Sherman's Food Adventures: The Market Restaurant (Goats on the Roof)

The Market Restaurant (Goats on the Roof)

I'm sure better choices for eats were available to us as we were driving away from Little Qualicum Falls on Highway 4, but it was an hour past lunch and we weren't too fussy.  So we ended up at a touristy spot of sorts in The Market Restaurant at Old Country Market.  Located in Coombs, the market is really a little village consisting of a grocery store, souvenir shop, deli, bakery, restaurant, pizzeria, donut shop and ice cream parlour.  But the real draw is the goats on the roof.  Yes, there are goats living on the grass roof!

Beyond that, we were hungry, so I decided on the Rueben with brisket, sauerkraut, cheese and dressing.  Sandwiched in between crunchy toasted marbled rye, there was a decent amount of ingredients in between.  I found the brisket to be tender and not overly fatty, but it was too sour and musty tasting due to the sauerkraut.  It was tangy and provided a nice crunch while the cheese was sharp and nicely melted.  The side of mustard was great as it added more tang and a touch of spice.  My son decided on the OCM Classic Burger with aged cheddar, bacon, tomato, lettuce and sauce.  This was actually pretty good despite the patty looking like a pack of ground beef.  It was nicely seasoned, well-charred and juicy.  The aged cheddar added a nice sharpness while the burger sauce had a bit of a kick.  The fries were pretty crunchy, yet dry at the same time.

Viv ended up with the Crispy Chicken Burger with asiago and bacon on a pretzel bun.  This was the best of the bunch with a crispy piece of chicken where the meat was succulent and well-seasoned.  The asiago added a nice pungency while the crispy bacon added both texture and smokiness.  Loved how the pretzel bun held up while not being too dense.  We subbed a Loaded Poutine for the fries and it was good.  The gravy was flavouful and puposefully salty and there was enough bacon, sour cream and onions to give it a baked potato effect.  My daughter kept it simple with the kid's Chicken Tenders with a bowl of Clam Chowder.  Creamy with plenty of dill and brininess, the chowder was actually quite good.  In the end, the food did what it was supposed to do (as in feed us).  However, the place isn't cheap, but it is cute especially with goats on the roof.

The Good:
- Nice novelty
- Food was serviceable
- Lots of other stuff to eat and see there

The Bad:
- On the pricier side
- Food is okay, but not memorable

2 comments:

Doc Railgun said...

Can one pick a goat for the kitchen to then cook, a la a lobster tank at a seafood restaurant?

Sherman Chan said...

@Doc I was hoping, but nope... LOL...

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