Wholesome and home-style

TIFFANY WEISBERG

Down the street from the Brady Theatre.

Around the corner from Cain's Ballroom.

Across the tracks from the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

Not far from Greenwood Cultural Center

These are just some of a longer list of the descriptors on the website for Caz's Chowhouse -- just in case you don't know happen to know where they are! The one they left off is -- right across the street from one of the original downtown night spots in Tulsa, Caz's Pub -- the self-proclaimed "not just an ordinary bar," and one of the first current day establishments in the Brady district.

My wife and I were doing the math so to speak, and guesstimated the pub as having been there every bit of 15 years, and probably longer. That makes it a great grandparent, relative to the recent trend in business openings downtown, and even more specifically, in the Brady Arts District.

Housed in what was described to us as an old auto repair shop, (by a server who is undoubtedly about a tenth of the age of the building) we suspected it goes back even further than that. It has all the trappings of an old railroad-related building. Perhaps some sort of a rail house, very near to all of Tulsey Town's old railroad infrastructure. Solid brick walls, huge steel girders still supporting a winch and pulley system that could easily lift many tons of steel, and the remnants of a garage-type door that could easily allow a train engine to pass through. But maybe that's just a couple of old fogies romanticizing about days past. At any rate, it's a charming old building, and even has an upstairs loft area that housed a private party the night we were there, and is apparently available for that on a regular basis, as well I'm sure, as handling overflow on busy nights.

We started with a spinach and artichoke dip. Tasty and cheesy, it was a good way to start on a cold night. Not the best I've ever had, but a good starter. The crusty baguette slices were a perfect dipper. Other items add up to a very deep fried appetizer section: Pucker Chips -- battered and fried pickle chips, calf fries, fried green tomatoes, Southwest Egg Rolls, and cheese fries. Chips and salsa round it out, and as we all know chips are fried so forget your New Year's resolution if you plan on going here! Apps run from $5 to $8, except the chips and salsa at $3.25.

Our server was very helpful, and offered opinions when asked. I have little faith in a place when a service person shrugs their shoulders when asked what the best thing, or their favorite thing, on the menu is. They either don't care, or they have never been allowed to try any of the menu items. A good chef or manager knows that the first echelon of "sales soldiers" is the service staff. If they don't like your product they won't push it. Jeff and Amy Castleberry, owners of both the Chowhouse and the Pub, obviously get that since our server was familiar with the entire menu and able to guide us through it. Either that or he is eating in the storeroom when no one is looking and I just got him fired! Sorry, dude!

His recommendation for the soup was the chicken and sausage gumbo, and I found it tasty but not as spicy as one might expect a gumbo with Andouille sausage to be. It has a nice flavor, and just the right amount of rice. It should compliment not dominate and it did.

The entrees stack up to a down home, comfort food menu. Everything from Mom's Meatloaf, to Pop's Pot Roast, fried catfish, Chicken and Biscuit -- I would have expected a dish reminiscent of Chicken a la King with a biscuit crust, but the menu described it as: a marinated grilled chicken breast, on top of a pile of redskin mashers, on top of a five-inch biscuit, all smothered in a cream gravy with mushrooms, carrots and peas. Yikes!

Other options include a chicken fried steak, hand breaded in house. Fried shrimp, also breaded on premesis, blackened chicken, a 12 oz. Rib eye steak, and the classic dish chicken and waffles.

I opted for the pot roast. The menu brags that it is made in house. It was tender and good, but, alas, the gravy was very thick and goopy, and it sort of detracted from what could have been a good dish.

Katie went for the salmon, and found it very good. Not overdone like salmon often is, hers was just right, and came with mashed redskin potatoes, (the house starch, pretty much) and steamed broccoli that seemed more boiled than steamed unfortunately. The salmon came in at $11, everything else was $10 or less. Very fair prices.

The sandwich section is as big, if not bigger than the entrée section, with some appealing items like a Cuban Pork sandwich, a three-cheese, jalapeno bacon, and tomato griller, and a catfish po' boy, plus standards like burgers, double burgers, chicken sandwiches, etc. Sandwiches range from $7-9 with the double burger weighing in at $11 and probably 11 pounds!

Our server insisted the ice cream brownie with chocolate sauce and whipped crème was to die for, but the homemade carrot cake won the toss up. It was moist and delicious, and definitely big enough for two. At $5 it was a bargain.

All in all, Caz's is wholesome, solid, home-style and unpretentious food at reasonable prices. There is plenty to choose from, and lots to eat. If you're trying to consume less this season, or watch your waistline it might be a bit dicey here, but it can be done. Four or five entrée salads offer some lighter options, in the $9-10 range, and there is a lunch menu with smaller, cheaper options from 11am to 4pm.

Remember, its

Down the street from the Brady Theatre.

Around the corner from Cain's Ballroom.

Across the tracks from the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

Not far from Greenwood ...

Caz's Chow House

21 East Brady

918-585-8587

www.cazschowhouse.com

Hours of Operation

Mon 11am -- 2pm

Tuesday-Thursday 11am - 9pm

Friday 11am - 10pm

Saturday 5pm -10pm

Sunday 10:30am - 3:30pm

Food: **& a half

Service ***

Atmosphere **& a half