooked. Without the batter it may have been great. The part which really bugged me, though, was the emphasis on drinks. Rather than refill the waters at our table, the waitress only came around when she saw a beer getting low. She offered each time she passed to bring another, but never once asked about more water. In fact, the only way we could think to get her attention to leave was for someone to finish their beer and just ask for the bill. Honestly, I hope that the Split Crow in Halifax is better, or maybe that we were there on an off night. The place was nice, the menu items all sounded good, and the prices would have been acceptable (though high) had the food tasted ok. But the service, and the unabashed focus on selling us beer, really put me off.