Nestled along the Ohio River in nearby Williamstown, River Town Grill has quickly become a go-to spot for Parkersburg-area diners seeking hearty comfort food with a touch of polish. The restaurant pairs a casual steakhouse atmosphere with a lively bar and patio overlooking the water, making it ideal for both laid-back lunches and special evenings out. The menu features everything from ribeyes that to creative appetizers like Monte Cristo bites. The Monte Cristo Bites are a fun mix of sweet and savory. Crispy fried tortillas are filled with ham, turkey, and melted cheese, dusted with powdered sugar, and served with melba sauce. The crunchy outside contrasts with the gooey, cheesy center, and the fruity dip adds a bright finish. They’re rich but addictive. My house salad was wonderful. Fresh greens and tomatoes and onions, served with a tangy French dressing. Simple but satisfying. The steak at River Town Grill is very good — tender, juicy, and full of flavor. The sear gives it a perfect crust while keeping the inside melt-in-your-mouth soft. Grade: A

Everything is bigger in Texas, so they say, right? That's the case with 72 oz. steak that can be found at The Big Texan Steak Ranch & Brewery in Amarillo, Texas.



"In 1960, R. J. “Bob” Lee opened The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo Texas on Route 66, the “Mother Road”. It’s distinctive architecture soon became recognized across the Mother Road as a good stopping place for great steaks grilled over an open flame. The Big Texan is famous for the FREE 72oz steak challenge, which includes eating a salad, baked potato, shrimp cocktail and 72 ounces of beef!" reads the website.



Everything about this place is larger than life. The decor, the personalities, the menu. It's a bit of a spectacle and quite entertaining if you've been driving across the endless Texas landscape for days. At this point, I certainl had a Big Texan appetite.



"The Big Texan feeds almost half a million people each year from all over the world. It has been featured in countless TV shows, movies, magazines, and newspapers throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia. Countless movies and sit-coms have featured or parodied the World Famous FREE 72-oz. steak dinner (if eaten in 1 hour)," reads the website.



I wasn't leaving this place without a steak of my own. Not a 72 oz. one, but a perfectly reasonable 10 oz. filet.



Actually, it was served as two 5-ounce filets, plus two sides, rolls and butter.



I opted for macaroni & cheese, as well as green chili cream corn.



Plus a fruit punch, because that is one of the ultimates in beverages.



The steak was really good. I asked for medium, and it was done perfectly. That might be a perk to making hundreds - thousands? - of steaks every day. Warm, pink center. Moist. Delicious. And, you know how folks always say - if it's a good enough steak, you don't need sauce. I am firmly sinking my heals in the fact that simply everythign is better with sauce. A really great steak? Even better with some A1.



The mac & cheese and green chili cream corn were both solid. Nothing too out-of-the-box here, but a good straightforward version. The cream corn did have a bit of a kick to it, which I enjoyed.



Would you put this on your roadtrip itinerary?



Grade: A

The Grill on Third is a steakhouse in Huntington that opened in the last year or so.



They offer brunch, soups, salads, handhelds, pasta, chicken, seafood and, of course, steak.



I started with the "Cremini-Boursin Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms" basted in herb-garlic butter and topped with toasted panko breadcrumbs. Give me a juicy mushroom stuffed with cheese any day.



Next was Steak Diane - prime angus sirloin medallions with brandy cream reduction, cremini mushrooms, caramlized onions and served with brussel sprouts with bacon, caramelized onions and balsamic reduction. Plus a side of fresb herb creamy risotto with shaved parmesan. Because it was a to-go order, it's not the most beautiful presentation. But it was very flavorful.



Grade: A

Keens Steakhouse is one of the oldest steakhouses in New York City. It is known for its collection of 50,000 clay smoking pipes, which patrons could store here to avoid breaking them during transportation - making it one of the largest collections in the world. The restaurant is also famous for their renowned mutton chops.



The restaurant was founded in 1885 by Albert Keen in Herald Square, what was then the Theater District and is the only surviving establishment of that district.



The old-school steakhouse has old English decor and dimly lit dining areas. Complimentary bread and butter is served to begin the meal, which helped whet the appetite.

The menu features USDA Prime steaks that are then dry-aged on site. USDA Prime is the highest grade of beef that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) can give to meat. It's known for being juicy, flavorful, and tender with good marbling, and is often served in restaurants rather than stores. The USDA has eight grades of beef, but the first three are: prime, choice, and select. USDA Choice is the second-highest grade, with less marbling than Prime but still flavorful and tender cuts. USDA Select is leaner than Choice and more uniform in quality.



I ordered the prime filet, which is undoubtedly one of the most tender cuts of meat you can get. Some may say less flavor, but I prefer the subtlety and texture. It was served with boiled baby potatoes, which were fine. I miss the classic rich steakhouse sides, but the simplicity fit with my dish. Tasty and classic.



Grade: A

St. Elmo Steak House is the oldest steak house in Indiana and known worldwide for being one of the best, too - with numerous awards like a James Beard Classics to their name.



"Founded by Joe Stahr, the restaurant was named after the patron saint of sailors, St. Elmo. Starting out with a beautiful tiger-oak back-bar purchased in Chicago, the restaurant was simply a small tavern with a basic menu. Through the years, its classic turn-of-the-century Chicago saloon decor has changed very little, beyond the inevitable expansions," according to the website.



The old-school steakhouse is dimly lit and classic. White table cloths, red table lamps, cloth napkins, and wooden board & batten on the walls. It's a vibe.



And, while they're of course known for their steaks (which they serve with navy bean soup or tomato juice), the steak house may be best known for its "world famous" shrimp cocktail with its spicy signature sauce.



The shrimp cocktail is only four shrimp mixed with the cocktail sauce in an iced vessel. I was very thankful for that ice cold temperature, because as soon as I had a giant dollop of the cocktail sauce on a bite of shrimp, my entire sinus cavity warmed up. Horseradish is a special kind of heat that you feel on the backend, whereas many hot pepper flavors light up your tongue. I actually prefer the horseradish sting.



My eyes welled up with tears on a few different bites, but I kept coming back for more because the flavor was delicious. I even ended up using some of the cocktail sauce to go with the bread basket I was snacking on.



The bread was quite tasty in its own right, with a cheese cracker, soft white bread, and a ramekin of butter that I slathered all over each bite.



I finished with a spinach salad: Oranges, candied walnuts, Indiana goat cheese locally sourced from Caprini Creamery, crispy fried onions, Dijon-bacon vinaigrette. Light, with bold flavors made for the perfect palate cleanser.



Grade: A

Ripley is home to a new steakhouse: Roadhouse 2081.



"It all began in 1990 as a family-owned and operated Ponderosa Steakhouse here in Ripley, WV. After the expiration of our contract with Ponderosa in 2020, we decided to update and remodel our building into a new casual family steakhouse named Roadhouse 2081, with the emphasis on "Food, Spirits, and Friends." We have and will always be totally committed to great quality food, impeccable service in a very clean atmosphere! That has been our family way for 31 years and going forward the Roadhouse 2081 way!"



The building is really lovely; dark wood; rustic but clean and not cluttered. Service was quick, and the colors were reminiscent of fire. 



The menu features many steakhouse staples like potato skins, prime rib, sirloin and shrimp. For my money, though, I went with the sirloin with sides of veggies and mac & cheese. I liked the extra spices on the sirloin, and the flavor was tasty, but a little overdone for my liking. Just a touch. The mac & cheese and veggies were OK - they could've benefited from some of the seasoning on the steak! 

Grade: B

Logan's Roadhouse is a larger national steakhouse chain. But it only has a handful of locations in West Virginia, and I just made my first visit.


"It’s a welcome rest for the hardworking rooted in American tradition. A laidback, “come as you are” kind of place where you can crack open a cold one, throw your peanut shells on the floor and enjoy steakhouse quality meat in the comfort of jeans and a t-shirt. It’s where the atmosphere is lively, beer is served ice cold, rolls are made-from-scratch and are endless, steak is grilled over real mesquite wood… the way it was meant to be and genuine hospitality is part of the DNA. There are no strangers at a Roadhouse, only friends."

This steakhouse seems similar to others - the whole peanuts on the floor thing - and Western-themed decor decorate the walls. 

First, rolls with a sweet butter. Very good.  Then, I had a sirloin cooked medium, with a horseradish sauce. 

And with sides of macaroni and cheese and loaded mashed potatoes.



All in all, not bad. Especially since I got it to go.


The steak had a bit of gristle, and the mashed potatoes were underwhelming.


For dessert though, I got these campfire s'mores that were fun and tasty, too.