The Waterloo
(Second Visit) Akron, Ohio Date of Visit: 08/06/15 http://www.waterloorestaurant.com Click Here for Original Visit Back to the Loo. I would say nothing has changed, but they have undergone renovations. Actually they screwed two polished metal “W’s” to the wall. Asked if they were new, we were told they are renovating. Both W’s up? Check. Renovation done. The service staff appears much younger than I remember but the menu and the food remains the same. From the newspapers on the wall, they’ve been at it for a long time. |
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The crowd isn’t young, but we did go in the early bird time zone.
Housemade pierogi were pretty tasty, fried chicken was desert dry,
hot roast beef sammy was classically average. Exactly what I would
expect from The Waterloo. |
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I also expect killer dessert. Turned out to be a mixed bag this
trip. The Big Waterloo apple could have used some additional
traditional spice and some sweet as well. The crust is more biscuit
than pie, and their pie crust is quickly missed. We took pies home
for the next few days…coconut, hot fudge peanut butter, and cherry
crumble. The coconut was actually a banana someone had mistaken and
sprinkled shreds of coconut on top. Steph was bummed. Pretty much 0
for 2 at this point.
Hot fudge peanut butter, yeah, that’s a thing. Nutty cream pie with
hot fudge drizzled all over. Since we were taking ours to go, they
added a cup of additional fudge…good lookin’ out. The peanut butter
is pretty mild on the palate compared to others which let the crust,
cream and chocolate contribute nicely overall. The cherry pie was
killer, bottom to top, you don’t find old school treats like this
very often. Too bad not everything has that level of craftsmanship.
At the Loo, they are consistent, even if it’s somewhat
inconsistently consistent. |
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Change in Ranking | |||||
Original Score | Which Way? | New Score | Why For? | ||
C | C | Decades Of Motion
In One Direction Aren't Going To Be Altered By Two Pieces Of Metal On The Wall. The Loo Abides. |
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Having heard it advertised for years I have made a couple of trips to see what the Waterloo might actually offer in Akron. At lunch time the place was packed so we headed across the road to stall until about 2:00 and still found the restaurant almost full. We were easily the youngest table in the restaurant by 30 years, which is not a bad sign. Matter of factly, several of the other tables were glancing at us in as though we were interlopers who had stumbled onto their special place by accident, making a table harder to get. |
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The menu is enormous, offering a long list of diner staples from fish and pasta to breakfast served all day. We decided to try an appetizer and a couple of the specials for the day. Not feeling particularly healthy or an interest in being healthy we ordered the cheese and chips which were fantastic. Seasoned crispy waffle fries with a salty orange cheese concoction, bacon and sour cream on the side. The salads were crisp and fresh with a pile of flavorful additions. Surprised to find tuna on the menu, particularly along side Israeli couscous and lemon caper sauce, the fish was cut very thin, which leads to it being cooked more than I would prefer, but everything tasted fine. The specials included a “famous” meatloaf and mash which again turned out to be solidly prepared. I have not found anything on the menu spectacularly prepared, but everything I have had is just what you might expect, no better no worse. |
Fresh Salads |
Thin but Passable Tuna |
Tradition on a Plate |
That is, until it comes to the desserts. They
have a long list of homemade pies and other treats that make any
interest in being healthy very, very, difficult. This trip we were
tempted to bring home a slice of coconut cream and blackberry, which
are spectacular. We couldn’t bring ourselves to order one but I have
included a picture of their giant cream puff with almond cream and
hot fudge…yes that is an entire pie sitting next to it. The Waterloo
is a solid if mediocre performer of American classics with the
guarantee of a sweet finish.
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Blackberry Pie |
Coconut Cream |
Tremendous Avalanche of Puff |
Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
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C | B | C | A | D | C | ||
Who Loves Pie? | Mediocre Effort til Dessert |