	28th Anniversary · 1996 - 2024

Note: BHON now evaluates using the widely accepted DBSP (Drunken Bar Slob Percentile) System.
For a more detailed explanation of our scoring system, please see: Our Reviews Explained.

The Forty Public House

Wingage Score: 69%

Address: 10 Main Street West - Grimsby
Parking: City Lot in Behind
Intersection: Main & Ontario

Last Reviewed: November 16th, 2017

Last Visited: November 16th, 2017

Judge	Score
BHON - Sept 2016	88.69
BHON - Nov 2017	69.69

Overall - Sept 2016:

Our second stop in the Grimsby Pub Crawl 2016 brought us to a fairly new spot. The Forty Public House opened in the spring of 2016 in the former Joe Dogs location on Main Street, just a few doors down from where we started. The place was much larger inside than it looked from the street, and had a more upscale vibe than your average watering hole. It featured a large bar down the right side and a raised seating area with booths to the left, with a stage for live music at the far back.

The tap selections also did not dissappoint, with many local craft beers to choose from. We enjoyed pints of Oast House & Silversmiths, along with several Ciders and Goose Island Honkers Ale. Choice is good!

For wings, we had a pound of their Hot, along with a pound of Classic Hot. When we asked our server what the difference was, she had to think a moment, but confirmed the Classic were a buttery-style hot as opposed to the standard. The wings were excellent - plump, hot and juicy and definitely tasted fresh out of the fryer. The Classic Hot was bang-on in the flavour department and would easily be the best of the night. At $12 a pound, they come in a bit on the pricey side, but The Forty is aiming for the upscale ’Gastropub’ dinner crowd with their fare and we can’t complain at all about the quality of what we were served.

Overall - our favourite spot of the night, best beer selection and best wings making this one worthy of a revisit for sure!

Overall - Nov 2017:

We looked forward to a revisit of this establishment considering the review from our last pub crawl. We were hoping for a repeat performance.

Well, things didn’t go exactly as planned. After visiting two other establishments, we stroll into an almost empty bar. A little strange but not totally unexpected. It is Thursday and a bit chilly outside. The server that greeted us was nice but she informed us that the kitchen closes in 10 minutes so if we wanted food we would have to order it right away. OK, it’s only about 10:00 PM but maybe the cook has someplace to be? On the recommendation of a friend we ordered the Kettle chips along with a couple pounds of hot wings. They updated the beer selection so we had our pick of some very nice brews. The chips showed up first and they were very tasty. Kudos to Miss Margaret for suggesting them. Then the wings showed up and they proved to be as good as the first time we visited. So far, everything is going well and we order another round.

The drinks show up and the guys barely get a sip or two in and then this pert little blonde comes up and tells us that we have to leave in 2 minutes. 2 minutes? It’s not like it would be the first time that we have been in a bar that closes early but I don’t remember seeing a sign saying the bar hours. And it might have been nice if the server would have mentioned that not only was the kitchen closing in 10 minutes but the bar was closing in an hour. But the biggest issue we had was the attitude. It was like she really wanted to say GTFO now. So two of us get up, put our coats on and head outside for a smoke. We had barely made it out the door when blondie sticks her head out and says "I’m locking the door" and click, the door is locked. OK, I’ll have a smoke while we wait. Then we get the better idea to get the car and have it out front waiting for the other guys to finish their drinks and meet us. We barely round the corner onto Main Street when out they come. Based on what was told afterward, it sounds like blondie came back again to force the remaining members out. One took umbrage, a few words were spoken and then things went downhill from there. Needless to say, interesting.

If they were to be ranked only on the food and beer I would be more than happy to keep their score the same. But, they are going to take a hit for the attitude. We have been doing this far too long and closed down far too many bars. If you would like us to leave, then ask politely. Don’t make it an ultimatum. We know what it’s like to work a long hard day and to want to get home. We have no problems leaving you to close up. But forcing people out of your bar, especially after they just purchased a couple more pints, not cool.

P.S. I have heard that we are not welcome there again. If there is ever a chance to do a Grimsby run again, we might have to see how good their memory is.

P.P.S. - Edited for mistakes. Plus, just checked the website that the 40 has and they list the hours of operation Thursday - Saturday as 11:00 AM to 1:00 AM. So why kick us out???