Windsor Ontario Restaurant Review: Bubi's Saucy Success

With over 24 years in business, there is a reason why Windsorites have been gravitating to Bubi’s Awesome Eats for all these years. It’s a simple fact that they have great food and incredible service. It’s rare to come into the restaurant located on 620 University Ave West and not see a swarm of people dining inside or on their relaxing patio.

My favourite channel is definitely The Food Network and so a little interesting tid-bit, in case you didn’t know, before I get to the review, Bubi’s was featured on Food Network’s hit show “You Gotta Eat Here.”

All of Bubi’s staff are enthusiastic and aim to please the customer. If you’re unhappy with your meal, they’ll do whatever it takes to make it right. The one complaint was on our last visit though, where the server actually asked if I wanted dessert, even though I was only half way done my meal. It was a little odd, but I’ll chalk it up to the fact that this server was new or just made a mistake. Usually, service is top-notch on all levels. Quick service, great presentation, huge portions (there is rarely a time that I don’t take home a doggie bag unless I am famished!) and quality food.

With over 100 items on their menu, it’s hard to really narrow down the options because everything sounds so tasty. You can choose from their famous “Bubi” burgers to wraps, sandwiches, salads, fajitas, and more. Keeping up with the changing needs of their customer base, they even offer vegetarian chilli and the TVP veggie burger. Oh and if you’re feeling really adventurous, try your luck at “Bunda’s Big V8” challenge, which involves a waiver-signing to indulge into their 8 lb burger!

With any chicken Caesar salad, I always ask for the dressing “on the side,” because that way I can add as much or as little as I prefer. I love the fact that they’ve upgraded this entrée and now offer the 2x the chicken. The lettuce is crisp and even though it’s not a spring mix or anything fancy, it’s still delicious. They top the salad with real bacon pieces and crunchy croutons. I will say that one area that I could see improvement is offering whole-wheat options for the pita bread.

Bubi's chicken Caesar salad

Next, the tender “Bubi’s Basic” burger.” Tangy pickles, fresh tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, relish, and a heap of onions, all on a bun (again, I’d like to see the option of whole-wheat buns). Not to be missed, the famous Bubi’s sauce; a garlic lover’s haven in a small plastic dipping cup! Accompanied is the must-have, crispy wedge-cut fries that are sometimes even served up in a cute colander, instead of on the plate.

"Bubi's Basic" Burger

Another plus is the free Wi-Fi service, so you can freely tweet, update your Facebook status, or even Instagram your meal, letting everyone know about the garlicky goodness that you’re experiencing right now at Bubi’s.

Check out Bubi’s menu online, including great specials and their new hours.

Motor Burger: Not your typical burger joint

When you go out to eat, menus can be overwhelming with so many choices. One item though that never goes out of style is the good old-fashioned burger. Motor Burger is a trendy place here in Windsor Ontario that offers a variety of burgers (lamb, vegetarian, etc) with toppings from traditional lettuce and tomato to goat cheese and tapenade, to suit just about everyone’s needs. Not only that, but you can enjoy a laid-back atmosphere, friendly service and a higher quality of food for a reasonable price.

Walking into Motor Burger, there was a pleasant aroma coming from the kitchen. To me, that’s always a good start to entering a restaurant. I wasn’t particularly wow’ed by the decor, as it had a minimalistic eco-friendly vibe. However, you could still stop in at the bar area and make your way over to a comfy couch to watch your favourite sport on the big screen TVs that were placed at various spots. Oh and might I mention that I heard one of my favourite bands; The Cure, playing at least 3-4 times, so I must say whomever was manning the music from above, I was feeling just like heaven!

Now let’s discuss the food. First up was the appetizer. We were convinced that we had found the best place for deep-fried pickles before, but were sadly mistaken when we took a bite into Motor Burger’s! The crisp pickle was wrapped up perfectly inside the crunchy herb-flavoured batter and Bill commented that when you bit into it, the pickle did not slide out at all. Another bonus, it was hardly greasy so you could easily ditch the knife and fork. The only downside, we wanted more!

Next were the entrees. They were served on wooden planks with a small bed of lettuce and a pickle on the side. My boyfriend Bill had the classic burger, which consisted of a nice 8-oz hamburger with pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, onions and what they call motor sauce. He loved it and thought the hamburger was excellent quality. My eyes were stuck on the lamb-orghini (8-oz lamb burger with goat cheese and sun-dried tomato tapenade) and so I kindly asked the waitress to put the goat cheese and tapenade on the side for me so I could just put on as much as I wanted, or really just have it plain, if need be. When it comes to dining out, I’m the “I’d like that on the side, please” kind of gal. It was no problem and she seemed happy to comply with my request. I really enjoyed the lamb burger. It was juicy and delicious. I couldn’t get enough of the goat cheese. It was so tasty and smooth. It didn’t have that awful pungent “why does this taste like smelly socks?” flavour. The tapenade though was way too spicy for me though, so I left that alone.

Now to wash down two incredibly tasty meals, what’s for dessert? We were both excited to see the dessert menu but our hearts sank when nothing appealed to either of us. I felt silly to ask the waitress if the chocolate cake was spicy but when I read habanero, I thought that I should inquire. Thankfully she was honest and said that it’s fine when you eat it but afterwards, you’re going to really feel the heat. Her friend had it and regretted it. So considering I like everything mild and Bill doesn’t need to prove his manliness by burning his insides, we passed. Our other choices were not much better with seeing alcohol infused on everything or having deep-fried treats. It seemed like overkill after the appetizer. Others may enjoy the options, but for us, it was a let down and we had to seek out a dessert place elsewhere.

Overall, we enjoyed the Motor Burger experience. If you’re looking for a high-quality burger, they are definitely a place to check out. They even offer a ‘supercharge’ option, so if you’re extra hungry, double up. If you’re not in the mood for burgers, they still have a decent selection of other foods, including some rather healthy-sounding salads.

So if you have plans to motor west (specifically south-west Windsor Ontario) go to Motor Burger, they’re the best!

*Sadly, as of 2021, Motor Burger is no longer open.