Village Squire, 1977-02, Page 351
SQUIRE'S TABLE
Hearty lunch at economical
at The Beanpot
Highway 4 is one of the area's
busiest highways. For miles as it heads
north from London it travels in summer
through acres after acre of white bean
fields, the heart of the Ontario bean
country. It seems only natural then that
one of the more popular stops for travellers
along the route should be the Beanpot in
Hensall.
We stopped for lunch at the Beanpot
recently. Our curiousity about the place
had been raised after an article in Village
Squire's food issue of last April in which
the owners Mr. and Mrs. John Alderson
said they were trying move the menu
more and more toward beans.
The Beanpot is not an impressive place
physically. It's a little cottage -style
building behind a large parking lot at the
junction of Highways 4 and 84. Inside it is
like the many other lunchrooms along busy
highways, open, bright and clean but
without any particular excitement of decor.
We arrived after the normal noon hour
rush, about 1 p.m. but still found a good
crowd in the restaurant and more people
arrived all the time we sat there so the
clientele must be large. It is also mixed,
from truckdrivers and farmers to well-
dressed businessmen both from the local
town and travellers.
The first thing to notice is that there is a
price
small menu on each table but if you want
the best food, ignore it. It advertises things
like bacon and eggs and other such fare but
the only beans on it are wieners and beans
which the waitress kindly told us was
canned. Instead she pointed to a wall menu
which advertises several bean dishes
including wieners and beans, ham and
beans and bacon and beans, all with baked
beans.
The wieners and beans we chose came
with two large wieners, baked beans,
french fried potatoes and lettuce and
tomato. The baked beans were the largest
we'd ever seen, far larger than those
usually served. They came with a sauce but
we found a little catsup necessary to make
them right for our taste. The whole
combination made for the kind of lunch
that would stick to your ribs all afternoon
long and make a snack at coffee break
unnecessary.
We finished off the meal with a piece of
pie, homemade cherry pie was the only
kind available by this time. It was among
the best restaurant pie of any kind we've
tasted for a while.
There's something else unusual at the
Beanpot: the second cup of coffee was free.
When you add it all up and the bill was on-
ly $2.50 it seemed a good, hearty lunch
bargain.
DINING LISTINGS
ALI BABA STEAK HOUSE. This interesting
restaurant at 1100 Ontario Street in Stratford has
a full menu consisting of steak, lobster, pork
chops and ribs. Prices range from $2.95 to $8.50
and they are open from 12 noon until 1 a.m.
they accept reservations at 273-0890. Licensed.
Credit cards include: Chargex, American
Express, Diners' Club and Master Charge.
WINDSOR HOTEL. Lobsters, steaks and daily
specials are the types of food offered by the
Windsor Hotel located at 23 Albert Street in
Stratford. They are open from 12 noon to 2 p.m.
and from 5 to 7 p.m. Prices range from $2.25 to
$8.00 for a full course meal. Reservations are
accepted at 273-1730. Licensed. Accept:
American Express, Diners' Club, Chargex and
Master Charge.
GOLDEN BAMBOO. A Chinese restaurant in
Stratford on Ontario Street that's just grown and
grown over the years. Good Chinese food is the
reason. They also serve Canadian food. Open
11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.
EASTWOOD RESTAURANT AND TAVERN.
Located at 650 Ontario Street, Stratford. The
Eastwood offers roast beef, steaks, chops and
a full menu. Prices range from $2.00 to $6.45
plus light lunches and are open from 7 a.m. to 1
a.m.
Reservations will be accepted at 271-1082, but
not necessary. Licensed. Accept American
Express, Diners' Club, Master Charge and
Chargex.
COMMODORE. Chinese and Canadian food are
featured at the Commodore in Stratford. It's
licensed. Open 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday
through Friday and until 1 a.m. on Friday and
Saturday until 9:30 on Sunday nights.
LIMELIGHT RESTAURANT AND TAVERN.
Located directly across from Stratford's old City
Hall, this steakhouse offers steaks, chops,
chicken and spareribs, with wide menu
selection. Licensed.
PICKWICK STEAK HOUSE. On Wellington
Street in Stratford they specialize in charcoal
broiled steaks. Unlicensed.
VICTORIAN INN. You can have frogs legs,
lobster tails, veal cutlet or filet mignon and other
varied meals at this Stratford dining room.
Dinner is served from 6 to 10 p.m. and lunch
from 12 to 2 p.m. Licensed.
QUEEN'S HOTEL. One of Stratford's most
gracious dining spots. The Queen's offers
excellent food in the dining room which has two
dinner settings at 5 and 7 p.m. There is also a
At the )unction of Hwy,. 4 & B, Cl- inton
eL1L0 t{otL
•Banquet facilities
•Luncheons
*Dinners
• Wedding receptions
*Nightly
entertainment
•Fully licensed under
the LCBO
482-3421
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•.b $ i
1
Maitland Restaurant
147.\'GHA.M. ONTARIO h
PHONE 35 "-3341
Open Weekdays 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. 0
Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. N
Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
TRY OCR CANADIAN AND EUROPEAN
ME.Vt' k
li FULL COURSE MEALS DAILY A
SPECIAL DINNERS EVERY SUNDAY!
rr -_ 3Y z � 'J
Triple K Restaurant
•HOME COOKED MEALS
•TAKE OUT ORDERS
•OUR SPECIALTY: HOME BAKED PIES
OPEN: Workdays, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Fri-
days, 8 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.; Saturdays. 6 a.m.
to 12:30 a.m.; Sundays. $ •.m. to 11 p.m.
On Huron County Road 25 south oast of Blyth
KAY 8 KEITH HESSELW000, PROP.
VILLAGE SQUIRE/FEBRUARY 1977, 37