Preston Restaurant & Lounge

Menu is sub-​par. The pad Thai was good the first time. The second time it was very vinegar-​y. Third time it was even worse. Needless to say I don’t order it anymore. Food was better when it was Ora.

My partner and I were really excited to try this new restaurant after we heard about them at a local trade show at The Coast Hotel and Conference Centre. They were just days away from opening and had set up an information table. The menu looked promising, with a number of enticing gluten free options. They even had gluten free pasta. We had a chance to talk to a chef and he told us about the menu, we were impressed by his knowledge about food and his willingness to accommodate guests who can not eat gluten. A couple weeks later, we made our way over, anticipating a delicious meal.
It ended up being a slightly frustrating experience. I understand that the restaurant is very new and still working out a few kinks. The menu had changed, not as many choices for us. Many of the restaurants I like to go to have menus that indicate which items are gluten free, or even have a separate menu printed for gluten free guests. At the very least, the servers know the menu well enough to make recommendations. I will say that our server was very patient and made quite a few trips to the kitchen to have our questions answered. I could tell that she was a bit frustrated. I think if she had been trained more on the menu, the experience would have been better for all of us.
We finally decided to try the seafood chowder, which was a safe choice for us. By this point, we had given up on finding an entrée, almost all of them had sauces which contained gluten, even sauces that can be made without. We were tired, hungry, and defeated. The chowder came out quickly. It tasted fantastic. The soup was just the right consistency, not too thick or pasty. The seafood in it was cooked perfectly! Nothing was overdone, it tasted fresh, it was delicious. There were clams, mussels, scallops, prawns, and some kind of white fish, all tender and tasty. This was a positive part of our experience.
We drank coffee and water. It was Sunday afternoon, first coffee of the day. It was not good coffee. I drank mine anyways and said nothing, we were not asked how our coffee was. My partner had no more than a couple sips. Our server noticed this at the end of the meal and asked if the coffee wasn’t good. She removed one from the bill, which was nice.
My hope is that some of these challenges are sorted out as I would like to give this place another chance. Judging by how good the chowder was, Preston has the potential to serve fabulous food. I am sure that guests without allergies or food sensitivities would have an easier experience.
Bottom line: great soup, ok service, needs more gluten free options and fresher/​better coffee.