The Wooly Pub

First time dining at The Wooly, and will also be the last. Made reservations and got a nice table for four people in a cozy room next to a portable fireplace. When the lights went dim, service staff offered a magnifier with light for my mother which was a nice touch and appreciated. Environment was welcoming and friendly. Staff appeared to be aware of the patrons and safety-conscious, which is why the experience was ultimately so upsetting. I ordered the Smokey BBQ Burger on a Gluten Free bun, with a side of fries. The server took the time to point out that the fries were not cooked in a separate fryer from other gluten-containing items, which was a green flag that he understood why I was asking for the special bun, and that he took the request seriously. When the food arrived, the Burger looked fantastic. It looked and felt like a real "normal" bun, which is exceedingly rare for a Gluten Free bun. This should have been my first clue. The taste should have been my second. It tasted fantastic, just like real bread. I should have stopped right there. It may have been too late, but I should have notified the server that this was almost certainly real bread. It was way too good to be true. Instead, my hunger, instincts, maybe my trust, or perhaps just desire to eat some real carbs again took over and the burger was devoured before I knew it. As I settled and noticed my stomach starting to.. misbehave, I glanced around at some of my fellow diners. Some of them had burgers or chicken burgers. The buns looked exactly like mine. A sense of dread crept up on me. I held out hope that this still wasn't the case, that perhaps the Wooly had created the greatest, most authentic Gluten Free hamburger bun the world has seen. As we left the Pub the feeling in my stomach got worse. And when we arrived at our evening event at the Sleeman Centre (Wooly is within close proximity and about a 7 minute walk), my experience was soon interrupted by some particularly unpleasant time alone in the facilities that confirmed what had indeed happened. While I hesitate to mention any details, the after-effects carried over well into the next day and the suffering continues. I accept a great deal of responsibility for what happened and what I consumed, but I leave this as a warning to individuals who may have allergy concerns, dietary restrictions, or other needs with their food. I wanted to love the Wooly, and although there were no other concerns with the experience, this mistake is a very, very big one, could potentially be life-threatening to some, and it's a mistake that just can't be made in a modern kitchen.

Great, long standing pub in downtown. Servers are amazing. Food is great. And a fairly decent gluten free selection. And drink menu to fill days.