Tango Coffee Bistro

What a neat place to go for lunch. Our friends from Stratford took us here for a quick lunch while shopping. The menu was very interesting. Average sandwich prices for very delicious alternatives. I ordered a turkey sandwich - it came with REAL turkey, avocado, sliced cucumbers and bacon. Served with a fresh spinach salad with strawberries and blueberries plus kettle potato chips. Under $10. My friend had the quiche special with a huge garden salad. My husband ordered the meatloaf but only one piece. Huge with homemade gravy, and a mixture of sweet potato and regular fries. Our host coaxed the chef into making a late breakfast - the Mango Tango. Perth county ham slice, bacon, eggs, toast, and pancakes. The waitress was super friendly and gave us a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies to finish. Apparently, this isn't done in the summer. Regular diner style restaurant with unique casual lunches. Mind you, the Stratford artwork by locals makes it a little special.

This place is located in the fomer Beacon Herald building on the north side of Ontario street across from Bentley's.

We have eaten, breakfast lunch and dinner here of and on over the past year or so. Tango started as a coffee house with the Mercer Hall Inn on the upper floors. Just prior to the start of last summer the decor was altered and it is now a full service restaurant. The front area has no table service and you order from the take-out counter near the entrance. The rear is a series of 2 and 4 person booths with tables at the very back. The decor is light woods and has a clean modern feel. Atmosphere this place does not have; even in the evening when they dim the lights it is still a bit cold feeling. For breakfast and lunch no big deal but as you'll see for dinner....no.

The little front area is a nice spot for a quick meeting and I have used it numerous times throughout the year for such. The fact that you can grab a tea or coffee at the counter and sit without interuption is great. The view of things going by on the street isn't bad at times either.

Weather permitting there is a small covered area at the front outside.

Breakfast

We have been in several times and in all cases the place was busy. The kitchen is a semi open affair. The breakfast menu is pretty typical and has the usual standards but they do a good job of sexing them up a bit and the poritions are generous. All that we have had has been good quailty, well presented and tasty. Their breakfast potatos are tops. Service was efficent and friendly

Lunch

Again we have been in several times and it was always busy. The sandwiches are excellent. The club is among the best in town and generous in size. They serve a mix of regular and sweet potato fries with the lunches. A nice touch. You can get one or the other if you ask. Service again is good.

Dinner

The menu we found to be a little odd. Not sure how to describe it other wise. The food was ok and in Stratford "ok" usually means you have a problem. The roasted chicken was "ok"....not great...not bad...just ok. We have only been once for dinner and it was no doubt because we found it odd that we haven't been back. AVOID the house chardonay....it is AWFUL...and again NOT an ontario wine. Why do places do this? For the same price they could have put a good Niagara 20 Valley Chardonay from any one of a couple of dozen wineries on the menu. Dispite the dimmed lights this is not a place with atmosphere. In my mind they shouldn't even try to do it because it does not suit the place. The service was spotty to say the least.

So all and all Tango is a great place for Breakfast or Lunch, a take-out coffee or a quick seat at the front over looking the street, but it can't get my nod for dinner. Tango is licensed for beer and wine only.

I'm on a never-ending pursuit to find the best shepards pie but this one isn't "the one" for me. It was decent though. There was a decent amount of sauce and veggies with the meat. They made it different than your average by using some sweet potato and I have to say, it wasn't a good combo with the shepards pie. I don't know if it's because it was unexpected and just threw me off, or truly not a good combination with the meat and sauce.

Our waitress was super friendly. She was very helpful in being honest with me by telling me that the dish was pretty big, after asking me about adding a soup or salad. Nothing went wrong with our meal and the food came out in decent time. It was a late lunch so maybe we got lucky with skipping the lunch rush.

Excellent!

I will never go back to Tango. I went there for breakfast with my husband and kids, and it was awful. My sons hot chocolate was cold, and tasted like heated up chocolate milk. The food was not good, and the table was dirty before we sat down. The food tasted like it had been sitting around for an hour before it was served. Meanwhile we waited 45 minutes for our food, when there was only two tables in the restaurant. Tango's better clean up there act, or they will be losing much needed business.

We had just been talking about how we no longer enjoyed going out for meals. Too much heavy greasy food and too much noise. Tango's was a real treat. The food was excellent, the price was right,the atmosphere was festive but not loud and the service was great. We left feeling satisfied but not stuffed, exactly how you should feel after a healthy meal. We will definately return.