SEPTEMBER 14, 1988
RUGBY, N.D.—“Now are you sure this is real crab—not just some of that reincarnated stuff restaurants foist off as crab?”
That’s exactly what I asked the waitress at Andrew’s Steakhouse in Rugby, N.D. She assured me it was for real. So I ordered the special, written in fluorescent letters on one of those shiny blackboards. “Snow King Crab, $9.95.” Constant Companion looked over the menu and at length decided to—yep, you guessed it—try the ribs ($7.95).
We were pleasantly surprised when we saw the dining room. It’s spacious, colorful and upscale. The red carpeting has a gold-and-blue design. Cloths on the tables are yellow, and there are blue cloth napkins. On each table, there also is a slender vase of yellow or white silk flowers. And there are plastic lace placemats.
We were the first customers into the restaurant, which opens at 5 P.M. Before we finished eating, though, there were seven tables filled, and it still was early. Most people were dressed casually, but this is a place worthy of your good dress or his new necktie.
Our waitress, Lisa, came on with assurance, which I like. She wasn’t one of those scared rabbit types. She easily handled all of the tables and was doing a few extra chores on the side. She did two unusual things. First, she took a cloth and wiped the “Snow” off the “Snow King Crab,” written on the specials board. Second, she came in with a vodka bottle and watered the plants in the dining room.
Curiosity got the best of me, and I asked her why she changed the special. She said the cook had just told her it should be “snow crab” or “king crab” but not “snow king crab,” because there is no such thing. I didn’t ask her about the vodka bottle, but I assume it was water she put on the plants.
While we pondered these things, we took a quick walk around the hexagonal-shaped salad bar in the middle of the dining room. This is a rather small salad bar, but those with fewer items usually are fresher. There was some very good garlic bread there, and along with the usual array, I was pleased to find olives.
Our entrees arrived in good time, and they were good. Very, very good. My crab legs were plentiful and were served with real rendered butter with lemon over a tiny flame. CC enjoyed his ribs and was glad to have the sauce on the side so he could see what he was eating.
We wished we had a bone plate. Instead, we used saucers from coffee cups we didn’t intend to use. We piled them high with crab shells and rib bones.
When we finished our meal, we had a chance to visit with Terry Atkins, who with his wife, Rhonda, owns and operates Andrew’s Steak house and the Econo-Lodge. He thinks he draws local people because he is serving food at reasonable prices. And it’s working. He must have the same attitude with the 63-room motel operation. He has a sign out in front suggesting, “Spend a night, not a fortune.”
Andrew’s Steakhouse no longer operates in Rugby.