Founded in 1783, Rockwood Park is 2200 acres and is the second largest urban park in Canada. In the park, you will find the Lily Lake Pavillion which contains Lily's Lakeside Casual Dining. When you ask anyone around Saint John 'where is the best place for nachos?' Lily's is a common answer. I have had some bad experiences with Lily's; however, I am happy to close 2022 with a brand new glowing review of this popular non-profit restaurant. That's right! Lily's completely redeemed themselves when we visited in November 2022.
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| Lily's Chicken Nachos - November 2022 |
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| Lily's Lobster Nachos - May 2021 |
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| Lily's Buffalo Chicken Nachos - May 2021 |
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| Lily's Buffalo Chicken Nachos - May 2021 |
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| Lily's BBQ Cheeseburger Nachos - May 2021 |
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| Lily's BBQ Cheeseburger Nachos - May 2021 |
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| Lily's Buffalo Chicken Nachos - May 2021 |
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| Lily's BBQ Cheeseburger and Buffalo Chicken Nachos - May 2021 |
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| Lily's Gluten Free Nachos - April 2021 |
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| Lily's Chicken Nachos - June 2020 |
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Lily's Chicken Nachos - June 2020
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Distribution of Toppings
While the distribution of toppings was a problem with Lily's in the past; this was no longer a problem. Every bite contained cheese, chicken, and that wonderful sauce.
Quality
The toast factor, i.e., how long the nachos were cooked, was a major issue in the past. This time, the cheese was perfectly melted, there was just the right amount of sauce, and the chips were fresh and crunchy. The only problem was that the chicken was a little dry.
Value
The nachos are $17.99 but if you add chicken, they are $7.99 extra. If you saw my previous posts, I determined that $15 is the average price for veggie nachos in
Saint John. The price has gone up a few dollars (hello inflation!) but the quality has also gone up. Wait until you see their new grade! I'm excited.
Thinking back to the special nacho week Lily's offered in the past, the Buffalo Chicken Nachos were $17.99, the BBQ Cheeseburger Nachos were $18.99, and the Lobster Nachos were $19.99. All excellent value for the quantity of ingredients. Mind you, these were only for Lily's Nacho Week and are not normally offered.
Quantity
One thing that has remained consistent is their large portion sizes. One plate is sufficient to share between two people for a good meal.
Service
Both servers we had in 2021 were very receptive to the constructive feedback we gave regarding the nachos. The server was had in 2022 was very pleasant and efficient.
Conclusion
I am happy to finish 2022 with a positive review of Lily's Lakeside Casual Dining. I have found that there were a few places that we went to this year that really improved, and as a result got higher grades. Maybe they took my suggestions, maybe not - regardless, this makes me happy. If I do awards again, they would win the award of "most improved nacho". While I do have certain preferences for my nachos (traditional chips, no sauce), I enjoy the "personality" Lily's brings to their nachos, and they fixed their cooking issues (except the dry chicken) and distribution of toppings. With that in mind, I could have just caught them on a really good night. More visits to Lily's in 2023 will have me checking on their consistency. As Shania Twain said "they got the moves but do they have the touch?"
Nacho Blog Rating: A
