Read Review

Reuben

All sandwiches come with a side of fries, sweet potato fries, or cole slaw. The sweet potato fries were decent, asserting their flavor. I did not need ketchup. I had their cole slaw on a previous occasion and loved its blend of sweet with sour. I felt I could eat gallons of their cole slaw alone.

It was crowded on a Friday night having just been reviewed in the papers, so I sat at the bar. The bartender who served me was friendly, talking about how the Thousand island dressing in the reuben is a homemade recipe.

On previous visits, I discovered the beer-cheese soup, another stand-out item. The tang of beer was delightful. A single, rather large crouton floated in the rich soup, which I found comforting.

Their apple-bourbon burger is truly a mouthful, almost more vertical than horizontal. The cook generously smothers the burger with fried onions and bacon. It was messy but fun to eat.

I have also enjoyed good vegetarian lasagna and turkey pot pie at the Fountain. The pot pie is misleadingly named as there is no pie crust, simply a couple biscuits. A friend said there weren't enough vegetables in the pot pie. I did like the sweet rosemary flavor, however.

The bar is a character all its own, with old aged wood and unusual neon lighting. I give the Fountain points for trying with its decor, but the overall layout of the dining area bothers me. There are seats right next to the entrance, and the strip between the bar and a stretch of tables-for-two is simply too narrow for both waitstaff and customers to navigate.

There is a separate dining area across the foyer cutting through the office building. I find the discontinuity jarring and not good feng shui. The back dining area is larger and has a lounge area and another bar.

The service can be variable. I've had overly chatty wait staff and sometimes slow service. But recently, their business has picked up, and all the workers seemed busy without sacrificing attentiveness. My food came quickly Friday night. The appealing main cook has come out to our table soliciting feedback, and he manfully took criticism from Don.