Almost Awesome A&W

Friday for lunch, after enjoying some Suzy Q donuts, I took OC Transpo's Route 2 downtown to visit the Rideau Centre Food Court.

Upon entering the Food Court at 11:15 A.M., I noticed it was just starting to get busy for the Friday lunch rush.

I ventured over to the A & W (50 Rideau Street, Ottawa) and immediately placed my order.

The Order: 1 Teen Burger Combo (Teen Burger, Medium Fries and a A&W Root Beer).

Service was great with two employees taking order and one filling them as they came out of the kitchen.  They worked like clockwork serving up the food meaning I was ordering to picking up my food in two minutes flat.  Pretty impressive for a fast food burger joint where sometimes the teenage employees in robes stand their dumbfounded as to what you want.  Not here though, they ask what you wish and give it to you.

The only quarrel I have, like the last A&W I visited, is the price.  $9.50 including taxes seems a little much for a Teen Burger Combo.  McDonald's can make a  Big Mac Meal for seven and change while A&W can't remove one burger paddy and add bacon for the same price?  Really?

I found an empty table, dropped off my tray, undid my jacket and prepared for the meal.

The Teen Burger was interestingly perfect!  The old school Teen Burger with just the right amount of tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise  bacon and of course the usual burger paddy.  The right consistency and good temperature.

The fries were hot and were a little more flavorful.  Perhaps they added a little more salt?  Not sure but they definitely didn't taste like cardboard like the cardboard served at A&W at St. Laurent Mall.  

The A&W Root Beer though was still smaller than a McDonald's medium sized soft drink. As well the A&W Root Beer, as usual didn't have any ice.  The A&W Root Beer is supposedly put through chilled tubing.  But this tubing quite frankly doesn't adequately substitute for the coldness of ice.  

Overall, this A&W is a step up from the St. Laurent location.  Service was prompt and efficient while the food was better prepared.  It actually seemed like the employees wanted to be there to serve you with a smile.  The only issue, presumably emanating from head office, is the rationing of the ketchup packets to only two per set of fries and two napkins.  Seems like customers are being treated as inmates at a prison and can't be trusted with the condiments and napkins.  Too bad really, A&W finally nailed the Teen Burger and Fries but stumbled on pricing and stinginess on the condiments.