Heartland Cafe

One evening, Tex and I decided to try the Heartland Café in the Admiral District of West Seattle for dinner.  I had seen the café several times and its adjoining back bar, but had never patronized the establishment.  Tex told me that he had been there before and enjoyed a decent breakfast.

When we entered, only 2 other customers were in the front restaurant sharing a booth.  We could see into the “diner-style” kitchen from the front door.  A very young waitress took us to a booth just a few away from the other patrons.  Of course, the café was so small we would have been near them no matter what.

As we sat down and began to peruse the menus, Tex looked around and then commented that the establishment looked like a Greyhound bus station.  I had to agree.

As I perused the menu, I jumped in excitement at the sight of chicken fried steak on the menu – as a dinner item!  Tex smiled and was pleased to find its accompaniment was broccoli.  He always likes broccoli.

We ordered wine and a popcorn shrimp appetizer.  The waitress was very nervous at her young age (16?) and asked if we wanted silverware.  We declined the use of utensils for our typically eaten-by-hand appetizer choice.  The wine selection was minimal and it felt as if we should say either “white” or “red” and no more. 

I excused myself to use the restroom and soon was traveling down a long corridor with many rooms shooting off from it.  This place was huge!  They had a game room complete with Monopoly and Connect Four on the shelf, and the bar looked like the aft of a pirate ship.  I couldn’t recall the name of the back bar, but it obviously had a pirate theme.  It was probably named “Ahoy Matey” or something similar.

On my trek to the bathroom I was amazed when I walked across a Plexiglas covering in the floor – only to find coi fish swimming beneath me.  I was amused by the fact that live fish were in the floor, but then wondered if they were the fish special for the evening.  After finishing my business in the broken down and somewhat scary restroom, I returned to the table.

When I returned, I found the popcorn shrimp had arrived and Tex was looking perplexed, as he could not find a napkin to wipe his shellfish-battered paws.  The waitress returned and we desperately asked for napkins, confused that they were not delivered in the first place.  The popcorn shrimp tasted like…well, popcorn shrimp. 

We chatted in the quiet restaurant and hoped that the increasingly nervous waitress would not pop up again until the food was served.  We sipped our relatively awful wine and I told Tex of the various rooms (and fish!) in the back of the restaurant.

The food finally arrived and looked decent enough.  I had ordered a pork loin.  I dove in first and was very underwhelmed with my selection.  The pork was very dry and I had to take a sip of wine or water between bites to keep my salivary glands producing the necessary lubricant to swallow the meat.

Tex eyed his chicken fried steak favorably (although he forgot to order the gravy on the side).  He cut off a few pieces and slowly began to consume them.  His first comment was that the chicken fried steak was well fried and quite satisfying.  It tasted of smothered gravy although a bit too much on the salty side.  After noticing that the breading was sticking to the meat nicely he commented, “The family is staying together.”  All in all, he felt the steak itself was a decent meal and he did finish the whole thing.

The side dishes were a different story.  Both Tex and I had the mashed potatoes and for whatever reason, they tasted divine.  After several bites, Tex looked up at me and said, “These mashed potatoes are fantastic.  I’d like to bathe in them!”  I laughed and heartily agreed with his sentiment.

The broccoli, on the other hand, was a mess.  At first Tex commented that he thought the broccoli looked appetizing, but that it tasted as if it was from a can.  As he kept picking at the green dinosaur trees, he looked up at me and said, “I don’t understand the broccoli.  It tastes like it came from outer space.  It’s like the broccoli was steamed in baseball player jock water or dirty laundry water.”  He made a face and then pushed the rest of the vegetable aside.  Amidst my laughter, I was nodding in agreement.

We finished up the meal and our nervous waitress did her best to run 2 credit cards using a 50/50 ratio.  We could tell that math was hard for her.  We then quickly exited the establishment and headed home.

Although Heartland Café’s chicken fried steak was actually fairly tasty, the rest of the experience from the accompaniments to the atmosphere let us down.  The only reason to return to the Heartland Café would be to bathe in those mashed potatoes.

Hudson - South Seattle - We have a contender!

Our buddy Woody called us up wanting to make sure he was part of a chicken fried steak adventure over the weekend.  This was appropriate as Woody is indeed the one who came up with the idea of the Chicken Fried Seattle blog.  We happily agreed to the adventure and chose to target Hudson - a breakfast spot we had descended upon previous to the blog's inception.

Hudson is located in the neighborhood of "Georgetown" in South Seattle.  It has a very odd location along Highway 99 with no other retail businesses surrounding it.  It has a small sign and an unassuming exterior, almost overpowered by the year-round billboard advertising the KUBE Haunted House that perches above their own sign.  Hudson is comprised of two areas - an indoor spot with a wrap-around bar and booths and tables along the 3 walls surrounding it.  Right outside is the patio - a simple cement floor area that is walled off by a a wood fence that you cannot see through - although you can still hear the traffic along 99.  It has lots of spots for shade and if the weather is decent it's quite a pleasant place to sit for your meal.  On this particular Saturday morning, both Woody and Tex donned hoodies.  Being the warm-blooded mammal I am, I was comfortable in my short-sleeve button-up shirt.

We parked in the small 3-car lot right in front of the restaurant and walked inside.  We encountered a group of our friends and said quick hellos - somewhat surprised that they also found this "off the map" establishment as they were all transplants to Seattle over the last year.  The bartender told us we could sit wherever we wanted, and we chose to settle ourselves at a small 4-top on the patio near a party of 8. Surprisingly, on such a gorgeous Seattle morning, only the 8-top and Woody, Tex and I were on the patio.

As we were settled, the party of 8 next to us got up to leave.  As they walked out, they turned to us and told us that we must order the chicken fried steak as it was the most delicious item on the menu.  We were excited to have this unsolicited recommendation.

Our waiter quickly came over to greet us and Tex and Woody ordered bloody marys while I settled on a greyhound.  Tex and Woody were both excited to try the chicken fried steak ($10.95 on the menu) as they had both had good experiences previously.  The drinks (and coffee for me) came quickly and the waiter also served us each a small glass of  "champagne beer" as a chaser.  This delight usually comes as a bonus to the bloody marys, but the waiter felt that I, too, should be in on the fun even though my grapefruit juice and vodka fell outside of the "bloody" category.

The beer was surprisingly delicious.  Tex and I sucked ours down quickly.  Woody, not being a beer connoisseur, chose to just take a few sips and set his aside.  The waiter then took our order.  Tex and Woody both ordered the chicken fried steak with gravy on the side.  Tex likes his eggs over easy and he happily chose a biscuit amongst the various bakery choices.  I ordered the breakfast tacos and added a side of buttermilk toast - but I held the sour cream.

We enjoyed our beverages and conversation for a bit while our meal was being prepared.  It appeared that my greyhound was made with fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice and it was delicious.  Tex and Woody both raved about their bloody marys - complimenting them on their "kick" and delicious flavor.

When the food arrived, it was certainly not a disappointment.  The portion was large and looked very appealing - and the cup of gravy fit neatly on the plate, ready to be used to baste the delicious breaded meat.  Tex and Woody were both eager to dig in.

After a few bites, Tex and Woody started spewing their critique.  Tex commented that the gravy was really tasty.  He said the only thing that could make it better was either sausage or bacon grease - or maybe both.  Woody kept nodding in agreement as he dipped his bites into the sauce.  Tex broke off a piece of biscuit, dipped it in the gravy and then fed it to me.  I had to agree - the gravy was spectacular (and the biscuit was fresh and moist).

As they continued to enjoy their meal, Tex commented that the breading wasn't staying on the steak however, the meat was so tender you could literally pull it apart with your fork.  He looked up at me, grinned and said, "And man, does that breading have a kick!  This is definitely good.  There are so few things to complain about."

Woody just looked at me with a mouth full of chicken fried steak and uttered, "mmmmmm..."

My breakfast tacos (really more like burritos) were delicious and I enjoyed every bite - even consuming my hash brown potatoes and all four slices of my buttermilk toast.  Tex looked up at me guiltily and when I inquired about his expression, he told me that he felt bad he didn't save even one bite of his steak for me to try.  I laughed and told him that I was just thrilled he enjoyed it so much.

As he finished his meal, Tex pushed his plate back and started clapping.  I looked up and he ecstatically said, "I'd give that so many chews 'cos I'd like to chew it all over again."

Ladies and gentleman - we have a contenter!  Hudson serves up a a fantastic chicken fried steak!  The gravy is delicious, the breading has a kick, the steak is incredibly tender and the portion size is Tex-approved!  Head on down to the Hudson and order up the chicken fried steak - gravy on the side!

And now, as our Seattle quest continues to find the perfect chicken fried steak, we now have a meal to beat.  Hudson - you're in the lead!

Out of the area code! Maverick's in Colville, WA

Although this blog is called Chicken Fried Seattle, our main focus is finding the perfect chicken fried steak.  Tex and I travel frequently and sometimes we experience chicken fried steak outside of the borders of the Seattle metro area.  This past weekend, we found ourselves in the far reaches of Northeast Washington in a small town called Colville.

Prior to departing on a houseboat trip on Lake Roosevelt, we had time to experience local breakfast fare at a place called Maverick’s in Colville, WA.  Maverick’s had a western exterior and when we walked in at around 9:30 a.m. on a Thursday morning in early September, the place was completely dead.  The interior continued the western motif on the walls, but the tables and chairs were all cafeteria-style - red cushioned chairs with metal legs and white basic square tables strewn throughout two main areas.  We did notice what appeared to be a fantastic outdoor patio with plenty of cozy places to sit around a central fireplace.  Alas, the morning was too cool to sit outside and we found ourselves seated at the edge of the restaurant’s interior at a 10-top due to our 7-member party.

When we opened the menus, I was delighted to point out “chicken fried steak” to Tex on the menu.  Our friend J was also excited about the possibility, as was our friend C who was torn between the chicken fried steak and the corn beefed hash.

Our waitress had a pleasant and engaging personality and uttered the words “no problem” over and over again while fetching us water and coffee.  When C asked about the chicken fried steak vs. the corn beef hash, she told us that both were incredible, but that she would definitely choose the chicken fried steak.

We all ordered up – C choosing the corn beef hash knowing that he would be able to sample J’s chicken fried steak.  Tex, of course, ordered the chicken fried steak, gravy on the side, I ordered steak and eggs and our friend S ordered the Benedict and the waitress shouted “Benny!” as she took down his order.

We drank our coffee and laughed through several fun stories while we waited for the food.  Our waitress returned a few times to fill our coffees, each time uttering her catchphrase, “no problem.”

When the food arrived, we were excited to see the large portions of chicken fried steak served up in front of Tex and J.  As ordered, the gravy was put on the side.  We were all eager for Tex to dig in as we had fantasized that a local restaurant in a small town in eastern Washington must know how to prepare a fantastic chicken fried steak – especially because Maverick’s was known for its steaks – it was a ‘steakhouse’ after all.

Tex took his first few bites and began his critique.  He immediately commented on the gravy – telling us it was thick and delicious and notating that it held nicely to the meat.  Our friend S looked over and dryly told us that the gravy must have good viscosity.  Tex laughed and nodded in agreement.  As he continued his assessment, the disappointment began to set in.  Although he definitely enjoyed the steak itself, and thought the breading looked appetizing, he turned to me and said, “I should just have some A-1 and skip the gravy.  If it’s supposed to taste like breaded steak, then it does indeed taste like breaded steak.”  Ultimately, he described the meal as 'bland' and did not finish his entire portion.  Others took bites and agreed with his assessment, including J who also did not finish his entire meal.

C notated that the hash was “just ok” and contained undercooked potatoes within – which really should have been on the side.  S commented that his “Benny” was only adequate – the Hollandaise was not “lemony enough” and the eggs were not cooked to specifications.   I did enjoy my steak on its own – the same slab of meat that was ruined by the bland breading in Tex’s chicken fried steak.  And I especially enjoyed the thick sourdough bread toast that appeared to be baked in house.

Tex walked away very dissatisfied with his chicken fried steak - $12.99 that he would have much rather spent elsewhere.  Essentially, Maverick’s carried the look of a great steakhouse on the outside, but was only a small town diner within.  It was time to return to Seattle and continue our quest within the confines of the Puget Sound Area for the perfect chicken fried steak.

Jak's Grill - West Seattle

Jak's Grill is located on California Avenue SW in "The Junction" of West Seattle.  Jak's is typically known for their steaks and most folks are unaware that they are open for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.  If you want a great steak for dinner, I can highly recommend Jak's.  Yet, it was time to venture in to try the chicken fried steak on their brunch menu.

Tex and I met our friends D and E at Jak's at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday.  D and E are fellow West Seattleites and they chose the spot for breakfast.  Tex was excited as he had heard about their chicken fried steak.

D and E were already seated in a wooden booth in the back of the restaurant when we arrived and we were quickly taken back to join them.  Jak's has a 'darker' steakhouse atmosphere - very pleasant and somewhat 'high class' without making you feel uncomfortable in shorts and flip flops.

After greeting our friends, we glanced down at the menu - I immediately pointed out the "country fried steak" to Tex.  We all ordered coffee which came fairly quickly, although the brew was somewhat bitter and never quite steaming enough.  Typically I consume almost four cups of coffee during breakfast but due to the unflattering taste, I only had one and a half cups during our meal.

When it came time to order, I was delighted to find that D was also ordering the country fried steak.  Tex, of course, ordered the same except asked for the gravy on the side as usual.  The meal also came with a biscuit and potatoes.  After consulting with the waitress, I ordered Jak's Scramble which included sirloin mixed in with the eggs - I asked to have the mushrooms excluded.  I'm just not a fungus guy.  I also asked to substitute fruit for the potatoes for the extra $1.00.  E ordered a belgian waffle with strawberries and whipped cream.  I was jealous as his slender frame could handle the extra calories.

Jak's holds a nice atmosphere for conversation.  It never gets too loud with the other customers due to the high backed booth seating and the decent acoustics.  We enjoyed catching up with our friends and sipping the not-so-tasty coffee while we waited for our meal.

Our four meals came all at once with two 'helpers' assisting the waitress.  The presentation was quite pleasing - especially E's waffle.   D's country fried steak was smothered with gravy and Tex's gravy was served in a small cup to the side of his plate.

I noticed that my dish still had potatoes and no fruit and I reminded the waitress of this mistake.  She quickly remedied this and brought me the most pathetic small dish of tiny pieces of melon I had ever seen.  Needless to say, I barely touched the fruit and although the potatoes looked delicious, I refrained out of jealously of Eric's fit appearance.

Tex's meal looked pleasing, although he noted that the serving size did not match the price.  "Texas chicken fried steak comes on its own plate," he noted, before taking his first bite.  I watched in anticipation wondering how he would critique his latest attempt at finding the perfect chicken fried steak.

Tex seemed most disappointed in the gravy.  He felt it was watery and runny - much like a 2-year-old child with a sinus cold.  D added that he felt the gravy had a bit of spice to it but Tex didn't seem to agree.  Tex did say that the meat itself had a very good taste and was incredibly tender (as should be expected from a restaurant that specializes in steak), but the breading did not stick to the meat and flaked off too easily.

D somewhat disagreed with Tex and felt that the fact he had ordered his with the gravy poured on top made all the difference.  D felt the gravy was 'just right' and agreed with Tex that the steak was very tender and had no fat.  D seemed pleased with his meal and was surprised by Tex's slight dissatisfaction.

E's and my meal were quite good - except for my fruit of course.  My scramble had delicious chunks of sirloin cooked within the eggs and I enjoyed every bite.  E enjoyed his waffle thoroughly and was fairly quiet during the meal as he engulfed the fluffiness in front of him.  We all enjoyed the biscuits which were incredibly fresh and tasty.

We finished our meals, exchanged stories and joined each other in hearty laughter.  We were certainly satiated by our meals but more so enjoyed each other's company.  We hugged D and E goodbye and then trotted out to our car.

Overall, we loved our Jak's experience although the coffee needs some assistance and the country fried steak still wasn't 'the best.'  We certainly would return to Jak's for brunch - especially due to its close proximity to my home and its inviting atmosphere and expertise in grilling a slab of meat.  However, our search will continue for that perfect chicken fried steak in Seattle...

The Rusty Pelican

Located in the heart of Wallingford on 45th is The Rusty Pelican - a slightly large cafe with a broad menu of choices.  Although open all the way through dinner, The Rusty Pelican is known as a hot spot for locals seeking weekend brunch.

We arrived at The Rusty Pelican around 11:00 a.m. and were immediately seated in a tiny window booth near the door.  The place is decorated in a country motif and although we were a bit cramped in the small booth and the serving station was right across from us, we were happy with our dining location.

I immediately found "country fried steak" (a common term for chicken fried steak) on the menu and pointed it out to Tex across the table - of course I accidentally pointed to the strawberry waffle and he was confused for just a few moments.  The waitress took a while to get to us, but she was pleasant and very expedient with our order.

Tex, of course, ordered the country fried steak (gravy on the side!) with a buttermilk biscuit.  I opted for the Magnolia scramble with bacon and artichoke, but asked to hold the mushrooms and have it made with Egg-Beaters for the extra $1.75.  When it came to my toast selection, I was overwhelmed with the choices as all of their baked goods were made in-house.  I opted for the cinnamon swirl toast.  We both ordered coffee and I threw in a large orange juice.

Tex takes his coffee with cream and the waitress warned him to go easy on the cream as it was the "real" kind.  Once the coffee came, Tex and I watched in amazement as the thick liquid slowly oozed out of the tin into his coffee - then separated into a galaxy of goodness inside the blackness.  We both agreed the coffee was quite good - but we never found out the name of their brew.

Our meal took a bit longer than usual to arrive, but we were enjoying conversation and the atmosphere and didn't mind the wait.  The presentation was decent for this country cafe and we were excited to dig in.

Tex took his first bite of country friend steak and seemed to enjoy the flavor.  He then dipped a piece in the gravy for me and gave me a bite.  We both agreed that the flavor was scrumptious - it jumped out at us and danced in our mouths.  The consistency, on the other hand, was a bit odd.  Tex examined the various pieces he had cut and showed them to me.  After a while, we determined that the meat had been ground.  We didn't know if the meat had been frozen and just heated up, or if it had been ground on site.

We asked the waitress about the preparation and she told us she would ask, but she never returned with the answer.  Tex decided that although the flavor was good, the consistency of the meat was not exactly to his liking.  He'd certainly eat it again, but it wasn't his favorite.

My scramble was good and I enjoyed the artichokes in the mix.  The cinnamon swirl bread on the side was the highlight.  It was a bit dry, but the light cinnamon taste and fluffiness of the bread made it a joy to consume.  I added some jam and gobbled down both pieces quickly.

The waitress took an extremely long time to bring the check - and once she took our credit card, she seemed to never come back.  Finally, a different associate returned the bill to be signed.  Our total, with tip, came to $48.00 for the two of us.

If you want some good flavor and you don't care about what type of meat you're getting inside the breading, The Rusty Pelican has a decent chicken fried steak.  But Tex still isn't satisfied so we must continue our pursuit of his favorite breakfast staple.

In search of the perfect chicken fried steak...

Eggs. Toast. Bacon. Pancakes. Waffles.  These are all common menu selections for the meal known as "breakfast" or "brunch."  Yet, a fattening favorite specialty for brunch is the famous chicken fried steak.

Wikipedia defines chicken fried steak as "a breaded cutlet dish consisting of a piece of steak (tenderized cube steak) coated with seasoned flour and pan-fried.  It is associated with Southern cuisine.  Its name may be due to is similarity in preparation to fried chicken.  Chicken fried steak resembles the Austrian dish Wiener Schnitzel and the Italian-Latin American dish Milanesa, which is a tenderized veal or pro cutlet, coated with flour, eggs, and bread crumbs, and then fried.  It is also similar to the recipe for Scottish collops."  Most people just consider it yummy.

Although not a dish I choose to consume for my weekend morning meal, it is a favorite of someone very special in my life - we'll call him Tex as he grew up in a small town in Texas and his family has southern roots.  This is appropriate as most people believe that a variation of chicken fried steak was first brought to America in the 19th century by Germans and Austrians migrating to Texas.

Tex loves chicken fried steak - gravy on the side - and is always in search of a deliciously prepared breaded slab of meat to consume on weekend mornings.  As we conversed with a friend over his love of chicken fried steak, I was sparked with the idea of writing a blog on the various restaurants we patronized in Seattle in search of his favorite dish.

We hope to have weekly updates of our adventures - rating the various establishments we descend upon in our quest.  We've been to several places so far - The Hudson, Blue Star, Indoline Joe's, Hunger, Chelan Cafe and Blue Water Bistro - yet we decided we need to return to them to gain a fresh perspective rather than trying to remember the taste and texture from weeks or months ago.  Although, we will give you some initial hints on our experiences - The Hunger in Fremont had a deliciously prepared chicken fried steak and the gravy at the Hudson almost had more delicious meat in it than the actual meal.

So if you're looking for that high-calorie, gravy smothered deliciousness on a Saturday or Sunday morning in Seattle, we may have a few tips for you as we go along...