Mr. Mike's Steakhouse & Bar

This place is so different than the previous Little Italy wannabe. Fresh flower baskets adorn the outdoor patio during the warm months. Warm, woodsy colors are splashed inside from the bar area to the spacious dining room. The tag line is something about West Coast, but with only one picture of the ocean up on the corner wall, I'm not sure if I feel that vibe.

Watch the threshold at the first set of doors, a nicely twisted ankle awaits you. But no hostess! And a very weird set up of the greeting area. I feel like I'm strangely observing parts of the hostess stand that I should not. Let me say that this area should be welcoming and not a chorus of wiring and silverware tubs. This is one of the first impression areas and should probably reflect awesomeness.

The restaurant was nearing capacity. Great sign. Nobody likes to walk into a place on a weekend night and see very few people. Sends a bad vibe about the restaurant.

Some girl dress in cheap black (like everyone else) approached us in a friendly manner and asked where we'd like to sit. I replied, "Where ever." This confused her. She then offered us three different selections to which I replied the same again. After a few blank stares, she finally took charge and led my small party to a cozy table with some very snug chairs. I liked them, but if I was a fatty it wouldn't have worked.

We had to be in and out within 40 minutes and we had our doubts. Server girl was pretty good throughout the entire experience. We ordered the Steak Sandwich and Chicken Creole. But we also did a few substitutions. Let's start with the sandwich.

I don't really enjoy biting into a steak sandwich unless the steak is sliced super thin. I've had a few weird combinations around FSJ like that. What. Are my teeth supposed to be like the wildlife around the area?? Sorry, but slapping on a 5 oz cut to a piece of bread is NOT a steak sandwich for people. Taste wise it was okay. The steak was aged and flavoured. The bread was screaming of blandness although the menu claimed a garlic presence. Decent onion rings and crispy, hot fries. Another issue was the lack of green. The dish wasn't eye candy. Presentation was truck-stop average. Thought I was at Mr Mikes-one of the 'nicer' places in town.

Moving on to the Chicken Creole dish. I don't like restaurant rice. Ever. Always, always substitute it for some pasta or vegetables. Nobody seems to be able to touch the rice. Scallops were small, but quite tender. Shrimp was mediocre. I was picturing a nicely seared, creole-spiced viddle. Chicken was the prob. Sorry, but the food paint does not fool me. I can see a and taste the difference between grilled and microwave chicken. Stop buying chicken with grill marks painted on it! One competitor of mine started doing this and business sank. The place was never full. I'm sure it was one of the many reasons the restaurant started to fail.

To the kitchen's credit, the substitutions were done as asked. That was nice. Especially since the server said she put a rush on our ticket. We were out of the place ahead of schedule. Very nice.

GRADE: C Because the food is average. Step it up a handful of notches and tap into the 'West Coast Thing' and Mr Mikes could be among my favorites......Make me feel like I'm walking into the west coast. Not some random pub.

Mr Mike's Steakhouse & Bar
9324 Alaska Road
250.262.4151