We visited Winks Eater after a late-night show in London, Ontario in November 2025, and overall the experience was very mixed.
The good: our server, Jessica, was absolutely fantastic. Despite it being very busy on a Saturday night, she was attentive, efficient, and genuinely pleasant. She checked in regularly to make sure we had enough water and that everything was okay, and our food came out impressively fast. Truly superb service.
The bad: unfortunately, the food didn’t live up to expectations. I ordered the “BIG” fish sandwich ($22.99), and it was anything but big. The fish itself was crispy, though not well seasoned. The bun? It was extremely tough and tasted stale - it was like the old bread you get from timmies from the early 2010s (but not toasted). The other components, including the tartar sauce, lettuce and tomato were all mediocre at best, like something you eat from a generic, unseasoned sandwhich. It was definitely not worth the price. I also upgraded my side from fries to tater tots for $2.50, which was not worth it either.
My partner ordered the spinach and artichoke dip. While it arrived fresh and piping hot, the dish was very bland and lacked flavour.
Additionally, the security staff at the entrance behaved oddly when we arrived. One guard in particular made me feel uncomfortable, which was unfortunate and off-putting.
As for the environment, the space is fairly large but not the cleanest — it has a typical university sports bar vibe. That said, I really appreciated that they offer discounts to patrons attending nearby live shows (with a receipt). That’s a great idea and a nice gesture toward the local music scene.
In conclusion: while the food was disappointing and the interaction with security was uncomfortable, the excellent service completely salvaged the experience. For that reason, I’m giving Winks Eater three stars. I wouldn’t strongly recommend it, but the staff deserves recognition.
Posted 1/15/2026
