PONDEROSA STEAKHOUSE ~ Watertown NY

MARCH 2013

LJ and I took a brief jaunt to Watertown New York for a little day trip, some shopping etc. For dinner we wanted to try somewhere different, and we ended up at Ponderosa.

I had not been to a Ponderosa since I was a kid. All I remember was waiting in lines to get in, a massive salad bar, and the smell of grilled steaks. Would it be the same.

We walked in and the first thing we came across was the giant menu. We did not know what to make of it. All we could tell was that there were a lot of meat choices, it was cheap, and the buffet could be added for change. There was also a big poster for their wings, which seems like a good idea.

We were coming in after the main dinner hour, so there were no line-ups and we could ask the host how this place worked. He mentioned that you look at the big visual menu, pick what you wanted, add the buffet if you wanted, sit and enjoy.

This place was much larger in size than I had remember other members of the chain to be. There were all sorts of stations from salad fare, soups, meats, veggies etc. LJ and I had both ordered an entre and added the buffet because, well it was ridiculously cheap.

Our waitress (name not recorded) was friendly, attentive, but was busy with a lot of tables. But when I wanted a refill on a drink, I had it.

LJ ordered the 6oz Sirloin and Potato ($5) and `loaded' the potato ($0.99) and added the buffet which made it $11 in total. The steak was actually amazing. It looked good, it smelled good, and it tasted good. I sampled a piece or two and agreed with was one of the best steaks I had ever had. I was shocked. SHOCKED.

I ordered the Sirloin Tips ($7.99) with loaded potato ($0.99) and the buffet brought my plate to $11.99.

The tips were mostly tender, and the fried onions were good, but I wasn't crazy about the dish. It was a bit blah. After tasting LJ's steak, I was totally envious.

And there was still a buffet. Actually we had buffet while we waited for our main dishes. As with any buffet, there was the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Above we had some bland macaroni salad, stuffing, and cold/stale hush puppy balls with cheese sauce. There were some faux chinese dishes that were not so bad. There was also some wings and fried chicken.

There were two types of chicken wings: their breaded wings, and the wings that were in with the other fried chicken pieces.

It's a buffet, so you have as much as you want. I was excited, then I was not.

The top wing in the above picture is the fried chicken, which had an almost light batter on it that was not so much crispy as tired chewy. The bottom wing was what I call SUPER breaded. The wing was large, and most of it was coating. It was like a thick shell, keeping predators away from the meaty inside.

I strongly disliked the Super Breaded wing. The breading was just too much, and no flavour. It definetely made a craching sound when you bit in, but these definetly came from a bag in the freezer and I just did not care for them. LJ liked the breading, but I just couldn't.

The wings do not come with any sauces, so I improvised. I asked for some hot sauce for the table. Franks. I like Frank's, but it didn't help the wings.

In the salad dressing station there was honey mustard dressing. It didn't help the wings either.

I also tried it with Blue Cheese dressing. This was chunky and creamy, but also did not help the wings.

FINAL SCORE: WING FAIL. Do you know how hard it is for a Wing King to not take advantage of a buffet with chicken wings on it? Crappy, over-protective breading that was blah in taste and terrible in texture. The fried chicken wing was ok, but really, stick to the steaks. That's where the magic is. 4/10

Ponderosa Steakhouses
1290 Arsenal St, Watertown NY (and other locations)
ponderosasteakhouses.com

APPLEBEE'S NEIGHBORHOOD GRILL ~ Watertown NY

LJ and I took another shopping trip across the boarder to Watertown New York. Going from shopping mall to store brought less deals than usual, but there's still more selection in the US than in Canada. After a long day we decided to grab some grub and we ended up at Applebee's.

Yes another chain, but nothing has come on the local radar here other than Wing Wagon. I won't lie, I like Applebee's. Lots of options, and for reasonable prices. Our server this night was Lydia, and she kept my Mountain Dew flowing for the evening.  We had missed lunch, so we ordered a feast of appetizers and mains.

Above is the Brew Pub Pretzels and Beer Cheese Dip ($5.29).  The pretzel sticks have a crispy, crunchy outside, while a soft doughy inside. Light pretzel-ly taste. This was an awesome product. The dip, a little cheesy, a little beer-like. I could leave it. But I would definitely get the sticks again.

Next we got their Ultimate Trio ($12.49) - where you choose 3 of several appetizers to choose from. We went with the beef quesidilla, the chicken wonton tacos, and wings. We'll come back to wings later in the review.

The Steak Quesidilla was good. Beef, onion, and a side of salsa. Simple, but good.

The Chicken Wonton Tacos were an interesting concept. They take a wonton wrapper, deep fry it in a taco shape, then fill it with chicken, Asian slaw and cilantro. Now, I hate cilantro. HATE cilantro. It leaves a vile, bitter soapy taste in my mouth. Hate. Anyway, I asked if it was possible to not have cilantro on it, but I was told it's mixed in. We got it anyways (LJ doesn't mind cilantro) and it came and it was pretty much added on top. So I did my best to pick off the leafy evil. Hate.

So aside from the cilantro, this was good too.

LJ's main was the Shrimp'N Parmesan Sirloin with cheese, broccoli and a loaded potato ($17.29). So rich, so filling. The 9oz steak was tender and cooked to order. The shrimp was flavourful. The potato was over the top. Most of this was packed up to go because the appetizers were pretty filling.

My main was the Riblet Basked ($8.99). It came with fries (which were blah and so passable). They came with their Honey BBQ sauce. The riblets are tender, meaty and saucy. Each little bone shard tugs gently off and are like individual nuggets of goodness. I only wish these were grilled over a real fire and not gas.

And there were also wings.

Now I can review the wings at Applebee's, but not the order. See I got it in the combo above, so I'm not sure how many wings come in a regular order.

 In the Appetizer Trio you get about 5 wings.

On the side were a couple of thin celery sticks and blue cheese dip. The dip was very thick and creamy, but I didn't like it. It was too thick and had a sour taste that I didn't care for.

The wings were an impressive large to almost jumbo size and length. They were also pretty meaty wings. But, they were kinda rubbery. Tough. The skin was not very crispy either. I think the wings should have been deep fried a little longer. They looked good though and were awesomely saucy.

LJ wasn't having any, so I went with their Buffalo Hot. The orangey-red sauce was ok. It was just a little artificial tasting for my liking. As in clearly not made on site. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't great either.

FINAL SCORE:

I wasn't impressed with my wings, despite the fact that I wanted to. When they arrived, they looked really good. They were big and saucy. But the meat and skin were rubbery, and the sauce was bottled-ho-hum. And pass on their blue cheese. Fortunately we had excellent other apps and mains; pretzel sticks, riblets and steak. Overall good meal, but if I'm back, I won't get the wings. 5/10

Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar
1283 Arsenal Street, Watertown NY USA
applebees.com

Texas Roadhouse ~ Watertown NY

Everytime LJ and I go to Watertown NY, my folks always ask if we went to Texas Roadhouse. They love it, but LJ and I always go somewhere else. Well on a recent trip to Ottawa to visit LJ, we headed South of the border we decided it was time to try them out.

We went for a late dinner after some shopping, but the place had been consistently packed from 5pm-9pm. Since we were coming in after 9, we didn't have to wait, and in no time we had a table.

I don't think I've ever been to an authentic roadhouse, but this is a good commercial replica as I see it.  This place is known for its steaks and when you come in there is a grocery store counter where you can pick your beef (if you want to). Country music on the radio, neon signs on the wall, oh, and an interesting addition to the floor:

At each table you get a bucket of peanuts to munch while you wait. Awesome. I think people waiting in line might get them too. And then you put the shells in a bucket ...

... or onto the floor. Or, the wait staff go to the table after patrons leave, then throw those buckets of shells on the floor. Everywhere. The entire establishment is peanut shells. Now I've been to a bar here or there that has this, but not a family restaurant. It is still a fascinating experience.

Our server was Angel, and he was awesome. Really friendly, interactive and genuine. He talked a lot with us, and while sometimes a waitstaff member that chats a lot can be annoying, Angel was fun and a blast, answering questions, joking around and great service (never had to ask for a refill on my pop for example).

Also brought to your table is fresh baked buns that come with cinnamon butter.

The buns are warm and fresh. I didn't think I would care for cinnamon butter, preferring a savoury flavour over sweet, but this really worked.

LJ and I also ordered up some appetizers. I had to try the Fried Pickles ($3.99 USD). These pickles were cut in a chip/coin style, different from Ontario where fried pickles come in a spear shape. It comes with ranch or Cajun horseradish but Angel said it was good with both, so both he brought.

The pickle coins were crispy yet soft. They had a tang to them as well. And they were great with both dips. This new way of having of fried dill pickles had it's pros and cons. I did like that there was more surface area for breading and it was easier to dip and to eat for sure too. But I prefer the flavour and style of spear pickles.  Both are good, that's what I'm getting at.

We also ordered a Cactus Blossom ($4.99 USD). I hadn't had an onion blossom in years and was excited for this. If you have never had an onion blossom, you have missed out my friend. A contraption splits an onion and removes the core. Then the onion is seasoned and battered, then tossed in the deep fryer. What you get is something like a straight tasty onion ring that you pull apart and dip into the creamy Cajun horseradish dip. So good.

As if we weren't full already, we actually had meals. Each of our meals came with two sides, and this is what LJ had:

Caesar salad. Decent but nothing special. Crunchy fresh lettuce and a slightly zippy dressing. Real croutons used too.

Mashed potato's that were "loaded" aka added cheese, real bacon bits and sour cream (for $0.99 USD). I didn't have any, but LJ enjoyed them.

Her main dish. Originally she ordered the Country Fried Steak, but considering we came in near the end of the night, they were out. Country Fried Chicken ($10.49 USD) it was. "Tender, all white meat chicken breast, hand-battered, golden-fried, and topped with made-from-scratch cream gravy." LJ found it a little plain, but I really liked the chicken. I'm not crazy 'bout gravy, let alone cream gravy, but this was good too in my opinion.

On to my own meal:

My first side was the chili. Filled with chunks of beef and beans and topped with red onion and cheese. This was claimed to be homemade, and it sure didn't taste from a can. It could have been a lot spicier but at least it was hearty.

For my main course I went with the ribs, with fries as my other side. I'll be upfront - I did not care for the fries. They were double fried, but had no potato inside - just overcooked.

Fortunately the ribs were better. "FALL-OFF-THE-BONE RIBS • Our award-winning ribs are slow-cooked with a unique blend of seasonings and our signature BBQ sauce. Served with your choice of two sides. Available in half-slab or full-slab.  You can even make your meal into a Texas Size Combo by adding Pulled Pork, BBQ Chicken, Sirloin, or Ribeye for just a few more bucks."

OK, so authentic BBQ folks are going to balk at that first line - because real ribs shouldn't be fall-off-the-bone. But sometimes taste trumps authenticity, and these were some tasty ribs. I went with the half-slab (yes, half-slab, did you not see all the other foods above?).

They were fall-off-the-bone indeed. Very tender. The sauce was good too - a little smokey, a little sweet. Tomato based. Next time I go back, I just might get them again.

Texas Roadhouse was great. The service was excellent, the food was good, the atmosphere was fun. It was a great night out and neither of us would hesitate to come back again. No wonder they are packed every time we drive by.

Texas Roadhouse

20790 NY State Route 3, Watertown New York, USA (and other locations)

texasroadhouse.com

Return to WING WAGON

Many many weeks ago, let's say one month ago it was my birthday, and on my birthday I traveled to Ottawa to be with LJ and to do some feasting. And feasting I did. The one place I was really looking forward to going was a trip down to the US for some excellent wings.

We popped down to Watertown New York - do a little shopping and of course to do a little eating. Most of the shopping I do is getting cherry flavoured beverages that I can't get back in Canada - you know, Cherry Coke, Cherry Coke Zero, Wild Cherry Pepsi, even Black Cherry Schweppes Ginger Ale!

Well it was time for supper and I wanted to go to one of my favourite wing joints, The Wing Wagon.

LJ and I tested out the Wing Wagon back in May. We were going to get take-out, but it was late, the weather was rainy and there wasn't really anywhere to eat outside. The last time we went the tables were sticky and not so clean, this time around it was much better, so we ate in. The service was friendly and before long we had a tasty supper.

LJ went for their Chicken Parmesan Hoagie ($4.29 USD). It was on a toasted roll, with the breaded chicken patty, mozzarella cheese, and marinara sauce. LJ isn't crazy about marinara sauce in general, but this was mild and not overpowering. The chicken was crispy and I had a bite and thought the sandwich was good. We both agreed that we personally don't like that much marinara sauce on the sandwich, but that others might.

We went for another order of Fried Dough ($2.49). This time it seemed like a pre-formed dough instead of one made for scratch. It was good, but not as good as last time.

I went back for wings of course. I ordered 20 wings, split in flavour. Last time they came in two giant containers, this time in two smaller containers. Either way they looked exciting.

Just to keep in reference to last time, the wings came piping hot, crispy and large, with a ton of celery and some thick blue cheese dressing.

XXX-HOT

I ordered two flavours of wings - the first - I wanted to up the heat ante. From X-Hot to XXX-Hot. Visually they looked meaner - darker red, chili flakes. The smell itself had a bite.

The heat was good. My nose was definetely running, but the burn wasn't scorching my tongue. This is what a good suicide should be - a sharp sting, but still a lot of flavour.

HONEY MUSTARD

Honey mustard is definitely a flavour that is growing in the wing world. It's unique, sweet but has a different heat style than a traditional wing. And Wing Wagon has a quality version.

It's thick, sticky/gooey and really good. LJ had never had honey mustard wings before, and I think she got hooked on them. I don't think I've had bad honey mustard wings, but these are certainly one of the best.

I ate wings until I was in a chicken coma. Every bite was so good, and I never wanted it to end. Awesome birthday feasting! 

Thanks LJ!