The Cove Country Inn Burger Review – Westport, ON
The Cove Country Inn Burger Review – Westport, ON
Robyn and I were in Westport for Thanksgiving with family, between Ottawa and Kingston, about a four and a half hour drive from home. Of course the quest came along. Our stop was The Cove Country Inn, right on a beautiful lake. I fell for the place, but the burger came with tomato, and this was the visit where I drew the line. The Cove goes down as a DQ.
My order and the price
The burger normally runs $15 plus tax with a side. When I ordered it with no side, the server took $4.50 off, bringing it to $11.87 with tax. I loved that. Most places charge for a side whether you get one or not, and I was ready to declare The Cove one of my new favorite places before I even tried the burger.
The tomato question
The order was the usual: a hamburger with lettuce, onion and pickle only. When the burger arrived, there were tomato slices on it. I went back and forth. Cheese can't be taken off, but tomato can. Some of you say tomato means DQ, some say just take it off. I decided to take a bite and let it simmer.
- Bun: Fluffy and not toasted.
- Patty: Looked homemade. The beef was good, but it was under-seasoned and dry.
- Toppings: Fluffy lettuce, red onion rings sliced vertically and pickle slices, plus the tomato.
- Value: $11.87 with the no-side discount, a fair price.
It hurt my feelings, because I wanted this burger to be good.
A new line in the sand
The quest had been going long enough that it was time to settle the tomato question. A Gold Medal Burger is lettuce, onion and pickle only. Starting with The Cove, a burger served with tomato is a DQ. It broke my heart to do it here of all places.
My verdict
The Cove Country Inn is a huge, beautiful place with friendly staff and a gorgeous view, and I still love them for knocking the side off the bill. But you take a little and you give a little, and the tomato made it a DQ. The burger itself was dry and needed more seasoning anyway, so the line in the sand landed on a burger that wasn't going to medal.
Find The Cove Country Inn
Westport, ON
