Hindquarter website
We went on a Wednesday night about 6pm and it was crowded. Not "can't find a table" crowded, but we got the last parking spot in their lot (score!). There's plenty of street parking around back. We heard they extended the Santa Cruz Restaurant Week prix fixe menu, so we had to try it. You get an appetizer, entree and dessert for $25. My folks went and raved about the French Onion soup and Creme Brûlée.
The hostess seated us right away and also brought us some bread and water. After our drinks were ordered, we ordered our meals. Our sever was busy with lots of tables and was a bit slow to get back to us. Maybe more people were there for the $25 deal.
Man, Dad was right! This delectable French Onion Soup was so tasty. It was hot and all the cheese was melty. The onions were translucent and the broth was very good (not too salty). The bread on top soaked in all the soup and made for a nice texture. A++! We were both very happy we both ordered this.
Next up was my entree, St. Louis Ribs plus mashed potatoes and cole slaw. This is what the HQ is all about. Ribs and steaks. The pork melted off the bone and made my fingers all saucy. In a good way. The slaw had a peppery taste, which balanced off the cool crunch. And who doesn't like mashed taters? Everything on this plate was top notch.
She got the Margartita Steak with sautéed Brussel Sprouts and a baked potato. The beef had a tart, green sauce over it and it didn't taste right to her. Luckily, it was easy to brush off. I tried it and it was okay, but not a good match for the steak. She liked the potato, but was disappointed with the sprouts. They were cooked through, limp and soggy. Better to have them crispy.
Dessert was the Creme Brûlée and it had a nice crunch to the top. Any food you have to crack to get to is okay by me. I'm looking at you, Mr. Egg. Anyway, the caramelized sugar on top matched perfectly with the silky custard underneath. She was very happy and even let me try a bite.
This was because I ordered the Hot Fudge Brownie with vanilla ice cream and she wanted a bite back. The presentation on this dish left a lot to be desired, but tested great. The fudge was warm and dripping down the chocolate walnut-filled brownie. Too bad it looked like an afterthought. But the flavors were all there.
This is the main dining room and they have several other rooms off of this. Also, the sports bar is around the corner with TVs and a full bar. Check out their happy hour (4:30-6:30pm) for good deals. And their website lists daily specials and sometimes a coupon too.
Scores out of 10:
Food: 7 (but 10 for the ribs)
Service: 6
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 7
Overall: 6.75
No comments:
Post a Comment