Brass Rail Restaurant

Interior is pretty grungy to be honest, dirty shutters beside the tables, windows had crusted food on them. Waitress didn’t check on us once, had to flag her down for water top ups and we were the only customers. Food was decent, fresh and full plates. Probably won’t return due to cleanliness and lack of service.

Dish: Calamari Fritti
Overall: ²⁄₅
Recommend: No
Everyone loves a good underdog story.
The Brass Rail has a large group of die-​hard fans, and I had truly truly hoped that would translate to a great dish at an amazing price.
I was pleased to note that the menu offered up 3 different calamari options (all based on size). As a fan of squid I proudly ordered the «Regular» and awaited it’s arrival.
…
Value: ³⁄₅
Price wise, this was a great deal, but the quality isn’t there.
First timer: ¹⁄₅
This dish is not a fair representation of what Calamari could be. I would not advise anyone test drive squid with this particular dish.
…
This is likely my fault. I should have known better than to hang my hopes and dreams on this Calamari.
It was on the menu, though! Can you blame me for wanting to believe in miracles.
read the full review at

I’ve been here twice & got their Cole harbour burger both times… It’s real good! And, so are their prices.
But, there is one thing that will make me return again, again & again… three words… Bacon Parmesan Mayo.
You’re probably thinking «ya, that sounds good», let me tell you, it’s freaking amazing. I don’t know if it’s made with the clouds that angels sleep on or some secret stash of golden bacon but OMG it’s tasty!!! I would totally buy a bucket of it. Or, at least a bottle.
They do charge 75 cents for a side of it, but it’s worth it — and it was enough for us both to share as a fry dip. Ps; they have delicious fries too!
It hasn’t been busy, at all, either time we dined here, it is a small-​ish resto though.
* I heard the clams here was amazing, they’re next on my list!

I’d really like to give them 3.5 stars — wasn’t quite 4 stars, but it was more than three…
When my sister-​in-​law and nephews arrived for a visit, we needed somewhere kid-​friendly to go. We decided to skip our usual places and try something new in our neighbourhood. After some Unilocal-​ing! we found the Brass Rail. It was close, it had a big menu (for picky eaters!) and a kids menu. Sounded good to us so we headed out.
Now, the Brass Rail isn’t huge but it’s not tiny. You can see into the kitchen from the dining area and everything smelled good. It’s basically greasy-​spoon-​ish but erring on the side of family restaurant. Seemed good to us, especially with two kids under the age of five.
We got there, and placed our drink orders. The server was sweet, and the table next to us chatted with us and the boys (and was very patient with their high-​energy that day). After we got our drinks, however, it took a while to order (about 20 minutes) and then another 30+ to get our food. By then, the boys were ravenous and still very energetic. I figured, since they had a kids menu, they would at least have something for the kids to colour but nope. Nothing for the kids. So we sat around chatting and trying to entertain them while we waited almost an hour for food.
Once the food arrived it was good. Hubs and sister-​in-​law had fish and chips — crispy coating with flaky fresh fish– and I had a clams. The boys each had grilled cheese and chicken fingers — they loved them! Devoured them quickly! We also had dessert (sharing two mile-​high chocolate cake) and it was great.
Overall, this is a nice little local place, great for families (although bring some colouring books or toys for the kids) but the service was a little slow. We’ll head back some time and try again to see what the rest of the menu is like and how the service fairs.

Prompt service, cute décor. Booth was a little small for 4 adults.
the food was very tasty, no real faults.

Every time I’ve ever eaten at this restaurant, I have found the food to be the best ever… and I mean, ever… from the popular Cole Harbour Burger with a special sauce and all the fixins; to meatloaf and gravy; to chicken parm; to even the mozza sticks. Every single thing that this restaurant serves is some of the best in the world. Almost every customer I’ve ever spoken to about this restaurant outside the restaurant agrees with me and every customer I’ve spoken to while in the restaurant agrees with me. They serve the most «to die for» layered chocolate cake also with a special chocolate ganache sauce and whip cream. All the other desserts are great also. You wouldn’t believe how friendly and personable all the staff are. The owners are extremely nice as well. I guess you could say that I can’t say enough about this restaurant. The prices are also very resonable on top of all that too. WOOOHOOO!!!

My husband and I ate at the Brass Rail two days ago for lunch. It was great food great prices and excellent service! I had the meatloaf sandwich and my hubby had the supreme clubhouse with fries. We split each sandwich so we could each try both and both were excellent! Perfect amount of food! The lady who served us was more than helpful with choosing out items and when we inquired about high chairs when we come back with our daughter (they have both high chairs an booster seats folks). Will be back for sure to try something else from their menu!

I ventured here during the summer months with others and didn’t really have any expectations going into it as I didn’t realize it even existed again!
Although small, the interior is cozy and the kitchen is partially open. I remember the menu being a decent size with a variety of options for all eaters, and the prices were fair as well. All four of us were quite happy with our food and had no complaints. The server was also nice and attentive. The food is clearly homemade and they have a few dessert options shown in a display case as well. We were too full to get dessert though –the supper portion sizes were large!
Overall, great little restaurant. Since I don’t live in the area and Cole Harbour is a long trek just to go to a restaurant, I have yet to return. However, next time I am in the area I will make it a point to have lunch or supper at the Brass Rail first!

I wasn’t here for the previous incarnation of the Brass Rail so there is no nostagia colouring my exerience. I do love local diners and I can say after giving them a try, I’m a fan of the Brass Rail and it’s top notch in it’s category.
The menu has a good number of offerings so as to have something for everyone but not so overwheling or as much that they can’t do everything well. It’s not gourmet dining but Canadian home cooking with some Greek dishes too. Prices are reasonable for what you get.
We’ve only been for brunch/​lunch so far. First time I had the Breakfast Wrap which came loaded with egg, cheese, bacon, tomato and lettuce & a side dish of hollandaise. So fresh and full of flavour. Another visit I had a hankering for a BLT and side of their hand cut fries. Again, everything fresh and tasty.
You can tell when you’re in a family run place where everything is done with love and pride. Where the staff seems genuinely happy to be there and service is with a smile. And where you will see the same customers coming back again and again. This is one of those places.
We will be back and want to try some dinner items on the menu, especially on those days when I have a hankering for home cooking but not in the mood to cook at home.

had the hamburger sreak dinner and my partner had the haddock and roasted potatoes and it was so good. probably the best we had in a long time. great service too. def recommend this place

After 14 years of being away from Cole Harbour we welcome them back to the neighbourhood. I have find memories of going to the «old» Brass Rail with my parents enjoying comfortable family dining.
I wasn’t disappointed with the re-​birth of a great restaurant. The service was amazing, food cooked from scratch in the kitchen, and I love the local focus (they use local black angus beef). A local beer selection would be welcomed as an addition once they get their feet back in the soil.
Décor… they need a brass rail. I’ll give them the star for décor since they are only a couple weeks since they opened their doors. They obviously focused on what counts, great food, great service, comfortable atmosphere.