When most people hear the name, the eyebrows will scrunch in confusion of such a…unique name.
Pickle’s Café and Grill with its odd name has a quiet atmosphere with a look that is typical to casual dining places; the low lighting, neutral colors and the logo everywhere in the restaurant, which, as most people could guess, resembles a pickle. However, a couple of aspects that stood out to me were the exposed brick that surrounded the restaurant and the open kitchen that I do not see too often in restaurants. (Really, what are they hiding?)
Other than the name and logo, Pickle’s features the usual items that are native to casual dining restaurants, such as Applebee’s or Chili’s, like the All-American cheeseburger and Southern favorites, such as Pickle’s Fried Chicken. The restaurant, however, did step out of the box with an item called Orange Chicken Stickers, which are chicken skewers with the restaurant’s own orange teriyaki sauce, which did catch my eye for a second.
When I decided to try the restaurant, it was a difficult choice to pick what to have from the many cultural choices to choose from… do I go with Southern soul food or Italian with the Pasta Bolognese smothered in a four meat sauce? However, I went in a completely opposite direction with a Louisiana classic, the Shrimp Po’ Boy.
The food arrived within normal timing for a sit down restaurant and while the presentation was nothing to rave about, the food was delicious. The sandwich was filled with shrimp to the top with a sauce that was tangy and spicy at the same time and the restaurant put plenty of sauce on the sandwich with it dripping down from my sandwich and when a sandwich does that, you know there are plenty of flavors within it.
Speaking of sauces, the restaurant also holds a profusion of sauces that seem to, like the food, range in cultures from a Horseradish Barbecue sauce to a Mandarin Ginger sauce and even a unique combination of flavors, such as the Honey Lime Soy sauce.
However, even with the Louisiana entrée and the range of sauces, the side item was completely American with french fries as my side. However, they were not the usual potato wedges that lack salt and taste like a potato that just came out of the ground. Pickle’s put a combination of spices that tantalized the tongue and begged me to take another bite.
If a person is feeling a lighter meal, the restaurant offers salads galore from the Plain Jane; cheddar cheese and mixed lettuce to a Grecian salad piled with toppings like kalamata olives and roma tomatoes.
For the that sweet tooth that is begging a person for a taste of sugar, Pickle’s offers delicious temptations with the Chef’s Signature, which is a croissant covered in cinnamon sugar with vanilla bean ice cream on the side and a cinnamon sauce unique to Pickle’s drowning the croissant with cinnamon sweetness.
Now we get to the all important question that was on my lips when I first heard it, but why Pickle’s as the name?
For owners Dick and Ann Collins, the name does not have any special meaning; they both just wanted a “whimsical” name for the restaurant.
So if you are ever driving down Fury’s Ferry Road and just cannot seem to decide on a restaurant, give Pickle’s a try. With the unique name and bountiful choices of food, it’s bound to make anyone smile.