Dining Out Southeast: Woody's Steakhouse, Seafood and Grill, Fort Payne, AL

We enjoyed exploring Little River Canyon National Park on Saturday afternoon.  On the way back home, we decided we were in dire need of a late lunch.  As restaurants begin to re-open, we hoped we could find a location that had dine-in service and we wouldn't have to eat our meal in the car.  

For local friends and readers of the blog, Woody's is a stone's throw from Dogtown Furniture.  There.  Now you have a point of reference!  

The menu features burgers, sandwiches, salads, chicken, and steak with a few shrimp dishes.

I thought y'all would enjoy this humor on their menu.

Social distancing was being enforced and we were promptly seated.  Masks were being worn by the staff.  There were no salt and pepper shakers on the table.  Only one menu which we shared.  I understand that dining establishments are going through the learning curve of being able to serve patrons, but also abiding by the guidelines to keep safety first.  

For beginners, we took our server's recommendation and ordered Woody's version of a blooming onion.  There was a nice fry on the onion and the dipping sauce was tasty.  Extra saucers would have been nice so we didn't have to continually double-dip in the sauce container, but they weren't offered and we didn't see the server again until she brought out our meal. 

I also understand how all menu items may not be available at the present time.  But that fact did make our ordering somewhat humorous.  Sweet Harold attempted to order the pork chops.  Nope, not available.  I asked about the grilled chicken tenders?  Nada.  Chicken wings?  No, none of those either.

So, I chose the Club Sandwich.  This version was certainly different.  Maybe they should rename their Club Sandwich a "Club Sub."  The BBQ style bread wasn't toasted but was lightly grilled.  The bacon was delicious and perfectly cooked.  However, the classic club sandwich triangles were missing. Due to the thickness of the bread, there wasn't a second layer of toasted goodness in the middle.  It was a good sandwich and had the main ingredients of a Club, but it really was closer to a sub.  The fries were served hot, but unsalted.  So, we had to ask for salt packets.  No ketchup bottles of course, but upon request, we were given three individual ketchup packets.  Yes, we asked for additional ketchup.  Three packets to be shared for two adults wasn't going to be enough.

Now on to Sweet Harold's selection.  He chose the Philly Cheesesteak.  Served on the same BBQ style bread and, again, lightly grilled.  The ratio of meat to cheese to onions/peppers was good.  The flavors were there and he enjoyed his meal.  

Understanding that we are re-entering the dining world after weeks of establishments being closed, I'll cut Woody's a lot of slack.  

We'll be back after things have settled a bit and the kitchen/wait staff have a chance to learn their new normal.  We'll definitely give their steaks a try.