Toot’s is an interesting place. Sitting at the town-end of restaurant row on Scottsville Road, it’s easily accessible from almost anywhere in Bowling Green. Although Toot’s has a bit of a Hooters feel to it, it’s a family-friendly restaurant with an open and airy atmosphere inside. Toot’s allows smoking, but the circulation is so good that it’s unnoticeable.

One of my dining companions hadn’t been to Toot’s for quite a while, and spoke for the table when he said, “I’d forgotten how good the service is here.” But this is not fine dining. This is a place that serves bar food, specializing in sandwiches, burgers, fried seafood, barbecue and wraps. On Tuesdays, kids eat free from the Kid’s Menu, which features mac and cheese that looks like Kraft from a box, chicken fingers, hot dogs, cheese burgers, grilled cheese and mini corn dogs.

We started with appetizers of fried pickles, cheese sticks and mini corn dogs. The fried pickles tasted tart and salty and were quite enjoyable. The cheese sticks and corn dogs, like the pickles, were pretty standard, pre-packaged fare. In general, if you like these things as prepared from a box at home, you’ll like what Toot’s serves.

I started with a Philly cheesesteak sandwich and it came out quickly – service is quick and efficient at Toot’s. This was a monster of a meal, absolutely stuffed with sliced (not shaved) meat, bell peppers and onions, and then positively smothered in cheese. The menu claims that the sandwich comes with mushrooms, but I didn’t notice any. This thing was so big that I had trouble biting into it. It had good flavor but there was nothing that jumped out. The meat was tender, and the soft bread was a nice complement to the rich cheese.

The peel-and-eat shrimp were a real disappointment. They came out quickly – an indication that they had been cooked some time earlier and were waiting on ice for someone to order them. Small, a bit rubbery, and clearly overcooked, we actually left these on the plate.

The ribs also disappointed. I ordered them as the “Que Que” menu item, which is a combination of barbecue ribs and barbecue pulled pork.

The flavor of the ribs was excellent. They fell off the bone, and the smoky tang of the meat was quite good. As good as they were, I couldn’t get over the small serving. I had a 3×5 note card in my pocket, and the entire “rack” of ribs fit neatly inside the borders of the card. The pulled pork, which was also pretty good, measured about a cup. Both dishes have great flavor, but I was left wondering what I was getting for almost $15.

Toot’s does some things really well. Unsurprisingly, these are the items that are not prepackaged. The nachos are excellent. Piled high with cheese, chili, lettuce, tomatoes and jalapenos, they are a perfect complement to a tall beer. The same goes for the wings, which Toot’s can slather with one of five excellent sauces. I usually order these.

The cooks at Toot’s also know how to prepare a burger – nice and tender, with the juices still running out. Each of these dishes is excellent.

With televisions featuring sports and sports talk shows, this is a fun place to hang out and catch a game. There is some good food to be had at Toot’s, if you order carefully.

— Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact Managing Editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com.

TOOT’S

2500 Scottsville Road

• 843-2335

Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday

Price range: $5.29 to $14.87

Libation situation: Full bar

Smoking: Yes