Party ordered the Babyback Ribs, Small House Salad with added grilled chicken breast, "Famous Walleye" and Snicker blitz Pie for dessert.
Soup of the Day was Tomato with rice, very nice, hearty soup with celery. Not your average 'rice' soup, as it uses local wild rice. Good body, with a none too overwhelming flavour (good for those who shy from 'exotic' spices). The soup was portioned well, as it is a hearty soup, they serve enough to bee enjoyed, but it doesn't spoil your appetite.
Babyback Ribs Comes with your choice of house salad or soup of the day, and a side of fries, mashed or baked potato. This is a Very generous serving, full rack of ribs with lots of barbecue sauce not dry at all, good texture and flavour and in no way overcooked. The fries come in a moderate portion, which is nice, as you don't end up with too much. Paired with the Tomato and rice soup of the day.
The "Famous Walleye" also comes with your choice of house salad or soup of the day, a side of fries, mashed or baked potato, and a small serving of steamed/boiled vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, wax beans & green beans). The Walleye was more of a fish steak than a fillet. Walleye fillets are usually best when taken from medium sized fish, rather than the overly large ones, as the 'fishy' taste becomes more prevalent; It was obviously that the fillet served was from a larger fish, not just from the size of the fillet but also from the taste. Also, whoever cleaned the fish did a very POOR job, as there was on average one or two bones PER BITE. This is very disappointing, as it can quickly become a health hazard to those eating the fish--plus, having to pick apart the fillet to find the bones takes the pleasure out of dining. The vegetable side was OK, as the vegetables were slightly overcooked, leaving them soggy and somewhat mushy, rather than firm & flavourful. The baked potato was well executed, and came with sour cream, bacon bits (real) as well as chopped green onions to dress. Paired with the Tomato and Rice soup of the day. ***I would not personally order this dish again, as I have had MUCH better Walleye at home.***
The House salad comes with a generous slice of garlic bread, and can have a grilled chicken breast added to the order. This was chosen as an order over the Almond Chicken (which I have had previously) because the House Salad is the only salad on the menu that contains vegetables OTHER than just fresh 'greens' (read:lettuce). Though, the cucumber, tomato, and pepper in the salad is minimal at best it is better than nothing. The Grilled Chicken Breast added to the order costs 3$ and is the exact same chicken used in the Almond Chicken Salad. The Chicken tasted 'watery' very much like the 'instant' frozen chicken breasts you can buy at the grocery store. The Garlic Bread is the best part of this dish, thick savory toast with just the right crunch, though not too hard.
The dessert was excellent, graham crust with a light cream cheese filling, topped with a semi-solid chocolate coating, with peanuts and drizzled caramel. It was a good thing we shared the one slice, as it was very rich, and would have been overwhelmingly filling for each of us to have an individual piece after our generous supper courses.
Overall, The Howey is the best "Sit Down" restaurant in Red Lake, as the atmosphere is relaxed, though retaining an amount of visual appeal, and 'class' with a gas/stone fireplace as a focal and 4flat screen tvs decorating the walls. However, it IS a sports bar/grill, so it can be very noisy, not just regular ambient noise, but sometimes, people at the bar get a bit rowdy (yes, even at midday). There is a separate bar, booths, and tables to choose from, as well as a nice wrap around bar near the tvs.
Personally, I think the place is a bit overpriced (not that the food is 'bad' but it is definitely not anything overly special either), but in comparison to the other local options it is a good bet, especially for a lunch crowd that likes hot sandwiches or homestyle burgers. Servers are always very pleasant, quick and attentive here, which is a bonus.
Another Added bonus? Listening to Queen during dinner. :P read more
