Natalie's Sports Bar & Grill
04/23/2009 - By Trent Rowe - The Ledger
Jeremy's Reuben
Natalie Oldenkamp has been in sports bars for years. She knows how to run one. Her husband, Kenny Baldwin, knows how to cook. A place of their own was a natural step, so Natalie's opened at 3120 S. Florida Ave. on Feb. 4.
The location used to be Bedrock, and years ago it was Cedar River.
Now it's Natalie's, and she's there with a smile to prove it. Her servers smile a lot, too.
Inside it's bright, with a game room for the kids. Each booth has a TV set and you can tune in to watch the youngsters feed money to the machines.
The menu is standard bar fare - wings, salads, burgers, sandwiches, pizza, boxed desserts.
You get a plastic basket with cutlery, napkins and towelettes when you order.
Wings seemed a good place to start. Ten cost $7, and you can have different dips and vegetables with them. My medium with celery and blue cheese dip were nicely cooked, with plenty of flavor, a puddle of sauce in the waxed paper lining the basket, but little heat from spice. If you like heat, order up a notch or two.
A Reuben sandwich is hard to make right. Jeremy's Reuben ($8 including a side order and crispy homemade potato chips) started with marble rye, then lots of thin slices of tender corned beef, cheese, kraut and dressing. This got grilled lightly ... just enough oil on your fingers. Nobody said a good Reuben was neat ... and this is a good Reuben.
A next visit started with a big basket of fried dill pickle chips and first cousin to remoulade dip and a container of ranch dressing for $7. There's a lot of tasty munchin' in a basket of these and plenty to share.
Joselle's Nacho Mama is Natalie's answer to nacho chips. I forget the question, but I definitely like the answer ($9). Corn chips stayed crisp in spite of cheese sauce and lightly spicy chili seeped all the way through to the bottom of the big pile.
An All-American Burger ($7) was ordered medium and arrived medium. That's a pleasant change from steaks and burgers other places. Juicy beef turned the bottom bun soft, so dig in quickly. This is a burger you will come back for. Then there are the variations to make a simple burger into something more special. And the burgers can be turned into wraps for 50 cents extra.
Pizzas come in three sizes with fun toppings. My 9-inch Natalie had fresh spinach, artichoke hearts and cheese for $9. It's a meal for one or nibbles for three on a thin crust. Tomato is usual.
Logan's fish sandwich can have the fish a bunch of ways. I chose blackened and got a filet that covered both halves of a burger bun with burger toppings on the side and battered fries ($8). The fish was outstanding, both flavor and texture. Blackening added interest without covering the mild taste.
Desserts are from boxes. Red velvet cake looked good in the picture ($5), and tasted just as good. The advantage is that you will never get fat from a slice this size, but a slice this size is enough.
Nothing is outstanding from the health inspection done April 6.
It's seldom that I get to feel so loved doing a review. On a first visit my smiling server called me "Honey," "Darlin'," "Sweetheart," and "Baby Doll."
A few things they can do to improve are:
Have a hot meal special.
Offer an appetizer platter
More kraut in the Reuben.
A veggie burger, please.
Natalie's has the potential to be more restaurant than sports bar, but the bar food is a step above fine.
Natalie's earns three and 1/2 stars.
Trent Rowe can be reached at 802-7512 or trent.rowe@theledger.com.
