Update: 2021-Aug-20 - There is no more buffet/AYCE at this location post-lockdown, and it is unknown if and when it will ever return. I am therefore removing it from the active list, and will follow up periodically and restore it should it return to AYCE status.Willows Dining Room is located in Casino Woodbine at 555 Rexdale Blvd., near Hwy. 427 in Toronto's northwest. It offers dinner buffets on weekends, and possibly during the week as well. It has a nice interior with large windows overlooking the parking lot, and had plenty of customers on the Saturday night we went.
Cream of broccoli soup was delicious. Chicken with rice soup was good but had spent a bit too much time in the tureen. Pepperoni with tasty but a bit dry. Potato salad was quite good, well seasoned and with corn. Do-it-yourself green salad was very fresh and I appreciated the real bacon crumble topping. Kielbasa slices were good but also a bit dry, however improved with nearby brown mustard. Small sausages were okay but could have used a little more seasoning.
Mishy loved the fettuccine, but did not like the roasted cauliflower, saying that it had a bad breath after taste; I do agree that it did have an odd flavor. Bean salad was good, mildly seasoned and well-balanced. Potato gratin was very good with an excellent cheese blend. Cajun haddock with sweet potato crisps and baby shrimp had a very odd to flavor to the haddock, which I did not like. Spicy jerk chicken, while neither jerk spiced nor spicy, wasn't bad and the chicken was moist and tender, however Mishy said that it was both spicy and tender. Honey garlic back pork ribs are actually quite good, assuming one picks one that isn't overcooked. Pasta with cream sauce was good and tasty. Pasta with tomato sauce is okay but the sauce tasted canned. Carrot slices with orange was an interesting flavor combination that worked well enough. Leek, kale, mushroom cream lasagna I did not think I would like at first, but but after a few seconds it became very savoury and quite tasty. Pork shoulder roast was good, moist and tender, but the gravy was definitely not as it was more like tomato soup. I would recommend the applesauce instead.
For dessert, marzipan squares were good. White squares tasted exactly like cinnamon toast so were excellent. Nanaimo bars were good. Amaretto square was delicious. I didn't mind the blueberry cheesecake, but Mishy did not like it. Butterscotch pudding was delicious, but coconut was even better with fresh pieces of the coconut and plenty of flavor, for which I was glad, as the rice pudding was terrible with flavors that did not belong including a mild aftertaste of Ivory soap. Mishy liked the bread pudding and was happy it was there. Jell-o was good, but difficult to mess that up. I preferred the caramel custard to the eggy variety, but Mishy was just the opposite and prefers the eggy custard. Carrot cake was very good although a bit sweet.
Our weekend dinner was $22.99 including taxes and beverages, but there is also a $12.99 Sunday buffet (with a free Rewards membership, $17.99 without.) I am unsure of the inclusion of drinks and taxes on that one so can only report on what we experienced. Most of what was offered was good with a couple of notable exceptions which were definitely not and a few "mehs", though there are enough options they can be avoided. Given the price (which was very good with the tax/drink inclusions) it was not a bad value. I'd very much like to try it on Sundays, where it could be a stellar value if it is indeed $12.99 then.
Rating: 6.5-7/10
Cream of broccoli soup was delicious. Chicken with rice soup was good but had spent a bit too much time in the tureen. Pepperoni with tasty but a bit dry. Potato salad was quite good, well seasoned and with corn. Do-it-yourself green salad was very fresh and I appreciated the real bacon crumble topping. Kielbasa slices were good but also a bit dry, however improved with nearby brown mustard. Small sausages were okay but could have used a little more seasoning.
Mishy loved the fettuccine, but did not like the roasted cauliflower, saying that it had a bad breath after taste; I do agree that it did have an odd flavor. Bean salad was good, mildly seasoned and well-balanced. Potato gratin was very good with an excellent cheese blend. Cajun haddock with sweet potato crisps and baby shrimp had a very odd to flavor to the haddock, which I did not like. Spicy jerk chicken, while neither jerk spiced nor spicy, wasn't bad and the chicken was moist and tender, however Mishy said that it was both spicy and tender. Honey garlic back pork ribs are actually quite good, assuming one picks one that isn't overcooked. Pasta with cream sauce was good and tasty. Pasta with tomato sauce is okay but the sauce tasted canned. Carrot slices with orange was an interesting flavor combination that worked well enough. Leek, kale, mushroom cream lasagna I did not think I would like at first, but but after a few seconds it became very savoury and quite tasty. Pork shoulder roast was good, moist and tender, but the gravy was definitely not as it was more like tomato soup. I would recommend the applesauce instead.
For dessert, marzipan squares were good. White squares tasted exactly like cinnamon toast so were excellent. Nanaimo bars were good. Amaretto square was delicious. I didn't mind the blueberry cheesecake, but Mishy did not like it. Butterscotch pudding was delicious, but coconut was even better with fresh pieces of the coconut and plenty of flavor, for which I was glad, as the rice pudding was terrible with flavors that did not belong including a mild aftertaste of Ivory soap. Mishy liked the bread pudding and was happy it was there. Jell-o was good, but difficult to mess that up. I preferred the caramel custard to the eggy variety, but Mishy was just the opposite and prefers the eggy custard. Carrot cake was very good although a bit sweet.
Our weekend dinner was $22.99 including taxes and beverages, but there is also a $12.99 Sunday buffet (with a free Rewards membership, $17.99 without.) I am unsure of the inclusion of drinks and taxes on that one so can only report on what we experienced. Most of what was offered was good with a couple of notable exceptions which were definitely not and a few "mehs", though there are enough options they can be avoided. Given the price (which was very good with the tax/drink inclusions) it was not a bad value. I'd very much like to try it on Sundays, where it could be a stellar value if it is indeed $12.99 then.
Rating: 6.5-7/10
