The Spenard Roadhouse, formerly the Hogg Brothers Café, is a new, delightful restaurant that will appeal to every kind of diner, in the heart of a neighborhood increasingly appealing to every kind of person.
In keeping with the 'hood, the casual setting makes for a relaxed meal, and whether you show up in jeans and fleece or opt for the more formal khakis and a polo or a dress (Let's face it, that IS dressing up if you're Alaskan), you'll feel comfortable here. The service is good, but a little quick for my taste. The servers are polite and attentive, but I like to savor a meal. It's a new restaurant, however, and it seems that they're trying to settle into a rhythm.
The menu is very diverse: Â from pizza to pork chops, vegetarian fare to world cuisine, the restaurant offers something for everybody. For the young at heart, they offer Indian Valley hot dogs or for the nostalgic among you, TV Dinners served Sundays on a traditional TV dinner plate.
While I sipped a succulent Malbec in a run-of-the-mill water glass (good wine is good no matter what the glass) and crunched on the Veggie Chop, a salad consisting of marinated garbanzo and kidney beans, tomato and onion, and cotija and cheddar cheese, my husband opted for the Baby Back ribs, which, he assured me, were just spicy and just messy enough for him. The ribs were served with green beans and smashed potatoes. Honestly, he didn't touch the green beans, and I wasn't all that impressed with them, but he ate nearly all of the smashed potatoes, a truly amazing feat for a man who prides himself on not eating any vegetables. And my salad was scrumptious. It was substantial enough to fill me up just enough so that I could order dessert without embarrassment.
After dinner we split the cheesecake, with triple berry compote and whipped cream. The compote and whipped cream were delicious, but the cheesecake, not so much. It was a little lumpy and bland for my taste. That being said, I am somewhat of a cheesecake connoisseur, so my expectations are incredibly high. I also ordered some coffee, thrilled that they served organic Kaladi, but it was so-so, as the brew was weak and flat. Maybe I should have splurged for the Americano, Latte, or Mocha. I'm a bit of a coffee snob too, after all.
As I said, it's a new joint, and despite my complaints, my husband and I both agreed that the Spenard Roadhouse deserves another trip. He definitely wants to try the Tuesday night special (the Spaghetti Feed), and I wouldn't mind sampling the Tres Leche, a Latin American Chiffon Sponge cake, soaked in 3 kinds of milk and topped with meringue. Mmm, I can already hear the meringue calling my name.