McGinnis Frontrow Restaurant

We go here often when we want good pub food. From looking at the place, you would never know that FrontRow offers good quality, freshly made food that tastes and looks amazing! Service is usually good, and the prices are reasonable.
I am never disappointed in my food choice at FrontRow.

If you live in Waterloo and you have never made it to Front Row then you get an F for effort. This place is quite possibly the best combo of tasty food, good looking waitresses, low prices, excellent service, lots of fun, and frequent deals. I personally like to come in every Thursday night for the $3 pints and sit on the patio with my friends discussing the meaning of cheese in tortillas.
I have never been dissatisfied or offended by the service or lack there of. One time i even remember my date caught a fly in her nearly-finished tequila sunrise (we were on the patio so flies are fair game) and it was replaced within minutes without any hassle. Keep i mind this place is geared towards a younger crowd.
Now about food... a massive well grilled burger with sides for under $10?... SURE. A great big plate of finger foods for a group of 4 for $25?... NO PROBLEM. Want some amazing cheese bread, tortillas, enchiladas, pizzas, wraps, soups, salads, pastas or anything else in the same ballpark for real cheap? Knock yourself out. This place has it all. I have never had anything to complain about in terms of food.
Having gone there many times i already know the names and faces of many of the waitresses and i can tell you that those girls dont change very often. You can find a server who has been there for over four years. All of them are super sweet, always around without hovering, and have lots of advice to offer if need be.
Now to the main point - the atmosphere. This is a classic sports bar with subtle but welcome innovations. You always have a host welcoming you and popcorn bowls sitting along the bar counter. There are lots of booths, which easily accommodate 6 people at once, and some which are meant for 4. Waitresses will move tables together on the upper level (ok its only like 4 stairs worth of a climb) to fit over 20 people (been there done that sans t-shirt). The highlights of the interior are definitely multiple HD-tvs, excellent decor consisting of various countrys' sports gear, and the beautiful servers themselves. The pinnacle of Front Row is it's patio. The name is probably derived from the location of the bar + its purpose (ekhm ekhm watch sports events on telly). During the hot months while on the patio I cant help but sip on a cold one and watch all those sportsbikes fly down University Ave. You can even catch a friend walking by. There is a huge plasma screen outside in case a cigaret catches you in the middle of a UFC fight.
To sum it all up, im there at least once a week. My friends love it, i love it. Although its not a place you want to bring your infant to on a wednesday night , you shouldn't be going out when on maternity leave anyhow.

Service is slow. This is compensated for by the extreme attractiveness of the waitresses, and TVs at every table. Food was good, portions were average or slightly larger.

This place just can't be beaten! You can not find better food at any other sports bar anywhere! The service is top notch, and the atmosphere is fantastic!!! On a nice sunny day there is nowhere better to be than on the patio at Front Row, especially since they built a bar outside complete with a Plasma TV! I have been a patron of this bar for about 10 years now and the people who complain about bad service must deserve the service they receive!

The burger was possibly one of the best ive ever had. the presentation was neat and i liked the environment. it is quite the busy place and everyone was on their toes! found it hard to catch a server. everything was cooked to perfection though. definitely recommended!

had a lovely night dinner was amazing had lots of fun the service was great!!! host was very friendly! will be back in again very soon!!!

The food was good, their selection was somewhat eclectic. TV's were everywhere.
The service we had was terrible however, the server messed up an order and came back asking "Are you ok with having fries?" in a tone that clearly suggests she just didn't want to do anything about it.
Also, when we were leaving after we had all paid our bills separately (and therefore separate tips, either through debit or just saying keep the change) she blatantly told us that next time we came, "the server's expect a 15% tip" as she didn't receive any tips left on the table (from my partner and I). I don't know what she's used to, but poor service means no tip in my experience ... she's lucky she got anything. She's lost two customers for sure.

The food was definitely palatable, but the service was lacking. Our waitress had a terrible attitude problem, and did a wonderful job of ruining our dining experience.

I thought it was just coincidence but the few times I've eaten here, I've left with a painful stomach cramp. I'm not sure how they manage to mess up a simple wrap with fries or burger with fries, etc but I can't stomach any of the food here.