Fish and Chips at the Gahan House
I’m well on my way into my fish and chips adventures in downtown Halifax. I’m trying to find the best fish and chips at a Halifax pub, and I’ve already covered Resolutes Club, Henry House, and Durty Nelly’s.
The Gahan House is a P.E.I.-based brew pub, with locations in Charlottetown, Saint John, Fredericton, Moncton and Halifax.
It started out as Murphy’s Brewing Co., but was rebranded as The Gahan Brewery when it moved into its current location on the corner of Queen & Sydney Street in Charlottetown in 2000. It is named after the building it is housed in, which used to be the place of business of John Gahan, a prominent 19th century merchant and importer of teas, wines, and groceries.
In 2014, The Gahan House opened its second location on the Halifax Waterfront. Then in 2019, The Gahan House uprooted its Harbourfront digs and moved into the spankin’ new Nova Centre.
The Nova Centre version of the Gahan House is a little more flashy and has a more corporate aesthetic than the previous versions. I personally don’t get those warm pub vibes I crave, but others enjoy the atmosphere.
The fish and chips is $17 and served in a paper bag. It’s a total gimmick but I don’t hate it. It’s a fun nod to the classic chip truck, and pairs perfectly with the Iron Bridge Brown Ale.
This meal did not come with coleslaw, and the tartar sauce didn’t really taste like tartar sauce. It was a fantastic chip dip, however.
As for the chips, they were crispy, salty perfection. These are easily the best French fries I have had in a long time.
The beer batter is made from Gahan’s own Sir John A’s Honey Wheat Ale, and it was very flavourful. There was no mushy interface, and it held its shape around the fish. This might be some of the best batter I’ve had in a long time.
So far we’ve got perfect fries and perfect batter. Sounds like a winner!
But I haven’t yet addressed the fish, which was unfortunately very dry and chewy. Being the most important element on the plate, the fish held back the Gahan House from a near perfect score. I am more prone to forgive faulty batter than dry chewy fish.
If a better fish were used, this could easily have been a perfect score.
Gahan House Nova Centre
5239 Sackville St, Halifax
Rating: Good.
(Rating Scale: WTF, Meh, Good, Some Good, Right Some Good!)
What are your favourite fish and chips in downtown Halifax?