Summer Stunner @ The Wilcox Gastropub

Ahhh sorry for the late review. I enjoyed the event soooooo much. Firstly the pub itself is shockingly amazing! The staff worked their butts off that night, I tipped generously.
They prepared four special drinks for us. I thought was so much fun. I had a mix of all of them. Eventually I said «okokokokk that’s too much.»
The food was amazing!!! It was almost addictive!
I would want to return here. Too bad I don’t live in Mississauga anymore though…
Always nice to mingle with the Unilocal crowd and talk about food and drinks. To think we don’t talk about it often enough, right? Here at the Wilcox we talked even more!
Kris is starting this trend where we have to play icebreakers at every event, I think. This time we walked around talking about TRAVELLING. Which is fantastic!!! Because I JUST returned and I wanted to know where everyone wants to go. So that night, not only did we talked about food and drinks, we talked travelling.
It was great fun!
thank you to Johnson C who drove!

Amazing event. Thanks to Kris for organizing. Great food, drinks and of course, the people! Great to see Simon, Rana, Ryan and all the rest of you crazy kids.
Drinks were amazing and I learned so much from Cristian the bartender. Looking forward to heading over there this Wednesday to try their oysters (buck a shuck) and enjoying other fun times at this great spot.
Thanks Kris!

What a fantastic way to kick start our exciting Summer of Unilocal 2015: D!
Thank you Kris and the team at The Wilcox Gastropub for hosting such an amazing event! The venue was definitely a hidden gem in Mississauga… circled the plaza twice before I found it lol. It was once a hertiage home then turned into a gorgeous, chic and modern, 2-​story gastropub! Food, drinks and service were A+ this evening. Patio will soon be opening for the summer too! Can’t wait to come back to soak up the sun and sip on their lovely red from Australia (Sorry, forgot name! But the wine was super smooth and it is not available at LCBO!)
There were many familiar faces (lots from Unilocal Toronto!) and I met a couple of new Elite members too — welcome: D! The passport game was a nice icebreaker… and yes, I’m a proud Unilocallandian! Btw did anyone win? I love how Kris always comes up with these fun and interactive games for us… never a dull moment :3 I doubt another person had Cancun, Mexico as their fave place, and Turks and Caicos as their dream (wedding) destination: P
Food was absolutely satisfying. Missed out on the scotch eggs (darn it!), but caught up right when they had the spoonful of ceviche muahaha ;) The highlight of the night would definitely be the dulce de leche cream puff at the end: D so creamy and just melts in your mouth! The signature cocktail drinks were also delicious, especially the rosemary and basil drink… it was just so fresh and light! Bartenders did an awesome job keeping up with us thirsty Unilocalers lol. They were very creative on the spot! Thank you for creating ‘The Richard’ for my +1… he was very impressed!
I will be back for sure :) Thank you for yet another memorable event, Kris! House party ftw lol.
P. S. Sorry, no Uncle Tetsu cheesecake this time… although someone DID suggested that it should become a ritual that I bring it to every Unilocal event LMAO.

The venue was great. I liked the two floor seating and the drinks were great. While I understand that not a lot of food went around, I think one of the main issues is that Kris has had so many amazing events, people are expecting a feast and not samples. Keep in mind, that these events are for sampling and not a full meal.
That being said, what was served was pretty good but I enjoyed the overall ambiance of the place more. My recommendation is that if there is an Elite event along 2 floors, that the servers should only serve people sitting down so that not only a few people get most of it.
Overall, still a great event and a fun time.

Easily my favourite event of 2015 thus far!
Highlights definitely were the food, or whatever food I could get my hands on. They were so good that people were grabbing them up before they could make the rounds! The kitchen staff at Wilcox certainly outdid themselves to keep up with all of our voracious appetites!
— Scotch Egg, soft boiled quail egg wrapped in pork sausage and deep fried with a mild spicy tomato ketchup, wonderful and I was glad to finally try this.
— the pan fried pork belly, juicy not heavily seasoned, I’d love to try this as part of a full meal
— the brisket, juicy, moist and delicious with their in-​house sauce
— and finally, the cerviche with tiger’s milk (like, actual tiger? Can someone confirm lol), was very refreshing, hint of citrus, and a kick at the end with Hanabero pepper sauce. It definitely cooled me down as the Wilcox was hot because the party was PUMPING!
The vendors on deck with their wines and crafted ales were fabulous! They really know their stuff and working in tandem with the Wilcox bar staff, provided a fantatsic night all the while keeping us all socially (responsibly too) lubricated! *wink wink*
A big thank you to Cong (I discovered that I know one of his older brothers from high school! They look exactly alike!), Daniel, the two co-​owners of the Wilcox (I’m sorry but I can’t remember the name of the 3^rd owner at the moment.), the servers Anna and Rebecca on their staff — both very warm, friendly and welcoming for making it a memorable evening!
Thank you Kris for making it happen and also thank you to your boss for bringing you to us so you can grace our Unilocal lives all these years! ;)
It was just too bad it didn’t go on all night! I’m sure all of us would love to come back and try out the rest of the food on their menu! This marks my 3^rd time at The Wilcox as I’ve previously have been here before from the first month they opened this year. If they (the owners and staff) keep up this winning formula, I’m sure it will be a great success and a marvellous addition to the Mississauga gastropub scene!

A night at the gorgeous Wilcox, where the drinks flowed freely and the company was rad: what a fantastic way to kick off the summer! Thanks Kris for organizing a wonderful event, as always!
The venue is spectacular — they really transformed the interior of this old house into a space that ticks the boxes of classy and contemporary. I loved the multi-​level layout, and the small balcony overlooking the bar area below. Bravo Cong, Joseph and Daniel for creating a restaurant that Mississauga can boast about!
The Wilcox pulled out all the stops that night. The drink list was impressive, offering beer selections from Muskoka and Beau’s, stunning wines (including a beautiful Malbec from Argentina that I had a love affair with all evening), and signature cocktails. Let me take a moment to say how much I LOVED the Basil and Rosemary Refresher! It was exactly what I envision sipping on a summer patio (and I hear The Wilcox’s patio will be open in the next week???). It was delicate, but the assertive flavour of the basil and blackberry cassis shone. A great drink.
Navigating that multi-​level space with the food and drink tastings must have been challenging for the staff. I appreciate how difficult that must have been, and to their credit they stayed positive and pleasant the entire night. I wish we could have had a chance to taste the Scotch Eggs (one of my absolute favourite, sinful snacks) and the Dulce de Leche puffs, but alas… I guess we’ll have to return!
The food that I did sample was delicious. Hands down the favourite at my table was the caramelized Pork Belly on an apple crisp. Pure indulgence from every bite. I think it would have worked better without the dusting of cinnamon sugar on the apple, but that speaks to their innovation I suppose. The Scallop Ceviche, Pulpo and Russian Salad on a Plantain, Venison with Avocado and Candied Thyme, and Braised Beef were also excellent. I am so dazzled by the mastery in that kitchen. It just cemented my desire to try their full menu (and the famous fish tacos!)
A big thank you to Kris and everyone at The Wilcox for your hard work, patience and hospitality! Everyone had a fantastic time — can’t wait to visit again!

Was just here for Unilocal Elite’s Summer Stunner.
This place is cozy with 2 levels. The first level offers a small dining area right when you walk in… on the right hand side.
As you go in, to the left is the kitchen and leads to the bar area to the right it opens into the bar area (also) straight ahead. There is seating also. The bar area is very classy and the heart of TWG. I like the sloped glass rooftop, allowing plenty of light. The bartenders/​mixologists defiantly know how to make drinks. Some drinks are quite out there with ingredients.
I don’t drink so I have to take my husband Dio’s word on this next part.
DRINKS:
Dio’s favorite mixed drink is called Basil + Rosemary Refresher; Tanqueray Gin, Fresh basil, Rosemary & Thyme simple syrup, freshly squeezed lemon juice, egg white, soda & cream de cassis. All listed is not something he would ever be open to… but luckily, he also came with an open mind to try everything. Pleasantly surprised and it was refreshing!
His favorite wine was the red wine; Andeluna. He said that was very good and is so smooth.
FOOD: Served as Tapas style. We were able to sample thier top seller/​summer menu. I think I was able to sample all that they were serving.
1. Scotch Egg; Sausage (sage, confit garlic, onion & apple) wrapped over a quail egg deep fried and served with spicy tomato jam. DELISH and was my favorite
2. Octopus over a Russian Salad; mixture of egg, beet and potato purée served over a lightly fried/​baked Plantain chip. Not bad but lacked flavor for such a pretty presentation.
3. Grouper Ceviche; normal ceviche mixtures w/​lime juice and spicy habanero… I am not a spicy fan at all… but I came for a reason, to try everything. To me it was very spicy, but luckily it was a small dose so 2 glasses of water and I am good again :)
Fresh tasting and nice presentation
3b. Scallop (raw) w/​lime & habanero juice… fresh (this time I poured the juice out… enough spice for one evening!)
4. 4 type of Mushrooms w/​goat cheese and onion jam over a sour dough toasted bread. I love mushrooms and this was paired nicely with the mixture ingredients used. Whoever thought of this… nicely done!
5. Braised Pork Belly served over a dehydrated Apple chip;
Ok, I made a choice to not eat beef or pork a few years back… except for rare and needed situations. Again… I am here to try everything… so I did… and it was good… tasty.
If I can say 1 thing, it would be to have a thicker sliced apple chip. I saw quite a few break and than the pork belly would fall; table, ground or hand caught save. Well it could also be the ratio of pork belly vs. thin apple chip.
I want to say «Thank-​You» to all; waiter; waitress, bartenders, chef (s), cook (s), busser (s) and owner (s) at Wilcox Gastropub for opening your place to us and having us sample drinks and food.
I am sure all servers are great… I would like to specially thank Rebecca who really took the time to ensure everyone had something to sample and explained what food was being served.
I wanted to make sure I got all the food correct for my Unilocal review… and she took the time to go over them all with me. Very passionate about the food and very knowledgeable.
We defiantly will be coming back here on our own to extending our food experience.
Overall, my 1^st Unilocal Elite outing was a good one. I got to meet some new Unilocal friends.
Special thanks also to Kris for organizing this for all to experience and enjoy.
Until next time!

Insane event! Thanks Kris and everyone at the Wilcox for such an amazing evening! What an a amazing find in mississauga. I don’t normally head put to Mississauga much, but this place is so cool, I just might have to make the trip more often. These guys know how to mix a drink with some top shelf liquor. The guys behind the bar know how to mix up a great cocktail. The wines and beers were amazing as well. Overall, the design and décor of this gastropub is really hip. From the antler chandeliers to the bar, it is really well designed. Can’t wait to see the patio on this one as well.
Overall, the food was some higher end pieces. It just seemed to get better and better as the night went on. We started with the ceviche and ended with the caramel cream puffs. The pork belly and the quail egg. The food just kept coming all night, and they weren’t shy with some top liquor selections to pair with the tasting menu.
I can’t wait to come back to get a taste of the full menu and a few drinks under the skies of Mississauga. Not sure when I will be back, but I will definitely be stopping by the Wilcox.

Yum. This is what a great Unilocal event is all about. The basil refresher was my favourite drink of the night. Their cocktails aren’t just the average mixer and booze. Clearly a lot of thought went into each of the drinks served.
And the food! I’m reading about some that I missed out on, but we tried so many that I’m ok with that. My favourite that I tried was the scotch quail egg, which was perfect in every way.
Décor was great. I agree it was a bit stuffy on the main floor but I doubt it would be like that on your average night out. The roof of most of the main floor is all windows (think greenhouse) so it might be warm on a sunny day. Their patio will be opening soon!
Staff was super nice and all over the place but not in your face. It was obvious that they cared about putting on a great event, and there was A LOT of pride behind their food and drink. I’ll definitely be back to try their mains.
Thanks Kris for organizing and introducing us to this awesome place!
PS I do wish that they would have let me order a drink and pay for it. I would have liked to try some of their ciders.

Summer doesn’t normally start until June, but Kris may have officially initiated it last night with the ‘Summer Stunner’. Should we be surprised that it’s 30 degrees today?
The Wilcox is an interesting multilevelled layout. At first, it may not have been too conducive to a large group such as this arriving at once; however, once things settled in, it lends itself perfectly to getting to talk to people and feeling comfortable with various midsize sections/​rooms.
The food was a little slow in coming out, but once it did we were treated to various decadent offerings which few would’ve tried before. I loved the virtually all of them, from the scallop ceviche in ‘tiger milk’ (coconut milk with habanero I believe), a thick seared pork belly piece on an apple crisp, and grilled octopus on a beet-​type salad over a plantain chip (see: I told you that few would’ve tried this). I was also fortunate to get a piece of venison. It was a nice cut of meat as it was not gamey, but the chef still let the meat speak for itself by only lightly seasoning it.
Of course, there were the drinks which were a real star of the evening. I loved the beer as expected, but I may have to open my world a little more to cocktails, as I really enjoyed all 3 offerings.
The Passport game was a great tool for a conversation piece in meeting new people. Unsurprisingly, Unilocal seems to bring out people with common tastes (no pun intended) for culture and new experiences.
Great hospitality from everyone at the Wilcox from the owners, kitchen staff and the servers. I’ve been here before and can say the service then was just as personable and timely.
Thanks again: Unilocal,Kris, Wilcox, and all the beautiful people for last night.

Great Place to check out… All thanks to Kris, Unilocal GTA and the team at Wilcox Gastropub to make that a possibility for us.
This place is run by 3 young folks and when chatting with them and getting to know their vision, I found out that they are located in one of Mississauga’s oldest Heritage Homes. So thanks to Kris we were at a HOUSE party!!!
The party was amazing. The place was beautiful inside and the décor is designed to be cozy, warm and welcoming. There is a mini dinning area as you enter and then the Bar but the place is 2 floors and the second floor has more dinning space.
The staff was awesome and very friendly. The bartenders were mixing it up with cocktails non stop and the kitchen was popping out samplers which were finishing up just as they came out of the Klicken. I eat only halal meat but up for samples were
Beef Brisket, Octopus over a Russian Salad, Scallop with lime, Mushrooms with goat cheese & Braised Pork Belly.
There were a lot of Unilocal swags at this one such as shot glasses, water bottles, earphones, sunglasses, pens and sweatbands.
To spice it up Kris came up with a Passport game for people to interact with one and other.
Overall great fun… Thanks Kris!

If one of the purposes for these Unilocal events is to highlight the hosting venue, then MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
The Wilcox has been bookmarked for a while as a spot to hit in the city, but I’ve been holding off since I knew that this was gonna be the location for the Summer Stunner! ;)
This place is pretty cool, despite being in Mississauga. It’s my hometown, but c’mon, let’s be real, this city is overrun with chain-​restos and we need something different. This restaurant is unique and even has a large sunroom-​type atmosphere where the bar is located. Pretty!
Anyway, I was a bad Unilocaler last night as I barely took any photos — I was too busy chatting the night away with my +2s and other Unilocalers (and their +1s/​2s), old and new.
Had a great time! What a wonderful way to kick off all the fab events that will be coming up, riiight Kris? No pressure… no pressure at all.

Thank you to Kris for organizing the fab event as well as the staff at Wilcox (Daniel, Joseph, Cong, & many others). Super friendly staff!
The space was beautiful and I would love to come back in the future ! The drive didn’t take long at all from the GTA.
The excitement was definitely downstairs, with the awesome drinks around the bar area and food coming out of the kitchen. Perhaps it might be more effective to bring the sample apps to the tables so that it ensures all Unilocalers have a fair share. The passport game was a great icebreaker but some of us gave up as we did not want to lose our table/​seat. Just in case we get to play this again, my fav place is Bahamas and my dream destination is Greece :)
The food was definitely yummy. My fav was the caramel puff (best of the night & great bite to end the evening w/​), scotch egg, mushroom, octopus. My least favourite was the pork belly (needs a bit more seasoning, slightly bland… maybe grilled longer?).
For the drinks, I loved the Basil & Rosemary refresher. I also enjoyed a bit of the Marisco white wine.
Didn’t have a problem with the ventilation as the vent was close to my seat & I was kinda freezing my @$$ off towards the end of the night: D
Thank you Kris & Wilcox Gastropub for the great evening !!

What a great way to start the summer at the Wilcox Gastropub! Another memorable event filled with great tastings, and a lot of fun mingling with new Unilocalers and others I was happy to hang out with again.
Although I was a bit disappointed I didn’t get to try a few of the samples, I know it wasn’t for a lack of effort by the Wilcox owners and staff. The restaurant being as spacious and sectional as it is, probably made it difficult to track who had samples, and who hadn’t. That being said, the food that I did get to try, like the Scotched Egg, Mushroom Feta dish, and Dulce de Leche Puff were quite tasty!
My quest for food did motivate me to explore the pub a little bit, and quickly realized that the bar area was the place to be! Besides chatting with some great Unilocalers, I was able to partake in a multitude of drink samples that were on display last night :) As Amy Z mentioned, I was lucky enough to be the first (I think) to try a full glass of the Basil + Rosemary Refresher — which by the way was my favourite drink of the night! The Marisco White Wine and Beau’s Brewery selections also hit the spot. I’m less of a whiskey kind of guy, but I appreciated the selections available.
As other have mentioned, the staff were great all night. I don’t remember her name, but the female brunette waitress was super helpful and friendly all night, as was the Beau’s Brewery server (whose name I also don’t remember because I’m terrible at remembering names!). I had the pleasure of meeting Cong, as well as one of the other owners — who both seemed like real nice guys that are truly invested in making the Wilcox all it can be.
Will definitely be back here to try a full meal, and will be glad to support this place. I can definitely see this place being a good time with friends on a weekend. Thanks as usual Kris for setting this up — another great event, and another great find!

The Summer Stunner… I am still reeling from the quality of this event. Kris, you sure know how to start the summer of 2015 right! I would love to thank the Wilcox Gastropub, Muskoka Brewery, Beaus Brewery and Kris U for organizing it all and Unilocal as well.
What a great venue! The Wilcox is a multi level venue and restaurant that can deliver! Not only was the venue great, but the quality of service from the staff here are excellent! The staff here took their time to make sure that we were taken care of. and if we had an issue they made sure that it was addressed. We were treated to samples of Scallop Ceviche, Venison bites, Grilled Octopus with Russian Salad, Grilled Pork Belly on Apple Crisps, Beef Brisket… a great selection of tastings, but with distributing and servicing a large group to make sure everyone has been served is quite a task (I know from years of catering) My hats off to the Wilcox for doing their best!
I read in another review the «real star» of the night was the drinks… this was definitely the case!!! The exotic creations made by the exemplary bar tending staff at the Wilcox was definitely a treat! The Hennessy Domain, Testarossa, Gin Old Fashioned, Basil and Rosemary Refresher, Andeluna 1300 Malbec, Lug Tread, Detour… soo many choices! I personally loved the Testarossa, but the most unusual tasting of the night was the Refresher… it had egg white! and it tasted great!
As with most Unilocal events, there was a ton of premium swag! Aluminum Water bottles, Unilocal audio earbuds, sunglasses, sweatbands etc.etc.All the benefits of being a GTA Unilocal elite were shown to our guests and what they could expect if they joined the ranks of Elite! Kris also introduced a Passport game, which helped new Unilocalers and Old Unilocalers connect.
If this event is any indication of the things Kris and the GTA Unilocal has planned this summer. I am down for all of it!!! 5 stars!

A+++ event!!! The drinks and barstaff were fantastic, as was the wonderful servers and food. I’m really glad I got to check this place out with a generous +2! It will be a new regular haunt for my boyfriend and his work colleagues. The venue was really interesting and unique and I genuinely appreciated what the owners are trying to bring to the community; a cool place to drink, eat and relax. Great event as usual Kris! You rock!

Thanks Kris and the Wilcox team for hosting a pretty kick-​ass event. The place itself is gorgeous and the décor is super warm, cozy, and nice. The place was packed with people, most of whom I have never seen before, which was nice. I brought some friends with me here to their first Unilocal event and they really were diggin it (free food and booze helps too…)
The game today was the Unilocal passport where everyone had to name their favorite place they’ve ever been and a place they have been wanting to go. Is it really that weird that I want to go to London?! Come on people!
There was so much food that, even though, we got skipped over some, we still managed to get our hands on some tasty morsels. From pork belly to ceviche to short rib and much more, there was just so many little things that tasted so damn good. (That octopus and venison though… food boner). The drinks didn’t end either and though there was a huge lineup at the beginning, everything started to flow a lot better.
Big thank you to the Wilcox team again. You’ve done an amazing job with the place and you can be damn sure that you will see my ugly mug back in your restaurant to try some actual plates of this food.

Wooooh! First Unilocal Elite Event, and really had a blast! So much fun meeting people in person (finally) and I think this was the perfect event for a first-​timer!
Loved the look of the whole place, with a bit of a vintage and rustic look on the outside, but a beautifully furnished and modern inside. Really liked the incorporation of the 2.5 floors, open kitchen, and bar in a tree-​inspired space.
Drinks were fantastic. Got to try a bit of everything and really enjoyed the variety of them all. My favourite was the Basil + Rosemary Refresher, but the others were great as well. Best part was that each drink was boozy, which means the bartenders don’t skimp out on the alcohol!
Food was absolutely amazing! Loved each and every one of the samples! The Octopus was fantastic with a symphony of tastes, but the Short Ribs and Venison were great too! Was excellent to have some wine to go around as well!
Servers were very friendly and you could tell they were proud of what they had to offer! The 3 owners were awesome, and thank you Kris so much for a wonderful night! Definitely a spot I’d come back to (despite it being a bit further from home), and already planning a visit with some others again in the near future!

Oh my god! This was an amazing event by kris! Many thanks to you man, this place is the bomb literally! It’s so nice to see the Unilocal community under one roof again! Lots of catching up, laughs, and plans to meet up again, amazing.
This pub is nice and cozy. The staff are super welcoming and awesome people! The beer was amazing or at least to me it was amazing, nice and smooth, hell yea. The other drinks were good too, but I think that basil drink was nice… or maybe it was because I love lemonade so that’s probably why hahaha. The food that came out hella bomb hmmmmmm. The octo beet plantain yum, mushroom feta cheese yum, scallop spoon yum, pork belly hell yea and the egg sausage *drolls*. I didn’t try the last food item or the creamy seafood spoon one sadly :(. Pretty sure those two would of been amazing though.
Definitely would come back and recommend to people in the area to give this place a try!

I rarely come to mississauga, but I’m sure glad I decided to last minute! Wilcox is beautiful from the outside and very vintage and pretty on the inside. Adrienne told me it used to be an irish pub that was pretty bad, but it turned into wilcox & got spruced up! Really enjoyed the interior– super classy and modern at the same time. Loved how it had two levels too– the balcony was my place.
Many Unilocalers tonight and a lot of them at their first event– welcome! :) I’m so glad I met a lot of you, and some that’s been on my list forever but never officially met. So glad it was +2 this time, because I met a lot of new people. It was nice how there were seats, but also nice to walk around and meet people at the same time.
I am a fan of the many choices of liquor tonight– my fave was the rosemary basil refresher– which Simon C. was lucky and got a full size of! I also enjoy any occasion where I have wine so. YAY!
The food was alright, but I felt like there was lack of– kitchen staff was working hard, but food was gone before it could make the rounds upstairs. I had a bit of the scotch egg before Simon C. knocked it down– THANKS! :P The pork belly was also good, even though I am not a fan of pork.
Another thing I wasn’t a fan of was the ventilation… yes, I was THAT girl who walked around all night with a fan looking for the coolest part of the building. Jannies tried to help me pry open the window but it turned out that it didn’t open. Too many people and too little air, I’d say. The free fans surely helped!
Overall, it was a nice experience and a good taste of mississauga! Thanks for the successful event, Kris! And lovely meeting you all!