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University of Toronto's Student Newspaper Since 1880

Restaurant Review: Weslodge Saloon

Old West meets King West at this new food joint, but scanty portions fail to impress

By Olivia Forsyth-Sells
Published: 3:50 am, 1 October 2012
Vol CXXXIII, No. 05 under ,
BERNARDA GOSPIC/THE VARSITY

The new Weslodge Saloon, located at 480 King St. W., features a dark and smoky interior with a Western aesthetic complimented by leather-bound menus and holster-wearing staff. It’s a unique, and trendy concept space, but when I visited the restaurant, the service was less than impressive. As I sat down at the bar, I was told that I would not be served because the bartender had stepped out. While Weslodge’s menu is reasonably priced, the selection is minimal and forces you to choose between a range of slightly peculiar salads, a burger, and some additional “old-timey” dinner dishes that should, quite frankly, stay in the 1920s (venison chops or Ontario lamb shoulder anyone?).

I decided to go for the burger, which, as far as I’m concerned, is usually a safe bet and a pretty good way of judging the quality of the kitchen. The wide-cut and freshly made fries that came with the burger were delicious. The burger was supposed to be medium-well, but was served blue. The portions were also pretty sparse, and I noticed that a minimal amount of food was being delivered to other tables as well.

Weslodge seems to cater to a certain clientele: young people who want King Street dining at a reasonable price, with no plans to eat anything substantial.


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  • John Durham

    Just as Ms. Forsyth-Sells recommends this restaurant to people “who have no plans to eat anything substantial”, I would recommend her column to people who have no plans to read anything substantial.

    She opts for a burger over an “old timey” Ontario lamb shoulder? Perhaps she should go to the Pickle Barrel, Montana’s, or Jack Astor’s. Surely she’d prefer the food there!

  • http://twitter.com/joshfumo Josh

    I have to agree with John on this one. With a menu that boasts a variety of creative and meticulous dishes beyond what you considered to be outdated (like bison striploin with juniper and green olive tabouli, or the fried bourbon cornish hen), it seems like a waste to settle for something you can find at nearly every bar, grill, saloon and fast-food joint in Toronto.

    Don’t be afraid to go beyond what every other restaurant can offer you – find out what makes this place unique and run with that instead.