The Bauer Kitchen - 187 King St S #102, Waterloo

I went to the Bauer Kitchener in Waterloo on October 17th with my boyfriend, Dave.

4	82%	3.9	4	3.5

The Bauer Kitchen is a member of the Charcoal Group - a local restaurant group that includes favourites like Del Dente (now dels Enoteca Pizzeria), the Charcoal Steakhouse, Moose Winooski’s, and others. It is, appropriately enough, located in the Bauer Marketplace, adjacent to fellow Charcoal Group restaurant, the Bauer Bakery and Cafe. The Bauer Kitchen only serves weekend brunch, which begins at 9 AM on Saturdays and Sundays, and as it is a specifically brunch place, some of the review standards I invented for this blog have had to be altered a bit. For example, their breakfast offerings include only the following options:

 However, the brunch menu, as you can see around the edges of that photo, include many lunch options, from sandwiches to pasta. This is a perk if you are brunching with someone who, god forbid, dislikes breakfast, but a disadvantage as far as comparing one restaurant’s breakfast special with another’s. Also, you will notice these options differentiate themselves from standard breakfast - poached eggs with spinach and fruit, brioche french toast with candied apricots, and homemade granola, just to point out a few departures. I also feel that, given the nature of the place, the prices were very reasonable. $12.95 is only a couple of dollars more than you could expect to pay for a fully-loaded omelette anywhere, and the quality of the ingredients, urban-loft-atmosphere, and cooking certainly makes it worthwhile.

The Bauer Kitchen is no diner breakfast - but it was, almost entirely, a delicious experience. I made a reservation via OpenTable for a 10 AM table (although it turned out I didn’t need to do so - it wasn’t empty, but also not very busy), and the hostess, after being a bit confused about the whole reservation thing, gave us a table by the window. Our waitress was stellar - very friendly - and kept our coffee coming throughout the morning. The coffee, coincidentally, was great and that is all I have to say about that. Good coffee, would drink again. We also both liked how the (raw) sugar and cream were served in a pitcher and bowl rather than in packets.

Dave ordered the Huevos Rancheros - pulled pork, guacamole, pico de gallo, refried beans, cilantro (his favourite thing), and an egg - which came with a side order of home fries ($14.95). It was very tasty, if weirdly cold. He really liked the hot sauce that was provided on the side, and appreciated the “warning: this is not ketchup” we got from the waitress.

I ordered the poached eggs with spinach, toast, and fresh fruit ($8.95), and added a side of home fries (because home fries - $2.95), and it, too, was good! The fruit was fresh if standard melons-pineapples-and-grapes, the toast (choice of multigrain or sourdough) tasted like it had been baked in house (great), and was thin-sliced and served with two kinds of jam and butter. My eggs came poached medium, and although they didn’t ask how I wanted them, they were AOK. The spinach, which was maybe a hair overcooked, was flavourful and provided a nice kick of iron that I love with my breakfast. The home fries divided our camp - Dave thought they “looked better than they tasted” and were a bit inconsequential flavour-wise, but I loved them. The spice combination on them tasted like the paprika/cinnamon combo I like to use on sweet potato wedges, and they were cooked well - a little crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. I think that hot sauce might have cooked Dave’s tastebuds to subtlety or something on this one. Overall, it was a really great experience - the restaurant is gorgeous, the prices were reasonable for what was offered, and we both enjoyed our meals, the service, and (especially) the coffee.

SCORECARD

Atmosphere	Price	Variety	Taste	Flexibility	Service
5	4	4	5	4	4.5
Cleanliness			Flavour		Courtesy
5			5		5
Ambience	Coffee		Cook		Speed
5	$2.95		5		4
			Coffee
			5
			Potatoes
			4.5

Overall rating: 4.5