Steer In - Revisit

If you read my blog regularly, you know I get into food kicks that have me craving certain types of food. Fried chicken, burgers, whatever. Right now I am on a sushi binge as well as a breakfast search.  I have always loved breakfast food, but we seem to be trying a lot of places lately with the kids on the weekends.  I am realizing that even when you order pretty much the same thing breakfast-wise, the quality varies greatly.

The other day we decided to head to Steer In for a lunch/breakfast combo. I have been there once before but I was by myself, and hubby has always wanted to try it too.  We got there around noon and I was a little nervous that it would be packed—I was happy to see that while it was busy, it wasn’t so packed that we couldn’t get seated immediately.

Hubby and I made our usual negotiations, and I got breakfast ($5.79) and he got a pork tenderloin sandwich ($7.29).  We agreed to share.  The kids got French toast from the kids menu ($3.99) and a side of tater tots ($1.79).  So the highlight here was definitely the pork tenderloin sandwich—it was one of the best I have had. And it was unfortunate that it was placed in front of hubby because I certainly did not get my fair share of it before it disappeared.  It didn’t need a single thing.  Soft, not too big, toasted bun with a thicker cut, extremely tender, breaded and fried tenderloin.  It wasn’t pounded so thin that it lost its juiciness and it was perfectly cooked. It was topped with just the right amount of shredded lettuce, a very thin slice of tomato and mayo (and usually I like onions, but it didn’t need them).  The lettuce gave it the right extra crispy veggie crunch without being too much. Seriously, they know how to make a tenderloin.  It came with potato chips that were standard.  My son had a bite of it and loved it and now wants to order them everywhere—it’s hard to explain to him how greatly the quality varies from place to place.

My breakfast was eggs, bacon, toast and a side of potatoes—I upgraded to the cheesy potato casserole that is only available on the weekends (I think it was a $.80 upgrade).  The eggs were cooked exactly over easy and the bacon wasn’t bad.  Not as bad as some I have had recently, but nothing great about it either—your basic slightly softer than I would like bacon.  I had hopes that the cheesy potatoes would be like this cheesy potato casserole that hubby’s family makes, but it wasn’t.  It is basically shredded potatoes that tasted like they were cooked with some sort of creamy soup and a bit of cheese.  Honestly, they didn’t seem that cheesy to me. Maybe just because I had something in mind, and this wasn’t it, I was just going to be disappointed.  You know what potatoes I did like though? The kids’ tater tots.  Man, they have those down. I mean, I know if you are getting tater tots, they’re coming from food service, but they were super crunchy and just really hit the spot. If you are a tater tot fan, these are some of the best (what? They can really vary).

The kids French toast looked a little weak, but I didn’t try it so I can’t really comment on it.  They seemed happy enough.  My daughter would probably tell you she would have liked more powdered sugar.

Our server was mainly business-like, but did her job with little fuss.  The lady at the register is really friendly—I remembered that from my last visit. The atmosphere is friendly dive, and I love the map on the wall with pins and notes from where their patrons hail from.  My guess is that map has gotten a lot more action since their appearance on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives awhile back.  The food is solid, and that tenderloin is top notch.  But….since we’re talking about breakfast (and I am thinking about it a lot lately), any suggestions for me?

Steer-In

5130 East 10^th Street

Indy  46219

317/356-0996

www.steerin.net

Steer-In

So the other day I was trying to go to this certain restaurant, but found it closed as I got there on Friday at lunchtime.  Luckily, as I was turning right to head toward this place, I noticed out of the corner of my eye, the sign for the Steer-In.  What luck! Somewhere that was on my list that I didn’t even know was that close by (and one of the places to soon be featured on Diners Drive-ins and Dives).

The Steer-In is an old style drive in (that like most such places no longer offers the actual to your car service) but the interior looks what I imagine it has probably always looked like since it opened.  There’s a bar in the middle and two dining areas on either side.  The staff was exceptionally friendly, and although I was tempted by the fried chicken (as I always am when I see it on a menu at a place like this), I went with my server’s suggestions which were either the “twin steer” burger or the breaded pork tenderloin.  She said those items are what they are known for.  I figured since the place was called Steer-in, I’d go down that path.  Although I went with the regular steer burger, which is the same as the “twin steer” but with only one beef patty.  The burger is served shredded lettuce, tomato and “Steer in sauce.”  She asked if I wanted fries, and I said, sure, why not?

So I am a bit torn on this burger.  On the one hand, the freshly ground beef tasted fresh and was pretty juicy (and pretty sure they are cooking them on a griddle the way I prefer), but the meat itself had a higher than normal fat content and I got a couple of bites that were actually kind of gristly.  I know fat adds flavor, but this was maybe a little past the point of beneficial.  The bun was awesome—just a regular sized tender bun that was perfectly toasted with butter.  It was wonderfully crisp, but without being even a smidgeon burnt.

The other toppings added an interesting flavor, although I ended up picking the slightly underripe tomatoes off.  I enjoyed the lettuce with the “Steer In sauce.”  When asked, my server told me it was similar to Thousand Island dressing, but it was pure white and seemed more similar to a thinner mayo or even Miracle Whip to me.  But it gave the burger a unique flavor mixed (sort of like a little dressed salad on the burger) and if it hadn’t been for the couple of hard bites, I would have quite enjoyed it.

The fries were your standard crinkle cut fries, nothing special there, but they were properly cooked and done well for what they were.  The prices are very reasonable, my burger was about $3.90 with cheese and an extra dollar for the fries.  There is obviously a core group of regular customers eating here, people who come in and don’t bother looking at the menu.  It is definitely a comforting, familiar atmosphere, even for someone who has never been there.  Anyone been for breakfast or pizza?  Quite a lot of that on the menu as well.

The people working in there were very friendly and efficient.  As I paid my bill at the register, I chatted a bit with the cashier about the picture of Guy Fieri on the wall.  She told me that they had just found out that their feature on Diners Drive-ins and Dives would be featured sometime of the week between March 7^th and the 14^th.  So if you want to see it, set your DVRs!

Steer-In

5130 East 10^th Street

Indy  46219

317/356-0996

www.steerin.net