nnyNOW review of The Fairgrounds Inn, Watertown NY.

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Summer came early this year and with it the high temperatures that make working in the kitchen uncomfortable. Add to that a busy few days and we are up for a meal out.
This time we headed for The Fairgrounds Inn located oddly enough next to the fairgrounds on Coffen Street, Watertown NY.

The Fairgrounds is usually busy on any Saturday but this hot Saturday was also prom night for one of the local schools. We arrived about 6:00 and the place was packed with a number of parties waiting for tables.

After giving the hostess our names, we moved to the bar to wait on our table.

The Fairgrounds is divided between the main dining room, a foyer, and a bar room with several tall tables. We ordered our drinks, a beer and a club soda, and waited to be called. While the dining room seemed crowded and loud the bar was relaxed and we spied a table for 2 in the corner. We were in luck. The hostess called our names and offered us the table in the barroom.
The Fairgrounds stocks a variety of the usual wine but we were not there to drink. We were there because we were to hot and lazy to cook.
We were also very hungry and we knew just what we wanted. Antipasto salad, beef dip sandwich and white pizza.

We settled in and enjoyed our drinks while we waited for the salad. The high chairs were very comfortable, unlike the booths in the dining room. If you have ever sat in one of the dining room booths you know that the seats pitch forward just a bit and it make one feel as if you are falling into the table. While we have eaten at the Fairgrounds many times this is the first time we sat in the bar.

The salad arrived with about ½ a loaf of sliced Italian bread and butter. We always order the antipasto salad with the dressing on the side because the Fairgrounds tends to drowned the salad and the lettuce gets soggy. The antipasto salad is iceberg lettuce, pepperoncini peppers, sliced onions, provolone cheese and salami. The dressing is simple Italian style oil and vinegar with some spices and a little bit goes a long way. The small sized salad was plenty for the 2 of us but big eaters or 4 diners may want the large size. The bread is run of the mill sliced Italian bread with a thin crust and very little chew.

We were just finishing up our salad when the sandwich and pizza arrived.

Personal sized white pizza is about 8 inches across and cut into 4 good sized slices. The cheese was browned nicely and the big garlic favor hit the nose before the tongue. They must be using a brick pizza oven judging from the cheese melted over the side and the browning on the bottom crust. This pizza has a crust that is nice and chewy, not too thick and cooked through. A personal pizza is plenty for 2 when ordered with the sandwich and salad.

The beef dip came on a big plate with a sour dill pickle and a hand full of chips. Fries were an option but we had bread with the salad, bread on the sandwich and bread on the pizza so we figured that was way more than enough carbohydrates for one meal. The sandwich was a big thick pile of almost well done thin sliced roast beef in a crusty sesame seed roll and was accompanied with a monkey dish of au jus. The fun is dipping the sandwich into the au jus and getting it into the mouth with out dripping. The au jus was not too salty and the beefy sandwich paired well with the cheesy pizza.

We took our time to finish and were not rushed to leave, even though the place was packed. The dessert menu offered the same packaged cheese cake and other blah choices but we were full anyway and decided to pass.

The drinks were about $4.25 for a Labatts and a club soda. The food portion of the meal meal only cost us about $22.00. Tax and tip brought it up to almost $27.00.

Not too bad for a nice sit down meal on a "to hot to cook night". And the next time we may request to be seat at the bar.

Handicap accessible
Clean bathrooms
Plenty of onsite parking

We give The Fairgrounds Inn 3-1/2 out of 5 stars.

What do you think.
Please take a minute and let us know but please be fair.

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