Though I've had the onion rings in the past, I have yet to review them since I started this grand endeavor. So, here's a review of onion rings from The Hunt Club.
Presentation and Appearance: 3.5/5
Presentation was typical for a pub style onion ring. I got the appetizer portion, a heaping pile shoved into a basket with some paper underneath. The basket was an appropriate, if not perfect, size for the amount of onion rings I received, and the presentation was pretty good.
However, appearance of the onion rings was not in line with their presentation. The biggest problem was sheer inconsistency. Some rings were evenly breaded, some had massive gaps. Some were smooth, some were grainy and gnarly. Beyond that, the presence of wildly overcooked onion rings in the same basket as well cooked onion rings was distracting and unappetizing.
Taste - 3/5
I'm torn on this. On one hand, I enjoyed eating these. On the other hand, just about the only real flavor I got was onions and grease. The onion taste was good, not overpowering, and made me feel like I was eating an onion. However, the grease was just overwhelming. Every time I picked a new one up, my hands became drenched in grease and oil. While grease technically "tastes" "good", it's not the only thing I want when I'm eating an onion ring. There was no flavor in the batter, nothing to make it pop or stand out.
Additionally, there was no accompanying dipping sauce. While not a requirement for onion rings, they usually complement the flavor, and can enhance even the greasiest onion ring. The biggest problem is that there was no cohesive taste in the components. There was no beautiful "blending of the ingredients", just an odd mish-mash of dissimilar parts.
Texture - 4/5
For all of their faults in taste, these rings had a great texture. The Hunt Club opted for a "soft" onion ring model, with smooth (well, usually smooth) batter and a lightly sweated onion interior. All in all, the texture was good, when it was properly done.
The problem, as noted in the section on appearance, was inconsistency. Some onion rings were clearly overcooked, with breading missing or crumbling or falling off entirely.
Value - 3.5/5
The cost of the basket ($7.99) seems steep at first glance, but these are clearly designed to be a shared appetizer, not an easily digestible side dish for the young onion ring lover on the go. For the price, there's an extraordinary amount of onion rings, and for all the faults with flavor and appearance, they are certainly filling.
In short, they're pretty good for a shared appetizer, and a smaller portion as a side dish would be just fine. As a stand alone dish, however, they leave something to be desired.
Total: 14/20
