The Grog & Gruel

Had found this Grog & Gruel pub online and FB Messaged them months before. Replies are quick given the time difference. Made a booking for Christmas Eve dinner… something local pub like. Got there and it was not as busy even for Christmas Eve (thot I might be); and it was really like a small local place to have a warm dinner. Nicely greeted and shown our reserved table for the party. Mostly a few couples or single locals having a bit of a quiet dinner or drink. We ordered mostly from the Christmas menu, 2-course (there was a 3-course option); it was about £15/pax. The ginger turnip soup was a nice warm puree, felt like a local(?) starter to a Christmas dinner perhaps? Magner cider in the background completed the experience lol. Mains arrived and we had the turkey with the works. Clearly pub food and not bad. Pretty fresh veggies and decently done. The cheese burger was a bit normal. But the beef and stout pie was good 😊 The top crust was flaky crispy and just nicely done. But too much carbs for me because I slurped up ALL the beef gravy that went so well with fries. This was the winner for the night. Dessert was a Christmas pudding with whiskey sauce… it was ok, although if it was local baked, would have been a great finishing. Nonetheless, food was pretty decent for pub food level, a nice local experience, perhaps simple but really nice. Not the amazing die die must try, but perhaps more down-to-earth local. Service was pretty good to me… from early FB messages to actual table service on Christmas Eve (I think they work hard to keep things going on a very quiet night). Thanks for having us. Merry Christmas 🎄 and the best for the 2026. Place was cosy friendly and we were the only obvious foreigners; yet felt comfortable. 😊

Cracking pub meal great staff and excellent value for money! We had the nachos to start and steak pie and chips X2 Highly recommend nice hearty homemade cooked!

As usual I'm very honest on my reviews.... we had burgers, the bun was cold, the bartenders had not idea what is cognac Courvoisier or a brandy. After we asked the 2 girls strated laughing ....and say sorry we dont understand you.... is the second time in Schotland and we never had such a bad experience.....Guiness was good

The food was mediocre at best. My fish and chips was a very thin piece of fish that was dry and over cooked. The hamburger was more similar to meatloaf in flavor and had very little moisture. The staff was friendly and efficient. The atmosphere was a little sterile seemed like the wanted to capture the tourist market but with providing very little effort beyond putting an open sign.

We had a wonderful visit to the Grog & Gruel in Fort William. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming from the moment we walked in, made all the more special by Jenna and the superb staff who went out of their way to make us feel at home. Their friendliness and genuine hospitality really set this place apart. Dog lovers will be pleased to know that dogs are welcome — our dog Roco absolutely loved it, which made the experience even better for us. A word to the new owners: please don’t change a thing. What makes this pub so special is the people. Look after the staff, because they are truly wonderful and the heart of the Grog & Gruel. Highly recommended.

The food was served hot and neat. The ingredients are fresh and the quality of nice was awesome. Highly recommend

Came here ahead of participating in the Rat Race Sea to Summit Ben Nevis. What an absolute find. Sat upstairs in the restaunt area and the bar area downstairs was quite busy, a great atmosphere in both areas. Staff were polite and attentive. The food was delicious, cant recommend the Wild Boar and Haggis burger enough and the chutney was superb (could have done with a little more though). Nice selection of ales as well. Would highly recommend

This place had some niiiice food! We got a haggis burger (with fries), classic nachos, a vegetarian haggis and smoked salmon. All dishes were delicious! When we first got to the door there was a big sign up saying that all tables were taken so we almost turned away. Fortunately my friend really wanted to eat there so we asked upstairs and were told that even though there were no tables left upstairs we could still sit down at the pub/bar area (there was lots of seating and tables!) and we could order the same food from the counter. So we did! And I'm so glad we did! Super nice food, and veggie options too! Parking wasn't available nearby due to this place being on a high street/walking street area, but you can get paid parking about a 10min walk away. Overall we really enjoyed this place and would definitely visit again! Don't listen to the sign that says no tables left!

Service is phenomenal and the food is pretty good! I got the grog dog which was just a banger in some bread, but the fries are sooo good. My bf got the pizza and liked it. Such a cute place.

We had a delightful time here. Bartenders are fabulous. Ciders delicious. Great whiskey selection.

Good place for a beer and a meal. This place was open on Monday (when many restaurants were closed). They have a couple nice cask ales on tap in a town where many places have the usual national brands on offer. Good portions of the local foods (like fish). I ordered the pork cesadila which had a skimpy amount of pork (by American standards). Hence my relearning the adage to eat the local foods when in a new place

Good beer. Skip the food. Venison salami pizza had one tiny strip (1 x 4 cm) of salami per slice. The crust tasted frozen. Fried fish was mostly bread.

Not great, but not terrible. The staff was lovely and we were served quickly after ordering, but the food wasn't very good and part of the order wasn't successfully executed. We're tourists and there were a lot of other tourists there, so it's probably catering to that crowd. I finally tried a Cullen Skink meal, which the Grog & Gruel serves as a pie. It was like eating slightly dried, diced fish with diced onion. Little flavor beyond generic "fish" flavor and onion. My mom ordered a "just cheese and chicken quesadilla," but they delivered a quesadilla that contained cooked peppers and lots of onion, which she is sensitive to and why she ordered the way she did. I did get a half pint of cider, which the bartender let me taste before ordering. It was sweet and crisp. For the American tourist: choose your own table, but place orders and pay at the bar. They do accept chip credit cards. The ladies' restroom is upstairs.

Pub food was just ok. My husband had a venison pie and it was really good. I had a burger... it was only Ok. Service was ok as well.

Simple pub with restaurant upstairs but I highly recommend. At first I laughed at the idea of Tex Marx and quesadilla but my wife and the agreed one of the better we've ever had (we are from Southern California and I grew up in a lagoon neighborhood). Had the boar and haggis burger and with some of the guacamole from the quesadilla it was great. Service excellent, sound level ok. For a local pub, a surprisingly feat. The menu included people zzz and some other things I would have liked to try but, loved it.

I wanted to give this place two stars but it gets 3 before they allow doggos inside downstairs. We sat upstairs and wasn't seated right next to the "bar". Also asked server for WiFi passcode since we are visiting from abroad and needed to complete trace contact form and was kind of given a weird look. Music was non existent and lights were super bright- felt like we were eating in a food cafeteria than a pub in the highlands. Food was decent.

Fort William is a very busy (small) town in Scotland, and it wasn't easy finding a place to eat that could even accommodate us or which didn't have a wait of at least an hour. We ended up at the Grog & Gruel at a dirty table downstairs in the bar. The table wasn't cleared for a long time, but at least we had a place and the promise of dinner even though it was nearly 8 p.m. The food was good, if not great. Once we got the food, there was no further service. It was kind of a letdown, except it felt like an expensive letdown since it cost us £58.30 (more than $72) for a fairly-average dinner. We would not go back.

Popular spot on Fort William's wee high street, close to the end of the West Highland Way. Packed with walkers and other tourists, you can put your name down for the restaurant upstairs and they'll yell your name when a table's ready (definitely potential for a hilarious fake identity). The menu has a few more unusual options like quesadillas and hot dogs. And they offer two sizes of pizza - 9" and 12". The food is ok, but not amazing. My pizza was nice and crispy but needed seasoning. Staff are friendly even if the music isn't - aggro heavy rock (really?). Nonetheless, this is a fair option if you're looking for a warm, buzzing pub offering hearty stodge.

Our tour stopped in Fort William for lunch and I jumped on Yelp to find a place to eat. Our first choice was closed, but reviews for this joint were decent and the free wifi was a bonus. So we sat downstairs and were lucky to get a free table cause the place was busy, even though it was close to 2pm. After finding the table, went to the bar to order. We got x2 cappuccinos and x2 fish n chips (haddock in oatmeal and breadcrumbs with hog tails aka curly fries) and total was €24, which isn't too bad! My cappuccino was really good. I also enjoyed the breading on the fish - the oats added a crunch, however there was a part in the middle of my fish where the breading remained uncooked so that wasn't very pleasant. I also liked that along with the fish, a big basket of condiments were delivered and I could have ketchup, mustard, tarter sauce, brown sauce, etc to my hearts content. The chips were absolute stand-outs and I would totally recommend getting them, even on the side if they don't come with your main meal. Also must commend the service - a youngster accidentally spilled coffee all over me and the waiter came around very quickly with a mop and cleaned up the table and chair and gave me another cup of cappuccino for free. Really cool and so absolutely recommend.

Stayed at Fort William for two nights and chose to eat here the first night then went back the other night. Loved the cider (whiskey cask) and the fresh fries as well, called hogs tails for the curl shapes. Their pie was worth to try. The atmosphere was relaxing and staff were very nice. 请试一下他们家的威士忌和苹果酒，相当不错

Very cool place for early dinner! Food was tasty and the beer of course was really great! A great overall atmosphere with very friendly staff. It is a VERY small place but worth the visit!

Was put on the waiting list and was asked to wait in the bar downstairs for 20 minutes. We got called after about 10 - success! During the evening other people had to wait up till an hour, so book in advance if you want to be sure to get a table. We went with the Angus Burger and the Bean Burger (veggie). Fries are served curly and you also get a salad which got some flavour and is not the typical lame salad it could have been. The Angus Burger was really good, good texture and flavour, great bun. The veggie bean burger was good, but it was pretty burned with substantial amount of charcoal black pieces (which is neither tasty nor good for your health to eat). We pointed this out to the staff that said that is simply how they're done, since the bean burger does not have as much fat as the meat one, it does get burned a bit more. Getting a new one would just be the same. Well, too bad they could not prepare the bean burger appropriately, like with slightly lower temperature. This definitely is something that makes me consider remove one star from the rating, however, they were nice about it, offered money back in case we didn't like it and also had the chef to use a sharp knife to remove the black crust (too bad it also took the cheese away...). So ultimately, let's focus this review on the Angus Burger and set the rating based on it... hence four stars! With the recommendation that if you order the bean burger, ask to not have it so well made it is black!

Ducked into this great little pub for a couple of pints after dinner. Nice atmosphere, friendly bartender, and a good selection of beer, whisky, and gin. I could see this as a perfect place to end a cold, wet, hillwalking day! Haven't tried the food, but I intend to next time I'm in town.

Busy night here tonight with many groups turned away for up to an hour. I know it's probably been along day, but the girl working there could've handled it with a little more decorum. The poor customers coming in didn't know it was the twentieth time she'd been through the routine. The food itself was quite good, so no issues there. The other waiting staff were friendly and helpful, but I didn't stay for extras

(This review is for the Alehouse.) As mentioned, the Grog and Gruel is a decent pub with loads of what seem like random additions to their menus. Quesadillas and burritos alongside haggis and burgers? If you like to have many diverse options to choose from in an affordable price range, this is a good place to go. However, I did give it just 3 starts (perhaps more like 3.5) because despite the warm-wooded atmosphere, the charm for me stopped there. The menu actually reminded me of an American restaurant's attempt to do a little bit of anything and everything. I was a bit underwhelmed by their veggie bean burger, which almost had a tart taste to it. The curly fries, though, were quite good. I also found the service friendly and as another reader noted, willing to give a few tastes before choosing a brew.

This pub provided a haven for a very tired tourist. After driving for hours, walking through the pedestrian footpath and visiting a few stores, The Grog & Gruel appeared. We were greeted immediately and given menus. Within a few minutes, one of the staff members came out to take our order and bring us drinks. My husband ordered his usual burger and was very content. I ordered the chicken quesadilla and was stunned by the huge plate of food that came out (see pic)! Although it was delicious, I could eat only half of my quesadilla, but the most impressive part was that the guacamole was included! (In America, we always have to pay extra for it!) This was a wonderful lunch that re-energized me!

Pleasant wee pub in the main street of Fort William. I can't comment on the food as we only had a few drinks, but their real ales are well kept and the selection is excellent. The place has plenty of character and is the epitomy of a proper traditional boozer. The staff member who served us was lovely and showed a kindness to one of our group who has mobility challenges. I hear they also cope well with vegetarians so I really must give the food a go some time. Pop in and give em a try!

We stopped for lunch in this cute little pub. We both got the boar chilli (nachos for me and quesadillas for him) and it was very good. They also have whisky cask cider on tap which is a plus for me. As its kind of a small place it was a bit awkward for a baby even though they had a high chair. Also they say they welcome children but have no baby changing facilities that I could see. I'd come back again but sans baby.

We decided to come here on our last night in Fort William and arrived slightly early before the restaurant was open, so we had a drink in the bar downstairs which was a pleasure to spend time in! After we had a drink here, we went upstairs for something to eat. We were provided drinks and menus quickly - I chose the chicken burrito and my partner had the venison burger with all the toppings, this is the part where I have to grudgingly give the Grog and Gruel a 'very good' rating instead of excellent. My boyfriend loved his venison burger but unfortunately you would have needed a magnifying glass to find any chicken in my chicken burrito - it was mainly filled out with chickpeas and the dreaded sweetcorn which I absolutely hate, so I had to spend half the meal picking the sweetcorn out so I could eat what was left. This is partly my fault to be fair because it did say on the menu there was sweetcorn in it, but I didn't expect the majority of the filling to be based on sweetcorn :( All in all I did love the place though, and the staff were lovely, if I'm back I'll definitely return, just make a better food choice next time as I was perving on other tables receiving their food and it all looked excellent!

Stopped here for dinner our first night for dinner. Food was so good we went back a second night. On the first visit I had the excellent steak and ale pie. Husband ordered a bean burger and gave it an ok rating. Second night we both had fish and chips. Appreciated the crispy oatmeal crust on the fish. While the coating was a tad dry it was a great improvement over the typical greasy breading one so often gets elsewhere. Curly fries seemed a break in tradition from the usual chips but they were good and not loaded with salt.

As a vegan, and non-drinker, I was hesitant to go to a place like this with my friends--but it completely won me over! The veggie haggis was AMAZING and the non-vegetarians preferred it over the meat haggis. I also ordered curly fries and a salad and both were delicious. The Americano was superb. Well done, Grog and Gruel!

Crannachan Ice Cream! After asking our bed and breakfast where to go for dinner, we were pointed in the direction of the main strip that is Fort William. As we walked along the mostly empty streets, we came upon this place because our Bride Guide and new hubby had been here once before when they came up this way to scout locations for their wedding. It was fairly busy when we walked in, but they still had room for the eight of us. Our "parents" during our Highland Tour sat at a table near the door, while the rest of us "kids" sat at a table beside the bar. I had the appetizer size of the boar breath chili for dinner. I was thinking it was going to be too spicy, but it was really good. It was also a nice size. The bride's brother and I ordered the boar because we thought it was going to really different, but I didn't really notice since it was spiced. The most notable item from this dinner was the ice cream! I had my first taste of crannachan at the wedding in the form of a tart for dessert. This was the best... the best dessert, the best ice cream, the best crannachan--- well, to me at least, on this trip. The raspberry sauce was perfect. I would go again just to eat this.

Damn you, Yelp. I went here because of you. And I enjoyed myself. I had the pleasure (?) of enjoying both the upstairs and the downstairs. The food was great, but it's the same menu in both locations. As an American, I appreciated seeing burgers, quesadillas and burritos on the menu--I felt just at home. However, I had none of them. The food was decent, and the vibe was nice. If you're traveling solo or hitting the restaurant at the wrong time, just enjoy your meal downstairs. The food reminded me of bar food you'd find here in the States anyway (although some items were nicer; I had the poached fish). It was affordable, and drinks were plentiful. So why not visit?

Ordered a pizza and it literally had maybe a quarter cup of cheese on the whole 12 inch pie. Maybe the worst pizza I've ever eaten. See the pic.....didn't charge me but what a waste of time.

We've eaten here two times and on both times I took the steak 'n stout pie. That's really great food! It's really worth a try! If the staf would be a bit more friendly I would gave them five stars!

Nice friendly atmosphere, and good selection of Scottish ales. We ordered the veg haggis, veg fajitas and the veg burger. Haggis and the burger were delicious but didn't quite like the fajitas. The sour cream, salsa snd guacamole had no flavor and were very different compared to the Mexican food you get in USA.

We went here on the way back from a trip to Isle of Skye. They had a great selection of British beers, just what we needed after the long dive. The menu looked great, although we did not eat here. The dark wood gave it a very homey feel and if we every visit Fort William again, we would go back for sure.

Had a great burger there! Really worth a try! Placed along the main shopping street in Fort William it is a nice place to rest for a meal or a nice Ale.

Pretty quiet in the winter months but a solid flow of locals and tourists find their way through the door. Deservedly in the Good Pub Guide 2010 although they only had two ales available (a consequence of coming here in the winter, I guess)... We drank plenty of what they had. Pretty good bar food too. Free wifi, useful for writing Yelp reviews while soaking up the atmosphere.

Decent pub, although a shameless rip-off of a restaurant chain called the "Hog's Breath Cafe" back in Australia, down to the mascot. I think my favourite part of the Grog & Gruel is that you can keep asking for samples of their ales, and it takes quite a lot for them to get fed up with you. Then you just buy a pint and repeat next time you're at the bar. Quality.

Located in centre of Fort William serves basic pub food but of good quality and reasonable price . Sells good range of local real ales . Theres a restaurant upstairs with a wider range . Only cosy pub in the centre of town with typical wooden tables and chairs .

Very delicious! Would definitely come back if I ever make it back to Fort William. Food was great, the wife had Steak and Pie which was very tasty and I had the special Venison and Chorizo burger also very tasty. All in all this place is awesome!

Great pub atmosphere and a good selection of local beer. I had the fish and chips and it was a fair portion. Limited seating near the bar but it was laid out nicely do you didnt feel crammed. Overall a nice stop on our journey up north.

We were arriving from Edinburgh and were looking for the best option in fort William. The food was mediocre. We ordered a pepperoni pizza, tomato pasta and steak pie. The best was the steak pie. The pizza was not good, papa johns would've been better. The pasta was average, the only thing with flavor in it were the tomatoes and the steak pie was pretty good. The service was great. Probably the best option in fort William.

Thumbs down for the food in the restaurant upstairs at this pub. Also, why do they take the 'charm' away when they put an upstairs restaurant above a pub? I had the wild mushroom pie which was lacking in mushrooms. Instead chock full of chestnuts and chick peas which were flavorless. I chose not to eat the pie. The chestnuts were described in the menu, but not the chick peas (which I usually like). There are better venues in town for dining.

A good real pub located centrally on the High Street. Lots of real ale..good service and pleasant staff - highly recommended

The place to drink and eat in Fort William. The food is excellent, as is the beer. Try the black pudding - brilliant.