This past week Jess and I had the opportunity to check out a little gem on Waterloo Street called The Bungalow. This particular restaurant, in its time, has changed owners and themes several times every few years. We went as part of a large group as a surprise birthday party for one of Jessica's friends.

We entered the establishment to find the line reaching the front doors. Clearly, I thought at the time, this is a place worth looking at. Luckily we had a reservation so we got in without difficulty.

We were escorted to our table upstairs, which provided a nice, intimate atmosphere while not losing that down-to-earth neighbourhood restaurant feel. A fireplace warmed us from a side wall. We settled and waited for a waiter, which took a little longer than average. It was a busy Saturday night, so I can understand this.

We started a round of drinks and appetizers. We ordered baconwrapped scallops, chicken quesadillas and roasted mushroom brie with crustini toasts. The appetizers took their time arriving at the table. When they finally did arrive, we were pleasantly surprised they were delicious and plentiful in both flavour and portion. The scallops especially stood out because they had a spicy maple glaze that complemented them well.

For the entrees, Jess and I both ended up getting the same wild boar burger topped with sautéed mushrooms and stuffed with seasoned brie. The wild boar wasn't anything too different from a regular burger. The taste wasn't too gamey. All the food on this round of ordering all arrived generally at the same time with an exception of one of the other girl's pizzas, which ended up taking an extra half-hour to arrive after everyone else had received their meals, due to a mistake in the kitchen.

I'd write regarding dessert but it was taken care of by the birthday girl's parents (a very decadent chocolate cake from Sunripe Market).

All in all, The Bungalow is definitely an experience. It stands out amongst most neighbourhood restaurants because it offers its patrons the opportunity to create their own burgers; you get a choice from three different buns, several types of meat (including ahi tuna, bison and turkey) and over 30 toppings. While we didn't take advantage of this option, I'd recommend it purely on the fact that it would be an interesting and exciting meal. To top it all off, their choice of sides includes homemade mac and cheese, sweet potato fries and, if you're the adventurous type, deepfried pickles!

The atmosphere is energetic but not very intimate. The service left something to be desired on this particular evening. One could argue that it was busy, but a restaurant's front of house service should best be represented by how they are on their busiest night, not their slowest. The entire dining experience, from initial drink order to finishing dessert, was about three hours.

The location isn't too difficult to get to; the restaurant is located at the corner of Waterloo and Cheapside, about two blocks from Oxford Street. I believe much of the clientele stems from King's University College just up Waterloo — many of the patrons were younger — but I'd imagine on most nights there is a nice mix of people from the neighbourhood as well.

The Bungalow isn't the cheapest restaurant you could go to, but it is definitely worth a shot at least once — especially if you've never tried wild boar before. The entrees cost an average of $12. Make a reservation if you plan on going on the weekend, as no one likes waiting outside in this weather.

Quality: 4.5/5
Staff: 3/5
Affordability: 3/5
Atmosphere: 3.5/5

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