News & Events
Just baskets of fun
Toot's goes beyond average burgers and wings with innovative dishes like pickle chips
BY AMY GOLDBERG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
I knew we were going to have a good time at Toot's after being greeted at the door by Iggy and Ziggy. These iguanas capture the spirit of the eatery's surprises.
In the busy Fields-Ertel area in Deerfield Township, Toot's has a handle
on burgers, ribs, wings and seafood. But there are a few bonuses on this
menu that move it a few steps above your average wings place.
A casual, franchised restaurant, the walls and ceilings at Toot's are covered with sports collectibles. Jerseys, photos and signs add to the playful atmosphere. My date, a devoted sports fan, was quick to point out the abundance of televisions hanging from the walls of both the smoking and non-smoking areas of the restaurant.
Famous appetizer
Before I stepped foot in the restaurant, I had heard the legend of the deep-fried pickle chips. Did we dare? For the sake of research, we asked for a basket and were pleased to find out that first-time visitors are treated to a free sample.
We were pleasantly surprised by the thin wafers of tart pickle, covered in a light batter and deep fried. This proves my theory that anything tastes good when it's fried. Next time, we'll go for a full basket.
After the pickles, we were ready for our next adventure, but not enough for the frog legs that are "guaranteed to jump out of the basket."
We found it in a plate of wings, covered with the "medium" sauce. I admit I'm a wimp when it comes to wings, but this medium was plenty hot for me.
The giant wings were the largest I"ve seen, with actual mouthfuls of meat on the bone. The wings are covered with thick sauce, so we were happy to see that the napkin dispenser on the table was full.
My mouth was on fire, but I was happy to douse it with a selection from the beer list, filled to the brim with imports and domestics.
Being an unseasonably warm night, I pretended it was summer and ordered the shrimp salad. The crisp lettuce, chilled steamed shrimp, onions, grapes and tomatoes were a cooling complement to the fire of the wings. There are other chilled selections worth a try : a Cajun chicken salad and a seafood pasta salad.
A day at the beach
The seafood menu at Toot's offers more than enough items to give the feel of a summer at the ocean. Steamed shrimp are fresh and not too fishy. Crab legs and oysters are enough to forget that you are in the suburbs of Cincinnati and not on Cape Cod.
Baby-back ribs are another summery treat, served as a platter with slaw and curly fries or new potatoes. Other platters pair the ribs with 10 buffalo wings, a barbecued boneless chicken breast, or a serving of catfish fillets.
Lot of sandwiches
A large selection of sandwiches and burgers is also worth careful consideration. A Mexican burger is a great way to get a taste of Toot's hearty chili and hamburger at the same time. A huge burger, served open-faced on a tasty bun, is covered with a mound of meaty chili, onions and a handful of shredded cheese. A side of freshly fried curly fries was good, but was not really necessary with the huge burger. A fork and knife were in order for this burger.
The Toot's burger, with barbecue sauce, cheese and bacon, is another good burger choice.
A Philly cheese steak sandwich also is fit for a large appetite, with grilled mushrooms, peppers, onions and melted provolone over roast beef.
Another good choice: chick-on-a-stick, a generous serving of marinated chicken breast meat grilled and served on two skewers with a choice of potato, Texas toast and cole slaw.
Toot's seems like a great place to take kids, with video games and other diversions all over the restaurant.
It has a special deal for children under 10 : hot dogs, frozen desserts and balloons for free (dine-in only). There is a children's menu with other kid-friendly favorites.
The servers had no trouble answering our questions and giving us ordering advice.
The manager visited our table to make sure things were going well, which they were.
