West Side Market Cafe
Price $$$ (approx. $10 or less)
Rating 4 out of 5
The West Side Market may be under inspection and cleaning for an unknown amount of time, but fear not. It will take more than that to stop your Food Critic from critiquing WSM food. Despite the tragic closing of the WSM, the West Side Market Cafe along with the fiercely independent Produce Building remains open.
Not a vegetable man myself, I went to the WSM Cafe. Upon first entering the Cafe, I was immersed in the history of the WSM, surrounded on all walls by historic pictures of the Market. After being welcomed by this nostalgic atmosphere, I was greeted by a friendly waitress who offered me a seat wherever I wanted, creating a very casual atmosphere. Given a menu upon sitting down I got to pick from any number of appetizing dishes ranging from the safe buys of the Turkey Club ($9) or the Walleye Po-Boy ($10) to the more daring meals like the Korean BBQ Pulled Pork ($9) or the Wild Mushroom Grilled Cheese ($8).
Being a traditionalist I decided to go with the Cafe’s classic Westside Market Burger whose ingredients include an Ohio beef burger, a savory bacon onion spread, nutty-flavored fontina cheese, freshly sliced tomato, arugula (a pepper tasting green), and a pungent, grainy mustard spread. Served with this Burger (and all sandwiches) were crisp browned potato chips, all of this served on a platter for $8.
The burger was titillating from the first bite. It started out with a strong dose of mustard, was balanced by the sweet onion and cheese (although at times the mustard got the better of the two), and both were complemented by the dry, slightly hard bun and the juicy tomato slice. The burger itself, although nothing extraordinary, was complemented by other ingredients like the arugula to make the sandwich stand out. The potato chips were homemade, offering a twist to the regular chip, as these had a pungent flavor and were far harder. However, t`2hey weren’t particularly good by themselves, but with a little ketchup to lessen the crunchiness they became quite enjoyable. Despite being overwhelmed by by the overpowering flavor of the mustard seed, not only was my stomach satisfied, but so were my taste buds.
Overall, I highly recommend this unique mom-&-pop diner-styled restaurant. The West Side Market Cafe is perfect for an after-school lunch (open til 4:00 Mon & Wed and 6:00 on Fri), or a before-school breakfast (opening at 7:00 Mon-Thurs and 6:00 Fri) with an equally appetizing and affordable breakfast menu that includes basic breakfasts like the 2 egg, homefries and toast for $3.50, a variety of omelettes, and the exotic smoked salmon and Eggs breakfast, for $9. A friend to your wallet, all their meals are $10 or less. The Cafe is situated on the Lorain side, identifiable by the clearly displayed West Side Market Cafe sign.
