– by Lara Gladych –
This is the third in a six-part series of profiles on some of the Saanich Peninsula’s wonderful restaurants and pubs.
There’s already a rumbling of customers throughout the Prairie Inn, just minutes after opening late-morning on a brisk and sunny Saturday. Manager Jamie Day seats me at a cozy table opposite the bar and we start to chat about the pub.
We jump into an easy conversation about the P.I., as it’s known locally. Jamie cares about his work and the people he serves, it’s clear. Excellent value, delicious food and memorable service are key to the P.I.’s success. “We want it to be an affordable experience and a great value so that come back.”
Regulars are the cornerstone of this business. “We’re their kitchen,” he shares. And he doesn’t take that for granted one bit.
Jamie and one of the servers, Tiana Tedford, who we catch in passing, start listing for me customer favourites from the menu. The clubhouse, the nachos, Jamie’s pasta (which is named for another Jamie, he notes), and the Red Rooster – which according to Tiana is “everything delicious” – top the list. Also on the list are the beef burgers, which are made fresh by B & C Foods, and are never frozen because the turnover is so quick.
I ask Jamie if they offer anything unique behind the bar. The beer selection is “50 percent based on customer-likes, and the other half is local and affordable.” Jamie is candid about their liquor offerings when he explains that they could offer a higher tier of alcohol, but it’s not what their clientele comes in looking for. At the Prairie Inn, it all comes back to value and affordability.
At this point I’m ready to place an order. I ask Jamie if there’s any neglected menu item he wished more people ordered. He doesn’t skip a beat: liver and onions. “People are scared of organs.” I rise to the challenge and Jamie calls my order over to the bar.
For those who haven’t yet heard, the Prairie Inn now offers a family section. As of December first, 60 additional kid-friendly seats were added to the existing 24. “We’ve got to unlock the doors and appeal to everyone. We see people high-fiving to staff because they can bring their kids in.”
Jamie has to tend to something, so I continue my conversation with Tiana. I ask her what brings people back time after time, and her response is heartfelt. “We care. We remember special orders, what they eat, where they sit.”
On the note of special orders, I learn that there’s a good gluten-free selection including buns, bread and pasta. The kitchen will try to accommodate anything.
My food arrives and Tiana leaves me to eat. What is most impressive to me right off the bat is that in addition to the anticipated liver heaped with grilled onions and bacon, there’s a really beautiful and sizeable portion of crisp broccoli and sliced turnip. Not what I expected from pub food, I admit. I dive into the scoop of mashed potatoes and gravy first, and they’re just right. I ate liver fairly regularly growing up, and I never quite understood what people so disliked about it, probably because my mom’s was so good. This liver is pretty darn good too – not tough or over-cooked. I feel nostalgic.
As I sit eating and taking in the place, at least two customers that I notice walk in and are greeted by name by the bartender.
Tiana swings by to check-in on me. We talk about what she loves about her job. She speaks endearingly. “It’s like family. It’s comfortable. Customers here appreciate you, and that’s very rare. People will wait, they’ll line-up to get a table.”
Breakfast is on the menu here too, until 1 p.m. The Breakfast Platter is their most popular order, and Sundays are their busiest breakfast day.
By the end of my visit I feel like I’m almost extended family.
Open from 10 a.m. to midnight, Sunday to Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. 7806 East Saanich Road, Saanichton. Call 250-652-1575.
