At A Little Taste of Texas Cafe in Glasgow, my dining companions and I were greeted by what I call a maitre d’ in overalls. That’s right, don’t let the denim or the laid-back country charm fool you, because by the end of the evening I concluded that delicious food is a priority at this out-of-the-way cafe.

In fact, everyone we encountered was genuine and well-versed in customer service. Our waitress took our drink and appetizer order quickly, then diligently checked back with us while we vacillated over what to order. She was not only jovial and “mostly” knowledgeable, but what she didn’t know she filled with a charming and disarming wit that was light and entertaining.

The fried pickles arrived promptly and even though our waitress warned us they were hot, that didn’t stop any of us from biting right in. I had never had fried pickles before and was enamored by the combination of the crunch of the breading coupled with the punch of the dill. Both my dining companions had eaten fried pickles before, but were impressed with the crispiness and lack of grease in the breading, and that spear-sized pickles had been used instead of pickle chips. This made for easy dipping into the ranch dressing that cooled the heat and added a third flavor and zing.

It was only our indecisiveness that prolonged our dining experience, because our salads arrived only minutes after we finally placed our order. The depth in food experience showed up even in the salad, as I was excited to try a unique bleu cheese vinaigrette dressing. It was a pleasing combination of light vinaigrette and the kick of bleu cheese, and healthier due to the lack of a cream base, on a salad of fresh greens, tomatoes and croutons.

When our entrees arrived, I was taken aback by the blandness of the plate presentation. My shock came because looking around the room, I could see a flair for creativity. From the gold colored walls to the deep brown window coverings, from the stylized choice of non-uniform, varied types of chairs seated at a variety of uniquely decorated tables and one lone booth – it all fit together so comfortably. So what was up the food looking so lost and plain on the plate? I decided I was being a tad too picky and concluded it was a deliberate reflection of the vast nothingness found in many parts of Texas, including the panhandle.

I glanced at my dining companion’s plate consisting of a larger-than-life Cajun boneless loin chop and baked potato, then glanced at my own plate where a 6-ounce filet was suppose to be. What I saw instead was a steak flatter than his chop. I asked the waitress and she confirmed this was in fact the filet mignon. I saw the bacon wrapped around it, tasted it and tried to convince myself that looks were deceiving in this case, but before I had a chance to wonder any more, our maitre d’ in overalls arrived to help out.

He explained that the steak had been “butterflied” (sliced on three sides, then spread out like butterfly wings) because I had ordered it medium and otherwise it would have taken forever to grill. I have seen a butterflied steak before, but this one was cleverly disguised – perhaps because A Little Taste of Texas takes what it does very seriously and I had ordered a cut of meat prepared in a less-than-optimal way. I appreciated being taken care of (and not ridiculed) and the fact that the cut of beef was so good it was still melt-in-your-mouth tender and flavorful.

One dining companion reported that the rib eye steak sandwich (that she ordered medium rare) was the same. She was short on words throughout the meal, mainly because she was thoroughly enjoying her rib-eye cut of beef and the fresh baked potato it came with. By the end of the meal the only thing she had to say was, “that was the best meal I’ve had in a long time.”

The boneless loin chop was the same – as well as an incredible value. It was the largest, thickest loin I’ve seen. The Cajun seasoning did not add much flavor, but it didn’t need it because the tender, flavorful pork was not only satisfactory, but also highly enjoyable.

A large blackboard that fit right in with the “rawhide” style d/cor listed the desserts and special for the evening. We decided on pecan cobbler, something none of us had ever had. It was as flavorful as pecan pie, with a thick cobbler twist. We also tried the caramel cheesecake and, although the caramel spiced it up, for our taste, the cheesecake was ordinary. Our waitress suggested the pumpkin cheesecake and I guess we should have taken the suggestion. I do have to point out that my deliberate plate presentation theory from earlier was confirmed with the desserts arrived, because the dessert plates were a creative blend of art and food – flowers, stars and shapes in caramel drizzle beneath each of these appetizing treats.

Don’t let the name fool you – A Little Taste of Texas Cafe was just like the state it is named after: big on flavor, long on healthy options (I had asparagus as my side dish) and way over the top with a charm and style all its own.

— New restaurants are given an six-week grace period. Comments can be sent to Managing Editor Mike Alexieff by telephone at 783-3235 or by e-mail at malexieff@bgdailynews.com.

A Little Taste of Texas

303 South Broadway

Glasgow, KY 42141

(270) 659-2441

Hours: Lunch: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday; Dinner 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Specialties: Steak

Cuisine: Tex-Mex steakhouse

Price range for dinner: $5.95 to $17.95

Libation situation: None

Smoking: No