665385 Sat Nov 07 09:52:51 -0800 2009 5 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 5163333 I'm taking my son out for a birthday dinner, along with my 2 other kids. Besides the usual suspects are there any reasonably priced restaurants near U of W that you could recommend? Any type of food is good, although my daughter is a vegetarian. Sat Nov 07 09:52:51 -0800 2009 66017 pirade 1 5167126 Near the 2 universities, most places cater to students, however, Mongolian Grill in the University Plaza gets a lot of business people from RIM, Open Text, etc. You select raw food from a buffet add the seasonings and sauces that you want and they grill it for you. It's a somewhat different experience and reasonably priced. Vegetarian is clearly an option. If you want something truly unique for Waterloo country which might not be accessible for your son if he doesn't have a car, try the Heidelberg House in Heidelberg, about 10 minutes north of the university. It has old fashioned Mennonite cooking, such as pigs tails, pock hocks, schnitzels, etc. Vegetarian might be a bit difficult, but the battered mushrooms are great. The towns of St. Jacobs and Elmira have some interesting restaurants as well. The following are upscale, so maybe pricier than you want: Up King Street: Rushes - in the Waterloo Inn Wildcraft near the Waterloo Inn Downtown Waterloo: Charbries Janet Lynn's Bistro Mon Nov 09 09:23:56 -0800 2009 5163333 267771 OTFOODIE 1 5168970 My family likes this place for special occasions like birthdays, etc. It's near UW (kinda behind Waterloo Town Plaza), and has a nice ambiance. It can be pricey depending on what you order, but you can have a reasonable bill if you choose the pizzas or pastas. http://www.sole.ca/main.htm Mon Nov 09 19:37:13 -0800 2009 5163333 77149 superangela 1 5168987 If you want upscale environment (and slightly more pretentious prices too) then I'd recommend Wildcraft. Their W burger is very good, but there are lots of vegetarian options that will please your daughter. Here's what I'd recommend in the area: Ennio's (on King St) - Italian, midscale with a nice range of different dishes (& vegetarian too) that are all consistently decent quality, owned by a local family to boot; Pho Ben Thanh (on Northfield) - Vietnamese/Thai, a local mini-chain, excellent food for very very reasonable prices, with plenty of vegetarian options that are actually delicious; Benny's (on Weber) - this is roadhouse all the way - nothing too horrible, but nothing great either, but if that's what you would like, the portions are huuuuge and the prices quite reasonable; If you are willing to drive a little, you might consider the Charcoal Steak House / Del Dente's (which is in the basement) in Kitchener off Fairway. Both levels serve very solidly good food. Again, slightly higher prices but good portion sizes. Another place further away is Arabesque (on Victoria), which serves Middle Eastern cuisine (shawermas, falafels, etc). The prices are incredibly reasonable, and the food fresh and very delicious. I would have to disagree with the rec for Mongolian Grill - in my mind, it's actually pretty bad food, gimmicky to say the least, and in this day of H1N1, I'd avoid places with raw meats left out on open buffets like the plague pits they likely are. And while I haven't been to Heidelberg House in about 5 years, it's because the last time I ate there, the place was dark, dim and dingy. But I am a mother of a 5 year old, so I'm very picky about the cleanliness of where we eat. Good luck, hope you enjoy your birthday celebrations. Mon Nov 09 19:46:18 -0800 2009 5163333 174831 mcvixen 2 5169156 I second the disagreement with Mongolian Grill. That place has been there over 15 years and really hasn't changed. Average food at best and definitely gimmicky. A few other ideas with vegetarian options: Masala Bay - good Indian Food Lucy's Seafood Kitchen Mon Nov 09 21:11:49 -0800 2009 5168987 1112620 kayehm 3 5169429 Lucy's is closed. No great loss. Tue Nov 10 04:02:50 -0800 2009 5169156 25850 RYP