MARYSVILLE – J.R.’s Steakhouse in south Everett closed a couple of weeks ago, but there’s good news. Its sister restaurant in Marysville is still open, and a plaque in the tiny waiting area says the steakhouse is the town’s favorite romantic dinner spot.
The Saturday night my friend and I visited, couples filled the booths and tables in both dining rooms except for one large party that included multiple couples. Strategically placed mirrors make the dining rooms appear more spacious and lots of dark wood and bucket-seat chairs give them a retro ’60s feel.
The hostess led us to a table to the right of the small entryway-waiting area before we got our sunglasses off and our eyes adjusted to the interior lighting. Then, our attentive server was immediately ready to take our order for soft drinks or something from the bar. We started with strawberry lemonade, a glass of zinfandel and an order of Dungeness crab dip ($8.50).
Although J.R.’s is a steakhouse with the anticipated prime rib and three steak cuts ($15.95 to market price), the menu includes pasta dishes such as chicken and mushroom fettuccine ($14.95), seafood dishes such as Blow Torch Salmon ($13.95) and a section of the menu is dedicated to comfort food like prime rib stroganoff ($12.95). There are also nightly specials; the night we visited the specials included a chef salad and chicken-artichoke fettuccine.
The other two specials that night became our dinners. My friend ordered the flatiron steak ($15.95) and I had the New York steak with beer-batter prawns ($25.95). Both came with a quarter-round of artisan bread. We had the option of mixed vegetables or baked beans and baked potato, rice pilaf or steak fries. We selected the baked beans and baked potato. We also had the option of adding treats to our steaks like prawns, sauteed mushrooms, frizzled onions or peppercorn sauce ($2.95 to $5.95) but we passed on all of these.
My friend described his steak as denser than sirloin yet tender and filled with lots of flavor, and my New York was just as tender and tasty. I reluctantly shared my hearty portion of prawns with my dinner partner because these may be the best prawns I’ve ever been served. What made them stand out? Being deep-fried to a crispy golden brown in oil that was the right temperature and fresh. Our baked potatoes were just as good as our steaks, and the baked beans were tastier than most.
In summary, we had great steaks, tasty potatoes, crispy prawns and sweet-spicy baked beans. It was a great meal that was completely eclipsed by dessert.
Our server brought out the dessert tray with a slice of tiramisu cheesecake. She said she doesn’t like tiramisu but really likes this cheesecake. There’s also a house-made creme brulee, but we selected the chocolate cake with fudge instead of frosting between the layers ($5.95). As we moaned over each bite, our server and the manager stopped by our table to ask whether everything was OK.
Oh yes, we were romancing the chocolate.
Herald restaurant reviewers accept no invitations to review, but readers’ suggestions are always welcome. Reviewers arrive unannounced, and The Herald pays their tabs.
Contact Anna Poole at features@heraldnet.com.
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