Jimmy Mac's Roadhouse

Off of Rainier Ave S in Renton (just south of Seattle) sits a very laid-back BBQ family restaurant called Jimmy Mac's Roadhouse. You can tell just from the look of the outside and front that this type of place would have a very chill and/or "interesting" atmosphere. I guess the part of the sign that says "Peanuts on the floor" gave me that impression.

When you first walk into the restaurant and look to your left, you'll see this huge barrel of peanuts. Yup, peanuts. You're told to grab a bowl and help yourself to as much as you'd like. The greeters/servers are very friendly and would seat you promptly.

When you arrive at your table, your server will serve you up some fresh, hot, delicious rolls with whipped butter (I just started salivating). Those rolls were crazy good (I ate about 5 before my meal). While chowing down on the rolls, I took a look at the "busy" menu with so many choices and couldn't help but think to myself that I couldn't go into a "roadhouse" restaurant and not order some sort of meat dish. It was either between the baby-back ribs or steak, so I ended up getting the 16oz prime rib, end cut. The end cut has the nice crust with all the spices on it.

For an appetizer I tried their foot of onion rings with 3 different dipping sauces, bbq, honey-mustard, and peppercorn dressing. I think with the fresh rolls, the onion rings, and the peanuts were pretty filling on their own. And, by the way, you're encouraged to throw the peanut shells right on the ground. There are even signs that say you'll get charged if you leave the shells on the table!

The waitress was very attentive and did a nice job checking up for any drink refills, even during that very busy hour. I pretty much kept loading up on rolls and ice water.

The food came about 15-20 minutes after the order (they were really busy), which isn't that bad of a wait considering it was for a nice, thick, well-cooked steak. Check out the crust on the prime rib. It was basically one huge chunk of meat with awesome seasoning. It was served with a salad, a fully-fixed baked potato, and sides of au jus and sour cream. You're salivating, aren't you? It was so juicy, tender, and delicious. I could have probably downed 2 of these!

OK, now for my 5-doughnut rating system:

• Service, 3 doughnuts= Very friendly and attentive service. There were only a couple of times I waited just a little while longer to get something, but for the most part the service was pretty good.


• Atmosphere/Location, 2.5 doughnuts= The atmosphere was pretty chill and "country". There were a ton of neon signs and tv's all around the place (showing sports), along with a small bar near the front entrance. The restaurant was located in a busy plaza area near a Wal-Mart and can be easily spotted from the main road.


• Food Presentation, 2 doughnuts= Not much you can do with this type of dish. They just threw on a nice piece of meat with a baked potato. It did still look good though.


• Taste, 3.5 doughnuts= The food was great. The steak was superb, along with the fully-fixed baked potato, the rolls, and onion rings. The prime rib was definitely mouth-watering and had some really tasty seasoning embedded into the meat.


• Cost/Value, 2 doughnuts= For dinner, the prices were pretty high for the food. Don't get me wrong, the food was good, but the pricetag was a little up there. Maybe lunch is a little cheaper.


• Originality, 3 doughnuts= The peanuts on the floor idea has been done at other places I've been to, but it's still sort of unique. You don't find too many places that allow that type of messy behavior, which adds a slight fun factor.


• Overall, 3 doughnuts= I definitely liked the food and atmosphere at this place. I'll go again just to try their crabcakes.

Check out their website over at http://www.jimmymacsroadhouse.com/. And as always.....Om Nom Nom Nom!

-NMOS

Click on the Foodista link below for a recipe for BBQ prime rib:

Casper's

My work threw us a BBQ right on the water just this past Friday. Our caterer was from a restaurant in Lake Forest Park (Bothell) called Casper's. They serve up some mean grilled meats, as I will explain in full detail. Here we go:

My co-workers and I were definitely overwhelmed with the amount of food that was in store for us. There was everything from the mouth-watering main courses (the meats) to the sides, and a multitude of delicious desserts and other sweets. Even I was full. Yes, I was full!

At the front of the line there were the sides which included a sliced cherry tomato/cucumber salad, potato salad, and mac & cheese. Next up were trays of smoked/grilled meats, which included smoked beef patties, grilled chicken quarters, and chopped beef brisket.

I'll start off reviewing the sides. The cherry tomato/cucumber salad was probably the best side, in my opinion. There were pieces of tomato, along with cucumber and chopped red onion, all mixed in a cold, light salad dressing. It was pretty refreshing. The potato salad was like any other. It was heavy & thick and starchy, which was fine. The mac & cheese was alright. It was was ziti pasta with layers of white and cheddar cheeses. The taste was a bit more subtle than the usual cheesy taste of a good mac & cheese, which I kind of prefer.

The smoked meats were all pretty good. The smoked meat patties were pretty original. They smoked them with wood chips (I forgot which type) that made the meat have sort of a beef jerky tasting exterior. It was pretty tasty (especially the next day as leftovers) and was very moist inside. The smoked/grilled chicken quarter was probably my favorite main course. It had a tasty dry rub and was practically fall-off-the-bone tender. The chopped beef brisket was just ok. I thought it was a little too greasy and bland. I like brisket that's a little thicker and has a nice outer crust on each slice. It still wasn't that bad though.

For dessert they served us up some really, really good banana pudding. There were pieces of pound cake and I think even pieces of vanilla wafers mixed into the pudding. It was damn tasty. For a nice refreshing drink they served us up some sweet tea, which was, well, sweet! Thumbs up for the dessert.

OK, now for the moment you've all been waiting for......the review/rating using my 5-doughnut system. It's on:

• Service, 3 doughnuts= Well, it was a catered buffet-style event, which means we did all of the work going up to get the food. However, they definitely fulfilled their jobs by being extremely hospitable, friendly, and accommodating. The owner was there and was very friendly to everyone. He chatted with us throughout the BBQ, gave us preliminary samples, and talked us through the whole smoking/grilling process that they use. The servers were very inviting and friendly as well. They all wanted us to keep coming up and getting more. Also, they were always prepared and kept the trays fully stocked with food if they were ever getting low.


• Atmosphere/Location, N/A= It was a catered event at our work, so I can't rate them in this category. However, it was a really nice day outside near the water.


• Food Presentation, 2.5 doughnuts= For a catered event where they had to put everything in trays and bins, I thought the food was very well laid out and presented.


• Cost/Value, 4 doughnuts= I was impressed with the food that we got on the budget we had for this event. I think the owner really worked with us on getting the best selections for the price. Thank you, Casper!


• Taste, 3 doughnuts= I think it was good grilled/BBQ food. I have tasted better brisket, but it was all still pretty delicious. I'm dying to try out their grilled gator, smoked ribs, & collard greens!


• Originality, 2.5 doughnuts= I did like the way they smoked the beef patties, making them have somewhat of a beef jerky taste while it was still moist on the inside. Other than that, it was just really good BBQ food. I think having gator on their menu will definitely give them more originality points. Unfortunately, we didn't have any there, so I can't rate them on that.


• Overall, 3 doughnuts= Overall, it was pretty good food. I personally love Cajun style BBQ because of the seasonings and mix of sides that compliment the main courses. Everything went well together. I definitely give them thumbs up.
  

Well, that's about it for Casper's. You can check out their website at: http://www.eatmoregator.com/.

-NMOS