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The Spoke Bucket List
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Whenever my friends from Toronto come to visit me at Western, I usually bring them to the Spoke as an essential part of their personal tour of the Western campus. Of course, the usual question when getting there and lining up to order is, “what do you think I should get?”
Naturally, I recommend the items on the Spoke menu that I have developed a dedicated preference towards over the many times that I have at there. Here are some of my all time favourite foods from the Spoke, which is not likely to change anytime soon!
1) The Spoke Burger
Every bar/restaurant establishment is not complete unless they serve the all American burger. Naturally, the Spoke serves its own burger, which is priced at $7.79. The beef burgers that they use are thick and considerably juicy and have never tasted dry or bland whenever I have ordered it. Also, the best part of the burger is that the patty is made with angus beef. Overall, I give two thumbs up for the Spoke burgers considering that the kitchen makes them for your order within ten minutes. These burgers never remind me of fast-food, and always taste like a high quality burger. With the fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and pickles added on top of the juicy burger, this is always a go-to Spoke order for me when I am craving a hearty meal.
2) Nacho Fries
The nacho fries are one of the best deals at the Spoke. They are always served in a large bowl, stuffed to the brim with as many fries as possible for just $4.49. The nacho fries are a step up from any regular fries, because you get the goodness of both a hearty chili and comforting fries. If you need some instant comfort food after a stressful exam period on a budget – the nacho fries are calling your name.
3) Frozen Yogurt
The frozen yogurt is served at the Spoke café and is one of my favourite foods from the Spoke because it is literally the only place on campus where you can get frozen yogurt. The Spoke offers their frozen yogurt in 3 different flavours – plain, a fruit mix of your choice, or the featured flavor of the month. The frozen yogurt is always the perfect consistency – not too soft and not too hard. Unlike self serve frozen yogurt shops that often serve watered down yogurt, the frozen yogurt always tastes fresh. Also, it is one of the most refreshing snacks after a workout or after class when it is the rare warm and sunny day in London, Ontario. The plain flavor is tangy, and with fresh berries sprinkled over it, this snack is to die for. Also, the fruit mix flavor is a great option, and allows you to create a fruity frozen yogurt flavor just for yourself. Also, the featured flavours of the month are never boring, and always something interesting to try. One time, I had a salted caramel frozen yogurt from the Spoke and it tasted like a Starbucks latte in an “ice cream” like form. Needless to say, the Spoke is your go-to place to feed your frozen yogurt craving, and it doesn’t hurt that it is located right on campus!
So, after reading this post, what are your top picks from the Spoke if you are a Western student? I spend almost 60% of my spending allowance on food at the Spoke, but being a University student, this habit is often detrimental to my wallet. As of late, I have been reading this blog that has taught me how to create some fantastic, quick and budget meals specifically written by and for university students. The blog is called “yum yum for my tum”, check it out! However, my habit of going to the Spoke atl east twice a day might take a while to dwindle.
The Famous Spoke Bagel
During my first year at Western University, the one piece of advice that I was constantly bombarded with, as a campus newbie was that I needed to try the Spoke bagels. The Spoke bagels are undoubtedly the star item on the menu and what makes the Spoke so famous on campus.
The Spoke bagels are deeply rooted in the hearts of so many Western students because of their endless bagel options and the cream cheeses that allow every individual to create their own favourite bagel combination. Whether you always get the same bagel combination or are adventurous enough to try the exclusive monthly bagels and cream cheeses, the Spoke bagels seemingly reflects an important part of your Western identity. If you are a Western student – you are bound to have a go-to bagel that you don’t even have to think about before ordering.
To prove my point, I asked some second year Western students what their favourite go-to bagels from the Spoke were. Many of these students were quick to respond, and already had their bagel in mind!
The bagels at the Spoke vary from the simple classics to some uniquely flavourful options. The cream cheese selection is also the same, and every month the Spoke features a limited edition cream cheese that is usually unique and different from the normal Philadelphia cream cheese. For example, one month they even featured a pumpkin spice flavour.
Regular Bagels offered at The Spoke: Canadian Harvest, Asiago, Plain, Chocolate Chip, Cheddar Herb, Jalapeno Cheddar, Mushroom Swiss, and Cinnamon Raison
Regular Cream Cheese you can add to your bagel: Plain, Spinach Feta, Roasted Red Pepper, Cucumber Dill, and Herb Garlic
With the gourmet selection of unique bagels and cream cheeses, the Spoke’s bagel offerings is definitely 4 stars compared to the smaller, drier, and plainer options that Tim Horton’s across the UCC atrium provides. These bagels also satisfy the freshness factor because they are baked daily at The Wave.
Personally, my favourite bagel combination is the Mushroom Swiss bagel with Herb Garlic cream cheese. The Mushroom Swiss bagel is very filling, and is the perfect balance between cheesiness and saltiness. The bagel also has real pieces of mushroom within it, which is a nice touch especially if you want to feel healthy for the day. This bagel makes me feel like I am getting a serving of vegetables despite my poor diet. The only criticism that I have of this Spoke bagel is its perpetual greasiness. However, the warmth and the savoury herb garlic cream cheese always satisfies my hunger and salty food cravings.
Sometimes when I am stopping by the Spoke for lunch, I will opt for the Turkey Bagelwich or the Vegetable Bagelwich if I want to feel healthy that day. The turkey pieces always taste fresh, and the Spoke does not use the generic cold cut Turkey slices that you see in the fridge at Loblaws. One of my favourite parts of the turkey bagelwich is the flakiness of the meat, which makes the entire sandwich seem less processed and completely worth the $6. The vegetable bagelwich options is also a great vegetarian choice, and the bean sprouts are definitely a highlight of the sandwich by giving the entire sandwich an interesting texture and hint of nutty flavor.
Everyone who goes to Western has been a regular at the Spoke at some point in their student life, so it is not surprising that most people have their own unique favourite bagel combination! How do you like your Spoke bagel?
The Best & Worst Times To Go To The Spoke
The Spoke Café is one of the most popular food destinations on campus. With their variety of options on the menu from breakfast bagels and coffee, to a juicy burger with fries and a beer, their menu satisfies the hunger of Western students from the crack of dawn up until the end of the night. As an avid eater on campus, due to my lack of organizational meal planning and lack of motivation to create my own lunches, I have become accustomed to eating about 90% of my meals about 6 days a week on campus. Since my first year, I have always somehow gravitated towards the Spoke to feed my hunger, and have developed a mental schedule to navigate through the long line-ups throughout the day at The Spoke.
The Quietest Times
The quiet times at the Spoke are for those students who just want to grab a small bite and a coffee while they work on their essays alone on the etched wooden tables. These quiet times at the Spoke are for those individuals who crave the mellow background noise of chatter, but cringe at the sound of a crowd forming. These quiet times at the Spoke are perfect for those who want to channel the “screenwriter at Starbucks” mentality without having to actually go to Starbucks in the atrium with nowhere to sit. Here are some of the best times to go to The Spoke if you are craving some bagels and quiet thoughts to yourself:
- If you are an early bird the Spoke is dead silent before the 8:30 am lecture rush.
- Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights between 6pm until close if it isn’t exam period
- Weekdays between 10 am – 11:30 am
- Friday nights
- Saturdays during the day
- Sunday all day
The Busiest Times
Without a doubt, the lines at the Spoke are the longest during the weekday lunch hours and Wednesday nights during Rick McGhie’s legendary performance.
The Lunch Hour
Anytime between 12pm and 1:30 pm is the busiest hour of the spoke. The lines usually extend beyond the door, so you should expect about 10 -15 minutes for the wait to order and receive your food. The Spoke should be avoided at all costs if you have to get to class within the next 10 minutes. My recommendation is that if you are really craving that mushroom swiss bagel, the best time to avoid the lunch rush is to order your lunch before or around 11:30 am. This is the time when people start trickling into the beginning formation of the line as they commence from the dungeon that is their 9:30 – 11:30 am lecture.
Weekdays nights during the Exam Period
During the hectic exam period, students at Western practically live at the Weldon Library. Conveniently, it is also located just a few steps away from the Spoke. During this period of the semester, everyone is suddenly living and breathing on campus with their textbooks, so naturally we get a little hungry (or a lot). Who has time to take the bus back home or to residence when there are 20 more pages to be read?
The line up at the Spoke café and the Spoke kitchen at the back is almost double the lunch line during the weekdays during the night times of the Exam period. The Spoke also graciously extends their hours during this time of the semester to feed our hungry souls. From 6pm and onwards, adding to the various events that occur at night at the Spoke, the mixture of hungry and cranky people who have pulled all nighters means that you will be waiting for about ten or more minutes just to order. Also, the Spoke has a bad habit of running out of items on the menu when they are this busy. If you can avoid the Spoke during the exam period at night, you should do so at all costs (or with your conveniently packed granola bars).
Rick McGhie’s Wednesdays
Rich McGhie Wednesdays is one of the most popular and legendary Western traditions amongst the undergraduate population. This event happens every Wednesday, but during Frost Week and Homecoming Week, I have experienced waiting in a line just to get inside that extended all the way to Mustang Lounge. On regular Wednesdays, the line is moderate, but it is definitely one of the busiest nights of the week at the Spoke where you can lay back, relax, and have some casual drinks and snacks with your friends!
If you are looking for some more University or Campus Food Review Blogs, check these out!
http://www.blogto.com – they often feature blog posts that review restaurants, bars, and cafes close to U of T and Ryerson University
http://www.blogut.ca – a blog featuring student life, events, and food central to the University of Toronto campus
“Deep Fried Pickles” Review
Deep Fried Pickles are one of the newest additions to the Spoke menu this year. As the newest addition, it is definitely one of the most unexpected items on the menu that you will find given all the other generic offerings from the menu. From the sound of its name, this Spoke delicacy may sound like a dish requiring an acquired taste and will not be ventured by those who do not have an affinity for pickles itself. This dish is also not recommended for the health conscious, but it does gain an approval for being vegetarian friendly. I am a fan of regular crunchy dill pickles, so I decided to give this new Spoke addition a try.
The Price: At $5.49, the price of this dish is average in relation to the other items on the menu. These pickles are not too expensive, nor are they cheap. However, if you are looking for food to fill you up for a study session or before a night class, this might not be your fuel of choice, because what you get is only about 5 deep fried pickles, whereas the same price could get you a chili combo from Tim Horton’s.
Initial Reaction: My initial reaction upon setting my sights on my bowl of freshly fried pickles was that they did not look as greasy as I thought they would be. The pickles are encrusted with a dry golden brown bread coating, and the oil dripping off of it was minimal in comparison of other fast food offerings that I have encountered from other establishments. The deep fried pickles are served very hot, and you get very few for $5.49.
The Taste: The simplest way that I can describe the taste is that it tastes exactly like a very hot crunchy pickle. The hot temperature of the pickle itself was definitely an issue once biting through the breaded crust. The hot pickle juice was scolding hot and burnt my tongue – definitely not a pleasant experience. If you are going to order the deep fried pickles, make sure to eat them slowly, because although they are not hot to touch on the outside, the juices will burn your mouth.
The breaded crust does not taste like anything special or noteworthy. It tasted plainly like fried bread, and could have done with a little more salt or spice to add some pizazz.
The pickle itself was soggy but still had a slight firmness to it, however I would not compare it to a regular pickle’s crunchiness factor. As mentioned before, the pickle and the juices were very hot which left a lot to be satisfied when eating the dish. When biting through the deep fried pickle, the pickle itself often slid out of its fried crust, separating the pickle from its deep fried counterpart completely. This made the experience seem like eating a hot, soggy, pickle and then picking up a piece of fried crust and eating that separately.
Verdict: 2.5/5 stars. I would recommend trying this, but only if you are splitting it with a friend. For the price, I would not purchase this dish if you are just curious, unless you really love pickles.
The Spoke Reviews 