Just about everything about Toby Keith’s is big. Big room, big tables, big chairs, big drinks, big portions, big music, a whole bunch of big TVs. The only exceptions are the servers. The Whisky Girls, as they are called, are cute, tiny and clad in T-shirts, Daisy Dukes and cowgirl boots. They’re sexy without being trashy, like you see at other not-to-be-named chain restaurants/bars. They are also well trained, friendly and helpful.
The food here is decidedly country cuisine so there are plenty of fried items. But unlike at many other chains, the food comes first. By that, I mean everything was seasoned to complement the food. The food either stood on its own or other seasonings were used to enhance it.
At lunch, we started with the chili con queso ($7.99) and the fried macaroni and cheese ($7.99). Our entrées were the fried chicken dinner ($14.99) and the California burger ($11.99). At dinner the appetizers were chicken wings ($10.99) and potato skins ($8.99). For entrées we went all pork, with the half rack of St. Louis style ribs ($14.99) and the fire-roasted boneless pork chops ($13.99). Desserts were chocolate cake ($5.99) and cherry pie ($5.99.)
The chili came to the table with a pile of red and green tortilla chips for dipping. This dish was gooey-good, with the chili and cheese in perfect harmony. The salty chips, long strings of cheese and slightly spicy chili came together in both taste and texture. This would have been a great party dip.
The American Medical Association might raise a ruckus over the idea of fried mac ‘n’ cheese, but the eight triangles on the plate were crispy, not greasy, and the breading was not chock full of salt. They came with a good-sized bowl of ranch dressing. I enjoyed them piping hot but they tasted better once they cooled down a bit.
Chicken wings come with a choice of five sauces and you can also have them naked (meaning they aren’t breaded) or boneless ($1 more). We went Buffalo-style and breaded. The eight pieces—some wings, some drum-ettes—were drenched in a thick hot sauce with spank. Meaty and cooked to the bone, they were good, but my least favorite of the appetizers we tried.
But the potato skins were another story. Fried first, then topped with a mix of cheeses and bacon bits, they had plenty of flavor. You could actually taste potato and the bacon tasted like bacon.
The California Burger was topped with Swiss cheese, avocado and bacon. Cooked to order and with a bun that held up under all that stuff, this was a fine example of how a burger is supposed to be done: juicy, well seasoned and just plain good.
Fried chicken seems to be everywhere these days and I’ve certainly sampled my share. But I have to say Toby Keith’s knows how to do yard bird and a mess of fixin’s. There were four bone-in pieces of chicken, a whole ear of corn and a huge mound of mashed potatoes with country gravy. As with everything else we had, the chicken was in balance—lots of juicy, tender meat covered in a crunchy coating, all without a trace of grease. (And when I later ate the dark meat cold, it still was lip-smacking good.) The sides were also fab. The potatoes were thick without being dry; skins had been left on just like at home. The corn on the cob, which is usually boiled to death, wasn’t at all. And country gravy, which at many places looks and tastes like wallpaper paste, brought the plate together with a hint of something porky and a smooth, creamy texture. A hint of smoke and a touch of sweetness made the juicy pork chops a pleasure to eat. The chops came with a side of those great mashed potatoes and cinnamon-apple slices. The apples were soft-cooked but retained some sturdiness.
The rib meat needed only a nudge to fall away from the bone. The house barbecue sauce had been painted on near the end of cooking so it melded nicely with the meat. The sides were sweet-potato tots (a nice change of pace) and fragrant jasmine rice flecked with carrots, onions and herbs. A tiny corn muffin also came with the dish. Although I like my cornbread a tad sweeter, the muffin was still delicious.
As expected, the portion of milk-chocolate cake was monstrous. Several layers of moist cake were separated by two kinds of chocolate mousse and the slice was finished off with chocolate ganache. (Yes, ganache at a country restaurant. Sakes alive!) The chocolate syrup that was meant to be served on top was unnecessary (and the only thing we tried that tasted like it had come from a can).
The cherry pie came to the table hot, which hid the true flavor of the sweet, dark cherries. Like several other dishes, it tasted better when it had cooled down some.
The only issue I had with TK’s was the bar service. We sat at the bar and had a beer while waiting for our table. Although the bar wasn’t busy, and there were at least a half-dozen servers and bartenders, several minutes passed before anyone greeted us or asked if we needed help. It just looked bad.
All in all, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill works. Yes, it’s a chain but it’s also family friendly, with reasonable prices and some darn tasty food. After a hard day of shopping, the “grill” part would be a great place to dine. And rumor has it that the bar holds its own, with live music and a crowded dance floor several nights a week.
This article appears in Apr 25 – May 1, 2013.
After Toby Keith’s verbal attacks against the Dixie Chicks, I wouldn’t eat at a restaurant started by him if my life depended on it… He’s a chickhawk who loves wars that other people’s kids die in.
I am starting a petition to have Rita Connelly removed as a food reviewer as her point of view is grossly outdated. So far I have 1,000 signatures, and I expect to have at least 10,000 by the end of next week.
I’ve dined at every local eatery in this fine city, and I offer my expert services that this city so desperately needs. For I am Garrett and I know way more than the mental midget that you currently have employed.
Is this a serious review?
Out of all the awesome things people in this town are doing with food, you write about what amounts to a Applebees? Thank goodness you are supporting a multi-state restaurant chain. With a million dollar ad budget. If this was a serious alt weekly, you would not have wasted ink on this blow job.
Coit: We try to review every new sit-down place that opens, not because we’re playing favorites, but because people sometimes eat at chain restaurants. They might want to know if it’s any good.
You might not want to give us the credit, but we’re out there writing more about the awesome things happening as anyone, so I think it’s fair to cover one of the chain joints (especially when they only have one location in town … a little different than Applebees).
Toby Keith will never have to worry packing seats on a Wednesday night. They can take a few bad months, and stay open. What about local joints that struggle to pay the bills, or give employees hours? Seems to me it’s clear who is more deserving of an “alternative weekly’s” time and space.
I appreciate that the Tucson Weekly is “writing more about the awesome things…as anyone”, but that shouldn’t mean that the publication should shrug and say “good enough”. If anything, this community needs a stronger voice that advocates for local flavor. And the Tucson Weekly is in the position to be that strong voice; this review shows that this opportunity is squandered.
I spent over a dozen years working in restaurants: mostly local places, and a small handful of chains. When viewed from the inside, the differences are astounding.
Scenario A: The food on your plate has been manufactured by food scientists. It has been formulated for maximum appeal (using fat, sugar, salt), and maximum profit (using cheap product, mass production, and tight portion controls). Most likely, a factory or warehouse has processed most of the elements on your plate. Much of it has arrived frozen and will be heated by a microwave. A few finishing touches may be added to make the plate appear fresh-cooked or from-scratch, but really, you are eating a glorified TV dinner.
Scenario B: The food on your plate is fresh, from-scratch, and cooked to order. The walk-in has a whole wall of fresh produce, and another with primal cuts of raw meat. The dressings are house-made, heck, the mayo is house-made. The owner, the managers, the head chefs invest 60, 70, 80 hours a week or more into their “baby”. Heated discussions are had over the best vendors to use, the right spice for that vinaigrette, the best seasonal options for the new menu. Cooks and servers have their opinions, too, they lend to the discussion, as this restaurant is a growing, evolving, living place. Yes, profit is a goal here, but at the best of these places, it is only part of the goal — alongside with the creation of a beautiful space and delicious food.
In other words, friends don’t let friends promote chain restaurants.
Colt: I sort of understand what you’re saying, but when we run content about local restaurants nearly every day and feature locally owned places 50 out of 52 weeks of the year in our reviews, I think you’re making a lot of something out of nothing. Just because you don’t care about TK’s (and for the record, neither do I particularly) doesn’t mean that none of our readers do.
Wow swordfish laid the smack down with that comment, Bravo!
I LOVE Rita, and yet I agree with the criticism that she received for reviewing this yokel shit show.
And Dan, I also enjoy your writings, but Coit is right, there is no need for this crap EVER. Not even 2 weeks out of the year.
Well, you two will love next week’s review then, although I think the cover story might make up for it.
However, with the run of new local places opening up, I don’t think we’ll likely have a chain place reviewed for the run of 2013. It’s not that I don’t get the complaint, just that a) I don’t really need to be told what a “serious alt-weekly” does or doesn’t do and b) we deserve credit for our body of work. YOU GET THIS STUFF FOR FREE. CHILL OUT SOME PEOPLE.
How can we chill? The Tucson Summer is among us!
A couple of notes from the writer
One, Toby Keith really doesn’t own the place. He lends his name for some fee but this is not his place.
Two, Dan said: Ninety- nine percent of the places we review are local. But often when we review the local mom and pop places, people give us grief for it. People love to bitch.
Three, I love local places but to make such a general description is a bit misleading. Many rely on pre made ingredients, many have no concept of fresh and any number of them don’t really care. I ate at a local joint just the other day that claims to use quality stuff and have passion but what we had didn’t come close to good. We had to go to another restaurant after because the food was so bad.
Four, Chains generally suck from top to bottom, but that’s why Toby Keith’s was so surprising. I liked the food! So sue me.
Finally, thank you BurnieMack for all the love.
No, thank you. You also made a good point, some local places are absolutely pathetic. Re-heat factory for Kirkland brands, at best.