Tobys Steakhouse

Ive spent days thinking about our meal at Tobys Steakhouse, and I cant find any reason to recommend you eat there. Not that there was anything unsatisfactory about the place, its just an average place to eat. With so many other places to choose from, I dont know why anyone would bother with just average. The location is convenient Tobys is in the strip center just before you enter Wal-marts parking lot. When you enter the restaurant, there is a sign indicating you should seat yourself, smokers to the left, non-smokers to the right. We picked a booth along the wall and were promptly greeted by a nice young woman who was very pleasant. The interior was pretty average: wooden chairs, brass trim, a few beer signs on the wall, but there were also a few Oriental pictures there too. Didnt quite figure that out. The wallpaper next to our booth looked like it had some food splatters that needed attention, but everything else had a clean and tidy look. For music, they turned on the radio, so every few minutes we were bombarded with commercials. For an appetizer, Tobys offered 10 jumbo-sized deep-fried mushrooms. What arrived were a couple dozen mushrooms, three or four of which I would call jumbo size. Size matters. Its not OK to make up the lack of size by serving more. If you say on your menu, 10 jumbo-sized, you should serve 10 jumbo size no matter what you are serving. The mushrooms were lightly battered, low in grease and served with a sinus-clearing horseradish sauce. We had a hard time deciding on what to eat because the menu is such a hodge-podge. When I go to a steakhouse, I expect steak, fish and chicken. At Tobys there is all that, but you can get chicken teriyaki-style, chicken fingers, Santa Fe style or spicy. The fish ranges from catfish fillets to teriyaki salmon, and then there is the usual lineup of steaks and prime rib. We told the waitress wed decide what to order while we downed the mushrooms. By the time the mushrooms arrived, we decided on New York strip and lasagna. I specifically told our server not to bring our meal until we were done with the mushrooms. But typical of restaurants around here, we had just gotten started with the mushrooms when the salad arrived. Setting the salad aside (because soggy mushrooms arent worth a hoot) we finished them just as our main courses arrived. So the salad was a bust. Who would choose to let a hot appetizer or hot main course get cold so they could eat a cold salad?I chose the New York strip, medium, which I confirmed to the server would be warm, pink center, and a loaded baked potato. The steak was, in fact, served with a warm, pink center a small victory. The baked potato was so cold it didnt melt the butter, sour cream or cheese. I sent it back to be zapped, and it came back quickly with everything melted, but I still cant figure out how the potato remained just slightly warm. Of course, I dont understand how excited molecules in food get all heated up anyway. What I ordered didnt have to be just average give me some jumbo mushrooms, then when I finish those, bring me a crisp salad, with a nice dressing, then a nice cut of meat with a piping-hot baked potato. Thats not average, but its also not what I got at Tobys. The lasagna was OK, but nothing to write home about either. It was cheesy and tomatoey as lasagna should be with a small slice of cheesy bread. It wasnt a large serving either. So whats to recommend? Price? No. While the prices were moderate, weve eaten better food in better places for less money. Service? Satisfactory, but not outstanding. Atmosphere? Think Dennys. When you think of Tobys, think average. The reviewer is employed at the Daily News. He/she pays for his/her meals and his/her gym fees to maintain his/her figure. New restaurants are given an eight-week grace period before being reviewed. To comment, contact managing editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235.