[Hojcl]

I’ve had numerous bad dining experiences, but I’ve never been compelled to verbalize any of these experiences until now. Restaurants situated in modest university cities seem to have a knack for taking advantage of their student clientele, offering relatively fast delivery for overpriced, low quality products. I cannot think of a case that better exemplifies this ethos than On a Bun, located in a lively shopping district in downtown Hamilton. On a Bun exclusively produces Italian sandwiches, and while niche restaurants with limited menus are usually a reassurance of experience and refinement, On a Bun has made a complete debauchery of its slogan: “Fresh. Simple. Delicious.”

Including a jarring $7 delivery fee, the price for On a Bun’s signature veal sandwich and “putino”, a supposed “unique twist” on a poutine, amounted to a ludicrous $25. First and foremost, the “putino” was horrid. While the poutine is one of Canada’s signature dishes, the “putino” is, quite possibly, the worst insult to a poutine that any restaurant could muster. On a bed of limp fries, the “putino” substitutes a savoury, warm gravy for a cold, canned, and slightly sour marinara sauce. The same canned sauce was slathered on the veal sandwich, which was somehow juxtaposed by soggy bread and dry, frozen veal. While, at first glance, the sandwich seemed to be stuffed with layers of meat, the veal, on closer inspection, was entirely inexistent between a liberal cushion of breading. Entirely bland and dry enough to mimic the experience of chewing on a thin sheet of sand, the veal itself was literally paper thin, and completely inconspicuous. Adding insult to injury, toppings required a fairly unreasonable extra cost, where each topping (cheese, mushrooms, or rapini – a broccoli/spinach hybrid that closely resembles Chinese gai-lan) costs at least an extra dollar.

The worst delivery experience in Hamilton, bar-none.