Restaurant Review 2004 Fall Dining Guide By Tom Sietsema Washington Post Magazine Sunday, October 17, 2004 This barn-size restaurant is part of a chain (the Fairfax-based Great American Restaurants), yet it goes out of its way to make you feel special. Curious about the beer made on site? A bartender is happy to provide a free taste in a frosted mini-mug. There is country music to tap your toes to, and there are cowboys and Indians depicted in a handsome mural. The room all but shouts "Howdy!" So it seems appropriate to start with a Southwestern-style bean-cheese-avocado dip (eight layers, count 'em) and move on to a smoky pork chop, served with light brown gravy and brightened with corn salsa. Equally hearty is prime rib -- thick and succulent -- partnered with a big baked potato. Barbecued ribs? They're meaty if a tad too sweet, flanked by creamy coleslaw and fine, skin-on fries. Specials show the kitchen's range; halibut baked in banana leaf and presented with polenta is a dish I'd expect to find at an expense-account venue in the city. Sweetwater's fresh-faced servers in striped shirts navigate the space with smiles and good cheer. Plus, they know the menu as well as the cooks do. More than once I've left here wondering, Why can't every restaurant be so hospitable?
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