Chestnut Cafe

This restaurant is in the middle of nowhere along scenic Route 97, but don’t let that fool you! There may have only been 1 review on Unilocal,but when I have asked if anyone has heard of it/​been there on facebook, I get «Oh, I love it there! The food is so good! You have to go on Fridays to Mexican Night!», and «the owners are so nice!» I went up there last Saturday at 8pm. There’s really not a whole lot in this town, especially since the school has been closed a long time. Upon entering, there is a bar to the left and a cozy, rustic dining area on the right. I was seated promptly at a window table by Lillian, co-​owner, waitress, and bartender. The menu is not large, but it is obvious that there is something for everyone and the prices are inexpensive to moderate. I ordered the tropical shrimp cocktail and the Flounder Chardonnay. When I asked her what item everyone raves about, she told me that the BBQ ribs are what the Chestnut is known for-​they are fall off the bone tender. I had to order them as well, and Lillian told me she would gladly pack up whatever I didn’t eat. Tropical shrimp cocktail arrived in a short, fat glass packed with lots of shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, cilantro. The fish was in a nice thick (did not seem to be cornstarch-​y) white wine sauce and I honestly couldn’t stop eating it. I tried one rib, as I was bringing the rest of the plate home, and it literally did fall off the bone. Absolutely delicious! Finally, I had the choice of strawberry shortcake or a monster ice cream sundae-​I chose the sundae, which was chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream, with strawberry topping and chocolate syrup, walnuts, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup. Definitely a place where your dollar goes a long way, and the owners are really friendly-​George came out to chat about all things food and how he renovated the place-​it used to be the Sportsman’s Bar, but the crowd had morphed into a rowdy biker crowd– there were many holes in the ceiling and flooring when he purchased the property. Right now, there is only beer or wine, but they are looking into getting a full liquor license. I will be back!