Genuine Food & Travel Review

Hello! For today I am taking you a place slightly different which is a diner! Mars Diner is located on Yonge street, near Eglington TTC station. It has been awhile that I have gone to an old school diner restaurant, so I was excited to see what this place has to offer! We went in the late afternoon for a quick grab of food as I was in the area!

Website: https://themarsdiner.com/

FOOD FAQ

What is Reuben sandwich? The Reuben sandwich is a popular North American sandwich that typically consists of corned beef, Saukraut, cheese, and dressings of either Thousand Island or Russian dressing. It is typically served with rye bread.

Origin of the Reuben sandwich? There are at least two leading versions of where Reuben originated. One of the versions is from a Lithuanian-born Jewish grocer from Omaha, Nebraska, who ordered this dish from Blackstone hotel in the 1920s. Another version is from a German-Jewish owner of a NYC deli named  Reuben’s Delicatessen in which the deli was opened back in 1905.

Reuben Variations? Since then, there have been many variations of Reuben; the most popular one for Canadians is the Montreal-style Reuben, in which Montreal-style smoked meat is used instead of the corned beef.

Source: This is my actual picture of a Montreal style Reuben that I had at a different restaurant in Montreal last year!

Value & Vibe

Value: I would say the price on average is line with a typical diner. $15.50 for Reuben and $17.95 for Philly Cheese steak.
Vibe: I really like the decorations! Great vibrant color while maintaining the nostalgic feel of an old diner atmosphere.

Taste

I personally got a Reuben but my friend who went with me got a “Philly Cheese Steak”. One of them is MUCH better than another one. Lets go one by one.

Overall the Reuben is decent/average. The white rye was well toasted. The swiss cheese along with the meat in the sandwich was nice. The fries were on the drier side but not too bad. For a quick lunch would I order it, yes. Would I go out of my way to get this? Probably not. If I am in the area wouldn’t mind stopping by for a quick food. So overall pretty average but not bad.

Now on to a more questionable dish. This is “philly cheese steak”. I truly hope that the person mixed up the order because this is FAR from a Philly cheesesteak. I have had my fair share of philly cheesesteak in my life as I spent MANY years in the US. Obviously, some are better than others. But this is honestly unacceptable to be labelled as Philly cheesesteak, sorry… I am not even sure what the sauce was, maybe some combination of teriyaki/soy sauce maybe? Even if I am to accept that this is not Philly cheesesteak, its still does not really taste that great. The sauce was off and I would recommend you to avoid this dish if you are to come here. I do not personally like to leave a negative review because I truly believe in different perspectives on food, but I don’t think I can justify this as a Philly cheesesteak.

Overall, the vibe and decor was excellent. The taste of the food was average at best based on the two dishes. The Reuben is ok, if I am to come here again, I wouldnt mind to order it. However, the Philly cheesesteak I would avoid it. I am hoping that this is a one-off and other dishes would be better than the cheesesteak.

Score

Atmosphere: 6.5/10 (Decent atmosphere. Laid back old school diner vibe)
Price: 6.5/10 (Decent sandwich price; decent for breakfast or lunch)
Taste: 4/10 (The Reuben is higher, but the Philly Cheese steak needs serious improvement and wouldn’t be recommended. So, on average, I would say it needs improvement. Will try new dishes if I have a chance to come back!)

Scale:
Would not recommend: Below 2
Need some improvement: 3-5
Average: 5
Decent: 6
Great: 7
Excellent: 8
Outstanding 9+