The Rhino
1249 Queen Street West
Phone: 416-535-8089
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When in need of decent sit-down place to eat in Parkdale, time and again I find myself at Rhino.
The atmosphere at this bar/restaurant is totally laid back and the menu not bogged down by the usual bar fare. Still, even though I find myself returning for more, I'm not completely convinced the kitchen can handle their own menu.
I'm there in a party of three (with very different cravings), and we order up Fish & Chips, a Prosciutto Sandwich with Fries and a Thin Crust Primavera (veggie) Pizza.
First to arrive (from friendly staff) are 3 waters (with lemon) and a beer. Simple items and for the sake of mentioning, perfect.
When it came to food, the clear winner (pictured above) is the prosciutto sandwich. The bread is soft and fresh, prosciutto and other fillings savoury, and the fries are light and crispy.
From then on it's just downhill.
The fish and chips look promising, but the balance of the dish is way off. The fish, while lightly battered was just too heavily fried. I had to donate my napkin to the owner of the dish to deal with the grease. Meanwhile, the accompanying chips/fries were SO lightly fried they were flavourless -- aside from half of them which tasted like fish from their plate-neighbour. Bleh.
Finally, my own dish, was the primavera pizza. Again, it looked pretty good. Starved, I even dug in before remembering to photograph. The other three slices though, were relunctantly finished.
The crust was ok. Thin, kind of pita-like, but not very crispy at all. The veggie toppings (ie. the best part) seemed good too. It was the ingredients that fused these two that really ruined the meal.
Do you remember when McDonalds came out with pizzas a decade or two ago? Mini ones they used to bake in microwaves that looked like pizza ovens? Yes? Well, if so, do you remember the nasty sweet and slimey tomato sauce that topped them? Fresh out of a can, surely? Well, let's just say I had the most unwelcome feeling of deja vu.
That and the melted cheese for which I have real way to describe but am assuming it was some kind of bland processed mozza, just destroyed any potential this dish might have had.
(And the stomach rumblings later that night would congratulate me again on a choice well made.)
Still, I like this spot, and something tells me I'll probably end up at Rhino again. It's just one of those places where you need to find the dishes that rock, and stick with 'em.
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Rhino - 1249 Queen Street West
Comments (13)
My stomach was super upset later that night too. I would definitly go back to Rhino- I'll just stay away from the Fish n' Chips
This post couldn't be more timely. I'm going to the Rhino tonight for a Ruby on Rails pub night. Maybe I should eat before I go?
I eat at the rhino every other week. It's amazing that you can find something as good as the rhino burger and as horrible as the 'cajun chicken sandwich' from the same kitchen. The sandwich was a dry and flavourless piece of chicken, and there wasn't a drop of sauce on the bun. No lettuce, no tomato... just dry chicken on a dry, and stale, bun. Terrible.
but then there's the glory that is the rhino burger.... probably the best burger in the area.
Don't ever get the calamari. It's horrible. I've also found the service to be lacking. However, they do have wicked beer selection.
We go to the Rhino all the time. I adore their chicken or veggie quesadilla (with extra salsa instead of sour cream). Their salads are good and so are the delicious burgers. I've never had a problem with the fries. The Thai pizza is good. I like the crust -- it's lightyears tastier than anything Pizza Pizza offers.
The Rhino is also an awesome place for birthday parties or stags. Good food, lots of choice with beer.
No one's mentioned their awesome beer selection, which is considerable.
WTF is up with the patio? I've never seen such a sparce layout in my life. It's like they know that the patio might have to return to it's former life as a parking lot, so they haven't put anything down that cant be moved in minutes.
Somes notes from a 13-year veteran of the 'Dale and Rhino:
- the menu has not changed since the first time I ate there in 1993
- neither have the prices
- usually the fish and chips are the best thing on the menu (but are better at lunch, always)
- everything on the menu can range from astounding to really, terribly awful, and there's no real way to determine if it's going to be a bad meal until it's in front of you
- we go back for the great (and cheap) beer selection, and usually decent desserts
I love the Rhino, but the food is hit and miss. I once loved the burger, but they kept serving it on the pinky side.
The quesidillas and the prosciutto sandwich are delicious, the wings are pretty good too.
Despite some of the negatives, I will keep going back. The staff is great and the atmosphere is very laid back. The beer menu is one of the best. There is a huge selection, including one of my favourites, Wunderweiss.
You have to respect that you can get a jug of great beer at the Rhino (Dennison's Weissbier, Tank House Ale, etc) for about $10.50..
You're looking at a horrible dive serving Blue Light to match that kinda price in Toronto.. if you're lucky.
But the comments re: food are definately true - it's like navigating a minefield. For instance, you get more salad if you order a burger with salad (instead of fries) than you do if you order a salad alone.
Rhino is probably one of my fave places ever--in the entire city. I will say the hummus is always a solid choice at $4. Delectable! But yeah, the menu has done some transitioning over the years... but it's mostly good.
The Rhino burger is so where it's at, especially if you order it with goat cheese. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.
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