Ah, food, glorious food. It's nice to find a place that does a particular item well. Less often, you actually find a place that does a number of items well. Classic American is one such. Looking over the Roadfood review submission forms, I noticed that one of the Restaurant Types you can select to describe the establishment is "Eclectic." Ah, now, that's it. What's on the menu? Here's just a sampling:
Burgers: choice of black Angus sirloin burger, turkey burger, veggie burger, buffalo burger (the animal, not the city), and ostrich burger. Sandwiches: marinated steak tenders, tuna steak, chicken breast, mahi-mahi, shrimp caesar (!), grilled portobello mushrooms. Entrees: marinated flank steak, grilled salmon, lemon pepper mahi-mahi. Fried seafood: fish 'n' chips, shrimp 'n' chips, clam strips 'n' chips, calamari 'n' chips, shrimp 'n' clams, grilled seafood cakes. Plus, lobster ravioli, chicken teriyaki, various soups and chowders, rib eye steaks, turkey chili (a special), and all sorts of other things that don't seem to belong on the same menu.
I'm not normally a fish and chips fan (I'm not crazy about fried foods). That said, these are darned good fish and chips. Available in a smaller two-piece, a lunch special three piece, or the regular (WAY too big for me; the three-piece leaves me full), the fish is perfect. The inside is some of the lightest fried fish I've ever had, incredibly delicate and flakey. The crust is thin, almost barely there. Sometimes it can be a little oily, but hey, we're talking deep fried fish here. The fries themselves are fine, not mind-blowing; instead, ask for the seasoned curly fries or the sweet potato fries. And points to them: they have malt vinegar.
Personally, I prefer a burger, either the buffalo burger or the ostrich burger. Advertised as 70% leaner than beef and 20% leaner than chicken, neither compromises on taste. If you ARE watching the fat, a baked potato, sweet potato, or rice pilaf can be substituted for those good curly fries. And no, the ostrich burger *doesn't* "taste just like chicken". If you didn't know it was from a bird, chances are you'd think it was beef. For even leaner fare, the portobello mushroom sandwich is excellent.
A good bet is the business lunch special - which I believe is only available weekdays. You get a choice of 15 different items: the various burgers, three-piece fish and chips, portobello mushroom sandwich, penne ala vodka, etc., along with a 20 ounce fountain drink (free refills), along with a pickle and veggie slaw.
Lunch specials are available daily, so be sure you check them before ordering from the menu. If desserts are your thing, check the board for specials. You'll find more than their menu-standards, which include Reese's peanut butter pie, raspberry chocolate tuxedo pie, New York Cheesecake, and Caramel Apple Crumb A La Mode.
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