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.
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