Not far from Meat & Bread, Save-On-Meats stands proudly as it has stood the test of time. In 1957, Al DesLauriers first opened up SOM as a butcher shop until 2009 when Al retired. Then, Mark Brand, a loyal customer and restaurateur, took on the challenge to revive SOM… and here it is today.
When you walk by, you definitely can’t miss it: SOM spelled out in huge red font, sitting beneath an even bigger blue rotating sign.
The inside is very much like a diner with the seating at the bar and plenty of comfy booths. There’s also a private-ish room near the front by a big glass window; it sorta feels like you’re on display.
To start, Joanne and I shared a Strawberry Save On Milkshake ($5). I must say, it was super thick, especially with such a slim straw! It’s made with real ice cream, milk & strawberry mush. We really enjoyed it and the fact that it came in a sizeable tin can made it that much sweeter. Interesting fact: their ice cream has no nasty trans fat!
I ordered The Burger ($6), the one that made SOM famous.
[quote]Made with hand ground chuck steak and fresh herbs in house everyday.[/quote]
The burger was surprisingly good! Although small, it packed a whole lot of flavour!
In particular, the bacon, made in their own butcher shop, imparted a real nice smokey flavour. I was totally stuffed by the time I finished this bitty burger. The only issue I had was that it could’ve been a bit more moist. As for the fries, they were regular… nothing special.
Joanne ordered the Open Face Roast Chicken Sandwich ($8). The description says, “Juicy roast chicken.” Unfortunately, all I got was dry, dry and DRY. The chicken was also really bland; only the gravy gave it some flavour (and the gravy wasn’t that great either). And the mashed potatoes… it was horrendous: absolutely flavourless. I thought it tasted like instant mix without any hint of butter. Overall, I thought this dish was a dismal failure.
For a lunch-dessert, we ordered SOM’s signature Chocolate Bacon Cookie (2 for $2). I don’t quite understand why they’re considered “signature” because they just tasted like a regular cookies. You couldn’t really taste the bacon; I think it’s just a gimmick. And they were quite hard… Joanne couldn’t even break it in half with her hands :P
Originally, Joanne and I were going to order the entree dishes. Too bad, they’re only served at 4pm on weekends and 11am on weekdays! So we’re planning to revisit soon and I’ll re-review this restaurant! Hopefully things will be better next time :)
Final Bytes
- Burger tasted awesome, especially for that price point!
- The Fried Chicken Dinner can actually be reconstructed through the sides, which are cheaper!
- Be sure to check serving times for breakfast, brunch & other stuff!
- Don’t forget to sign up your name on the board!
Foodobyte’s Rating
[…] several minutes of back-and-forth, we decided on Acme Cafe on East Hastings, near Save-On-Meats! Despite the sketchy area, the sun shined brightly and the skies glowed blue. It was a good day […]