Restaurants

Want casual and pleasant? Try Maria’s

There’s an old-fashioned charm about a place that gives diners free coffee with meals.

Maria’s Cafe is that old-fashioned, small-town diner, and yes, the coffee is on the house.

A friend and I stopped in for lunch on a recent weekday. The small, corner restaurant formerly was home to Coop’s. Tina Monge, who also owns Meatballs in Princeville, opened Maria’s last December.

The restaurant is more pleasant inside than its modest exterior indicates. The decor is strictly country, with pleasantly cluttered walls and a homey feel.

The menu includes appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, a few Mexican offerings and Chicago-style hot dogs.

We settled on the onion rings for an appetizer because they’re billed as homemade. We got the half order, $3, and it was plenty for two people. They were indeed homemade, thinly sliced with a light, well seasoned coating that beats thick breading hands down. They were so salty, however, that we couldn’t enjoy more than a few each. They came with a homemade special sauce that we couldn’t identify, and the waitress said the owner kept its recipe secret.

For the main course, my friend had the spinach chicken salad, $6.95. The spinach was fresh, the grilled chicken tasty and the blue cheese complimented the fat free raspberry vinaigrette nicely. She regretted not getting the regular vinaigrette only because it was homemade.

I ordered the Italian beef, which was $5.25 on special with no side. The homemade meat was piled on so high I ended up taking some off. It was seasoned nicely. Two slices of processed Swiss cheese were laid on top. The bun was some sort of herb roll that had been toasted, and really gave the sandwich a much-needed boost.

While several desserts were listed on a board hung up near the kitchen, only two were available when we visited – banana bread or turtle brownie. We opted to share a turtle brownie, $2. They cut it in half to serve it to us, warmed and drizzled with caramel sauce. The brownie was delicious – homemade, fudgy and with chocolate chunks. The only thing the dessert lacked? Nuts of any kind. We didn’t mind, but it was a little odd.

Our server was friendly and efficient, but a little too casual at times. Once I had to ask for a refill of coffee, and she brought our check before asking if we wanted dessert. She also mopped the floor while we were there. To be fair, we were lingering, and they were closing for the day.

Besides, it’s hard to criticize a small, unpretentious local restaurant for being just that. Casual and pleasant are served at Maria’s. The food is solid with some homemade offerings that were a treat to enjoy.

Our server said the restaurant is busiest on weekends, when they do brisk breakfast service all day. The next time I come, it will be to sample the breakfast fare. Maria’s looks like a place that does a mean breakfast.

Though Maria’s is only open for breakfast and lunch, an attached stand called Frosty Dogs will begin serving up ice cream and hot dogs beginning May 1.

Jennifer Towery can be reached at 686-3119 or moc.ratsjpnull@yrewotj.