The Cask and Kettle Irish Gastropub opened its Irish doors at its first location in Saint John, New Brunswick in 2016. It is located on Prince William street in the heart of the uptown area.
I really think restaurants are making an effort to effectively layer their nachos. As you can see, I have no picture of the chips left over after the first delicious layer of toppings was eaten (March 2021). Therefore, Cask & Kettle has improved with the distribution of toppings because last time (2017), they had a lot of chips left over. I do think that the beef could have been more spread around on the chips instead of just focused on the centre.
Conclusion
We ordered the corn chip nachos a second time this year and we were happy to see that we had the triangular chips instead of the round chips that we received when we visited in March 2021. On our last visit, there was not a good toast factor and not enough cheese.
In 2021, Cask and Kettle opened a second location in Rothesay, New Brunswick. I have debated splitting the two locations of Cask and Kettle into separate blog posts. I think for now, I am going to group all the locations together like I did for Britt's and the Gahan House. Let me know what you think of that approach in the comments! Do you want separate articles for separate locations?
Cask and Kettle: Rothesay
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| Cask and Kettle BBQ Burnt End Nachos - March 2024 |
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| Cask and Kettle Brisket Nachos (corn chip) - October 2021 |
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| Cask & Kettle Fried Chicken Nachos - August 2021 |
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| Cask & Kettle Fried Chicken Nachos - August 2021 |
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| Cask & Kettle Maple Bacon BBQ Nachos - August 2021 |
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| Cask & Kettle Maple Bacon BBQ Nachos - August 2021 |
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| Cask & Kettle Maple Bacon BBQ Nachos Empty Chips Left Over - August 2021 |
Distribution of Toppings
When we went in March 2024, the distribution of toppings was fair. There were some bare chips left over, but it wasn't too bad - hence the lack of a picture showing the bare chips for that visit.
Quality
Cask and Kettle KV usually does a decent job with the toast factor, and there is always so much flavor in every bite. The cooks are not shy with the amount of toppings, cheese, and dips. I like how there are a lot of unique tasty options for meat. I also like the option to have corn chips. As I always say, I prefer the classic corn tortilla chip.
Value
The BBQ Burnt Ends nachos came to $19.50 or with two 16oz brews for $30. If you're ordering regular nachos (as this was a special), the full nachos are $19.50 and the half nachos are $13.00. There are also extra charges for adding meat, guacamole, or substituting for different types of chips. I think the value is pretty good considering the quality and all the options they have.
Quantity
They were sufficient to share as a meal.
Conclusion
I think Cask and Kettle KV is always keeping things new and fresh and it might be what sets them apart from the competition. I hadn't had their nachos in almost three years and I had to re-write most of my previous entry because it was like going to a whole new place again. I find it is very hard to have nachos perfectly layered, but they were bang on with the quality, value, and quantity. We will be back again soon!
Nacho Blog Rating: B+
Cask & Kettle Uptown
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| Cask & Kettle Beef Nachos - November 2021 |
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| Cask & Kettle Beef Nachos - November 2021 |
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| Cask & Kettle Beef Nachos (what was left over) - November 2021 |
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| Cask & Kettle Nachos - March 2021 |
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| Cask & Kettle Nachos - March 2021 |
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| Cask and Kettle Irish Beef Nachos - 2017 |
Distribution of Toppings
I really think restaurants are making an effort to effectively layer their nachos. As you can see, I have no picture of the chips left over after the first delicious layer of toppings was eaten (March 2021). Therefore, Cask & Kettle has improved with the distribution of toppings because last time (2017), they had a lot of chips left over. I do think that the beef could have been more spread around on the chips instead of just focused on the centre.
Update: In November 2021, there was no cheese on the layers underneath and thus they did not do as well with the distribution of toppings.
Quality
After my previous visit, I felt like I wanted to go back and try the corn chip nachos to see if they were any better. The corn chip nachos came in round chips, and I am immediately wary of round chips. I think with round chips, there is more of a chance that the toppings could fall off. Also if they are round, it means that more than likely the chips are not house made. I think this time with the round chips, there was no issue with the toppings staying on them; although, I prefer the traditional triangle-shape corn tortilla chip. I liked the moist beef, and the amount of green onions, and the toast factor was definitely present.
Quality
After my previous visit, I felt like I wanted to go back and try the corn chip nachos to see if they were any better. The corn chip nachos came in round chips, and I am immediately wary of round chips. I think with round chips, there is more of a chance that the toppings could fall off. Also if they are round, it means that more than likely the chips are not house made. I think this time with the round chips, there was no issue with the toppings staying on them; although, I prefer the traditional triangle-shape corn tortilla chip. I liked the moist beef, and the amount of green onions, and the toast factor was definitely present.
Update: In our last visit, there were no round chips but there the nachos needed to be cooked a little longer and there needed to be more cheese and effective layering of the cheese.
Value
The Cask and Kettle Nachos are $16.50 with salsa and sour cream. If you want to add grilled chicken, bacon, guacamole, or beef it is $3 more. In addition, if you want to add maple bacon BBQ pulled pork, fried chicken, or brisket, it is $4 more. There was no extra cost shown for substituting the kettle chips for corn chips on the menu in March 2021, but last time I went it was $2 extra for the substitution. I still like the variety of toppings and I still think the nachos are a good value.
Quantity
The nachos are good for sharing as a meal between a couple of people for a good size lunch.
Value
The Cask and Kettle Nachos are $16.50 with salsa and sour cream. If you want to add grilled chicken, bacon, guacamole, or beef it is $3 more. In addition, if you want to add maple bacon BBQ pulled pork, fried chicken, or brisket, it is $4 more. There was no extra cost shown for substituting the kettle chips for corn chips on the menu in March 2021, but last time I went it was $2 extra for the substitution. I still like the variety of toppings and I still think the nachos are a good value.
Quantity
The nachos are good for sharing as a meal between a couple of people for a good size lunch.
Conclusion
We ordered the corn chip nachos a second time this year and we were happy to see that we had the triangular chips instead of the round chips that we received when we visited in March 2021. On our last visit, there was not a good toast factor and not enough cheese.
Nacho Blog Rating: C+