Savannah Chop House Puts The 'Chop In House'

I drive by the in the Ocean Ranch Village almost daily, but for some reason we have never eaten there. So, on a recent evening, we took my mom and her husband to check it out.

When you enter the restaurant, your eye is immediately drawn to the inviting bar. It has a large stone fireplace and lots of small tables with leather chairs scattered throughout. It definitely looks like a great spot to meet for cocktails and a bite to eat.

Of course, on this night, we were here for dinner and were led into the spacious dining room, which has several large, upholstered booths. Once seated, we were given two menus. The first was the Prime Rib Sunday menu, since it happened to be a Sunday night. This is a set menu, which includes a Caesar or classic wedge of iceberg salad, apple wood smoked prime rib, mashed potatoes and gravy, a biscuit, and chocolate mousse for dessert, for $24.95. There is a similar meal for kids under 12, that includes prime rib sliders and French fries for $12.95.

The regular menu is extensive. Some of the offered starters include oysters Rockerfeller and on the-half shell, butternut squash lobster bisque, grilled filet mignon skewers and dungeness, and blue crab cakes. Seafood choices include local striped sea bass, macadamia hoison-crusted  halibut, cioppino, and pan-seared lobster tail. There are steaks and chops and a section of the chef’s a la carte cuts, too. To complete your meal, there is a section of “indulgent additions,” such as lobster mac n’ cheese, and jalapeno cheddar potatoes. There is also an extensive list of chef suggestions.

After looking over the plethora of choices, the men decided on the Sunday prime rib special and my mom and I, selected the Day Boat U10 scallops. All of us chose a different salad to start and no one was disappointed.

I had the roasted beet salad that was fantastic, with arugula, goat cheese, beets and raspberry-prickly pear vinaigrette. The iceberg wedge was enormous and looked like a Matterhorn of lettuce, grape tomatoes, red onions and bleu cheese dressing.

The prime rib meal was a platter of food with the meat cooked-to-order and was perfect for the meat and potato lovers. The scallops were large and tender, and were served with sautéed broccolini, which is a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale, with a more delicate texture than regular broccoli. Since the guys were getting the mousse as part of their meal, my mom ordered a small scoop of vanilla ice cream with fresh berries and I, a double espresso. The desserts came in a pretty parfait dish with whipped cream and a cherry, and were a nice ending to the meal.

Savannah Chop House offers a comfortable, homey atmosphere, with hearty food and a varied menu. It also offers monthly themed cooking classes, such as 'Savor the South' and 'Old Country Italian', and other special events such as “wine dinners” featuring selections from a specific winery.

Savannah Chop House is open for dinner 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Happy Hour in the lounge is from 4:30 p.m.to 7:00 p.m., Sunday through Thursday.

I give Savannah Chop House, 3 ½ Patches out of 5.