Ray's Tavern (Reading, MI)

Many swear by the old "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant, tucked away in a far-off town or in the corner of a city. That, they say, is where the REAL good food is, not the trendy upscale restaurant downtown. Does the same hold true for onion rings? On the rare occasion I go back to Hillsdale, I try to keep on the lookout for any new onion ring opportunities. Today, I finally had the chance to go to Ray's Tavern, in Reading (about twenty minutes from Hillsdale,) as suggested by Jeff King many moons ago.

Presentation and Appearance: 3/5

As might be expected from a tavern in rural southern Michigan, the presentation is very no frills. A plain basket, lined with the ubiquitous paper, sits beneath a mound of onion rings. The presentation is nothing special, but there are no glaring negatives. It's traditional and simple. 

The onion rings had  a fairly consistent appearance.  Most were a delightfully light golden brown, smooth, and appealing. A handful were ever-so-slightly more well done, darkening the complexion a tad, but it wasn't excessive. One or two rings in the basket were missing some chunks of breading, and a few were even cracked clean in half (more like an onion half-ring than a true onion ring.) 

Taste: 4.5/5

On my first bite, I was greeted with a surprising amount of juices for a relatively small onion ring. At the same time, however, none of that juicy, greasy, delicious goodness was present on the outside of the rings. The savory juices were accompanied by a surprisingly robust onion flavor. 

The breading was almost buttery, perhaps mixed with the onion grease that percolated throughout the ring itself. The taste was smooth and creamy, without being too dry or too wet. The breading was not exceptionally seasoned, a slight mark against it. Despite that, I frankly couldn't stop eating these onion rings. They weren't accompanied by any dipping sauce, but I don't think the rings missed it. 

Texture: 4/5

I'm torn on the texture. On the one hand, the batter on the rings was wonderfully crunchy. Each bite was crisp, without being burnt or overdone (though one or two were a BIT crunchier than the others.) Though profoundly different from the gradually encroaching standard of beer-battered pub style, these traditional onion rings delivered quality crunch. 

The texture of the onions themselves were soft, but not excessively so. I suspect these onions, like those at Saucy Dog's Barbecue, were lightly sweated before they were breaded and fried, which would also explain for the juiciness of the onions. I generally prefer a firmer onion center, but I think the soft style worked well for these onion rings. There was one incidence of fairly minor slippage, but I consider this an outlier. 

Value: 5/5

A sizable basket of these rings cost just around $3, and it's well worth every penny. With a surprising quality and generous portions, these onion rings are perfect for an appetizer or a side dish. Though at first glance the onion rings seemed frozen and basic, the looks proved deceiving! The onion rings at Ray's Tavern are indeed a hidden gem, and well worth the drive (from Hillsdale, at least.)

Total: 16.5/20