Whiskey & The Wolf — Restaurant in Toledo

Whisky and the Wolf: An Unexpected Surprise

Several months ago we caught an interview on the news with the owners about the restaurant business and it cemented this place on our places to try radar. Prior to that a quick Google of best burgers in Toledo also piqued the interest in trying something new. We enjoy supporting local small businesses when possible.

When grandma offered to watch the kids so we could have a date night, we knew it was time for a visit. The location is an interesting choice. Nextdoor to a carryout and a laundromat, it’s unassuming unless you are in the know. However it’s close by to highway access down Secor or Talmage and thus can carry to a wide variety of the Toledo area without having to drive out to Perrysburg or Fallen Timbers. So out for a quick date night and a new place to eat.

It was a Saturday night past 7pm and there were several people waiting ahead of us. One of the owners was working, not sure if it was George or Tony as we didn’t do a formal introduction but he greeted everyone and was working his tail off making sure everyone knew how long the wait was and keeping us updated on the seating. The overall dining space is sort of small but the table spacing is good and we were seated within 20 minutes. Our server Adam promptly greeted us and got started with water and our appetizers.

Food Quality: Short answer --so good. Like really good. We started with the whisky BBQ wings. Naked wings cooked to perfection with homemade BBQ sauce. You may also choose the buffalo sauce which is also made in house. The ranch for dipping was also homemade. Plenty of meat on the bone and so tasty. The nachos also seemed like a good choice, but we’ll save that for next time.

Slow roasted prime beef sandwich was first up. Garlic herbed compound butter with pickled onions. Juicy. Tender. Amazing from the first to last bite. My only suggestion for improvement would be a toasted bun as it got a bit soggy, but it was so good it was gone before it was a problem.

Sarah got a burger, which is also an inhouse blend, smash burger. Add an egg and you’ve got a 2nd winner of the night. The fries for both were also fresh, hot, and crispy. We were so full we totally forgot about dessert, but talking to the owner for a few minutes, the banana foster is apparently the dessert to try, but we’re always partial to the brownie sundae. Again, next time. So many things to try. I didn’t get the chance to try any of the whiskey but the Kentucky Barrel Vanila ale was a good choice. Everything on the menu seems like a winner.

Service: No complaints here. It’s always great to see an owner taking an active part in managing the crowd and helping out. Our server Adam was great and attentive. Never had an empty glass and had honest recommendations and was conversational and not just an order taker.

Ambiance: It was a full house and there was football on. It was loud, but not so loud that you can’t have a conversation at the table with your party. The tables were well spaced. The lighting was low but nicely enough lit and the bar looked cool. The wall decor was interesting.

Price: Prices are reasonable for the quality. Starters are around $10 and the entrees are around $15. A quick look at the menu online and the drink prices are also very reasonable.

Overall Impression: Amazing food. Great service. Can’t ask for much else. Looking forward to returning and trying the rest of the menu. We highly recommend everyone...

Was really excited to try it out. Had heard the food and cocktails were great and finally had a chance for a date night.

Service started pretty rocky attention wise and stayed that way. Honestly seemed like the waitresses head was not there so don’t know if there was some personal life going on or what but it wasn’t great but I’m always pretty forgiving of that since I know how hard of a job that can be.

Cocktail list was legit with good specs. I got the New Old Fashioned and it came out full of cubed ice. Was immediately thrown off and disappointed. Felt like I had to drink it pretty quickly from there to prevent it from diluting down completely. Wife’s Bees Knees was good.

We got one of the prime rib sandwiches and the fried chicken thigh sandwich. The prime rib was fine, nothing special. The chicken thigh sandwich was really pretty good. Would definitely order that again. Both came out with cold/slightly warm fries. Normally I’d just accept it but after the frustration over the cocktail and the poor service I sent the fries back. The manager or maybe owner brought our hot fries and they were great.

Overall between an old fashioned that got watered down, poor service and the kitchen sending out cold fries it all felt like a restaurant that was either just having an off service (it was 8:15 or so when we arrived) or a restaurant that is phoning it in at this point. The menu and cocktail offering really is great and others have clearly had a much better experience so hopefully it was just a bad night. Probably won’t try again just because we get so few nights with a babysitter and no kids that it feels risky...

I came in here last Saturday while I was strolling down Alexis road on a beautiful, warm spring evening.

It did not have the biggest capacity, but it was spacious enough to not feel cramped in and uncomfortable. It had sort of a trendy, yet blue collar feel to it, if that makes sense. They were vibes in which I thought was pretty neat.

As for the drink, I ordered an old fashion, which did not disappoint. It was nice and strong and also very flavorful with a touch of sweetness to it.

Then I ordered some chicken wings, which were just okay. You could tell that they were kind of old and the sauce tasted kind of generic. They were nice and meaty though.

The baretender was pretty cool. We got to talking and he told me that he has not had one complaint about the food in the 3 months he had been there.

Overall, this was an experience that I really enjoyed. While I do wish the wings were a little better, the drink that I ordered made it well worth the visit. By reading the reviews, the croquettes seem to be very popular. If for some reason I happen to stop back in, perhaps I will give...