It was a leisurely Saturday afternoon, a day so perfect that grilling
was mandatory. But fresh out of charcoal, we trucked on out to
Bartlett to the Side Porch Steak House, a small family-owned restaurant open for
26 years. If you haven’t been there before, you’ll probably drive right past it. But
if you do, make sure to turn around.
As you approach the restaurant you notice
the simplicity of the little white building with
blue-and-white-checkered curtains and an announcement of a
family member’s wedding taped to the front door. There is an ease to the place, which
reminds guests that this is a family
establishment. The dining rooms are casually
decorated. Wood cupboards with arts and crafts
line the walls, plants are scattered about, and the tables are draped with plastic
tablecloths and finished with fresh flowers.
We were seated quickly, and our waitress promptly brought us our drink order.
Our tea and water came in large mason jars, which fit right with the décor. A basket of
complimentary warm croutons heavily brushed with butter came with the beverages.
For starters, we selected the fried dill pickles. The pickle wedges were
quarters of whole cucumbers cut lengthwise, breaded, lightly fried, and served with
a side of ranch dressing. These were some of the best fried pickles
I’ve had not greasy, not mushy, a little spicy, and
served warm. We were not, however, as impressed with the fried mushrooms. The
mushrooms tasted like they had been frozen and cooked too quickly. Although they
looked wonderful, they squirted very hot residual water that had not cooked out. As for
the lightly seasoned, grilled shrimp, the menu claimed the appetizer was spicy, but it
didn’t have the kick I expected.
All entrées included a simple but
fresh dinner salad and a basket of dinner rolls to go with the menu’s usual steak choices
filet mignon, New York strip, rib-eye, T-bone plus fish, pork, and seafood
dishes. Choices with entrées included a
baked Idaho potato with all the condiments, a baked sweet potato served with
cinnamon sugar, or french fries.
For our main course, we started with a generous serving of grilled
tilapia bathed in butter. (Tilapia is a popular freshwater fish found in Asian
cuisine. The muddy taste once associated with this fish is no
longer present in the farm-raised variety.) This entrée melted in
the mouth. Not to be outdone were the pork chops two
half-inch, center-cut, grilled-to-perfection chops that were juicy and
packed with flavor. Pork can easily be overcooked,
but these were succulent and coupled with a baked potato with the trimmings.
The 14-ounce rib-eye steak served as medium-well was a grave
disappointment to my dining companion. Typically,
the biggest concern with this most prized cut of meat is how it’s cooked. The steak
we were served at Side Porch was charred on the outside, while portions of the
inside remained slightly too rare for my friend’s taste. Moreover, this steak consisted
of more fat than beef. (I would encourage the chef to be
more cautious of the steaks served at the high end of their price
range.) Not to be discouraged, my companion happily finished my order of surf and
turf. The half-inch filet cut from the small end of the tenderloin was extremely tender
and the perfect match for my grilled shrimp, which were brushed with a mixture of
butter, lemon, and parsley.
The menu instructed us to inquire about the desserts, but we got the
check before we had a chance. We piped up anyway, and it turned out to be my favorite
part of the meal. The pecan pie came warm and served with vanilla ice cream. The warm
corn syrup, sugar, vanilla, butter, and pecans
mixed with the ice cream was delicious. But the French silk pie wasn’t the chocolate
creamy decadence my mother makes. I’m not saying it wasn’t tasty, but if you ever tried my
mother’s pie, you’d see why I am so spoiled.
The Side Porch Steak House is located at 5689 Stage Rd. (757-2484).
Hours: Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday 5 to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 5
to 10 p.m.; closed Monday. Appetizers range from $3.95 to $5.95, salads $2.95
to $8.95, and entrées $9.95-$17.95. No reservations required.