By Sasha Moedt (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: January 8, 2014
While ABC Country is a chain restaurant with 16 locations in the lower mainland, the family-owned Abbotsford location has an independent menu of its own. My boyfriend and I went for dinner one night, and the server gave us both the chain menu and their own exclusive one. We decided to pick something from the latter.
The place was pretty busy — and most of the other diners were grey- and silver-haired couples. “I guess the seniors know where the deals are,” my boyfriend joked. There is a pretty sweet senior’s menu.
ABC Country is decked out in full kitschy antique décor. Everything from old farming tools to rustic paintings beat you over the head with a “good-old-fashioned-farmhouse-kitchen” feel. The dinner menu is divided into the classic comfort foods (meatloaf, perogies, roast beef), schnitzels (turkey, Bavarian), and pasta (pomodoro, penne, fettuccine). There is a full menu besides the dinner, includes appies, sandwiches, desserts, and a gluten-free selection.
I opted for the farmer’s sausage soup, recommended to me by our server. I also got a half order of a pulled pork sandwich. My boyfriend decided to go for the exciting poutine burger — complete with bacon and chipotle sauce. He also upgraded his fries to poutine, because you can’t get enough of poutine, right?
Our server was a bit awkward, but friendly, and she never let my coffee cup be empty (I must have had at least five cups with that dinner). The poutine came out first, and my boyfriend shared some with me (though I had to promise to give him some of my soup). The fries were nicely done — not in thick, starchy wedges but crisp and greasy. The gravy and cheese curds were delicious, and I definitely think there should have been more cheese curds.
My sandwich came with a boring cup of coleslaw I didn’t bother eating much of. The sandwich itself was tasty. It was soft on the outside, but grilled crispy on the inside-facing bread. They didn’t skimp on the butter to make that bread crispy. The pork was nice and soft, and the sauce had a complementary tang. I expected bigger portions for the price, but what I did get was nice.
My soup definitely rocked. It was creamy, rich, with farmer’s sausage, potatoes, carrots, celery and onion. I’m a big farmer’s sausage person, so it was a hit.
The poutine burger was “everything I love on one burger,” my boyfriend told me through mouthfuls. I gave it a try, and the poutine was an interesting addition and made for a very full burger.
Price-wise, ABC Country is so-so. Dinner prices don’t get lower than $9.99; my meal was 9.99, and like I said, not huge portions. The average full entrée seemed to be about $12.99. Breakfast prices better, with a “7 for $7.99” section. Unless you are a senior, you’re not going to get a discounted meal. But the meals are good and hearty, so don’t wait ‘til you’re 55. Check out ABC Country while you’re young!
