Mayflower II Restaurant & Pub

The Mayflower II is a three-story restaurant and pub located in the heart of downtown on Queen St. The atmosphere is casual and the décor has a flair for wildlife and farming. A hunter green ceiling and carpeted floor give an inviting feeling to patrons who are seated either in booths or at tables. Mirrors and food posters line the walls.

My companion and I were seated promptly in the first floor dining room. When we asked for a booth, the hostess was compliant even though we were a party of two. The time was 2:30 p.m. so the restaurant was not busy which may have led to this lack of concern.

The waiter was both polite and attentive returning twice to the table after our meal was served. The drinks were brought promptly after the order was placed and the food arrived at the table in less than fifteen minutes. Although the waiter had to be prompted by the hostess to return to our table when we had finished our meal, interrupting his conversation with fellow workers seated at a table not far away, his service left little for complaint.

My companion and I each ordered a mid-priced meal from the menu. I selected the Roast Beef Dip with mashed potatoes and my booth-mate chose the Chicken Caesar Wrap with garden salad. The Dip came with a side order of french fries but for some unknown reason there was a charge of a dollar if you wished to switch it to mashed potatoes.

Unfortunately the meal did not reach the standard set by the service. The roast beef was both dry and tasteless. It was over-cooked which robbed it of flavour. The bun was plain where a sourdough or onion roll would have been more appropriate to make up for the meat's lack of taste. What was most humourous was the gravy served with the mashed potatoes. It was the tastiest of all the meal items yet I could tell it was made from a powder.

I asked my companion what his opinion on the Chicken Caesar Wrap was and he stated that he enjoyed it. His main complaint came when he received the cheque and realized he paid $3.60 for a small glass of orange juice. He also was annoyed with the staff seated at an adjacent table and the fact that his original order, the special of the day, was not offered even though advertised.

The Mayfair II allows its staff to eat and break in the dining area which would be satisfactory if they showed consideration for their patrons. The workers instead treated the dining area as a lunchroom with foul language and inappropriate subject matter colouring their conversations. One staff member had the audacity to mention how orange juice was made from rotten fruit pasteurized at high temperatures to rid it of bacteria while my friend was drinking that citric beverage.

In conclusion, it is unfortunate that the good service and inviting décor could not make up for the less that stellar food and inconsiderate staff members. This is especially discouraging as the meal, including a 15% tip cost $40.00 in total. My friend and I concluded that a trip to Subway would have been more satisfactory.

Decor: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Atmosphere: 1/5
Food: 2/5

Overall Rating: 2.5/5