Review of the Cavalryman Supper Club

The Cavalryman supper club is located just south of Laramie on highway 287 (4425 South 3rd St).  It is located in an old building that used to be a clubhouse for a country club golf course.  The building has an old western feel to it.  The walls are lined with weathered wood planks, and there is a large fireplace burning real wood adding warmth and atmosphere.  There are also trophy Elk, Deer, Moose, and other animals mounted high on the walls.

The Cavalryman offers traditional steakhouse cuisine such as beef, seafood, chicken, and fish.  They also feature a soup and salad wagon, which is a real wagon with about 25 different traditional salad bar options.  The soups on the night we dined were french onion and a creamed asparagus.  The main entrees are served either enlisted or officer style.  The enlisted meal comes with a choice of sides and an order of batter dipped mushrooms.  The officer meal adds coffee or tea, unlimited trips to the soup and salad wagon, hot garlic toast, and choice of desserts, or dessert bar drink.  Prices range from about $20 on up for an entree.  The officer meal is an additional $9.  You should expect to spend about $40 per person.

We had made reservations, and when we arrived we were promptly seated.  We were sat next to the fireplace which was nice and warm; great for a cold winter night.  The restaurant didn’t seem really busy, and there were several empty tables nearby, but it still took a while before we finally got to place our drink orders, and another wait to place our dinner order.  I went with a 12 oz New York Strip steak cooked medium with Parmesan mashed potatoes and soup and salad.  The salad bar had a good variety of lettuces, baby spinach, and toppings like cheese, tomatoes, eggs, cucumbers, cottage cheese, fruit, etc.  While enjoying our salads were were brought some batter fried mushrooms served with a dipping sauce which were very good.  About the time we finished our salads our main course arrived.  My steak was cook exactly as ordered, but the quality of the steak was less than I expected for the price we paid.  It wasn’t very tender, and the flavor, while good, wasn’t full.  Our waitress also never brought by  the garlic toast we were supposed to get, maybe because she hardly stopped by the table at all.  The mashed potatoes were good, but the brown gravy served on them was average.  When our waitress finally came back we placed our orders for dessert.  I went with a New York style cheesecake topped with caramel.  The cheesecake wasn’t as firm as other New York style I’ve had, but it did have a good richness and texture.  The way it was presented and tasted led me to believe that it was brought in from somewhere else instead of homemade,  which was disappointing considering the price of the meal.  After finishing dessert we had to once again wait for our waitress to finally bring us the bill.  Fortunately we had cash to pay the bill so we didn’t have to wait for her to come back to collect it.

The cavalryman started out with a lot of potential and a good atmosphere, but it went downhill from there.  It seems like they are trying hard to be an upscale restaurant, but the only things they have managed to raise are their prices instead of food quality or service. You would be better off saving your money and visiting another local restaurant instead.  If it is steak you crave, then a chain steakhouse would give you better food and service than the cavalryman.  We left disappointed.

Service: 14
Atmosphere: 22
Food: 17
Experience: 15
S.A.F.E. Score: 68

Review of Lovejoy’s Bar and Grill

Originally reviewed on Dec 4, 2006

Lovejoy’s bar and grill is a small restaurant and bar located in downtown Laramie at 101 Grand Avenue. When we stopped by Lovejoy’s on a Friday evening it was very full. Despite being full we only had about a 15 minute wait to be seated.

The restaurant was very clean, and nicely decorated with local sports photos. They also have a large screen TV to watch games on, and several TV’s at the bar. The atmosphere was vibrant. It felt like we were at “the place to be” that night. The restaurant was filled with young people in their 20’s and 30’s with a mixture of singles, couples, and the occasional child. The restaurant was a bit noisy, including some music coming from a stereo system, but no one seemed to mind. It appeared that everyone was having a good time.

Lovejoy’s features several types of burgers, sandwiches and wraps. The menu also has a few Mexican and Italian style dishes. Prices range from $7.00 to $13.00. They also feature a full bar, and several brews on tap. One of the things I had heard about Lovejoy’s was that they have great burgers, so I had to try one.

I had the Lovejoy’s burger. A ½ lb burger topped with apple wood smoked bacon, pepper jack cheese, and guacamole. It is served with choice of sides. The burger lived up to its reputation. It is by far the best burger I have had anywhere in Laramie. It was juicy and very flavorful, not to mention very filling. The others in my group were all very satisfied with their dinner choices as well, and no one was left hungry.

Because the restaurant was so full I though that maybe our service would suffer a bit, but I was once again surprised by Lovejoy’s. The service was prompt, friendly, and our drinks never seemed to empty.

If you are looking for excellent food, with good sized portions, a fabulous atmosphere, and want to hangout with a younger crowd, then Lovejoy’s is perfect. If you would like to try Lovejoy’s with a bit less commotion, then stop by for lunch some day when it isn’t quite as happening as it is on the weekends; but definitely make a stop to this local favorite.

Service: 23
Atmosphere: 23
Food: 24
Experience: 24

S.A.F.E. Score: 94

Review of J’s Prarie Rose Cafe

Originally reviewed on October 26, 2006

The first thing I noticed about J’s Prairie Rose Cafe, was the name. J’s is located at 410 S 2nd street; the longtime location of Rose Cafe, a small family run Chinese restaurant. Rose Cafe closed its doors last September, and I think it is no coincidence that J’s is trying to use the name recognition that Rose Cafe developed over its thirty years in Laramie.

The restaurant is still in the process of decorating. Most of the walls are blank and freshly painted white; others have a few small pictures hung on them. There were some strange silver-wear and horse shoe structures hanging from the ceiling. The counter seats had been recently re-upholstered, but the counters were worn and faded. The wait staff was polite, but quiet and non talkative. Sitting at the front counter I didn’t have to wait long to get my drink refilled.

The food served at the Prairie Rose Cafe is classic diner cuisine. They feature several types of burgers, fried chicken, club sandwiches, soups, and sides such as fries, onion rings, and cottage cheese. The food seems reasonably priced. One could expect to spend less than $9.00 for lunch. J’s also features a Daily lunch special for $5.99, although it was sold out when I arrived. Currently J’s is only open during breakfast and lunch hours; from 6 am until 2 pm.

I decided to try the Big Laramie burger with pepper-jack cheese and bacon. The burger was very big, and perfectly cooked. The big Laramie comes served on a large toasted sesame seed bun with the usual burger toppings on the side: lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and onions. The fries are seasoned with a type of seasoning salt, and while there were plenty, they were a bit on the soggy side.

As I was waiting for my food I was able to watch the kitchen staff work through the food service opening between the kitchen and the counters. I noted that none of the kitchen staff were wearing hats or hair nets. Seeing this type of thing doesn’t help a restaurant experience.

While the prices are reasonable, Prairie Rose Cafe seems to be lacking in charm, hospitality, and identity. All things it could use to help to make up for some of its other shortcomings. I don’t see myself returning anytime soon.

Service: 17
Atmosphere: 13
Food: 15
Experience: 14

S.A.F.E. Score: 59