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The Bauer Kitchen
Category: Restaurants Canadian (Traditional) Canadian (Traditional) [Edit]
187 King St SUnit 102
Waterloo, ON N2J
(519) 772-0790
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 7 am - 10:30 am
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 4 pm
Mon-Wed 4 pm - 12 am
Thu-Fri 4 pm - 1 am
Sat-Sun 8 am - 2 pm
Sat 2 pm - 1 am
Sun 2 pm - 11 pm
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
14 reviews for The Bauer Kitchen
14 reviews in English
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Review from Andi B.
Markham, ON
8/29/2011 Seated via OpenTable
The Bauer Kitchen is a good restaurant. No doubt about it. The atmosphere is really nice considering the prices your paying (not that pricey) and so is the staff and the food.
My husband and I went to this place in Kitchener on a Friday night. It was busy, like you hope a good restaurant to be.
We started with the Grilled Brie which was delicious. No complaints all around.
The menu was really cool...each meal has a number next to it, corresponding with the wine pairing they've chosen. Pretty nifty.
For dinner, I had the short rib gnocchi which had a good solid flavor. The portion size was perfect. My husband had the burger (he always does on Friday) and said that it was good, albeit a bit salty but worth the money. We both had the wine pairing for our meal and they were really really well-paired.
Over all. Nice experience and would definitely go back. Happy with the cash spent. -
Review from Lauren A.
Waterloo, ON
5/9/2012
I've been coming to Bauer since it opened and my last visit on Friday evening compelled me to finally review it. As many have mentioned, they have a great wine list and a decent cocktail menu. But, also mentioned by many others, the noise level is an issue at times. I'd never found it loud in the past, but on Friday they had a DJ spinning crummy beats, at 9:00 p.m. Many people were eating dinner and it made our table a bit too loud to enjoy conversation. I feel like it would be advisable to save the DJ and loud music until 11:00 or so, when most people are just having drinks and want a more bar-y atmosphere.
As for the food, Bauer has several great dishes and has even recently updated the menu. My only complaint about the food is that the menu leans towards being a bit heavy, and lacks a good dinner salad, something that similar places in town generally cover well. The short rib gnocchi is always a favourite, as is the seafood appetizer plate (though that may be off the menu now). Desserts are pretty good, though they don't have much in the way of gelato selection.
It's ideal for dinner, but service can be a bit slow around brunch and lunch. We went there for brunch a couple years ago and our friend ordered the freshly squeezed OJ. The waitress informed him that it was not fresh but bottled, and it still ran $5. Ouch. -
Review from Roger B.
Toronto, ON
1/27/2012
Went to Bauer Kitchen for a large group dinner (about a dozen ppl). Service was excellent and they wisely assigned several 'helpers' in addition the main waiter. I also appreciated that they didn't force an automatic tip.... this actually resulted in them getting a higher tip than they might have otherwise.
Food was delicious, and in the Kitchener-Waterloo area it's one of the nicer places. But it is fairly 'standard'. Steaks, Pizzas, Chicken, etc... nothing particularly unique/exotic. Think "Keg"... but a touch better. I'm from Toronto so I'm spoiled a bit and expect all sorts of creative twists... but for a really good basic meal it was fine.
I personally found the prices a bit high for what we got... but again, that might be a bit of a Waterloo supply/demand thing.
The one thing however that I should give a nod to is the wine program. I was REALLY impressed with what their somelier team has put together. The wine list includes a good variety (not just ontario/italy) of unique (not just cab, shiraz, merlot, chard) options. Many are offered in 3oz, 6oz, options (this seemed a bit weird to me... I like the more standard 5/6oz, and a 9oz upgrade). I found some of the prices, again, a touch high (many 3oz were what I might pay for a full glass in TO).
Interestingly for by-the-bottle wines, they offer to "open any bottle and serve it by the glass if you buy min. of 2 glasses"... that I found was kind of neat and much appreciated. 2 glasses is nothing to sweat, but a full bottle can be over the top (for 1 person on a random weekday). This program makes some of the reserve wines much more accessible...and, I imagine, results in lots of "bin ends" for other customers making it even more accessible and interesting. I love this idea and wish more resto's would follow suit. -
Review from Amanda B.
Kitchener, ON
11/26/2011
Hm.
I just don't get it.
I fit the demographic for this place - young professional, blah, blah, but the Bauer Kitchen hasn't won me over.
After visiting several times - twice for brunch, once for lunch, and once for drinks - I don't quite see what all the fuss is about.
Cocktails were serviceable. The bartender knew her stuff. I enjoy the decor and the warehouse-y feel. I like the menu offerings.
But the food. Really? And the service. Really?
At brunch, I had to get up and grab the coffee and pour myself another cup 'cause the waitress had vanished for the entirety of our meal (not busy at the time). Not the only time I've experienced poor service, but the most egregious example.
And I find the food underwhelming. I haven't been wowed. At all.
I'll give it another chance, maybe dinner this time, but I don't really have high hopes. -
Review from Precilla C.
Scarborough, ON
Updated - 4/21/2011 10 photos
Had another great lunch recently at the Bauer Kitchen. I really want to try the sandwiches on their lunch menu, but I'm never able to because the daily feature sandwich always wins me over. This time, I had a slow-roasted pulled pork sandwich with bbq sauce, coleslaw on a house-made cheddar ciabatta. It was extremely filling and delicious! The meat was tender and succulent, perfectly complemented by crunchy coleslaw. I'd eat this sandwich everyday!
My mother had another lunch daily special- the fish and chips. I'm so happy that they let us substitute regular fries for sweet potato frites with no surcharge! The accompanying lemon tartar sauce was rather lackluster, but all in all, it was still really tasty and satisfying.
What a great place for lunch! I'm really curious to try their brunch menu as well.Listed in: Burgers! Burgers! Burgers
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/29/2011
I had a lovely lunch at the Bauer Kitchen recently. I love the ambiance and everything was… Read more »
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Review from Laura T.
1/19/2011
I absolutely love this place. I've been quite a few times, mostly for special occasions, and have never been disappointed. It has such a cool vibe, great large tables, exposed 2x6 wood ceilings and of course, fantastic food and service.
As you MAY have noticed, I'm not the most adventurous eater, but I have seen others fawn all over unique menu items such as the roasted bone marrow, charcuterie board (prosciutto, sopressata, pate) and pan-fried calamari! Myself, I always go for the short-rib gnocchi. Yum yum yum, so many tasty flavours, and so different, it's a real treat. Their brie-stuffed chicken supreme has also been a fan favourite!
One of the best parts is their delicious wine. If you're a pinot fan, they have a pinot grigio from Friuli (Forchir), that you can't get at the LCBO, and is really a treat! I know you can order it from a place called Stem Wine Group online, but that's only by the case.
This place is really a dining treat, one of the best places in the KW region for sure! -
Review from Tim A.
Waterloo, ON
4/26/2011
Visited this fine establishment twice in the last few months. Once for dinner with the parents and once for brunch with my girlfriend.
The atmosphere is very open and light, yet holds well both for a formal dinner, and a casual brunch. Impressive work.
The menu is quite unique, and a lot of the more traditional items on the menu have their own twist. The smoked salmon eggs benedict are served on a house made biscuit (yum) and the Cioppino had unique flavours to it and was less soupy than traditional. In both cases, the departures from the usual were a very welcome thing.
Another great fact about this place is that each item has a bin-numbered wine paired with it. Great for dishes and wines you may be unsure of or curious about. I decided to pick a wine I wanted to try, and choose a corresponding dish, with great success.
If you're looking for an easy going place to go, where you can impress without completely breaking the bank, this is your place! -
Review from Ceci Z.
5/17/2011 1 photo
A nice hidden place. The restaurant looks classy and nicely decorated. Came here during a busy Saturday night so it was very loud that I had to yell across tables to have a conversation.
The foods are quite delicious. I really enjoyed the vodka smoked salmon. The servings might look small but it's filling. -
Review from Angela H.
Mississauga, ON
4/25/2011
Went here for a leisurely dinner with my sister on a Friday night. It was quite busy, had a great atmosphere, and since it was full, we sat at the bar to eat. It ended up being a great decision because we had a great view of the place.
We ordered a charcuterie and cheese plate to start, bouillabasse for her and duck confit for me. Hits on the app and bouillabasse, pass on the duck confit. The duck should have been fall of the bone, but instead it was so tough I had to spit it out as no amount of chewing would break that ducky down. Maybe it was really a goose from Columbia lake and not a young duck. Hehehe.
Dessert options=yawn. Cheesecake and brownies are not ground breaking. But then again, my sister is a pastry chef so it takes quite a lot to impress us. When we asked if the gelatos/sorbets were house made we were told no. So we passed on dessert which is really saying a lot for a pastry chef.
Great service, great wine, just pass on the duck and hope for better desserts in the future. -
Review from Bryan H.
Waterloo, ON
2/14/2010
Connected to the Bauer Lofts and part of the Charcoal Group (that brought Waterloo Martini's, Wildcraft, del Dante, and the Charcoal Steakhouse), you get the dining-for-the-nouveau-waterloo that you'd expect. I don't mean it derisively; the atmosphere is modern and fresh, the menu albeit meat-heavy is interesting (complete with wine pairings), the service is mature, and the food doesn't disappoint. If you've been to Wildcraft, the vibe is the same.
My wife and I dropped in on a Friday night. We didn't have a reservation, they were fully booked, but they were happy to seat us in the bar area with the rest of the ill-planned 30-something-professional couples.
I had the sirloin burger (at the recommendation of the bartender) and it's probably one of the top 3 I've had in Waterloo. My wife had a halibut steak on top of mixed veggies -- it was presented well, and she enjoyed it.
The beer selection was good -- they made the right trade off decisions. I actually had a laugh when I noticed 10 taps: 5 typical main-stream selects (I think canadian, blue, blue light coors), and 5 "micro brew" selections (tank house, creemore, waterloo dark, and a couple of others).
In general, the BK is a safe date, work, or parent restaurant -- recommended above others in the same category in waterloo (sole, wildcraft, rude native). -
Review from Clement W.
Waterloo, ON
10/3/2010 9 photos
A bunch of classmates came back for homecoming on Saturday and we chose this place as sort of home base as they have wi-fi. We had a pretty good brunch here, went for the football game then returned afterwards with our laptops to get a bit of work done and grab a few light bites to eat before the receptions in the evening. Service was excellent, food was great as was the presentation. It feels like a cozier loft environment. Everything is made on premises. They seem to be enthusiastic about pointing out that they have their own little bakery on site.
For breakfast, at the recommendation of the server, I had the Salmon Benedict (picture uploaded) which was two eggs benedict with smoked salmon plus sides for $13/14 pre-tax and tip. It was very good. There weren't actually too many people around at around 11 am but this was probably because it was cold raining and generally miserable outside.
When we came back, one of my somewhat adventurous friends ordered the bone marrow appetizer which he quite enjoyed, I had a carrot + sweet potato soup and another friend ordered the calamari (all pictured). I was happy with my soup which was $6 pre-tax and tip. To their credit, they let us plug in and work for a few hours before 6 pm but this was before their dinner rush which gets very busy (reservations definitely recommended).
Prices were definitely on the higher end for the area but I'd also say it was well worth it. I was debating whether or not to give them a 4 because of this but in thinking about it, their pricing created high expectations which they more than met. I agree with another reviewer that the vibe is very similar to Wildcraft though it's more of a loft/romanticized factory-type feel to it.
The one thing about this place is that the parking is a bit wonky. It's on the first floor of the Bauer Lofts and to get to the restaurant, I think there's only one entrance in and from street level it might be a little confusing as it's physically inset. There is as well underground parking which is a bit easier as the signage from inside/under the building is a lot clearer than outside. -
Review from Tereza M.
2/25/2011
Not a bad restaurant at all. The Bauer Kitchen has an upscale pub feel. They have a pretty decent selection of mixed drinks. I had the rosebud which is sparkling wine with rosewater and something else I can't quite remember and it was quite delicious. My fiend and I followed that up with a duck entrée, where I substituted the roasted potatoes for sweet potato fries and she for mashed potatoes. My meal was excellent. Best duck I've had in the city by far. My boyfriend had the rib special; he didn't like the sauce very much. He found it too sweet, but he also didn't ask what the ribs were cooked in before ordering, so to me, that's not a knock against the restaurant. The garlic mashed potatoes were well received, and the pizza was well liked by the fourth person in attendance. We didn't get any desert. It was on the expensive side and not very appealing - plus Vincenzo's is connected to the restaurant via indoor tunnel and who can resist their selection of takeaway pastries?
All four of us liked the atmosphere. Our jackets were hung up for us upon arrival, we were seated almost immediately and our waiter was friendly. He even came around every once in a while and poured us water from the bottle that he left at our table! The only real complaint that we had was the noise level in the restaurant. It was quite busy when we went arrived (around 6:30 on a Thursday night), the tables were close together, and there was music playing in the background. So, at times, we found it hard to talk to one another. Otherwise, a great experience. -
Review from Jay K.
Waterloo, ON
3/30/2011
I was not expecting to find a place as classy as this in Waterloo. You'll be hard pressed to find something like this even in Toronto. The decor of this place is just incredible, everything from the open kitchen, fully visible pizza oven, the wall of wine bottles, the wood on the tables, to the leather chairs.
The food did not fail to impress as well. We ordered the charcuterie and cheese platter to begin the meal. It came with a selection of cheeses (blue cheese and brie I think), very thin pieces of evenly toasted bread, a selection of cured italian hams, celery pickles and a cherry jam. The pizza I ordered was quite good, albeit a bit on the soggy side, but I suspect we made the pizza chef a bit nervous after he burnt his first attempt. The gnocchi that we ordered was really hearty and satisfying.
I came again for breakfast to order the steak and eggs. Over and underneath the steak was what seemed like some sort of smokey, red wine reduction probably made from the juices of the steak. This is what really set the dish apart. The eggs were also poached to perfection as they were delightfully light and fluffy.
Also I should mention their diverse selection of brews on tap.
I think the prices are really good for the quality of food you are getting. For a restaurant like this, I'd say its pretty standard (15-20's for pasta, 10-15 for burgers, 20+ for the steaks etc.)
Overall, amazing restaurant. However whenever I come to this place, it's absolutely empty. I suspect they're losing money considering the amount of waiting and kitchen staff they hire. They probably spent a lot of money to do the interior as well. I hope this restaurant doesn't go out of business as it definitely deserves the recognition it needs. -
Review from Azad Z.
Waterloo, ON
5/20/2011
Love this place, food service atmosphere, all is good... Waterloo definitely needed a place like this
