The Colonial, the new kid on the block for the Downtown bar scene, entered Restaurant Week ready to show that it has much more to offer than just a stop on a weekend night. Located at 56-58 Court Street, patrons can enjoy a friendly staff, entertaining atmosphere and music that ranges from Elton John to The Weeknd.
This week, the restaurant is offering a $15 lunch and a $20 dinner. Both options include an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert. While both menus look delicious, the dinner menu has a few more options.
I chose to go to dinner, where the meal begins with a choice of tofu wings, a Caesar salad, deviled eggs or a creamy tomato soup (served with grilled cheese strips, of course). The tofu wings are fried tofu bites that come with the choice of either a buffalo, BBQ or house sauce, and a side of celery and bleu cheese. Of the four appetizers, this one stood out the most. It brought a unique and delicious spin to the usual wing appetizer. Any fan of regular chicken wings should definitely consider this item to start.
There are five options available for an entrée. These range from the Colonial burger, which is no different than a burger at most restaurants, to the Portobello and Pepper Slammer. I, however, chose the Southern chicken sandwich. This enormous dish is available grilled or fried and is topped with a delectable chipotle-ranch sauce.
Each entrée is served with a side of crispy fries and, for an extra dollar, you can top them off with either a truffle parmesan, Buffalo bleu cheese or gravy.
Already stuffed from the first two courses, dessert came down to an option between banana pudding or a waffle sundae. Choosing the waffle sundae, the dish came as a waffle with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, topped with whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries and raisins with chocolate sauce on top. While the waffle sundae was a phenomenal dessert overall, the raisins felt out of place in the dish. For fans of the dessert, the sundae will also be making an appearance on The Colonial’s brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Jordan Rindgem, a co-owner of The Colonial, indicated that the eatery did not venture too far from its regular menu for this Restaurant Week. The tofu wings appetizer and the guac burger entrée, a burger filled with taco-seasoned meat, cheddar, lettuce and pico de gallo, were the only menu items that had never been served at The Colonial, but will soon be added to the regular spring menu. Another fan favorite mentioned was the fish and chips entrée, a cajun Guinness-battered haddock with tartar sauce and malt vinegar, available on the Restaurant Week menu.
From start to finish the staff was very friendly and often checked in to make sure the meal was going well. Wait times between each course lasted no longer than 15 minutes each, which left good time to make room for the decent-sized portions. Both the bar and bathrooms are kept very clean, even though the establishment is filled with large crowds during the late nights and weekends.
Overall, the Colonial provided a very enjoyable experience and warrants a second visit.