The Broiler Steak House
+1 707-485-7301 | 8400 Uva Dr, Redwood Valley, CA 95470
The Basics:
I can’t wait to come back and bring friends with me. Great food, large quantities, and family friendly atmosphere that makes you feel right at home
What I ordered:
The filet is an 1-1/2″ cut and comes with a very generous family style salad with home made dressings, steaming hot bread, choice of baked potato, fries, or special rice pilaf.
The Broiler Story:
So let’s just say you’re the type of person that needs a restaurant whose exterior is meticulously polished with food to match. This might not be what you’re looking for at first glance. On a cool December Thursday evening, I pulled and pulled out my phone to see if, by some random chance, a coworker/friend that lives in the area was available for dinner. Since he was out of town, he inquired dutifully of my present location. Being so near to Ukiah his voice shifted into a slight serious and adamant tone as he said “oh you have to got to the Broiler.” He even likened it to one of my central California favorite Steakhouses, Jackos in Nipomo, CA which can be described as a no-nonsense sort of establishment. The management clearly they spend their resources on the waitstaff and food and less so on the ambiance. A google map search, a few miles north, and directions down a dark poorly lit back road, leaving me wondering what type of twilight zone I may be driving into. I drive on amidst the misty and cool evening to behold lights in the distance for a very plain looking but very long building on the left having large half full parking lot to it’s side. Then across the street from the restaurant I realize what I thought was a used car lot was in fact the additional parking for this restaurant. A massive amount of people had already known the secret I was about to discover.
Walking through the doors i find a near empty bar to my right but a clamor of chatting patrons coming from the left. Hungry and curious I explore to the left where a smiling man with curly hair in his 30’s just happened to walk by. With a giant smile on my face I explain it’s my first time there. Also mentioning that my co-worker said this place is legendary and I had to try it. I introduce myself and find out his name is Joe. He quickly finds me a booth and a waitress in red comes up a short time later to see what I’d like to drink and asks me how my day was. I said excellent and my work had taken me to Eureka where I was able to drive through gigantic redwood forests on the way home (see Avenue of the Giants). I ask her how her day is going and she immediately lights up into a smile and joyfully tells me that her grandson’s football team just won the US regional pop Warner football championship and is going to the finals in Iowa. I could feel the excitement in every word and inflection in her tone. I congratulated her and her family and chatted for a minute or so before she headed to the back. She quickly delivers bottle of local brew I ordered (Mad River’s Steelhead IPA) and inquires what I might be ordering. I give her some parameters on what I can afford for dinner. I was shooting for $35. She smiles and says I’ll get you the filet and asks for my side. I shoot the question on her preference and she quickly pipes up with the baked potato followed with a detailed description of how she liked the pilaf rice here. She also says there’s no way I can leave this place without getting enough to eat. Little did I know what I was on for. Another server in black comes over a few moments later with a cart holding a large bowl of salad clearly sized for a family of 4. And it’s just me. It was a delicious homemade blue cheese covering a green salad including little beets and other delicious items. Joe comes over and checks on me to see how I’m doing and I say “I hear this restaurant has been in the family a few years.” He explains that years ago the family modeled the restaurant after a barbecue style in Portugal. He continues and says how much he enjoys the style of BBQ they do. So much so that he’s done many travels around the world and he still prefers making the steaks at home or here in the restaurant over the oak wood. My original waitress appears a few minutes later with one of the biggest filet minions. While I think it was around $30+tax, this inch and a half thick steak arrived with sides previously mentioned. Wow. She then tells me that Joe is a son in the family. Too cool, I got to meet an owner.
So let’s talk food for second. I have to say that it was good. The oak wood adds a nice slightly crisp exterior matched with a tender medium rare center (precisely as ordered).
I find out my waitresses name was Julie and thanked her for her service.All said done, the sides were good, steak was excellent, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself experience here. With all the sides I couldn’t quite finish it off. Since I have the day off tomorrow, I’ll head back to the hotel for some rest and get ready for tomorrow. The plan is to suit up for a rainy hike to the top of Mount Konocti near clear lake.
Trip add ons:
- Coffee Black Oak Coffee
- Mount Konocti, CA
- Winery: Francis Ford Coppola (directors cut varieties are excellent)
Engineering a Better Adventure 