I really hope this review somehow pushes the average of Country Cousins up to 5 full stars. That…read moreit's currently at 4.5 is a travesty.
This is the small town dining experience of your, my, and every respectable person's dreams. This is the place that your favourite local joint tries and fails to emulate. This, good people of Yelp, is a place you simply cannot miss if you happen to be out and about in God's country.
The Mennonite waitress here was the most sincerely kind server I've ever come across. She was helpful, efficient, and encapsulated the warmth that Country Cousins emanates. Over the course of two visits, I had the Famous Iced Tea, the Mennonite Plate, the 4 Berry Pie, the Peanut Butter Pie, and the pickled carrots.
First things first: I'm not sure just how famous the famous iced is, but I can tell you one thing - it's not famous enough. This iced tea would be served iced cold with my last meal. In fact, if it were my last meal I'd die happy. Is it sweet? Oh yeah. But it's got a flavour that I remember from my childhood which I just can't pinpoint. Like Pruste's madeleine, this iced tea brings you way, way, back and leaves you there long after the mason jar the tea is served in has dried up.
The Mennonite plate is a wicked combination of Mennonite sausage, the finest cabbage rolls anyone could put together, and the single best half dozen pirogies this man has ever had (get the cottage cheese option). The sausage is made by people that make sausage like their lives depend on it. Meaty, tasty, filling cooked sausage an inch in diameter and split in half. Delicious. The cabbage rolls perfectly combine juicy cabbage with tasty ground beef, pleasantly acidic tomato sauce with sour cream. Yum. But the pirogies are where the sun really shines. These pan fried delights taste like how pirogies can be at their best. The dough stands out with a starchy flavour of its own, and the cottage cheese provides that cottage cheese texture that only it has, along with a familiar tang. The pirogies are dressed in a rich white sauce that probably isn't necessary but definitely doesn't hurt either.
The 4 Berry Pie meets and exceeds your expectations for what small town pie can be - juicy, sweet, whole berry fillings ooze under the most buttery, flaky crust imaginable. The Peanut Butter Pie is unlike any pie I've ever had. It has a custard and whipped cream base which is essentially flavoured with peanut butter. Delicious, but a bit too sweet for my liking. Had to drown it down with that Famous Iced Tea.
The pickled carrots were a revelation. Perfect crunch, perfect proportions of dill and garlic. Just a delight. Bought a jar to bring back home.
Overall, Country Cousin's an absolute must-try if you're in the area. An experience you won't soon forget.
