Baxter’s American Grille
14 Paoli Shopping Center
Paoli, Pennsylvania
(610) 296-2699
https://www.baxtersinpaoli.com/
Tucked away in the Paoli Shopping Center, Baxter’s American Grille is a neighborhood happy-tappy/restaurant/sports bar serving up an eclectic mix of comfort fare, pub grub, classic sandwiches, and house specialties (entrées).
It’s pretty obvious that Baxter’s isn’t exactly the Ritz… but neither is it pretending to be. On the other hand, if you’re in the mood for a burger & brew, or just some laid back comfort fare, it’s definitely a place to consider. After all, man does not live by foie gras alone.
I’ve always been of the opinion that each restaurant should be evaluated individually – on the basis of how well it fulfills its own particular raison d’être – not en masse. It would, for example, be an exercise in futility to judge Baxter’s and, let’s say, Jean-Georges Philadelphia using exactly the same criteria. Which is one of the reasons why judging restaurants on the basis of stars, bells, or numerical designations simply doesn’t work – and can often be misleading.
But regardless of where you’re dining – however humble or upscale – it’s always a good idea to go with what the restaurant’s kitchen does (or proports to do) best. Indeed, there’s a good deal of truth to the old adage that ordering steak in a seafood restaurant isn’t the smartest of moves. (Interestingly enough, I have found the obverse not to be true… Several years ago, for a variety of health reasons, red meat suddenly became rather unpopular with American diners. In order to survive, steakhouses had to learn the art of seafood cookery – and learn fast. A great majority of them did… and continue to prepare and present finny fare with the style and grace it so richly deserves.)
But back to the matter in hand… Based upon my years of experience as a food writer, the dishes that Baxter’s – and restaurants of similar ilk – seem to do best are those that require the least amount of fuss. Take a gander at Baxter’s globe-trotting menu… you find such diverse items as steaks & prime rib, chicken parm, Thai stir fry, all-American calf’s liver, and a variety of seafood… There’s simply too much going for the kitchen’s reach not to exceed its grasp… If I want an 8-ounce filet, I’ll go to a steakhouse; if I prefer chicken parm, I’ll pay a call at my favorite Italian restaurant. Thai stir fry? My go-to Asian eatery… And when I chow-down at Baxter’s, as I have over the years, I stick to the pub-grub or similar fare. This, of course, doesn’t guarantee success… but it certainly puts the odds solidly in my favor.
The “Classic Sandwiches,” for example, are usually a good bet. The Traditional Turkey Club is quite good…. ditto the Classic Bacon Cheeseburger. The nod as my favorite, however, would undoubtedly go to the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, a combo of grilled chicken, buffalo sauce, and bleu cheese crumbles on a country roll.
During our most recent visit, however, my permanent dining partner and I decided to take the “comfort food” route – she settling on the Fish & Chips; I opting for the Home-Style Meatloaf – both of which proved to be somewhat disappointing.
When I think about fish & chips, I can’t help but recall an incident that took place several years ago… My companion and I were visiting a New Jersey restaurant (thankfully now defunct) that I planned to review. We were seated at the bar enjoying a preprandial libation and checking out the menu. When my companion spied the fish & chips, she asked the bartender his opinion.
“What can you do to fish & chips,” he shrugged.
Well, actually you can do a lot – in this particular case, none of it good. For no matter how straightforward a dish may be, a kitchen can find any one of a number of ways to muck it up. I’ll spare you the gory details… but let me simply say that the sorry specimen we were served has remained, until just recently, numero uno as the worst representative of the genre it has ever been our displeasure to ingest.
Fortunately, Baxter’s version, while not exactly receiving my dining partner’s enthusiastic imprimatur, at least did not incur her wrath. The haddock was at the peak of good health, she said, the batter judiciously applied & done to a golden brown, and the accompanying sweet potato fries perfectly crisp and beyond reproach… Her final word on the matter: “Acceptable.”
… And the same could be said for my meatloaf. Hardly the incredible “diner” meatloaf of childhood memory – for which I constantly search – but adequate nonetheless. On the positive side, the texture, neither too dense nor too mushy, was right on the money. And the portion size, as you’ll note from the photograph, was certainly generous. On the other hand, the meat lacked anything even approximating seasoning… And the flood of bland-leading-the-bland brown gravy did little to ameliorate the situation. The pillow of mashed potatoes was so-so at best… But, kudos to the kitchen, the side of house-made coleslaw was quite good.
Dessert choices round up all the usual suspects… Dark Chocolate Mousse… Apple Crumb Pie a la Mode… New York Cheesecake… Carrot Cake… and Baxter’s Brownie Sundae (pictured). This latter offering is clearly the way to go. A Ghirardelli triple chocolate brownie is crowned with vanilla ice cream, splashed with caramel and chocolate sauces, and finished off with whipped cream and a cherry. Yes, very old-fashioned… but very good, very rich, and very much suitable for sharing.
Bon Appétit!
TAD
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