662032 Sat Oct 24 19:29:07 -0700 2009 14 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 5128540 Went to the Stone Crock Restaurant in St. Jacobs for lunch during today's shopping trip to the Farmers Market to pick up berries for making jam.. We were asked to wait 40 minutes for a table, even though there seemed several vacant ones in some of the smaller rooms. Waiting gave us enough time , and with a suggestion for a friend who had been there previously, to eventually order the Lunch buffet, priced I believed at $12.99. Sat down, perused the menu and all agreed on the buffet. The printed menu outlines the time the lunch and dinner buffet is available and advertises soup, various entrees and pies and tortes. When you get to the buffet, you are met with a couple of signs: Buffet doesn't include soup, or sandwiches, both of which are displayed in the buffet area, with price lists and allowable combination. Neither does it include Pies or Tortes. These are priced extra. Never did find out how much the pies (no tortes in sight), but perhaps $5.99 per slice. The food is pretty standard buffet fare, nothing spectacular, gravies from a mix, commercially prepared pickles, salad stuff. Roast pork was fine, roast chicken was dry. There was one dish that tasted familiar and was quite good, a tomatey sauce with mystery ground meat. The sign above it said it was Stewed Cabbage. It reminded me of something, but can't for the life of me place it. Could be bulk cabbage roll filling. Definitely no cabbage involved. It is quite obvious EVERYTHING comes out of a bag is heated up and slung into the steam tables. No stand outs. No breads/rolls/butter. Beverages are extra. No prices are listed for beverages. I was treated by my friend so no idea what it cost. This is definitely a tourist type restaurant where their motto is "we don't care about repeat customers!" Mentioned the discrepancies between the menu and the signs at the buffet to our waitress, who said she was embarrassed, but they were printing new menus soon! Other than taht there was nothing she was able to do. WE proceeded on to the Farmers Market where we purchased two pies, from the same company that owns the restaurant . The pies were two for ten dollars and made with pie filling in a pail, but at least at a better price. The restaurant is filled with wooden tables and chairs that looked Amish or Mennonite made, but a table for four was really about a deuce size! Terrible way to treat our tourists, but then I guess they won't be coming back. I certainly won't! Sat Oct 24 19:29:07 -0700 2009 46717 Danybear 1 5131658 On a recent trip to the market we recently looked into the Stone Crook but weren't brave enough to stay. So we walked down the street and had a very pleasant lunch at Benjamin's Inn. They really cook there and both the service and the environment are customer friendly. Mon Oct 26 09:34:06 -0700 2009 5128540 59172 iamafoodie 2 5132772 We ate at Bejamin's a number of years ago and were very happy with our meal. We also ate at a little tea room type place right on the main street about 3 years ago and it was excellent. I don't remember the name but it was good. Very simple, small menu but done really well. Our choice out that way is The Olde Heidelberg Inn, in Heidelberg. Great food and the house lager is terrific. DT Mon Oct 26 15:29:35 -0700 2009 5131658 11291 Davwud 3 5132804 The tea room is now gone. Mon Oct 26 15:42:22 -0700 2009 5132772 25850 RYP 4 5132977 Too bad. DT Mon Oct 26 16:50:27 -0700 2009 5132804 11291 Davwud 1 5131677 Interesting that the Stone Crock is still going strong. The food changed from good homestyle cooking to garbage some time in the seventies. Egad... Mon Oct 26 09:38:06 -0700 2009 5128540 23411 embee 1 5134195 Oh yuck. It was bad already in the 80's... Stick to Mennonite baked goods from the bakery on main street when in St Jacobs. If it's Saturday the better bet is to go to the Waterloo Farmer's Market, choose some meats, cheeses and breads from a mind-bowing selection of authentic German producers and have a picnic lunch. Tue Oct 27 07:52:37 -0700 2009 5128540 288839 Thatcher 2 5134285 Isn't the bakery attached to -- and affiliated with -- the Stone Crock? Tue Oct 27 08:24:35 -0700 2009 5134195 232011 Tatai 3 5134305 Yup, it is. And they also have a location in the Market. Benjamins, Vadalia, Stone Crock, Stone Crock bakery and butcher shop are all owned by the same people. There is a monopoly on St. Jacob's. Tue Oct 27 08:32:55 -0700 2009 5134285 25850 RYP 4 5134352 I was there last week and was not tempted to buy anything: the baked goods are supermarket-like and totally unappetizing. And I was wondering about the butcher shop. I went in to buy a snack for lunch and ended up with a couple of pepperoni sticks and a container of potato salad. When I asked if they sold rolls or made sandwiches, I was directed to go to the Stone Crock bakery. The potato salad was horrible and was tossed; the pepperoni sticks were pretty good. I'm also wondering whether the women working there, who are dressed in traditional Mennonite garb, are for real or if they're playing dress-up. Anyone know? Tue Oct 27 08:49:27 -0700 2009 5134305 232011 Tatai 5 5135224 It could quite actually be both. DT Tue Oct 27 13:09:07 -0700 2009 5134352 11291 Davwud 5 5136767 Depends on what you are taking for Mennonite garb. If it's just head scarves, then, it may be part costume. Mennonite attire varies according to Old Order and New Order, but it all still fits within an identifiable style. St Jacobs and the surrounding area was/is one of the last Mennonite strongholds in NA and most of the businesses there were originally Mennonite owned. Many still are. So, it's a good bet that you're dealing with the real thing. It's not like visting a US theme town, where everything is Disneyfied and everyone is forced to dress up in costume for the tourists. This is a distinct culture that has happened to draw a crowd over the years. Sorry for the history lesson - grew up on a farm in St Jacobs... Wed Oct 28 05:48:45 -0700 2009 5134352 288839 Thatcher 6 5136781 I'm aware of the long Mennonite history in the area and have had numerous wonderful interactions with both Old Order and New Order Mennonites. But I do recall reading something last year about some indoor vendors at the St. Jacobs Market dressing up counter servers in head scarves and long dresses in order to give the appearance that the shop is Mennonite-run. Just wondered if this might be happening downtown, too. Wed Oct 28 06:00:46 -0700 2009 5136767 232011 Tatai 5 5136884 As far as I have heard, the Stone Crock hasn't been a Mennonite operation for many years. I remember my dad taking us there in the 70's for the homestyle dinner with pie. It was amazing. Then on later trips, we noticed the food wasn't as good and they were serving alcohol. No longer Mennonite. Wed Oct 28 06:45:29 -0700 2009 5134352 139219 Sooeygun 3 5136761 I mean the other bakery, down the street, closer to Benjamins. At least it was there last year... Wed Oct 28 05:44:41 -0700 2009 5134285 288839 Thatcher