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 had my first visit since the pandemic. I had great time: the waitress was genuine and engaging. The food is always good there. Hence I recommend and will return. read more

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. read more

My wife and I made a reservation for a Friday night to check out Bauer Kitchen for the first time. We showed up early to have a beer at the bar and to take in the atmosphere a little bit. We both really loved the feel of the place, dimly lit, dark woods, little rustic yet with a slight polish. Bartender was very nice and friendly, quick to serve us and was able to suggest a beer that was really good. We were seated right on time. We had trouble deciding on our meals, though the menu is small everything seemed very appealing. While at the bar we had eaves dropped the special for the night however when it came time for us to order the special had run out. Our waitress said she had never seen a special go so quickly. We were given 2 rolls/buns while we made our way through the menus. We decided on the poutine to start which was VERY good. Not your typical poutine at all. Reminded me of a mix between sausage and biscuits and poutine...again, very good. For mains my wife had the beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and I had the braised short rib which was recommended by our very nice and patient waitress. My wife was really impressed with the tenderloin, extremely tender and cooked to her liking. The mashed potatoes could have had a little more pizazz in them though. My short rib was good, very tender. There was a sauce or reduction or something on top of it that put me off at the beginning, could just be my taste buds. As I ate more and more the odd taste dissipated. We would both recommend what we ate to others. Way too full for dessert so can't comment on that. We will certainly be going back. Total bill was $120 before tip, which got us the above plus a bottle of wine. Happy with what we spent. read more

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. read more

The Bauer Kitchen looks pretty but don't be fooled by the gorgeous interior - it may resemble an up-scale establishment but this is merely a thin veneer disguising an otherwise sub-par establishment. The restaurant strives to achieve a semblance of ambiance and it does manage to do just that. The decoration is gorgeous with incredible brick and woodwork. The bar is stocked with a perfect mix of liquors, including some decent upper shelf selections and is supported by a decent menu of fashionable cocktails and old favourites. The staff, however, is another story. The hostess barely acknowledged us, speaking very little and wearing a frown that could stop a clock. Our server was brusque, rather snippy and carried on as though we were bothering him; we certainly were not made to feel welcome. Unfortunately, even though the restaurant's appearance is top notch, the overall atmosphere suffers considerably at the hands of its staff. We had a party of six visit for a work lunch and none of us were satisfied with our food, especially at the prices this diner is charging. The server was brutally honest and we should've clued in that something was wrong when we enquired about the special and stated that it wasn't that good - that "none of the meat dishes are flavourful". By the end, some picked through the remains of the plain, tasteless fare whilst others expressed disbelief that their food had been so bland. Being new to the restaurant, I erred on the side of caution ordered the "Bauer Butcher Burger, reckoning that it would be rather difficult to mess up a simple burger. Alas, I was wrong. The server's warning proved true - the burger was poorly done - unseasoned beef with tasteless toppings served on a slightly stale bun and a side of cold french fries. To be quite frank, if the meal hadn't been expensed by our VP and I had been there alone, I would've sent the meal back; being in the company of co-workers and an executive, however, I chose not to make a scene so as not to diminish the moment as we were presenting an award. I will not return because to be frank, if I am to pay prices such as this restaurant charges, I will go to another restaurant where I know I am going to get quality food and service for my money. I do not recommend the Bauer Kitchen and give it a thumbs down - there are other restaurants in the area that do a much better job at, well, just about everything. read more

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! read more

I went here with my boyfriend for his birthday, and made the reservation early in advance. They asked me what the occasion was, and I told them about the birthday, and they said that they would make a special memo. I was very psyched to go, we've both heard really great things about this place, and wasn't disappointed by the rustic decor and pleasant atmosphere when we first entered. When I told the hostess about our reservation, she asked if it was still the two of us, which I didn't really understand (because there were only two of us standing...), but she lead us to our table, which was very nice, as it was located by the window. We both ordered steak and frites, which was okay; we wished that we had ordered a salad at the side, since this order was very dry; but overall the steak was very good. I didn't think I needed to mention my boyfriend's birthday, since I thought it was already noted when I made the reservation. In the end, I got my bill, and there were no special birthday treats, and I was very disappointed, as it would've been really nice to surprise him. I'm not sure whether I was supposed to remind our waitress about his birthday, which would've been difficult to do (with my boyfriend seated right there). Overall, I was disappointed with the service, but liked the food and the ambiance to this place! read more

There alot of good reviews about this restaurant and I can see why. It's got a nice ambience and the food is pretty good. However the prices do not reflect the food taste or portions. Along with my coffee for $3.75 that never even got offerd to be refilled, I ordered the ranchero. On our way home, three of us stopped for food at a drive thru. The portions are small and not filling. For the ridiculous brunch price you'd at least expect to not be hungry afterward. It was nice to try but would never go back - overpriced and you leave hungry. Yup, the one egg on my ranchero was sooo generous. What a disappointment! read more

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. read more

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. read more

I can say there is nothing special about food at Bauer Kitchen. The food is pretty mediocre (not super delicious) and not worth paying the money for. Overall, the service was fine. I have been to this place once a couple of years ago and was not satisfied at all with the quality of the food. Last Friday, I decided to try this place again and hoped for a good experience. We ordered their special chicken pasta of the night and a burger. The pasta tasted pretty normal and it wasn't a dish we expected from a $$$ restaurant. We felt that an ordinary person (not a chef) has cooked the dish. The burger came with a side fries. The fries looked weird and not fresh. With this food quality and the price, I don't think I would come back here for dining. read more

Good food.....served hot and seasoned well. Salads were a little disappointing. Caesar was dry and had cabbage or radish in the mix? Pasta dish with shrimp and mussels would have been better with a heartier pasta choice. Spaghettini too light to hold flavours of seafood and the mussels would have been better served in shell not pulled apart and served in tiny pieces. Also when serving ribs, side plate and wet nap or water and lemon clean up would have served this meal well. Small complaint about the reception we had when entering. We had reservations and were told that they would see "what was available"? Sorry, table or booth should already have been assigned. We live in the neighbourhood but not sure Bauer will be our next choice when dining out. read more

Came here on a whim and was not disappointed. They make a mean martini and the appetizers were outstanding (only qualm was there were not enough of the calamari!) The Thai mussels were rich and infused with the curry/coconut milk flavors. I almost drank the remaining juices at the bottom of the bowl - they were THAT good. Had the Cochon burger as my main - this thing is not messing around: bacon jam, aged cheddar, pork patty, fresh made bun (in house). Everything worked off of each other and culminated in a porkgasmic experience that all burgers should strive to parallel. Finished off the meal with the Pear Cheesecake. Incredibly rich and thick with the subtle essence of pear pouring out of every mouthful. Not overpowering, definitely well balanced and perfectly executed. 10/10 would definitely inhale this dessert again. Also wanted to mention the ambiance. Not pretentious in the slightest, but not so casual that you see people in Hawaiian shirts and flip flops wearing a bib and wiping their greasy fingers with wet naps. Just a super cool industrial aesthetic with open kitchen and lounge design. Also pretty dope selection of beers on tap for those so inclined. If it is any indication of the quality of the other Charcoal Group establishments, these are definitely places to make a note of and check out if you are a foodie/culinary enthusiast. read more

What a fantastic experience! From the great food to the service. The server even brought us champagne and dessert to celebrate my cousin's birthday. A++!! read more

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Christian and his team at The Bauer Kitchen consistently deliver a wonderful customer experience and delicious food. I regularly bring out-of-town business colleagues to TBK for lunch and dinner, and they have shared rave reviews from the service, atmosphere, selection of spirits, beers and wine, and of course the food. Personally, I love the following items on the menu: - Onion Rings (best in town) - Oysters on Tuesday night - Duck wings on wednesdays - Amazing daily sandwich specials (try the pulled pork) - Pork chop (2nd best in town) Keep up the great work! Christopher read more

We had a brunch stop you there today. Between the six if us, we ended up with a wide selection of dishes to try. Done ordered burgers, other nachos and even soup but I want to talk about the more traditional breakfast fare. The eggs Benedict were quite good. They were cooked to the appropriate degree of softness and the bread had a nice crutch to it. The home fries were a bit pedestrian though. The French toast, however, were very very good. The bread was soft with just the right body. They were not too sweet and my only complain is that I could have eaten a third slice. The industrial decor is very effective and the Caesar bar looks intriguing. Perhaps next time. read more

Weekend brunch here is really good, and their coffee is delicious. My friend and I shared the eggs benedict and french toast. The eggs benedict was good, but the french toast was even better. The french toast was warm, and crispy on the outside but soft in the middle. Would definitely order again! read more

The Bauer Kitchen - Eggs benedict - American Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

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Fantastic dining experience. The braised short rib gnocchi is a favorite. Lots of good options & great service. Comfortable atmosphere, a bit loud. read more

Amazing food! Very. Very delicious. Although the menu contained a lot of beef, I still managed to pick something very tasty, filling and non-beefy. Their house salad is perhaps one of the best I've ever had! Service was great, however I would have liked the booth to be more intimate. read more

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Amazing lunch service! The location is perfect and the staff is super sweet! They also have great gluten free and plant based options!

Expensive, have very few choices for vegetarians. Great environment for office meetings along with lunch.

This place is a solid 3 stars, max. Food is edible but not good (pizza was the best dish). Our server was nice, but food was very slow. Would not return. read more

I've always been a huge fan of the Bauer Kitchen for their brunch menu but going for dinner was definitely a new experience. The restaurant is a beautiful venue with a very rustic feel to it. Unfortunately with all the traffic around the city, it is a bit of a challenge getting there. Went here for a family dinner with 9 of us and there was plenty space. The place is great for large groups and they're really accommodating of the one baby we had in the group. The dinner menu is quite more expensive than their brunch menu with almost every entree priced above $20 with exception of the fish & chips and the burger. Our table ended ordering a few different entrees such as the fish & chips, steak and frites, braised short rib, the Bauer burger and the special which was steak on gnocchi. After tasting each one of them, the cheapest items on the menu seemed to taste the best, that is the Bauer burger and the fish & chips. The burger was well cooked. For the fish and chips, the chips were specially made from whole potatoes and fish was huge with a perfect amount of fish and crust around. Definitely felt like the other items we ordered way too over priced especially the special for the night that had real good gnocchi but the steak was just mediocre. The steak and frites was underwhelming as well with the steak rub not standing out in anyway. The braised rib was mediocre, with stew sauce flavor being a little too strong. Service was great! Our server was really helpful and when people wanted sub something out from the dish, she had no problem doing it. I definitely will go back to Bauer but not for dinner. Their brunch menu is amazing and I'll definitely update this review when I try out the brunch again. read more

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I've been to The Bauer Kitchen for both lunch and dinner and it's always a pleasant experience. From the drinks (winter mojito is my favorite!) to the desserts, I've always left feeling impressed. The overall ambiance of the restaurant is charming with an old industrial feel to it. The servers are always friendly and more than helpful. The menu for both lunch and dinner have plenty to offer. The pork tenderloin with gnocchi is a must try! read more

Got extremely sick from an item on the menu........ Called to talk to management to see what they could do. Awful customer service. They did absolutely nothing to help me offer compensation. Will not be going back anytime soon. read more

Great coffee and pain au chocolate, enjoyed chicken sandwich, house salad and the chicken and waffles. The gravy had sausage in it?!? Chicken breast was a bit dry. Good, but wow- talk about filling. Very good service, bottomless coffee. Love the decor- rustic industrial. read more

Went with wife and kids on March Break, I was curious to see how the Old Bauer factory was transformed. Kids ordered off the kids menu, wife had the special which was a Salmon pasta dish and I ordered the Short Rib. We also ordered a Calamari to start. What impressed me was the thought the preparation and the freshness in everything, even with the dinner rolls. Our server Ryan was great ...he made sure we were taken care of. Overall worth the trip read more

I come to Waterloo a couple times a year for work and the Bauer Kitchen is right across the street. We always make it our first stop for dinner when we get there. It never fails to disappoint! We've never had a time when it was super busy (probably because we're going on a weeknight). The service has always been good and the ambience is just perfect for some food and drinks after a long work day. We always get the wings as a starter every time! The drinks and food are both reasonably priced and this is a great place for dinner if you're looking for someplace fancy with something for everyone on the menu. read more

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Delicious food, trendy atmosphere, and delectable cocktails. What more could you ask for?

We came to The Bauer Kitchen for a brunch on an early Sunday afternoon. We have been there a while ago and had a very pleasant dinner, so we expected a similar experience this time around. We got seated in the booth on the windowed side of the restaurant and had to wait about 10 minutes for our waitress to come and take our order. The place wasn't busy by any means so that was pretty surprising. The waitress seemed aloof and distracted. The food took a while to come in and was very underwhelming for the price point. Two of us ordered Ranchers bowl and leek and potato soup with the house Bauer salad. All of the above was grossly under seasoned and bland. Ranchers bowl was just a sad looking and poorly thought out dish with half of avocado that was served whole and uncut, a blob of arugula, a sad looking egg, some refried beans that tasted like canned beans and the tiniest piece of chicken. Nothing was seasoned and the only reason I finished mine is because I was starving. The house salad came completely dry, no visible signs of dressing, and the seeds, cranberries and pears were just very symbolic hints on the plate. My friend requested some toast as there was nothing to soak up the egg yolk on the plate, and had to wait 15 minutes for it. At this point she couldn't finish the dish as the arugula has wilted and the whole dish looked very unappetizing. The waitress never came to ask us if we enjoyed our meal and in the end she "forgot" to bring the change back to one of our party and we had to look for her to remind her we're waiting for the change. We each paid over $50 for the most unsatisfying brunch the highest point of which were our cappuccinos...needless to say we're not intending to come back read more

The Bauer Kitchen is unfortunately one of the poorer of the Charcoal group's offerings. While the food sounds fancy on the menu, the execution is pretty standard of a casey's or similar restaurant. They also tend to skimp on the ingredients that make the dishes appealing - for example the pulled pork nachos have very little pulled pork on them. Not worth the price. read more

I went to The Bauer Kitchen to celebrate both Mother's Day and my boyfriend's birthday and it started of as a terrible experience. We had a reservation for 5:30 and our table wasn't ready when we arrived at 5:20, as expected, so we waited. Other parties came in and were seated before us, making us feel very forgotten. After about 25 minutes we were growing to be quite frustrated and went to sit at the bar while we waited. The entire time the hostesses were not working to remedy the situation and dismissed us entirely. After about an hour long wait, we were finally seated. The table they gave to us was meant for 4 people and they shoved an extra chair on the end. It was also very loud as it was right in front of the kitchen. At this point, we'd had enough and spoke to the manager. She was quick to remedy the situation, searing us in a nice booth and then comping our drinks and appetizers. The food itself was excellent, but I was shocked by the poor attitude of the hostess. I'm thankful the manager worked hard to fix the situation because this would otherwise have been my last visit. read more

AMAZING. High quality food and a very diverse menu. My favorite place to eat in the Kitchener Waterloo area

The ambience and food here are defo worth five stars but the service is slow, so I'm giving it four. I often come here for the breakfast - it's pretty phenomenal. Pricey, but worth it if you can afford to splurge a little sometimes. The dinner menu is always varied but, for some reason I can't quite pinpoint, it doesn't really speak to me. I can usually find an item or two that I am okay with though, and it's always at least satisfactory. The venue itself is classy and warm. Art for sale on the walls, so there's always a bit of freshness there. Alcohol doubles as decorative, which is something I quite like doing in my own spaces. There is a nice long bar with two TVs and craft ales, so you can actually come here for pubbish purposes, and enjoy food that isn't breaded and deep-fried. Despite slow service, everyone is very friendly and accommodating. read more

Always a good time, good service, good atmosphere. Never a complaint with the food regardless of what I order. You can always count on a nice experience. read more

Consistently great food and service. One of my favourite restaurants in Waterloo. This visit we tried the duck confit wings after hearing someone rave about them. Holy crap they are good. I will probably order them every single time I go now. read more

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After hearing good things from a variety of people we decided to dine here before an event. I had made a reservation and when we arrived we were warmly welcomed in and seated right away. At first our server was very friendly but when we indicated that we would not be drinking alcohol with the meal her attitude changed a little. She was still helpful with the menu and we all made selections we were content with but somewhat cool with us. Then the food took a long time to arrive. The restaurant was filling up at that time but we had arrived before the rush. Our food was pretty good. I had the braised beef gnocchi and it was flavourful but almost too rich. The other two in our party had salads which they were very happy with! Overall it was an alright experience. I would like to come back to try brunch. Just don't be upset with me if I don't feel like ordering alcohol. read more