I love the old rustic atmosphere. You can dress up or dress down. All staff were very attentive, authentically friendly. Our server Natika was awesome! Very professional. My meal was great. I had the smoked chicken & mushroom tagliatelle.Very flavorful and filling. Yummy! My friend had the burger but commented it was a bit dry. read more

The Bauer Kitchen - Burger - American Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

See all

Really trendy atmosphere. Was hoping for the brunch but we went on a weekday and they only serve it on the weekends. I tried their GOAT pizza. It had big cloves of garlic on it so I'd steer clear of this one if you're on a date but boy did it taste great. A little more pricey then most but worth it. Definitely want to go back for brunch! read more

The Bauer Kitchen - The GOAT pizza - American Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Friends found this place off Yelp, of course, since it was on our way back to Toronto after an afternoon filled with Muggles (if you know Harry Potter, you'd know I'm talking about the Transfigured Town). From what it looked like, this place is very popular to the locals and I can see why. Had a very casual and warm atmosphere. Staff were also very attentive and friendly. Had a wicked craving for a burger so I had the Bauer Burger. What made the burger? The bacon marmalade. Is there anything bacon can't do?? The burger was nice and juicy with just the right amount of fillings. Also came with fresh-cut fries which were shoestring cut. Definitely a must-try if you love burgers. 5/5. Carrot Cake - I rarely order desserts but I just had to try their carrot cake which is my absolute favourite cake. First of all, the serving is huge. Two people can definitely share. It also came with some ginger ice cream which had bits of candied ginger in it. Very very gingery, which I didn't mind at all as I love ginger. Found it quite refreshing and also complimented the cake very well. 5/5. read more

See all

Delicious appetizers, great service and a mean Caesar! Also ordered the ribs last visit and they slipped right off the bone. Will definitely be going again. read more

The Bauer Kitchen - Truffle fries, tuna tartare, deep fried calamari, spinach and cheese dip - American Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

See all

Honestly one of the best restaurants I have ever been too. Exceptional cocktails , great food and fantastic service. The waiter answered lots of questions and made fantastic recommendations . I will visit this restaurant anytime im in the area! read more

Best food by far since I've been in Waterloo. The menu was quaint, and was a big hit. I had the roasted chicken with winter greens and potatoes and the food was mighty tasty. This is traditional Canadian fine fare. Quite pricey, but well worth it if you like delicious food and great service. Can't miss while in Waterloo! read more

Lots of potential. Not much actuality. Seems to attract plenty of people, and it's fine if one's idea of dining is an industrial cafetaria.

This was the first patio we booked after getting out of lockdown. This is my go to place! The staff are professionals engaging. Even after months of being closed we were welcomed by name by the long term staff. The food is incredible and the outdoor patio welcoming and comfortable. A must try! read more

Great dishes and service here. We all enjoy having a fine dinner here. I ordered the GRILLED BEEF TENDERLOIN with medium and pretty good.

Came for an early dinner while visiting my son at uni. Arrived around 4pm on Sunday and place was not busy as it is in more of a business area. The restaurant is large, open and has a bar. There is an area that can be curtained off for private parties. The server was very friendly and helpful. He was able to guide me along the menu to make selections that would suit my gf, vegan needs. We started with the corn chips/beans/guacamole/pico de Gallo plate and the fried brussel sprouts and potatoes. I did not care for the beans as they were cold and kind of sweet and the pico de Gallo was bland. The brussel sprouts and potatoes were excellent! I did not try the accompanying cheese sauce. I had the Bauer salad minus the granola and cheese, which was fine. My son had the pasta, which he liked and found filling. Hubby had the burger and both he and my son said it was excellent. For dessert the guys ordered gelato but it was icy so they returned it. The manager agreed it was not right so they removed them from our bill and threw out their batch from the freezer. The restaurant was clean and the washrooms were big, nice and clean. Prices were expensive....not a student budget eatery. read more

See all

There is a lot to like about Bauer Kitchen. The beautiful industrial interior with touches of a barn/country motif. Menu items with slight twists like banh mi burgers and duck wings. But when it comes down to it, the food is good, but not great. It's missing the wow factor that brings me back to a place. We started with the hoison glazed chicken tacos with carrot, cilantro, daikon, etc. Pretty much all the things you would find on a banh mi. It had the tastes of a banh mi, but maybe could have packed more punch. It was solid, but not a must try. I tried to order the lamb special, but they were already soldout at 8pm. Too bad. So I opted to try the short rib instead. This was definitely a big piece of meat. It was very tender. I enjoyed the play on steak frites. The short rib was prepared like a roast beef with jus, horseradish and mushrooms. Problem with the dish is that it lacks balance. Not much sweetness or acidity in that piece of meat. Could have used a wine or more wine in the braising to bring that. Or perhaps a beet or fruit element. Maybe even the side could be sweet, but the fries were just salty as well like the meat. I loved that the piece of meat was big, but there wasn't enough sauce to accompany such a big piece. Had the white chocolate brulee for dessert. Definitely no complaints. I liked it, but I don't think I'll be talking about it after this review. I think the issue with the restaurant is they are more worried with appearing trendy than actually being trendy. They spent a lot of time on the modern space and they really pump the music up. Though if the food is great, you really don't need that. If I went back, I would probably try at lunch when it might be quieter. The evening is defintely for a younger crowd, like mid twenties. read more

The Bauer Kitchen - Braised Short Rib (Roasted mushrooms, frites, soubise sauce, veal jus and horseradish gremolata) - American Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Water, Water, Water-loo, loo, loo!!!!! My how you have changed from my "studious" days as a WLU undergrad. The fine dining landscape has certainly improved in little over 4 years (or 5...my oh my I'm ageing at a rapid rate). However, with age comes an appreciation for the finer things in life such as good food, good wine, good company, etc. So I guess this is why my overall experience at The Bauer Kitchen was so amazing! This place impressed me from the moment we walked in. The décor was beautifully elegant while maintaining a certain rugged appeal. Dark stained wood tables paired with Ostrich skin covered seats made for a unique combination going with the overall stylish and sophisticated ambience. But don't be scared off by my description, you don't need to wear a members jacket to dine here. The Bauer is still trendy enough for jeans and a t-shirt. Lets call it casual fine dining The menu was a welcome surprise as well. Catering to every taste it was very eclectic. The one thing I liked best is while maintaining certain fine dining staples, the Bauer had found was at making simple foods such as Pizza and Burgers, just this side of classy, using premium ingredients and cooking process. Yumm! I decided to start my meal with a pint of Mill Street Organic (always a automatic +1 star for any establishment who carries my fav beer on tap). For my appetizer I had what was referred to as a Romaine salad. It was like a Caesar salad BUT with a freshly made garlic dressing, fresh croutons AND the best part being the slow cooked smoked strips of bacon which tasted the way a camp-fire smells. ..... Just drooled in my mouth a little (sorry) Moving on, for my main course I decided to call this restaurant out on the fine portion of their "fine dining" claim, and ordered their Duck Confit. I asked the waiter for his honest opinion of the dish and he said it was wildly popular and told me to it was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. SOLD GARÇON!! The duck was served exactly as promised, deliciously crispy and moist. It was served with mixed veggies, steamed and grilled, and fingerling potatoes seasoned and cooked to soft perfection. All of my waiters recommendations were spot on for dinner and his service was impeccable. He even made a great after dinner shot suggestion when we asked for tequila. For any of you who have never tried Cabo Wabo tequila, do it! Perfect after dinner shot to help you digest (or make you forget you are full), smooth and actually tasty :) This experience came with an expected price tag of about $60-70 per person, which I can justify for fine dining. However, if you are looking for a cheap meal I recommend you try one of the other fine establishments on King St. But if you have the extra bucks, hit The Bauer Kitchen up, well worth it. read more

The Bauer Kitchen - Duck Confit mmmmmm - American Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Bauer Kitchen is one of the rare restaurants that is both cozy and trendy. I had the risotto ($18.95) with chicken(+$8.95)--it was huge and very filling. Not too salty and I didn't feel "bleh" afterward. Pretty delicious but I would try something else next time. For dessert, I had the chocolate nemesis (spiced hot chocolate "fondue", flourless chocolate cake and dark chocolate ice cream for $9.95). The "fondue" came in a tiny little espresso cup and was phenomenal. It's like drinking pure melted chocolate with a bit of kick. I took the cake home, and would definitely come back just to get it again. The staff were friendly and quite hospitable! read more

For a restaurant business that is suppose to be local you'd expect it to be better than your typical Keg or other Steakhouse chains, but it isn't any better and might even be worse. It didn't live up to my expectations. When I was there it felt like a more expensive Beer Town (and matter of fact Beer Town is owned by the same people) with more fancy and meals that fit into the more fine dining experience, but the quality was only incrementally better. I had a medium rare angus steak with green peas and mashed potatoes, your standard side dishes. It wasn't anything special, and for the price it should've been better. I have to say the ambience was definitely there, like you feel you're in an upscale, fine dining restaurant and the service was quite good, I give it that. The food just wasn't there for me. read more

There was a worm in my friends fruit bowl! I/We could not believe it! I thought no way it's suspicious, it's just a stem in your blueberry, until she picked it off, put it on her napkin in her lap and it started moving! It has been our first time to this restaurant and chose it from a Yelp recommendation so we were super excited to have some delicious brunchy foods. Only to be super disgusted and embarassed because I chose this place for us 3. We will not be returning read more

The Bauer Kitchen - The worm found in my friends fruit bowl... - American Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Enjoyed a really good meal here last night. Love the look of the restaurant.. Service was friendly and prompt.. The BTK salad is excellent.. Penne a la vodka was tasty also.. Was recommended a really good Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand that paired nicely with the salad. My friend enjoyed the Moroccan chicken.. Look forward to coming back here soon! read more

The Bauer Kitchen - TBK Salad - American Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Lovely restaurant situated in Uptown Waterloo! Have only been here a handful of times but it has never disappointed us. We recently visited on a Sunday for brunch and were welcomed by friendly staff and servers. Food was very tasteful and the server checked up on us multiple times! They have a pretty wide menu to choose from. The restaurant itself is very nice and open concept with a rustic feel to it. Highly recommend trying the Chicken and Waffles! Such an amazing combination of flavours. read more

See all

Not families with little kids. Their profile/webpage mentions that its kid friendly which is the reason we decided this place. We called and asked if there was a wait time and I was informed no. They didn't specify bar area. We showed up 10 minutes later with my 1.5 year old child and after requesting multiple times that the baby will not be comfortable at the bar seating they did not give us a table. I would understand if there was no seating but there was plenty of seating available and they kept saying that it was reserved or seating for couples. I understand that their is policy you have to go by but when a family is struggling at a bar with a child...as a kid friendly restaurant one expects some understanding and accommodation. read more

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. read more

The Bauer Kitchen - Vodka smoked salmon - American Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

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. read more

See all

I took my boyfriend here for his birthday. We started with the calamari and lamb meatballs - calamari was pretty ok but the meatballs we felt came out cold. I had the short rib gnocchi and he had the bauer burger with sweet potato fries - the short rib part of my dish was pretty tasty but the gnocchi didn't really have a bite and kind of just tasted like dough (i'm not sure if this is their take on gnocchi or if it was just not that good), the bauer burger was overall pretty tasty though with the exception of the sweet potato fries being slightly overdone. I had called in advance regarding his birthday so they were very accommodating with a slice of cake and candle. The service was something I was kind of uncomfortable with. Our waitress was very friendly but at times we felt we were kind of rushed. She came by around 3-4 times per course and around 5 minutes after we received our appetizers she asked if we needed to pack anything up even though we were still eating. As well, when we were still working on the cake she asked if she could bring out the bill. I'm not sure if she was rushing us - although the restaurant was only half full - or she was just really friendly. Overall, the food didn't really meet my expectations and based off of this one visit I wouldn't come back, however, I've heard and seen many great reviews of this place so I may give it another chance just for that reason. read more

Came here with a few colleagues for lunch, and was immediately impressed by the atmosphere. Unfortunately the food didn't hit the payload - the burger was small and a little dry, while the salad was heavy with citrus and lacked caesar dressing I think this would be a good option for drinks, but would not recommend as a viable lunch option. read more

The Bauer Kitchen - Burger with caesar salad - 6/10 for lackluster burger and dressing-less salad - American Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

We made a 7:00 pm reservation yesterday and when we arrived at approximately 6:50, they sat us at a table right beside the door to the patio, even though there were several other open tables close by. Waiting for our server (we had decided that sitting at the bar would be better) we wanted to make sure the server knew where we went. Cue the wait. 10... 15 minutes go by and NO ONE has greeted our table. We counted 5 different servers AND the manager that had walked in and outside of the patio doors. Next time we will remember to remove our cloaks of invisibility before attending a restaurant. We decided to leave after 15 minutes to which my partner proceeded to inform the manager why we were leaving. An apology was fine but this is inexcusable. Will not return. Would not recommend. read more

Great food great service love the wood fired pizza. Great ambiance and love the decor.

I've been to The Bauer Kitchen on two occasions. The restaurant itself is stunning with modern decor and a warm atmosphere. Everything that is going on in the kitchen is in full view of the dinners. Reviewing the menu speaks to a fine dining experience. Although everything was delicious, I would like to see the portions a bit bigger for the price you pay. I left there still hungry but felt I shouldn't have ordering calamari as appetizer before our main course and a dessert after. Our server, Becky, was fantastic. Making the slightest of changes to their pasta special to suit our tastes. Basically incorporating the regular pasta dish with some ingredients from the special such as adding goat cheese, roasted red peppers, and olives to our smoked chicken and artichoke tartiglioni. The dessert we had was the chocolate nemesis which was worth every delicious bite. Everything wants me to give TBK a five star, especially because of our server and the quality, but the portions should be slightly bigger; so a four star rating from me. read more

The Bauer Kitchen - Smoked chicken & artichoke tartiglioni with a added ingredients from the pasta special and speziato pizza. - American Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

See all

Okay.. so I was here today for Brunch / Lunch and it was my first time here.. the ambiance is pretty relaxed and laid back looking, kinda like a lounge and the customer service was simple and somewhat personal, which I like. Of course, often times I ask for recommendations because I'll usually go into a restaurant Never knowing what I truly want to eat (unless I'm craving something).. and usually ask for recommendations, to try something different? So yeah, that's why I do it.. So enough of my story time.. let me tell you about the food and what I ordered, oh and yes I took pictures, so you will see the goodies below. Here is what I ordered: Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict - Wow.. they put it on a biscuit, instead of your typical English Muffins.. and it was good but I was expecting it to be better, considering it was on a biscuit and it came with spinach (a bit chewy) and the smoked salmon, eggs and hollandaise sauce on top.. it was ok.. I'm not sure if I would order it again.. I didn't really like the taste of the smoked salmon and I found it to be a bit bland (I added salt and pepper to it) and it still didn't wow me but the eggs were Very Fluffy and Light, which I loved but the hill was very runny and of course, I should have mentioned it but didn't but still I wouldn't order it from here and this is coming from someone who Loves smoked salmon eggs Benedict... but I would still recommend it, because my friend enjoyed it (but it didn't have smoked salmon in it) The chicken pasta, with mushrooms - I forgot the exact name of it, but it is on the lunch menu, it was good but average, for your typical mushroom, chicken pasta. I would recommend if you like mushrooms and chicken. Fried Chicken & Waffles - Oh My Goodness! This was the spotlight dish and because of this dish alone, I HAVE to go back.. it's Delicious! It was like ground stuffing with meat in it and fresh sage and some other spices and herbs, reminds me of Thanksgiving! And then the Crispy fried chicken on top! Yum! You need to try this and I took this to go, by the way.. You need to try this! It's sooooooo Good (I added drizzled Honey on top, yummy!). Cappuccino - Very good and yes they sprinkle it with cinnamon on top, so if you don't like that, let them know before hand. They bring fresh cream and cane sugar to the table for you as well :) Watermelon Mojito - She recommended it to me, since I told her I was hung over (It was my Birthday, yesterday) lol.. and it was so good! Guess what? It even had black seeds in it, which was more then likely Organic Watermelons! Do you know how long I've been trying to look for organic watermelons, with the seeds in them? If you personally know, please tell me!? But my Goodness, yes! It was good and refreshing and Light (didn't taste like it had alcohol in it). Macchiato Cappuccino - It's like a sweeter version of the Cappuccino but with chocolate! I loved it and would come back for this again. Overall, I enjoyed my food and drinks and dining experience here. I highly recommend this place. read more

See all

Love the atmosphere of The Bauer Kitchen! I think its a really good date spot. I ordered the TBK salad with salmon and loved it! Highly recommend :) My friend got the short rib gnocci and said it was good, but he said that he quickly got tired of the taste while eating it. I really want to come back here to try their brunch (eggs benedict looks so good!). read more

The Bauer Kitchen - TBK salad with salmon - American Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

See all

I've been here a bunch of times, for dinner, lunch, dessert/drinks and now for brunch. Once or twice I've had some issues but majority of the time food is great and so is the service. My favourite thing here is the TBK salad. I love everything about it. I regularly grab it to go from the cafe that's attached. I love the fresh baked breads. I love the aesthetic of the restaurant as well. Last weekend I went for brunch and I liked the make your own Caesar bar- and it was a bargain at $6.95. read more

See all

Used Yelp to find a nice lunch place in Waterloo. Extensive food menu with vegan and gluten free options and even longer bar menu. Ordered the calamari and zucchini fritto to share, the flatiron steak bowl and roasted chicken cavatelli. The flatiron steak was grilled perfectly to specifications, the pasta was delicious. A lot of food for lunch so there was no room for dessert. The only downside was the over-cooked soba noodles which our server offered to substitute with something else. Full from the rest of the meal so I declined. We enjoyed our meals and our server was attentive. The best part and the reason I have recommended the Bauer Kitchen ( several times to our friends visiting Waterloo when visiting their Uni kids to a nice lunch/dinner) is when the bill came I noticed that the fritto was not on the bill, told our server and she said that the manager had heard about the meal not meeting expectations so removed it from the bill. Even without the gesture, we would have returned but because of the gesture, we have told everyone. read more

See all

All about dat brunch! I don't know what they use for their English breakfast muffins, but the poached eggs sure tasted good on them. The English muffin was a very thick consistency, so super filling. It was a great meal! The decor is also very nice and provides an excellent brunch vibe. read more

We came here for an end of term company farewell lunch. I ordered the TBK salad with salmon on the side (TBK actually stands for The Bauer Kitchen, and not tomato, bacon, and kale... the salad doesn't actually contain any of those above mentioned....ahahaa) The salad was pretty gourmet, but a quite pricy for the portion and what it was. I think it was ~ $20. Nonetheless, the ambience and quality of the food was great. After we paid our bills, our server Ashley, came by with desserts she'd put on the house. I always heard/ seen things like these happen, but to experience it myself was a first. GAHHH it was such a kind gesture + sweet way to end the farewell lunch! read more

The Bauer Kitchen - On the house from our server Ashley - American Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

We went there for the first time a couple weeks ago and will say the food was amazing. I ordered the Bauer Burger with substituted regular fries for sweet potato fries and boy, BEST sweet potato fries I've ever had!!! My boyfriend ordered Mushroom Tagliatelli pasta and it too was so filling and satisfying. Not to mention the portion size of these two entrees were massive. We could barely finish them! You will not leave hungry!! The server Sarah was also very polite and accommodated my requests (burger substitutions) without hesitation. Only cons was place was a bit difficult to find as its tucked away in the back of some buildings and has two entrances (one to their coffee shop and one to the restuarant in which you have to enter another building first. Other than that, no complaints about the service, atmosphere or the food! We would go back for sure!!!! read more

The Bauer Kitchen - American Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

This place is awesome, great location, great staff and excellent food. Only because I had the exceptional do I only give it a 4. No way you could be disappointed. Short rib gnocchi is delicious. read more

If I could i would give them a 6/5! The decor is beautiful, the ambiance is great, the staff seem fantastic (special shout-out to Martha for putting up with our table she was a PEACH and a great server even if it was a little busy), food was great and drinks were extra fancy and delicious! Will come back the next time I'm in town :) read more

Lovely menu and great food. A tremendous wine list however the reserve selection vintages are not necessarily accurate. The service was good but not outstanding although she did make pleasant conversation the overall service was fairly slow. Crime Brule was on point as well and my fillet along with a tremendous Cesar salad to start. Great atmosphere and lovely decor. read more

The Bauer Kitchen - Cade cab breathing. - American Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

I made reservations online for the Bauer Kitchen which was very easy to do. I mentioned in the reservation that we would be from out of town and coming into Waterloo as part of a Christmas gift, dinner being part of it. Parking was very easy and free that night which was a nice surprise (something London should consider)! We were greeted warmly and seated at our table which was a corner booth, that sat higher than many of the tables. We could overlook the restaurant so we felt kind of special :3 We both ordered from the festive bar menu. I had the holiday mojito which really did taste like Christmas, as the waitress said. The drink was very refreshing yet still suited the season. My boyfriend had a brown butter old fashioned. He said that the alcohol had more of a vodka aftertaste than a Bourbon one, but he did enjoy it either way. The sugars in it really had a wonderful smell and taste. We ordered the duck wings with a hoisin sauce. They were very tasty and the meat was perfect. Loved the sauce on it. I ordered the pork tenderloin with gnocchi and my boyfriend got the braised boar on polenta. We loved our dishes. The pork tenderloin was so flavourful and the gnocchi was fried or baked ever so lightly so it tasted more like a potato which was a really cool spin in the dish. My boyfriend really loved how tender the boar was. He brought some home to eat the next day. The waitress cleared our plates and presented us with a complementary dessert since she knew were celebrating the holidays that night. WOW! Talk about attention to detail. In the end after 2 entrees, an app, 2 drinks and an americano, I was very happy with the price of the bill. Our waitress gave us amazing service, top notch. And the feeling of the restaurant was warm and inviting, their attention to our initial reservation made us feel so wonderful, and the food was awesome. I received a call, not long after dinner. The manager had not had a chance to come and say hello. She wanted to ask me how our evening was and I couldn't have been more pleased. I found this was a nice touch on her part. I would highly recommend this restaurant to a friend and we would be happy to return if we are ever in the area again. read more

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. read more

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). read more

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! read more

I was visiting Waterloo from south of the border on a business trip and wanted to get some "Canadian" food, whatever that means. So I popped over to The Bauer Kitchen for lunch since I saw they have poutine on the (appetizer) menu. All I have to say is WOW. I've had run-of-the-mill poutine before; this was an elevated version. Really great, crispy and well seasoned fries. Plenty of local white cheddar cheese curds, all gooey and melty. And some sinfully rich white gravy with sausage poured over the top. I am drooling just recounting my dining experience in this review. I figured that was enough calories for one meal so I just had poutine and a glass of water (though a beer would've gone great with the poutine; I had to work later so couldn't imbibe) - but five stars nonetheless!!! read more