Today I decided to try Dakota Steakhouse. I was unable to take Finn with me, because he was sleeping. Korbin, his 7 year old brother was happy to fill in.
We arrived at the steakhouse a little after noon. I was expecting it to be busy, however, there were only 8 cars in the parking lot. That was including staff and our car of course. I kept thinking "maybe that is a bad sign". We ventured on despite that.
The outside of the restaurant is amazing. The roof is a rusty colored tin. The siding is bark. The inside of the restaurant is very tastefully decorated. The decor is a mix of cabin and western. There was country music playing in the back round.
We were seated right away and the waitress took our orders. I ordered the Chicken Salad Sandwich with the House Salad. Korbin opted for the Grilled Cheese, big surprise there.
While we were waiting for our food, I looked down and realized I had brought a friend with me. A Whopper had mysteriously become affixed to the zipper of my jacket. It had come the whole way to the restaurant unnoticed. Korbin begged me, and being the good mom I am, I let him eat it.
We had to have our regular trip to the bathroom. It looked like it came right out of Caesar's Palace! It was very modern and VERY clean. The stalls were large and spacious. The toilet seats were white and institutional, yet hugged your rear like a nice pair of Rocky Mountain Jeans. The sink was a huge trough. The soap smelled like Tea Tree Oil. I kinda like Tea Tree Oil.
Our waitress refilled our drinks and our food arrived about 20 minutes after we had ordered.
Chicken Salad Sandwich with House Salad
I was very impressed with the sandwich and salad combo. They didn't skimp on the salad dressing and the spring mix was completely covered vinaigrette. Just the right combination of sweet and tangy. The dried cranberries and candied pecans were like little bursts of sweetness in my mouth.
The sandwich bread was warm. It was slightly toasted and crunchy, yet the middle of the bread was soft and sweet. The chicken salad was filled with celery, dried cranberries, just the right amount of onion and of course, chicken. It had a slight hint of a mustard horseradish. It wasn't overpowering though. There also was iceberg lettuce and tomato on the sandwich.
Kids Grilled Cheese with French Fries
The Grilled Cheese appeared very tasty also. Korbin ate the entire sandwich. EVEN THE CRUST!!! This is a big deal coming from a strict "no crust" kid. The cheese in the middle was American. He polished off a good portion of the fries, after pouring half of the bottle of ketchup on to his plate of course.
Then came time for dessert. I am not big on sweets, but I figured "what the hell". They had quite a few choices. Kuchen and Creme Brulee were the two that sparked my interest. But once again, being a good mom, I let Korbin choose.
Chocolate Cake with Ice Cream
The cake was excellent. From what I could gather from the 3 bites I was allowed. Maybe I wouldn't have felt cheated had he let me have the Whopper.
All in all, I give it a thumbs up. The service, food presentation and quality exceeded my expectations. The environment was conducive to adults and children. The total cost for the meal was $27.00.
