Many friends in Toronto mentioned that I must try the popular pork knuckles at the Mennonite Heidelberg Restaurant near University of Waterloo, Ontario. So, we came here with great expectations thanks to our friend Brooke whose family lives near the restaurant 😄
We just visited the St. Jacob's Farmers Market where many Mennonite farmers sell their meats, vegetables and traditional bakes. We worked up an appetite for Mennonite style pork hocks at Heidelberg with all the walking 😄
More about the Mennonite community 👈
Inside Olde Heidelberg Restaurant, it's an old tavern type setting. The furnishings are time weathered and there is even a vintage hot water type radiator in the main dining hall 😄
It's a little dark inside despite the windows and the seating is rather cramped or "intimate". Heidelberg is full house despite this being a weekday lunch (Thursday). The atmosphere is casual and relaxed with banter and chatter. It is very popular with Asians. (Many Asian students bring their visiting parents here 😄 )
Heidelberg Restaurant is reputedly started in 1860 as a stagecoach stop. (Spotted this traditional Mennonite stagecoach outside Heidelberg Restaurant.)
Heidelberg's menu is extensive but we settled for the combo because it has everything we want and we are hungry with anticipation 😋
Our combo came within 15 minutes despite the full house. There was plenty of food for all four of us.
The Canadian Mennonite style hocks are brine cured, maple smoked and then slow baked before serving (so there is no crisp).
Oh... this is sooo..... goood....... .
The skin, fat and fall-off-the-bone meat are juicy with a soft tender bite. It feels slightly gummy in the mouth from the melted collagen. Lots of fat and skin and I love it 😂 (tears of joy).
The skin, fat and meat melded together in the mouth and tasted maple and porcine sweet balanced by a slight savouriness and flavour of smoked meat.
But, if you don't like fat, this is not for you.
If you like only crispy pork knuckles, this is also not for you.
For me, this is awesome 😋
Then, there were the pair of pig tails which I love the most. It has the best combination of tender fat, soft fat, and juicy meat with a bit of bone. It's a nice blend of quite intense sweet and savoury flavours leaning on the sweeter side.
(We got two pig tails even though the menu says one in each combo set he.. he.. 😄 )
Everything else in the combo - fries, mashed potatoes, peas, sausage, ribs, sauerkraut, and coleslaw were all good enough 👍 Reasonable price and plenty to eat.
4-star (out of 5). Olde Heidelberg's Canadian Mennonite style maple smoked pork hocks are a Must Try for pork lovers. If you are in the Waterloo or Kitchener area of Ontario, do swing by for this delicious, no frills treat. If you are in Toronto, you can plan an interesting day trip by visiting the St. Jacob's Farmers Market (near Kitchener) together with lunch at Heidelberg Restaurant.
Restaurant name: The Olde Heidelberg Restaurant Tavern & Motel
Address: 3006 Lobsinger Line, Heidelberg, ON N0B 1Y0
GPS: 43°31'13.6"N 80°37'10.4"W | 43.520452, -80.619546
Tel: (519) 699-4413
Hours: 11:00am to 12:00 midnight | Sunday 12:00 noon to 7:00pm
Non Halal
Date: 27 Apr 2017
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