Lunch @ Tim Horton's (Tiffin Ave. Location)

When we started this site, we promised you that we wouldn't just review sit-down restaurants, but fast-casual and fast-food places as well.  However, we have been letting you down; both in the infrequency of our restaurant reviews and in the lack of reviews of anything but a sit-down restaurant.  We vow to change; this will be both the third review posted in two days as well as the first review of a fast-casual restaurant.  Enjoy!

Tim Horton's,  founded in 1964 by the Canadian hockey player of the same name, is a staple of our Northern neighbors' diets-so much so that there are more Tim Horton's franchises in Canada than McDonald's.  The chain consists of 3,527 restaurants overall, including 2,971 in Canada and 556 in the United States.  Two of these are in Findlay; the first to open was the Tiffin Ave. location, where we ate lunch this afternoon.  The second location was recently opened as an in-store add-on to Cold Stone Creamery.

Known first and foremost for their delicious, always-fresh coffee and their wide variety of baked goods, Tim Horton's also features several options for breakfast and lunch.  Breakfast choices include several types of breakfast sandwiches, yogurt with fruit and berries, and hash browns.  For lunch you can order one of a variety of submarine-style sandwiches, try one of the new "Wrap-Snackers," or have a bowl of soup or chili.  All of the heartier selections are available either à la carte or as part of a meal, and you can mix and match sides like doughnuts, fresh fruit, soups, and your choice of drink within the meals.



While this location has a drive-thru (as do the majority of Tim Horton's franchises), we opted to dine in.  When first entering the restaurant, it is hard to ignore how clean and inviting everything seems-almost as if a piece of Canada were here on American soil.  Well-lit with plenty of seating, orders are placed by walking up to the counter. Behind the counter is an open kitchen, while the ordering area is flanked by well-stocked bakery cases.

We were greeted immediately-so quickly that we had to ask for a moment to decide what we wanted.  Upon figuring out what we wanted, the friendly cashier took our order, repeating items back to us and clarifying our various wants and needs.  Upon paying, we were able to watch as our food was made, and when the cook had a question about one of our sandwiches, she asked us directly.  She finished making our meals, and we seated ourselves.

I ordered the ham and swiss sub sandwich, with a side of minestrone.  The sandwich consists of sliced Black Forest ham, Swiss cheese, fresh green leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, and ranch dressing, served on a fresh-baked bun.  You can choose between white or whole wheat (I chose wheat), and either toasted or untoasted (I had mine toasted).  While the sandwiches that come with the meal aren't nearly as large as a Subway footlong, you can order a "Full-Size" sandwich for just a bit more money if you are extra hungry.  The flavor and freshness of the ingredients always impress me; there is a slight smokiness to the Swiss cheese that permeates the palate as you eat, and the lettuce actually crunches as you bite down.  Definitely more sophisticated than most sub joints.

The minestrone is ambitious; a low-fat  tomato based soup that contains pasta, zucchini, parmesan cheese, chickpeas, onions, carrots, red pepper, green beans and red kidney beans, it simply falls short of my expectations.  The fact of the matter is that the soup comes to the restaurant already prepared, then is heated and kept in a steam-table for an indeterminate amount of time.  This leaves the vegetables and pasta mushy, and gives the soup far less dimension than it could have if it were made fresh.  I always have the feeling after eating one of their soups that, if you were to put it in a blender and puree it, the flavor would remain the same.

While soda, juice, or bottled water are all available as an accompaniment to your meal, hot coffee is the standard selection.  And an excellent selection it is-I feel that, aside from the gourmet, privately owned shops, Tim Horton's coffee is the best in town.  They never let a pot sit for more than 20 minutes after brewing, and the rich, smooth flavor of their 100% Arabica-bean coffee goes well with a baked item, sandwich, or simply by itself.

In all, while it may not be hearty enough or cheap enough for everyone to eat lunch at every day (combos run around $5.75, depending on your side selection and beverage), this is definitely a place I suggest as a regular destination.  If you're tired of the standard places like McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, and Subway, Tim Horton's is a good substitute.

On a side note: The bathrooms are extremely clean at this Tim Horton's, as well as at every Tim Horton's that I have been to (in Canada or the U.S.). There must be a strict company-wide standard of cleaning in place.

---

Tim Horton's is located at 1200 Tiffin Ave. (next to the Circle K gas station and across from Taco Bell).  This location is open 24 hours a day, and features a drive-thru.  Their full menu, history, and other information can be found on their website at www.timhortons.com.