Hey Meatball
Posted on November 10, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Little Italy
2 stars
- Hey Meatball; Hey Mediocre. Walking into Hey Meatball instantly feels like you are walking into your old high school cafeteria. A few two and four person tables are set up, and there’s one long 16 person table down the middle, all this in a space that was clearly not built for this many diners. I wasn’t entirely sure if we were to seat ourselves or wait for direction. We inquired with the cashier/order taker/owner to find out. I know he was the owner because he told us.
For a restaurant that serves all meatballs, all the time, we were surprised to find that there were only three entrée selections on the chalk board and a few side dishes to choose from. Of the four side dishes, two had already been crossed out for the day, leaving a side salad or butternut squash soup. I decided to order the vegetarian eggplant ‘meatballs’ with polenta and parmesan, and my dining partner ordered the Porky meatballs, (a combination of pork and ground beef) with tomato sauce on spaghetti. Immediately I was told that they were out of polenta and was asked “what would I like it on?” Unsure of my options, even after asking, I replied with “spaghetti,” as that was the only thing on the chalkboard that I was sure that they had in stock.
We each ordered a homemade cream soda, we were given a number, and we took a seat. Our number was called out about 10 minutes later, and we immediately noticed the disparity in portion size. My eggplant ‘meatballs’ were served on a huge swirl of very al dente spaghetti, whereas the porky meatballs arrived on what could be considered an order from the children’s menu- if there was one that is.
The food was good, but not great. The eggplant ‘meatballs’ had a nice consistency, and were spicy and full of flavor. The tomato sauce that the dish was served with was hearty and not too salty, however I thought that the pasta could have been cooked a little more. The Porky meatballs were excellent, the combination of pork and beef proved to be a hit, however we both found that the tomato sauce served with the meatballs was far too sweet for the savory nature of the dish.
The saving grace of the meal was the amazing cream sodas they make fresh on site. They were a throwback to the Jones cream soda that you used to drink as a kid, but without too much fizz. Unfortunately, when the beverage you order to go with your meal is the best part of the experience, you know that there is something missing.
Hey Meatball is missing the warm and friendly atmosphere you would expect to find in a restaurant with a wide open kitchen, communal tables and a chef that endeavors to use ingredients within a 100-mile radius of Toronto. All great qualities to have in a unique restaurant with a unique concept, but here, it just didn’t seem to create anything memorable. There was no music playing while we were in, the fluorescent lighting was a little harsh on the eyes, and gruff reception made Hey Meatball just another mediocre dining experience.
- Janine
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I read about this place … it got so-so reviews.
‘uneventful’, would be the heading of my review, from the service , the locale, the food , the ambience, the everything!
WOW! We have been to hey meatball for lunch on a quiet afternoon at the end of the work week recently and I am quite amazed at the comments above – well only one of them can actually be called a comment – Teena, thanks for the wonderful, insightful, regurgitation of what you read. Do you have any experiences, or thoughts of your own to share?
What is wrong with a simple place serving well made, and admittedly simple food that is healthy and thoughtful and sustainable and by even the reviewers admissions – tasty. Most refreshing for us was that it is possible to get all of this without the pretence (and expense) that both the reviewer and the commenters above seem to require in order to be comfortable with their enjoyment of the dishes that have been, painstakingly no doubt, sourced, designed and prepared from scratch.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this place, or the food… Hey meatball is not pretending to be anything other than what it portrays itself as, and to assess it on anything other than that is just silly and self serving. It really makes me question the blogger’s understanding of good food…
Why does it seem to bug you that the owner told you he was the owner? In my experience the best restaurants are the ones that those where the owner is heavily involved. I am truly sorry for you that you did not have the opportunity to taste the veg balls and polenta dish yourself, but that is the risk you run with slow food, did it cross your mind Janine that perhaps he polenta was not available due to it being tasty and therefore popular?
I rate this review 0 out of 5.
First off, I believe Teena is referring to other reviews on the net, not this particular one.
As for the rest, I stand by Janine’s comments. Although it’s true that Hey Meatball could have just been caught having an off day, most of the comments, like the sauce being too sweet and them running out of food, are common complaints.
You may disagree with us, and that’s totally fine, but Amy Pataki at the Toronto Star sure doesn’t.
Hi Doug,
Thanks for your comments, it’s nice to hear from other people who have been to a restaurant. I really appreciate the diversity in opinion, and as a writer putting your stuff out there, feed back is super appreciated. No need to hate on Teena, though, all comments and opinions are welcome here. I would have to say that overall, the food was just okay, and while we both found the actual meatballs to be good, we were disappointed with the pasta and the sauce. I was especially put-off by the XL and XS portion sizes, something that certainly needs to be addressed.
While I agree with you that the polenta may have been sold out because it was so “tasty,” it should A) be removed from them menu, and B) when you only have 3 items on your menu, you would not think it would be difficult to keep supplies on order, especially if that is your only gluten-free and/or vegetarian option. Also, when informing someone that you are sold out of an item, I would think it customary to suggest alternatives, rather than asking me “what I wanted it on.”
Regardless, I don’t think it is too much to ask for a little music, menu availability, and friendlier service from the owner. No matter what your price point is, atmosphere is a very important part of the dining experience. Otherwise, I would prefer to just stay home and eat alphagetti.
Cheers,
Janine
Small menu, but everything on it is terrific (I’ve tried them all). I suspect this is partly a by-product of a much-more-than-typical commitment to sourcing local ingredients but wanting to maintain a reliable menu format year-round. The Rodfather meatball sandwich is, bar none, the best meatball sandwich I have ever had. Given the quality of ingredients, the delicious recipes and the reasonable pricing, I think these guys are hitting it out of the park. FWIW, I’ve never encountered anything but super-friendly, enthusiastic service from everybody in the place.
one last note – is the reviewer actually complaining that the staff, in an attempt to make up for running out of one item, were over-generous with their portion of the substitution?