The Axe & Anchor Waterfront Pub · Port Clements Call

Port Clements · on the Yakoun River · Haida Gwaii

The Axe
& Anchor.

A waterfront pub with a working-town heart

For decades this was the Yakoun River Inn — the village pub of Port Clements. It was gutted, rebuilt and reopened in 2022 as the Axe & Anchor: same spot on the water, a Michelin-trained kitchen, and a room made for a long night and a cold pint.

See the food 250-626-7939

Rebuilt 2022 · On the water · Michelin-trained kitchen · “Best pub on Haida Gwaii”

Fishing boats moored along a quiet, misty northern harbour with a low forested shore — placeholder photo standing in for the Axe & Anchor’s waterfront
The water is the real thing — this photo is a placeholder
A wooden bench under a golden autumn maple beside still, misty water at first light — placeholder photo evoking the Yakoun riverfront
Still water, most mornings

From the Yakoun River Inn

The same spot on the river — rebuilt from the studs up.

Port Clements grew up on logging and fishing, and for decades the Yakoun River Inn was its pub — the room where the village met at the end of a working day. When the old inn closed, the building could have gone quiet for good.

Instead it was gutted and rebuilt, and reopened in 2022 as the Axe & Anchor — run by owner Charleen O’Brien, with a chef who has cooked in Michelin-starred kitchens. Same view over the water, brand-new room: a spacious modern interior, a patio for the long northern evenings, and sunsets that come with the odd seal or orca in the inlet.

Reopened 2022 Owner: Charleen O’Brien Michelin-trained chef Patio on the water
A reclaimed-timber pub bar with a chalkboard draught list, rows of taps and warm pendant lights — placeholder photo, not the Axe & Anchor’s bar

The bar

Cold beer on tap, a chalkboard of what’s pouring, and stools that fill up on a Friday. It’s a proper pub bar — timber, warm light, and a game on.

Draught beer · Music trivia · Later on weekends

A warm, rustic table set with wooden chairs, glasses and a candle in a small-town room — placeholder photo, not the Axe & Anchor’s room

The room & the welcome

Pull up a chair. Travellers keep noting the same thing — “even the owner came over to say hi” — the kind of small-town welcome you can’t fake.

Waterfront view · Family-friendly · Owner-run

Food & drink

Cooked like it matters.

No menu online yet — so here is what travellers keep ordering, in their own words. Photos are placeholders until we can shoot the real plates.

A colourful poke-style bowl with cubed protein, edamame, corn, cucumber and greens — placeholder photo, not the Axe & Anchor’s kitchen placeholder

the one to order

Tuna poke

The tuna poke turns up in review after review as the thing to get — “exceptional”, more than one traveller called it.

A tall double cheeseburger on a toasted bun over dark wood — placeholder photo, not the Axe & Anchor’s kitchen placeholder

pub classic

The deluxe burger

“Deluxe burger with homemade fries” — a review line all its own. Hand-cut fries, cooked to order.

Golden battered fish and chips with lemon and tartar sauce — placeholder photo, not the Axe & Anchor’s kitchen placeholder

from the water

Cod fish & chips

Battered cod and fries — the north-coast staple, done the way a river-town pub should do it.

A grilled steak plated with hand-cut fries and herbs — placeholder photo, not the Axe & Anchor’s kitchen placeholder

after dark

Sirloin & jumbo prawns

Sirloin steak with jumbo prawns is the reviewers’ big-night plate — surf and turf, island-style.

On the table & behind the bar

Dishes named in public reviews and directories — the menu changes, so call to confirm.

Chicken wings
Pork-bite nuggets
Crab & artichoke dip
Beet salad
Meatloaf & mash
Tacos & nachos
Risotto
Spaghetti bolognese
Caesar salad
Chocolate mousse
Kids’ menu
Vegetarian options

Behind the bar: cold beer on tap, plus wine and the usual pours. Listings put most plates around $20–$30 a person — no prices are published online yet, so treat that as a guide, not a menu.

A close-up of a cold amber draught beer, foam and condensation on the glass — placeholder photo

cold on tap

A pint and the water going gold at sunset — the whole point of a river-town pub.

Hours & find us

On Bayview, by the water.

117 Bayview Dr
Port Clements, BC V0T 1R0 — Haida Gwaii

Kitchen hours

Sunday
10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday
12:00 pm – 12:00 am
Saturday
12:00 pm – 12:00 am

Listed hours only — island times shift with the season, so call ahead before you set out.

250-626-7939

Find them on Facebook & Instagram — The Axe & Anchor Pub.

What people say

  • “Best pub on Haida Gwaii.” — TripAdvisor review headline
  • “From a fun music trivia night and OUTSTANDING food to great service — even the owner came over to say hi.” — TripAdvisor review
  • “The front doors are absolutely beautiful… a great view of the setting sun and the water.” — traveller review

~4.6–4.8 across Google & TripAdvisor

Good to know

  • Patio & harbour views
  • Takeaway available
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Wi-Fi
  • Cards accepted
  • Music trivia & karaoke nights