On December 9, 2010, I had an opportunity to dine with my foodie friends at the Moosehead Saloon located at 694 Dover Center Rd, in Westlake, Oh. When I first arrived, found it actually hard to find the entrance to the restaurant. What I mean is there was plastic tent that was covering it, giving the impression it was a closed entrance. After crossing in front the building twice, one the foodies, saw me, and came out and got me. This tent actually confused everyone in the dining party that night. The one thing we all agreed on that, a sign should be put up to make it easier to get inside to the restaurant.
Once we did get inside, the décor does strike you as very quaint. It is very cozy, almost like a bar but a cabin feel to it. The inside was mostly wood, which gave to the atmosphere of a cabin. The place was also very clean, which was impressive to the foodies that night. The staff was very friendly, and very timely with bringing the food to the table.
To start off, we all got drinks, being that it is a saloon, mostly beer was on tap, but there are some specialty drinks. I got their snickertini, and it was very smooth and very tasty. After we got our drinks, we order up a basket of the Moosehead Sarasota chips, which come with a side of dip. These are a typical potato chip, but what was impressive to the foodies was the chips were not greasy. Sometimes Sarasota chips can be dripping with grease, but that night at Moosehead, they were not.
Another appetizer we got was the stuffed potato skins. What made these unique was that the potato skins were actually puffed and lightly fried. This gave them different taste then normal potato skins. They were good, but it was agreed that they needed a spice or garlic added to them. They were just missing something.
The entrees we order were surf and turf burger, gyro, a prime rib sandwich, pecan chicken salad, and a garden burger. Most enjoyed what they eat, but both foodies who ordered a prime rib sandwich agreed, it was good, but was way too much fat on the meat. Another comment was that the gyro was ok, but the foodie that ordered it admitted, she most likely would not order it again. The burgers were the biggest hit of the food. The Moosehead is known for their unique burgers. They did not disappoint those who got the surf and turf burger, or the garden burger. Last up was the pecan chicken salad, it was very tasty, a bit too much pecans, but other than that, it was on the foodie who ordered it top 10 list of great salads.
All in all, when the foodies asked scored the Moosehead 8 out of 10, with 10 being the best, for a dining experience. The food is great, especially the burgers. It has a cozy atmosphere for small, intimate friend gatherings. Is it a family place, it does have a child’s menu, but it really geared more for adults. It is a nice place to go for a night away from the kids, or a date night place. The Moosehead in Westlake, OH is a place I would consider dining at if you’re in the area.