The other day I was having lunch at the Rat, when it occurred to me that a vital opportunity was being missed. Before I get into that, let me say that I find the food very good, although I’m still not sure how it takes nearly half an hour to make a hamburger with the minimal crowd levels that are present during the 4 o’clock hour on a Thursday. Having been a short order cook in my other life, I know for a fact it doesn’t take that long, even during a rush. Ah but I digress… Back to the missed opportunity.
It’s the menu. Don’t get me wrong, the selections that they do have are very good and well prepared, except for the two nearly raw hamburgers I had during week one of school. I was in a steak tartar kind of mood that day so I ate them. To their credit, the next time I went to eat there I mentioned this to the manager on duty and this oversight was subsequently corrected. So what it boils down to then is the number of choices available. They really should have more items. Perhaps even a steak or two. And what the hell kind of a self-respecting sports bar doesn’t serve beer-battered onion rings? Even the Bahraini air base I was stationed on in Gulf War One 13 years ago had beer-battered onion rings. That was probably the first time any Arab country encountered the onion ring. And I don’t mean those sad, tan circles that Burger King has the unmitigated felonious gall to call onion rings either. I mean honest to God, industrial strength, artery vaporizing, beer-battered rings of all-American onion – flags waving in the background and everything!
The Rathskeller should strongly consider instituting these changes. It would make the food selection that much better and would avoid the culinary neutral zone that exists in the food court. And while they’re at it maybe dropping the price on the food would be a good start. I mean almost $10 for a Butler Burger and fries? What’s that burger made out of, Angus Prime? A $10 hamburger just seems way over the top. I mean this isn’t the concession stand of a movie theater, you know.
Scott Wacholtz is a senior majoring in political science. He can be grilled at aramis1642@hotmail.com.