Idle-a-While Bar and Grill Although at first glance the Idle-a-While Bar & Grill in Cherokee, Kansas looks like it is more about being a bar than about the food, the Idle-a-While has only a cereal malt beverage license and sells no hard liquor. It may still be a fun place to visit on a Friday or Saturday evening, but the Idle-a-While is about the food. Idle-a-While has been in operation since 1935, but the current owners (Dan and Michelle) have had the place just 4 and a half years. Dan is retired from the construction business and this is his first restaurant. I don't usually post a review based on just one meal, but I don't want to wait until the next time I can get to Cherokee to tell you about Idle-a-While. Please realize that I have only sampled 3 menu items so far. When I was given the menu, the first thing I asked was if they prepared their own mountain oysters or used the commercially prepared ones that I have found at several restaurants around Kansas. The answer was both. They use the commercial ones, but occasionally get them from a local farmer and cooked them up for the beer drinkers. Dan prepared a batch of their own mountain oysters and brought me one to see if I wanted the rest of the order. I did! They were fried with flour & pepper and were great. I also had the $6 daily special -Tex Mex Burger, a 1/2 pound spicy ground sirloin burger patty topped wit a slice of pepper jack cheese and 2 pieces of bacon on Texas toast. With grilled onions, it was a tasty burger. My favorite part of the meal was the $3 order of hand cut onion rings. I want to get back to the Idle-a-While to try the steaks and fresh cut French fries.
copyright 2010 by Keith Stokes |
