Coffee & Conversation: Restaurant Review: Our Place

Once a week Ray and I will look for some place we have never been to before and eat dinner. I had asked to go to another restaurant but by the time i could remember the name we had already passed by it and were in the middle of a construction zone on the highway.

He had seen this place and got off the highway and did a u-turn under the highway to the access road on the other side.

At first I thought he was pulling into Zongos...at least I think that was the name of it...he drove around the parking lot and pulled into "Our Place". Located in North Richland Hills, Texas off of Highway NE Loop 820.

Okay cute name, if I was to create a diner I would call it that.

Parking lot was clean and handicap areas were fully accessible.

As we opened the double doors were were greeted by two things at once...the aroma of home cooked foods and a very friendly staff member (I think it was one of the cooks) who was sitting on a stool just inside the doors by the counter with a very Texas hospitality hello..."Howdy, how are you all this evening?" My husband and the gentleman bantered back and forth for a few moments while our hostess gathered up menus and showed us to a table. Once she noticed I was on forearm crutches she made sure we didn't have to walk very far to a table.

The restaurant was very clean and well kept. There were diner style signs and Texas style stars embellished on a few walls but not overpowering in it's design. Very tastefully done. The almost natural wooden beams, tables, chairs, and ceiling were clean and neat, as was the ceiling. The restrooms were also very clean and well kept.

We were seated and she immediately asked us what we would like to drink...we asked her if she had any Lemonade, she said they were out...not a bad sign but not entirely a good one either. To give them credit it was after 7 PM at night on a Saturday and she said they had just run out of it. Which to me means that it's a high selling item on their menu and people like it. They had a good selection of drinks to offer. She told us she would brew us a fresh pot of coffee...using a Bunn coffee maker...ours at home brews a fresh pot in 2 minutes 30 seconds. Ice waters, coffee and a very large chocolate milk for my son were brought to the table within 3 minutes.

The staff was very friendly and very courteous. I would remark though that the dark blue t-shirts are not a good idea for a wait staff choice in a diner environment. They may want to rethink their color choices for staff wear. Dark colors tend to show more stains quickly than a medium color. Maybe a country style apron with their logo on it as well.

We ordered our meals and were quickly brought a bread basket filled with homemade dinner rolls, cornbread muffins and 3 small containers of sweet honey butter.

The bread was warm and the real butter was a delightful creamy consistency with a slight taste of honey. The corn bread was just a little dry, a side of honey would go nicely with it. Keep in mind folks it was late in the evening and they may have been fresh but sitting in a toaster oven. No where did I see a heat lamp.

Our salads arrived with our dressings in small containers on the same plate. The greens were fresh and crisp, the tomatoes had a good firmness to them and the dressing was light and tasty.

My husband had ordered one of their two soups available...Creamy Potato Soup. It had a nice creaminess to it and a strong hint of cheese and bits of what I am fairly certain was chicken.

Our meals arrived about 5 minutes later on large oval ceramic plates. I had ordered Chopped Steak with a baked sweet potato and cucumber salad. Ray had ordered Fried Breaded Catfish with cucumber salad and pinto beans. Our son had ordered the Blackened Catfish with cucumber salad and corn.

The Chopped steak was exactly how I asked for it to be cooked, it was at least half an inch thick, slightly rare with just the right amount of pink in the middle. It was covered in butter seared large white onion pieces. There was no gravy for the chopped steak.

The cucumber salad was nicely chilled and a hearty mix of quartered slices of cucumbers, tomatoes and purple onions with good mixture of vinegar and oil.

The baked sweet potato was not hot but warm, the butter had a hard time melting in it. It was cooked all the way through but I am assuming that it was reheated possibly in a toaster oven. It did not have the rubbery taste of a potato reheated in a microwave. It was not over burdened with cinnamon like most restaurants tend to do.

The fried breaded catfish pretty much tasted the way most breaded fried catfish tastes. Maybe by adding just a bit more seasoning into the cornbread mix will help with that.

The pinto beans were cooked all the way through and tasted as they should.

The blackened catfish my son had ordered was light and tastefully seasoned, it practically melted in my mouth. The corn on the other hand was canned and boiled. Maybe buying frozen and steaming it would be a better suit for this dish.

The coffee was a bit weak for us but I am sure a normal coffee for most. I tend to drink mine a bit stronger than most people.

The tables, chairs, cups, plates, and flatware were all clean and in good condition.

For 2 adults and 1 child (who ordered an adult meal) the price was around $40.00 for all three of us. All around not a bad price at all.

The food was very filling I ended up taking half of my meal home.

On a scale of 1 to 10...10 being the highest I give "Our Place" a 7. We will be returning again to sample their breakfast and lunch menus.