Tavern on Canton Square

Wild Boar Burrito with Cajun Fries

If I learned one thing from the Tavern on Canton Square, it's that they have the best business idea in Baltimore.  That idea is to be located directly next to Nacho Mama's and Mama's on the Half Shell.  I don't know why previous places haven't done well in this location...it's brilliant.  9 out of 10 times, people will go to either of the Mama's and be told there's a two hour wait.  Some people will go somewhere, get a drink and wait it out.  If you're like me, however, you'll consider going somewhere else for food.  And why go far when you can go right next door?  This is how my visit to the Tavern came about.  My crazy friends thought it'd be a great idea to have dinner (7 of us) at Nacho Mama's at 7:00 on a Saturday night.  Once I heard the plan, I laughed and started planning on other places to go after the inevitable "2 hour wait" statement.  Needless to say, that's what happened and we ended up next door.

The place was lively but not crowded; so we were able to get a seat immediately.  For Canton:  major points right there.  The menu is average-sized with average prices (for an average place, but we're getting to that).  We started with a Fried Pickles appetizer (Special, $9).  The pickles were nothing special, but the dish also featured fried banana peppers.  We all agreed that the peppers made the dish.  

After much deliberation with myself, I settled on the Wild Boar Burrito that comes with Cajun Fries (pictured above, $12).  My rationale was that I've never had wild boar before, so why not try it?  It was a typical burrito setup: with sour cream, salsa, queso, beans, and lettuce.  After a few bites, I noticed that wild boar doesn't taste any different than regular boar (or pig for that matter).  It was average and boring...nothing stood out in terms of flavor.  My friend had the special that night which was Braised Short Ribs, Asparagus, and Mashed Potatoes in a mushroom sauce.  His feelings were the same as mine:  "ehh."  His was $24, so I'm sure he was expecting more from it.  I will say, however, that the fries were ridiculously good.  They reminded me of the fries from the Corner Stable in Timonium, only with a little extra cajun flavor.  These were the highlight of the meal and had me wishing they were my entree instead of the burrito.

Would I recommend this to someone?  Well, it depends.  I wouldn't suggest making a special trip to Canton just to go here.  Much better places you can go (Langermann's).  However, if you're there and the Mamas are full, it's worth stopping in and trying some of the lower priced bar fare.  I'll probably end up back at this place in the future, so I can report if it gets any better.

 

 

 

Looks like the review turned out a bit more wall-o-texty than my past reviews, but I also didn't jump around as much...so I've got that going for me.