Hens & Heifers in Elkview has had mixed reviews since its opening, so my friend Beth and I were eager to check it out for ourselves.

From the outside, the restaurant looks new and clean and like a good amount of work has been done on it to bring it up-to-date. And, there are some risqué nods to "hard up hens."



The restaurant features, chicken tenders, and wings, as well as burgers, pasta, fish, and steak. The "hard up hens" refers to chicken tenders, which come with a variety of different sauces - like ranch, barbecue, Jamaican jerk, and mango habanero.



I wanted to try the chicken tenders, since it is their signature, but I opted to have them atop white cheddar macaroni and cheese. I got this with a "Hen" sauce, which they bill as tangy and creamy. This dish would've benefited from a lot more of it. The mac & cheese was thick and dense and the chicken was a bit dry. So, that tangy dressing could've added a much needed dimension. As it was, it was just a bit stodgy.



But, I also tried their smashed potatoes. The description says that it starts out as a baked potato that is squashed flat and smash cut on the flat top griddle. I thought that meant a larger surface area would lend itself to crispier bits. But, it was really just a baked potato in a cup with toppings on it. Having melted butter and cheese would have kicked this up a notch. I do like this concept; I think the execution could get better.



Finally, we tried dessert. The slice of Keylime pie was a bit small on the plate, but tasted fine. It was just a bit puny.



The cocktail list looked expensive, and I would definitely check that out next time. Overall, though, not bad, but certainly room for improvement. I do appreciate a good concept and some creative effort.



Grade: B