Address:
Night Owl Steakhouse
3685 W 45th St
Chalk Cut, ID
The Dish:
Italian Ribeye (15oz) medium well
Garlic stuffed baked potato
Steamed wild rice
House Cream Soda
Triple fudge Brownie
$41.00 (tip and tax included)
Grade: 1 Spoon, 1 Knife
I was hoping to get a steak with a potato while I was in the land of potatoes looking for a car. I could have hit the main fare’s that I had been to in the past but never reviewed (Lonestar, Outback, Applebee’s) but decided to hit a local ma & pa establishment. While I don’t know if they are still a true “ma & pa”, they are a true local establishment. There is no way a chain could replicate this kind of derelict looking building safely.
Ambiance: Good and Bad. Good if they are attempting to look like a hole in the wall that you would not want to eat at because you’re scared the ceiling may become part of your meal. Bad if that kind of thing scares you. I think the place really should be condemned, or at least brought up to a few recent building codes.
Menu/Price: Not surprisingly their menu defiantly boasted that they were a steakhouse. All cuts were offered as well as the non-beef dishes of higher grades (Tuscan Chicken, Roasted Pork Loin, and Grilled Salmon). They also had the normal sandwiches for those who did not want a “dinner entrée”. Weirdest thing on the menu was a Lumberjack-A 100% pure Idaho potato split and stuffed with ham, swiss, and sautéed onions and baked to perfection. This did not sound bad at all but what caught me off guard is how can you have a non 100% pure Idaho potato? Where they secretly serving some dishes with potatoes that were grown in such a way that 23% of the potato was not in Idaho?
Pricing was a bit high I thought as I could get a similar steak back home for probably half of what they had here, no lunch menu that I saw but pricing ranged from $17-$35
Meal: Being in Idaho I had high expectations for my baked potato. Unfortunately it was pretty much the same as an ordinary potato from home. The garlic stuffed was actually garlic butter that was smothered inside the baked potato. This was ok but it is not what I would call “garlic stuffed”. As for the steamed wild rice, it was defiantly steamed but perhaps a few hours before making it to my plate. The appearance of it was horrible but the taste was ok.
The steak was disappointing in taste, size was great. In fact portions on all sides and deserts as well as the steak were ample enough to tame a hungry wild man. However being a Midwesterner, I know a good steak when I prepare one, or dine on one and this one sadly was not in that category. The triple fudge brownie was a little rich for my tastes but would be perfect for the chocolate lover. The best thing for me though was the house cream soda and unfortunately that too had some issues. It had a rich taste and could have easily been the saving grace for the place, however it was basically flat. Now there could be the issue of the C02 being low, but when I inquired about it with our waiter, he said it’s always that way. So I am puzzled how something that is not carbonated can qualify as a soda. It would be ok if it was labeled “House Vanilla Drink with a touch of bubbles”.
Service: Even though the steak was ordered as medium well, it came out more like medium rare. When I asked them to correct it their policy is that the customer can correct it to their liking. Outside of that little tidbit the service was ok. Requests for sour cream and napkins were fulfilled within lightning speed.
Overall: I think the big thing that disappointed me the most was the miss labeling on the menu for the potato and for the cream soda, the state of the building defiantly needs improved and with prices they have listed I am curious as to why they have not put a little more money back into the business. But if you’re the adventurous type, I recommend it. Otherwise you might be better at the main fare.