Touted by fellow Toronto bloggers as a university pub-style hangout for older-somethings who have never grown up, the Rhino Bar & Grill, located at 1249 Queen Street West, seemed instantly appealing. I remember drinking in university pubs! That was last week! Certainly, the prices are reminiscent of days gone by, with burgers and fries starting at $6.50. You then have a choice of many deluxe condiments -- I opted for the goat cheese for an extra $1.00.I also tried to order one of their seasonal beers from the specials menu -- a choice of about ten -- but my first three selections were unavailable. Really? I have to go with my fourth choice? Shouldn't my beer be free at this point? Playing along nicely, I consulted their regular beer menu, boasting 225 varieties, for my fourth pick. This took a while. I was beginning to question whether this "bar" actually truly served "beer"at all. Finally, I was able to receive a bottle of "whatever darkest beer you have from Canada." It didn't matter anymore. Please just bring me a drink so that my food order can be placed.
Tasty Tastebuds, on the other hand, had a simple go of it by ordering the house Rhino brew, which was -- fortunately -- readily available on tap.
While I sipped on my fourth choice of beer, we took in the ambiance: dark, with discreet mood lighting provided by a few strings of Christmas lights, and top-40 rock hits from the 90s blasting through the speakers. The Rhino is also quite spacious, with pool tables at the back, and enough space in the front for medium-sized gatherings of friends for birthdays or other functions. There was indeed such a crowd gathered, about 10-12 partiers, which made the place seem quite lively for a Monday night.
Food arrives! The burger is good; patty homemade and incredibly juicy. The fries, however, were cold, and not at all freshly cut either. The burger's goat cheese did make my (sizeable) sandwich rich and dreamy, but the cold fries and lack of availability for my first three choices of beverage sure made this Rhino Bar & Grill dining experience less than spectacular.
3 comments:
I don't know why Rhino even bothers to "claim" that they have that many beers in stock. The two times I've been there, I had the same experience. Their only redeeming fact when I had been there was that they had Durham Black Katt Stout on cask.
With the great selection of Ontario micro brews available at Rhino on tap, I never even look at the bottle selection.
You're probably right -- head straight for the beer taps to make your beverage selections at the Rhino!
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