Restaurant review: Walt’s not fancy from outside, but food is tops

Driving past Walt’s All American Bar & Grill on West Central, you will notice that the building is not exactly fancy.

But you’ll also notice that the parking lot is always full. I don’t frequent bars, but I decided I better see what was going on in there.

What I found was food so good, I returned a second time before writing this review.

Walt’s has many items to choose from, including appetizers, salads, hamburgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, steaks, seafood and chicken dinners. On my first visit, we tried the hamburger and the grilled chicken salad. The burgers are 1/2 pound each, but our server said we could order the junior, which is 1/4 pound. I had the Tijuana Burger stuffed with fresh jalapeno peppers, topped with pepper Jack cheese, bacon and onions with a choice of vegetables and fresh-cut fries.

This was the first time I have ever had a hamburger with jalapeno peppers inside the patty instead of on top, and it was delicious. The fresh-cut fries were crisp and had a nice seasoning added to them. All burgers and sandwiches are served with choice of fresh-cut French fries, potato salad, potato chips, fresh green beans, cottage cheese or a tossed salad.

We also tried the grilled chicken salad, which consisted of sliced grilled chicken served on a bed of fresh salad greens. It had sliced eggs, tomatoes and shredded cheddar cheese on top, and my friend loved it.

On my second visit, I ordered the blackened orange roughy special and the chicken tender dinner. All dinners include choice of tossed salad or fresh-cut green beans, potato and Texas toast. The roughy was a generous fillet grilled to perfection and served with homemade mashed potatoes with white gravy. Our server suggested the fish special because many diners had raved about the flavor, and she was right. It was delicious, and she said it might be added to the menu permanently.

The chicken tender dinner featured three large, lightly-breaded tenders and homemade mashed potatoes without gravy. In all my years, I have never tasted mashed potatoes more delicious than these. I asked our server whether horseradish was a part of the recipe since there was a hint of spice. She said they are made-to-order from potato mixed with heavy cream and other ingredients that are then seasoned to taste by the cooks.

Menu items are reasonable for the quality of food offered. Hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and appetizers are $4.75-$7.95, and dinners are $7.95-$11.95. Steaks are $11.95-$15.95 for an 8- to 12-ounce steak.

Walt’s All American Bar & Grill may not look fancy on the outside, but on the inside, you feel as if you’ve entered a local lounge where friends and family have gathered for a good time.

This story was originally published December 8, 2016 at 7:33 PM with the headline "Restaurant review: Walt’s not fancy from outside, but food is tops."