It's always a treat to eat at a hotel restaurant--the hustle and bustle at hotels allows one the vicarious feel of people traveling, vacationing and just having fun away from home.

Legends Grill is situated in the Hilton Tulsa Southern Hills Hotel, which was all in a flurry the evening my friend and I dined here. Directly opposite ORU on South Lewis, Legends Grill is a perfect destination for something different--away from the usual places and somewhat secluded from everything else. The atmosphere here is simple and reserved, casual yet dressed up enough to feel comfortable for any occasion. (One drawback for us was the plastic placemats which were seemingly stylish in the '70s.)

Our service was some of the friendliest ever; the servers were accommodating and eager to make our dining experience the best it could be.

The menu is filled with quite a variety of items as would be expected in a hotel restaurant. Appetizers range from Loaded Nachos to Italian Mozzarella Sticks, as well as items listed with a tiny chef's toque (hat), including Quesadillas, Baby Back Ribs and New England Crab Cakes.

Salads include Buffalo Chicken Salad (new on the menu), which is crispy chicken tenders tossed in a hot wing sauce and placed over a bed of seasonal greens then topped with diced tomatoes, bacon bits, crumbled blue cheese and crispy tortilla chips. Some other salads include Traditional Caesar, Fried Chicken and Executive Chef Salad.

We had our minds on something more substantial for dinner, so we reviewed the Sandwiches, Steaks and Entrees. I chose the Braised Pot Roast of Beef ($12.99) from the Entrees section and my friend chose from Steaks the Entrecôte au Poivre ($18.99), both listed as a chef specialty.

The Entrecôte au Poivre is a sautéed Kansas City Strip Steak napped with a Madascar [sic] Green Peppercorn Sauce, and came with a side salad, and a choice of potato and the vegetable of the day. ("Madascar" surely is misspelled and should be "Madagascar," for some of the best green peppercorn is produced in Madagascar, producing not a spiciness, but rather a mild, fresh and slightly fruity flavor.)

My friend thoroughly enjoyed this dish--the steak was cooked medium rare and came from a very flavorful cut, although there were a few chewy pieces. The sauce was satisfyingly rich and the savory peppercorn added a bit of sophistication.

My Pot Roast was just as enjoyable--sliced roast beef, smothered in a red wine mushroom sauce with pearl onions; this was served with fresh mashed potatoes at the day's vegetables. This was a nice portion for dinner; the roast was tender and the sauce simply propelled the flavor of this common dish.

The mixed veggies for both dishes were good, while some vegetables were firm, others were too soft for our liking.

Although I have not tried breakfast here, the menu items are most appealing. A full menu of traditional breakfasts are available, such as Steak & Eggs ($10.99), Classic Eggs Benedict ($8.99) and The All-American ($8.99). French Toast, Belgian Waffle and Short Stack come From the Griddle and From the Pantry are Hot Oatmeal, Legends Gill Cinnamon Roll and Muffins, Flaky Croissants and Pastries. Build Your Own Omelet or choose from the Light Starts or Sides.

Prices are very reasonable, both for breakfast and for dinner.

Legends Grill

7801 S. Lewis

492-5000

Hours:

Sun.-Sat. 6:30am-10:30am; 5pm-10pm

Rating:

Atmosphere ****

Food ****

Service *****