Groupon sent us back to Canton and we were
hoping for more of a Demico’s than a
Rock Fresh sort of experience. We ended
up landing somewhere in the middle at The Fox and Hound. In a plaza
a short ways from Belden Village Mall the place looked empty from
the parking lot. The lot was pretty full and when we walked through
the door the dining area was as well. The reason it looked empty
from the outside might be the best thing about the place. There are
essentially three rooms, a central dining area with a bar and two
wings on either side.
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The two additional rooms are outfitted with
pool and ping-pong tables plus a couple of table-top shuffleboard
sets. There might have been dartboards or other options as well but
we were just in to eat. I understand they also have pay per view
fights which would likely make for a nice place to catch some
combat. They probably have NFL games too if you are more into
Dancing with the Stars kinda battle. Our server started off about
average but seemed to regress as the night went along. I’m not sure
what happened but she certainly seemed to lose interest as time
clicked by.
We started with an appetizer and soup. The
appetizer was what they call Jacked-up Cheese Wedges. They are
cheese wedges, I’m not sure where jacked-up fits in. They are
pepperjack cheese (by description) but the pepper part of the
equation appears to be in the taste bud protection program and the
“kickin’ jalapeno jelly” kicks more like a newborn fawn than a mule.
There is literally no discernable heat at all. That said, it’s a
triangle of fried cheese served with a sweet pepper jelly for
dipping, it’s a misnomer but it’s not bad. |
The Cheese Soup Was Also Passable |
But The Pretzel Nugget In Back Was Awesome |
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The soup is a bratwurst cheese, very beer cheesy, rich with loads of
onions and peppers lending a hint of light to the heft of the cheese
and dairy. The slices of bratwurst were subdued a bit by the
cheesiness. For me, the best thing we had through the entire night
was the pretzel roll alongside the soup. It’s a relatively simple
thing but it was done to a T. It arrived hot enough to make your
fingertips uncomfortable. Darkly browned egg wash was peppered with
coarse salt and had a deft chewy texture that gave way to a steaming
and soft, just-done interior. It was almost sacrilege to dip it into
the soup but it held it’s own there as well. Odd, what stands out
sometimes. |
The "Ultimate" Burger Arrived In Stunning Style... |
...And Was Stunningly Below Average |
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The buffalo chicken sounded good originally but we decided to try a
couple of things that are more specific to the house. We went with a
burger and the brat duo. The burger sounded amazing. The name alone,
“The Ultimate”, makes promises. Ingredient list…Angus and Chorizo
patty. Stuffed with guacamole, jalapenos and cheese. Topped with
spicy mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and two onion rings.
Simply, too much. Tastes like not much, noting stands out, nothing
comes together, it ends up just being a relatively greasy mess. I
actually pulled out a piece of the patty to taste separately because
I didn’t believe there was any chorizo in the mix. Turns out there
is, you can taste it but only if you dissect the sandwich like
you’re in high school bio. Far from ultimate.
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The Yankee Falls Far Short |
But The Sausage And Peppers Gets A Rebound |
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The brats were better by half. First, they come in those pretzel rolls. Bonus! You can choose one of two options. The Yankee comes with sauerkraut, caramelized onions, and a horseradish mustard, while the Sausage and Peppers with giardiniera peppers, Dijon Mustard, and diced red onions. I asked for both, one of each. Our server had a bit of an episode but snapped out of it and got the okay from someone to split the dish. It was a good thing, the only one I cared for was the one I would have passed. The kraut sounded great, horseradish, made for braty goodness, like the burger, it just didn’t pan out. The kraut was weak and I would bet the horseradish mustard didn’t make it to the bun. It was a good brat in a great roll, all else was folly. The second was topped with Dijon mustard (definitely there) and a rangy pepper giardiniera which added a substantial spice against the juicy sausage and also stood up to the bread, much more interesting than the first.
The sides were also split. The onion rings were flaccid and shed
their breading like someone pigmentally challenged who fell asleep
at the beach. The fries were much better. Thick sticks were fried
and seasoned with some garlic and parm. I typically prefer rings as
an option but that wouldn’t be the case here. The Fox and Hound
would be a nice place to sip a Guinness and nibble for a fight. It
doesn’t rate near as well as a simple dinner stop. |
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Fries Much Better Than The Rings |
Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
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C- | D | B+ | A | D | C- | ||
Pretzel Roll | Too Much Else |