Maverick's (Rosedale)

Maverick's is a local restaurant focusing on Roast Beef.  They're a no-frills, all expenses spared kind of place in a small strip mall, and if you didn't know it was there, you wouldn't see it.

Once upon a time, this place got rave reviews for it's food - there's all kinds of clippings from magazines and newspapers attesting to this.  However, I think things have changed.

First, as soon as you walk in, you're bombarded with the question of whether you want anything fried with your meal.  If you haven't read the menu, how would you know?

I went with the BBQ Beef sandwich (a large) and Onion Rings.  Since they had to fry the rings, they put a marker on my tray so they could bring them out to me when done (the marker was an upside down plastic cup with some tape on it).  We got a table, and as I was heading to the beverage machine, they brought me my rings.  At the soda machine.  What am I supposed to do with them at the soda machine?  I ended up taking them back to my table, then going back to get my soda.

The sandwich was messy.  They put too much BBQ on the bun, in my opinion.  In addition, they used a soft bun, which ended up being just squishy, and couldn't hold up to the meat.  The BBQ didn't have much noticeable flavor to it, at least nothing I would rave about and say 'better than Arby's'.  If you've had an Arby-Q, you've had this.  Which is sad for a local, non-chain, restaurant that's supposed to be focsued on Roast Beef.  The onion rings, for being 'fresh', were overcooked, frying out all the onion-ness.  I like a crispy onion ring (or fry, for that matter), but I want to taste the flavor of the thing, as well, not just 'crunchy'.

While we were eating, someone came over (the manager? the owner?  they never identified themselves) and learned that one of us had never been there before, and so he had 'samples' brought to our table of the Roast Beef sandwich and the Beef Brisket sandwich.  The samples were simply a sandwich cut into quarters.  When it was delivered, the server said "If you like, it tell all your friends.  If you don't, keep it to yourself".  I assume that was in jest, but rather poor.  I'd think they'd want to know if I didn't like it, why, and how they could make it better.

The Roast Beef had no flavor, and again the soft bun turned to mush.  The Brisket did have some flavor, but was way overpowered by the Rye bun it was served on.

Maybe they were having an off day.  Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for hijinks (I was fighting a headache).  Maybe not.  I don't know that I will be headed back there any time soon, though.  There are other, better places in town to get sandwiches with actual flavor.