Texas Roadhouse

42 East 1400 North, Logan

 There was a major buzz around town when reports started that Texas Roadhouse would be coming to Logan. All I heard was how great, amazing and fun it was going to be. Rumor had it that the steaks and ribs could not be beat. After going a couple of times, I have to whole-heartedly disagree.

The first time, my wife and I went with much anticipation. The wait in line is usually a substantial time, even if you call ahead. But the fact that, while waiting for a table, you can eat peanuts to your heart's content - while throwing your shells right on the floor - was an excellent start. I am a big fan of both peanuts and walking on crunchy shells.

Once we got a table, we we brought fresh, honey-buttered rolls straight out of the oven. This was easily the best part of our meal. I think I could live on those rolls and never complain.

We both got steaks and, while mine was cooked correctly and was fairly good, my wife's was very overcooked. The waiter never did ask how our food was or if our steaks were cooked okay. About halfway through our meal, one of the managers/owners came to our table to inquire about our meal. When my wife explained that her steak was overcooked, the manager took a look at it and agreed. He asked if we wanted a new steak cooked correctly, but my wife declined (as she was already halfway through with her meal). The manager instead gave her a card for a free meal next time we came in. We thought that was a good gesture, and was probably one of the only reasons we gave Texas Roadhouse a second try.

Unfortunately, our second visit was not much better than the first. The peanuts and rolls were great starts once again, but we were disappointed after that. This time, I tried the ribs, as I had heard great thing about them. But when i got them, they were hardly even warm. And I can't think of many things less appetizing than non-warm ribs. I didn't even think the flavor was good either. I ended up taking half of the ribs home, and I heated them up the next day. They were a little better hot than cold, but not enough to change my mind.

The side dishes (fries, salad, baked potato, sweet potato fries) were all okay, and the amount of food should definitely leave you leftovers. Perhaps we just had two bad experiences that are not par for the course, but I definitely do not recommend Texas Roadhouse. While the peanuts and rolls are awesome, something tells me that most people going to a steakhouse for dinner aren't going for the peanuts and rolls.

Smokin' Blues Barbeque

71 East 1200 South, Logan/Providence

After hearing rave reviews about Smokin' Blues Barbeque from my boss, and after experiencing less-than-stellar ribs at Texas Roadhouse (post on that potentially to follow), we decided to go check out this new southern barbeque restaurant in the south Logan/Providence area. Having previously lived in Washington, D.C., we were familiar with great barbeque, such as Red, Hot and Blue and Old Glory.

First off, I love the hours that Smokin' Blues operates, from 11am until they run out of meat! The atmosphere is great, with the meat being smoked right outside the front of the restaurant and a heavy selection of both beer and root beer (though we didn't try either). Smokin' Blues even has a large stage set apart for live music, and that music adds to the laid-back southern atmosphere.

We tried the pulled pork, the ribs and the brisket, along with sides of potato salad and baked beans. Everything was done well - certainly the best barbeque you will find anywhere in Cache Valley. The dry rub on the ribs has a great flavor, and the ribs themselves were tender and juicy. With three choices of barbeque sauce (KC - Kansas City, T - Texas, G - Georgia), you can sauce up your meat to your liking. I highly recommend the Texas sauce (with a spicy, tangy flavor), while my wife enjoyed the Georgia sauce (a sweeter flavor).

We both agreed that Red, Hot and Blue was still our favorite barbeque restaurant, but Smokin' Blues Barbeque is certainly a fitting substitute for the Logan area. If you enjoy southern-style barbeque, we highly recommend giving it a try.

Andy's Resaurant

2095 N. Main St. (North Logan)

Andy's Restaurant is a new burger place in North Logan, located right next to the Black Pearl. The sign out front says "Burgers-Fries-Steaks," but there are no steaks to be found (unless you count the chuck steak in the hamburgers). The napkins say "Burgers-Fries-Shakes," which is more accurate, so it makes me wonder if the sign maker made a rather glaring mistake on the front sign.

The things I like most about Andy's are the reasonable prices and the fact that you can get a high-end burger (like a bacon & swiss) for less than $0.50 more than a regular burger. When my wife and I went, we got two burgers and one combo meal (drink & fries), which is enough food for us. And it came out to just over $10, which I think is a pretty decent deal.

The burgers themselves are pretty good. They remind me of the perfect juicy, backyard barbecue-grilled burger. The fries are always hot and well-seasoned, and they come equipped with some great fry sauce. In addition to burgers, Andy's also offers chicken strips and chicken sandwiches. The onion rings and milkshakes also look delicious, but we haven't taken the opportunity to try them yet.

So if you have the opportunity to give Andy's Restaurant a try, go ahead and give it a shot. Let us know how you like it!

Callaway's Bistro

54 N. Main St. (Smithfield)

Callaway's Bistro is an Italian restaurant on the east side of Main Street in Smithfield, just about 10-15 minutes north of Logan. It has a great bohemian, welcoming atmosphere and food to match. The following picture show the patio of the restaurant. Our table happened to be just inside the garage door on the right side of this picture.

Our meal at Callaway's began with tall, thin breadsticks brought to us in a glass jar, a clever and unique start to our meal. Throughout the meal, our waitress was not shy about replacing our jar of breadsticks whenever she noticed it was empty (and I like breadsticks, so it happened frequently).

My wife both ordered a similar style of pasta, and it was very good - probably the best Italian food I have had in Cache Valley. The prices were very reasonable and the portions left enough for lunch the next day. I'm already looking for an excuse for a return visit sometime in the near future.

Pounders Grill

473 South Main St. (Logan)

A little piece of Hawaii is a welcome addition to Cache Valley. Pounders opened on March 30 and its generous Hawaiian hospitality is quickly growing in popularity. Pounders is a casual dining environment and flip flops are alway welcome. The line may be long, but moves quickly (and is worth the small wait). Place your order at the register and then have a seat inside, or out under the colorful umbrellas. Your meal will quickly be carried out to you, so keep an ear listening for your name.

Pounders menu consists of 8 basic meats that can be combined in 3 different meals, as salads and as sandwiches.

The Keiki gives you the choice of 1 meat, rice and salad. The Pounder lets you choose 2 meats, and also comes with rice and a salad. With the Kahuna you are able to sample 3 meats as well as a salad and rice. The prices start at $4.99 for the Keiki and I believe go up to $8.99 for the Kahuna. The front counter has a tray of different sauces for you to enjoy. Included in those are their Katsu sauce, a teriyaki sauce, as well as soy sauce. Pounders serves Pepsi products.

My first visit to Pounders was with my sisters. I ordered a Pounder with Katsu Chicken and Kaluha Pork. The pork was exactly the same as I remember eating at a luau on the island of Oahu. The Katsu chicken is a Panko crusted chicken served with Katsu sauce. A sweet sauce made with apple sauce. Two sisters ordered ribs, but found them to be tasty, but very greasy. The other sister ordered a sandwich, but was left wishing she had opted for a more traditional plate instead. Meals are served with macaroni salad, but may be subsituted by a green salad upon request. Fries can also replace the rice if you so chose, but I don't recommend it.

On my second visit I once again had a Pounder with Pounder Chicken and their ribs. The Pounder Chicken is breaded and fried and served in the signature Pounder sauce. It is my favorite item so far. Instead of greasy, I found my ribs to be rather tough, although the flavor was delicious.

If Spam and seaweed are your thing, look for the Spam rolls next to the register.

On my most recent visit I noticed the shaved ice machine enticing me to come back for a Pounders Shaved Ice.

Grab your Hawaiian shirt and head to Pounders. You won't regret it.

The Bluebird

19 North Main St. (Logan)

The Bluebird is one of the longest-standing establishments in Cache Valley. I know people who remember going to the Bluebird for for dinners and receptions long before I was even born. It's where my wife and I had our wedding dinner as well. In addition to being a restaurant, they still have an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, as well as their own line of chocolates and candies.

It's not hard to see why the Bluebird is such a beloved place that has become a tradition in Logan and throughout the Cache Valley. The prices are extremely reasonable (we got our dinners - including rolls, salads, and sides - for about $10), and the food is certainly good. I highly recommend the steak and Bluebird chicken dinner (it's actually on the menu as steak and sweet & sour chicken, but they will allow you to substitute the Bluebird chicken instead).

When you go to the register to pay for your meal, it's easy to get drawn in to purchasing some of the delicious choclates that are on display. You certainly won't be disappointed if you do.

And the old-fashioned ice cream parlor at the front of the restaurant is a great spot to take a breather while checking out all of the downtown Main Street shops.

All-in-all, the Bluebird is a perfect place for a family dinner that won't break the bank, a romantic throwback date at the ice cream parlor, or to sooth your chocolate cravings with locally made confections. It's no wonder that the Bluebird has been around for so long, and there's no reason to believe that it won't be around for a long time to come.

Kamin Thai Cuisine

51 W. 200 S. (Logan)

Kamin Thai Cuisine is (to my knowledge) the only Thai restaurant in Logan. We have been there a couple of times, including a visit last night. If you like Thai food (kind of like Chinese, but less greasy and fried), I would certainly recommend it. Last night, I had the Thai Cashew Nut Chicken and my wife had "The King" with pork - which was basically a ginger-based dish. The flavor is a little milder than I would have liked, but I could have asked for mine to be extra spicy, had I thought about it.

The only thing that went wrong during our visit was that we both asked for brown rice and were brought white rice. I didn't really mind, but my wife got her rice switched without a hassle.

Kamin Thai doesn't hold a candle to my favorite Thai restaurant - Talay Thai in Washington, D.C. - but, for compared to other restaurants in Logan, it's got a great feel, atmosphere, and pretty good food.

Blackstone Restaurant

255 S. Main (Logan)

My wife and I recently went to Blackstone for a casual lunch date. Blackstone is fairly new to Logan's restaurant scene; an old Deseret Industries building turned into somewhat of formal dining restaurant, similar in appearance and atmoshpere to Hamilton's. After it opened, I heard mainly negative responses from those who had gone there, so I had never been too eager to try it myself. However, my wife and I felt it was time to give it a shot and make up our own mind.

Upon arriving at the restaurant a little after 2pm, we waited at the vacant hostess desk for a good five minutes before someone must have spotted us. All I know is that we heard someone loudly yell the hostess's name and she soon appeared, moving quickly to help us and probably hoping she wasn't in too much trouble for leaving her post for an extended period of time. Not a good start.

After being seated in the nearly empty resetaurant, we took a little time to browse through the lunch menu. I had heard that Blackstone's prices were fairly high, which was one reason we had decided to come during lunch. But even the lunch menu prices were a little higher than what we were expecting. I settled on the cheesesteak sandwich with fries, while my wife got the pesto chicken focaccia sandwich with rice pilaf.

The cheesesteak sandwich was generously filled with juicy steak and a healthy amount of cheese, but the most abundant ingredient and taste was grease. The wedged fries were extremely unevenly coated with seasoning - some with none at all, and others with patches or lines of seasoning coated on way too thick. Only a healthy dose of ketchup was able to make them palatable. They were overly crunchy on the outside and overly mushy on the inside.

My wife described her sandwich as decent, if lacking in the pesto department, but difficult to eat with the large slices of peppers slipping out from the focaccia at any chance they could. The rice, in her words, was definitely nothing to write home about.

We  then waited for another ten minutes after we were done before the waiter even showed up to see what he could get us for dessert. But after the lackluster service and food already experienced, we decided to pass on having dessert, as I think we will pass at eating at Blackstone again.