Restaurant chains often get a bad rap. Now we’re not talking about your run of the mill fast food burger chains; we’re talking about restaurant chains where you can sit, have a meal—even a three course meal—and the food isn’t at all a disappointment but you don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy it. Of course we’re talking about restaurants like O’Charley’s, and the top 10 menu items worth your attention and money.
Referred to as a “casual dining restaurant” on Wikipedia, O’Charley’s has been around since 1971. It was founded by Charley Watkins. Of course Watkins would eventually sell the restaurant in 1984, and it was David K. Wachtel who would purchase the restaurant with big dreams of expanding O’Charley’s into a chain.
Well, off to the races O’Charley’s would be, and by 1987 there were a dozen O’Charley’s locations. Today, there are 189 locations as of 2019, and as of 2010, the company generated an income of about $34.9 million.
But just what is the absolute best thing to order on the O’Charley’s menu? Here are 10 epic menu items you need to try…
10. Blackberry Cobbler
Who says you can’t start with dessert? And what better dessert than a cobbler of any kind? Cooked fruit goes a long way; add some sugar and some ice cream and you have a winner in anyone’s book. At O’Charley’s the cobbler tastes like something you’re likely to have gotten back home when you were a kid, and it delivers…at the start or end of any meal.
9. Shrimp and Stuffed Crab appetizer
Okay, so we’re not talking about Red Lobster here, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go for the fish. I’m likely to choose fish over meat 9 times out of 10, and this tasty little platter is the perfect way to start the festivities for sure. With two dipping sauces and a wedge of lemon, these are full of flavor, as are the sauces. Oh yeah and the shrimp are battered in buttermilk. I mean what else could you ask for, right?
8. Meatball Crostini
To translate for you dear readers, that means meatball toast. Now I don’t know about you all, but the only thing better than a leftover meatloaf sandwich is a leftover meatball sandwich. Some would say they’re essentially the same thing, but I would beg to differ.
Crostini is a fancy way of saying toast and toppers for the fancy toast known as crostini come in all shapes and sizes…from pesto to sautéed shrimp and garlic and well, the sky’s the limit. But some brave and intelligent soul, God bless him, decided to serve a piece of toast with meatball, a tasty sauce and a “blend of chesses” as the menu boasts. One word: Yum!
7. Crispy Pickle Chips
Okay so the fried pickle is not at all anything new. Here in Canada they have them at Harvey’s and at a bunch of mom and pop restaurants in any neighborhood, but O’Charley’s does them different, serving them as chips and not wedges, and they come with a mouth-watering ranch dipping sauce. The fact that they’re chips makes a difference, believe me.
6. Steak and Chicken Tenders
So you can have your cake and you can indeed eat it too. Can’t decide between chicken or beef? O’Charley’s says you can have both…a beautiful steak served with O’Charley’s famous chicken tenders and a choice of sides and yummy dipping sauces that range from Honey Boom Boom (don’t ask, just try it), Smokey Honey BBQ, Chipotle, and your regular run of the mill typical sauces—all delicious.
5. The Premium Sides
Which ones? All of them! Their regular sides are great, just imagine their premium options. Regular sides include: soup, coleslaw, side salads, smashed potatoes, rice pilaf or even an assortment of veggies, but their premium sides include: a loaded baked potato, loaded mac and cheese, and loaded smashed potatoes…loaded with what?
The mac and cheese is made in a creamy Alfredo sauce, three different cheeses, parmesan cheese in addition to the aforementioned three cheese blend, and diced green onions. The loaded baked potato has Bacon! Enough said, dear readers.
4. Steak, Ribs and Tenders
I mean it’s all in the title right there. Reminds me of that book, John Dies at the End by David Wong. Did we really need to read the book? Well, yes, because there’s a lot more to it than just that, but here, the promise present in the description of the dish is definitely what you get, and when it comes to good, guilty eats, isn’t that exactly what we want when it comes down to it…what we were looking for in the first place?
3. New Orleans’s Cajun Chicken Pasta
I’ve made so much pasta in my life, at home and while working the line as a cook, and it’s nice to try different recipes out there and this one definitely is a great pasta dish served there at O’Charley’s. The chicken is tender and every time I’ve tried the pasta it’s nice and al dente, which is how pasta should be prepared. The linguine are sautéed in a delicious cream sauce with peppers that add a sweetness to the dish but don’t take away from the savory goodness present in every bite.
2. Country Style Tenders
We’ve talked about the chicken tenders quite a bit in this piece, and really they are for O’Charley’s what McDonald’s fries are to the popular burger chain. The tenders are probably some of the best out there and this dish takes them to another level altogether.
They’re covered in sautéed mushrooms, gravy, and are served next to their smashed potatoes with a serving of asparagus or your choice of side. But the down home taste just hits you here in this dish, and it will have you coming back for more.
1. Southern Surf and Turf
I must have been southern in a past life. This dish is all I want when I go out, and that’s fish and meat all in one plate. Surf and turf in general is one of my favorite meals, and this one is a tad different from what I’m used to, but it’s special indeed.
A beautifully fried piece of catfish—breaded in cornmeal, and the catfish is bred in Mississippi—served with, you guessed it, O’Charley’s chicken tenders, and oh yeah, there are even those aforementioned buttermilk shrimp invited to the party. All served with fries and their creamy and delicious coleslaw.
Have you been to O’Charley’s recently? What’s your favorite thing to eat there?