Rome's Country Cafe Butler: Great Grub on Golf Course

The Rome's Country Cafe is located on 312 Bonniebrook Rd, Butler. It's become our must-stop-spot every Freeport-Butler Rails-to-Trails ride.

The place has been packed both Sundays that we've stopped to eat. Come early enough and you can partake of an extensive breakfast menu. If you are really hungry you can order the 'Hungry Hog Platter' that comes with pancakes, eggs, sausage - the works.

Our order
Off the breakfast menu, I've had the steak and eggs. And from the lunch menu I've tried their wings.

The food
Who would expect their steak to taste good? And for $4.95! The steak was small, but fairly portioned, and cooked medium-rare as ordered. The eggs (scrambled) were buttery, moist and fresh-tasting.

The wings (buffalo sauce and seasoning salt on the side) were also good. Crispy-skinned and juicy slivers of meat to coax out between the bones. Yum.

Just some really good wings.

Gracie's Verdict
I am most definitely hooked on the Rome's. I can't wait to try more of what's on their menu. Rome's gets my three-and-a-half stars!

Allegheny Mariner: Good Eats

Trying (and failing) to pass my driver's test in Kittanning has now brought Dad and I twice to the Allegheny Mariner Restaurant for post-non-celebratory lunches.

Ambience
The riverside views are lovely. The side of the restaurant facing the Allegheny river is framed with wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The decor inside is cosy too.

Our orders
I got the burger, while Dad ordered the soup of the day - I think it was 'Italian' soup. I tend to order burgers every restaurant I visit. I figure it's the least processed item on most menus? Plus, it's hard to mess up a burger!

The second time we went, I had a cup of stuffed cabbage soup and Dad picked a reuben sandwich with french onion soup. He also chose one of the premium beers on tap.

The food 

I loved the fresh baguette slices that came with our meal. I slathered on butter and savored each chewy, gluten-y bite of that delicious bread.

The mains were pretty good. My burger patty appeared lovingly hand-formed and not machine-pressed. It was juicy and quite tasty. I would order it again. Dad ate my chips.  He also enjoyed his soup. I tasted some. It was rich, tomato-ey and yum.

Stuffed cabbage soup and the to-die-for rolls

The stuffed cabbage soup that I ordered the next time round was hearty and filling. It was a touch too salty for my taste, but went down well with the bread that comes with every order.

Dad ate half of his french onion soup. He seemed to like it. I don't know if I'll ever warm up to the idea of eating a bowlful of soggy bread cubes and caramelized onions topped with oozy melted cheese. My insides get clogged just thinking about it hehe.

Gracie's Verdict
Allegheny Mariner Restaurant gets Gracie's three-and-a-half stars. The food is fresh and good, and reasonably priced.

I will definitely go back to try their crab cakes and filet mignon, which other reviewers seem to love.

Lunch at Dizzy Lizzie's: MEH

Dizzy Lizzie's is located at 300 Market Street, Kittanning, PA. Everyone raves about their breakfasts. I went there with Dad after some practise drives around Butler in preparation for my driver's test (which I have failed twice so far). This was at 11 am. We figured we'd order lunch.

Our order
Dad got chicken and biscuits. I ordered the burger.

Wait time
Our food arrived in about 15 minutes. There were only two other customers in at that time.

The food
My burger looked promising. The patty looked hand-formed, not machine-made.

Mmm, salivating yet?

Unfortunately, it didn't deliver on taste. The beef patty was cooked okay - well done. But it tasted like it had sat in the freezer for some time. It just didn't taste fresh.

Moving on... 
Dad sat quietly picking at his chicken and biscuits. He's not a picky eater. Usually.

Dad:   Have some. I can't eat anymore.
(I taste a small bite)
Me:   WOW.
Dad:  It's kind of salty.
Me:   *chokes* ... No kidding!

When I tasted that chicken and biscuits, I understood why. It was astoundingly salty.

Leftovers

I'm not sure why, and neither was Dad, but he had the chicken and biscuits to go. Next day, he told me he gave them to the guinea hens. The guinea hens didn't eat it. But some other (mystery) animal licked up all the gravy that night. That animal most likely has high blood pressure or sodium toxicity now.

Gracie's Verdict

For Dad's inedible meal, and my freezer-burned burger, Lunch at Dizzy Lizzie's gets ONE star (out of 5). 

Would I go back? 

Yes. Because I'm curious about the rave reviews for their breakfasts. :)