Fox and Hound Pub
 Canton, Ohio           Date of Visit: 11/22/13            http://www.foxandhound.com/

Groupon sent us back to Canton and we were hoping for more of a Demico’s than a Rock Fresh sort of experience. We ended up landing somewhere in the middle at The Fox and Hound.  In a plaza a short ways from Belden Village Mall the place looked empty from the parking lot. The lot was pretty full and when we walked through the door the dining area was as well. The reason it looked empty from the outside might be the best thing about the place.  There are essentially three rooms, a central dining area with a bar and two wings on either side.
 

Completely Kickless; But Its Still Fried Cheese
 

We started with an appetizer and soup. The appetizer was what they call Jacked-up Cheese Wedges. They are cheese wedges, I’m not sure where jacked-up fits in. They are pepperjack cheese (by description) but the pepper part of the equation appears to be in the taste bud protection program and the “kickin’ jalapeno jelly” kicks more like a newborn fawn than a mule. There is literally no discernable heat at all. That said, it’s a triangle of fried cheese served with a sweet pepper jelly for dipping, it’s a misnomer but it’s not bad.
 

The soup is a bratwurst cheese, very beer cheesy, rich with loads of onions and peppers lending a hint of light to the heft of the cheese and dairy. The slices of bratwurst were subdued a bit by the cheesiness. For me, the best thing we had through the entire night was the pretzel roll alongside the soup. It’s a relatively simple thing but it was done to a T. It arrived hot enough to make your fingertips uncomfortable. Darkly browned egg wash was peppered with coarse salt and had a deft chewy texture that gave way to a steaming and soft, just-done interior. It was almost sacrilege to dip it into the soup but it held it’s own there as well. Odd, what stands out sometimes.
 

The buffalo chicken sounded good originally but we decided to try a couple of things that are more specific to the house. We went with a burger and the brat duo. The burger sounded amazing. The name alone, “The Ultimate”, makes promises. Ingredient list…Angus and Chorizo patty. Stuffed with guacamole, jalapenos and cheese. Topped with spicy mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and two onion rings. Simply, too much. Tastes like not much, noting stands out, nothing comes together, it ends up just being a relatively greasy mess. I actually pulled out a piece of the patty to taste separately because I didn’t believe there was any chorizo in the mix. Turns out there is, you can taste it but only if you dissect the sandwich like you’re in high school bio. Far from ultimate.
 

The brats were better by half. First, they come in those pretzel rolls. Bonus! You can choose one of two options. The Yankee comes with sauerkraut, caramelized onions, and a horseradish mustard, while the Sausage and Peppers with giardiniera peppers, Dijon Mustard, and diced red onions. I asked for both, one of each. Our server had a bit of an episode but snapped out of it and got the okay from someone to split the dish. It was a good thing, the only one I cared for was the one I would have passed. The kraut sounded great, horseradish, made for braty goodness, like the burger, it just didn’t pan out. The kraut was weak and I would bet the horseradish mustard didn’t make it to the bun. It was a good brat in a great roll, all else was folly. The second was topped with Dijon mustard (definitely there) and a rangy pepper giardiniera which added a substantial spice against the juicy sausage and also stood up to the bread, much more interesting than the first.

The sides were also split. The onion rings were flaccid and shed their breading like someone pigmentally challenged who fell asleep at the beach. The fries were much better. Thick sticks were fried and seasoned with some garlic and parm. I typically prefer rings as an option but that wouldn’t be the case here. The Fox and Hound would be a nice place to sip a Guinness and nibble for a fight. It doesn’t rate near as well as a simple dinner stop.
 

Poor