Subscriber exclusive — Dogwood Social House takes casual food and fun to the next level

Sometimes, food and fun are married into such a perfect union under one roof you wonder why someone didn't think of it before. In Dogwood Social House's case, someone has thought of it before, but never in Cape Girardeau, and never on such a grand scale.

Upon entering Dogwood Social, you will be immediately struck by how large the place is, and trust me when I say it is even bigger than you can see from the front door. Tons of open seating, including couches with tables set with oversized Jenga towers, pool tables, air hockey tables, darts, axe throwing, an outdoor seating area complete with shaded tables and inflatable oversized games...if it sounds like there's a lot going on here, there is. But I visited on a Wednesday at 4 p.m., and it was quiet, like the calm before a storm. Just the way I like it.

We sat at a bar height table and took a bit to look over the menu. There's a lot going on with the menu as well. It is extensive but consistent, full of casual dining family fare with some fancier stuff thrown in: burgers, wings, nachos, steaks, a good selection of pizzas. I knew there was going to be no way in the world I could adequately sample the menu in one sitting, but I did the best I could.

I ordered coconut shrimp with a side of loaded sidewinder fries. The shrimp came with a delightful mango habanero dip, which was not as hot as it sounds but had a little bite. My husband ordered the jumbo wings and a plate of beef nachos, and once again, his picks were the stars of the show.

The wings were indeed jumbo, living up to their name. Marinated overnight, the wings were incredibly juicy. The finishing sauce was mild and tasty, and the wings were served with celery and ranch dressing. He said these were the best wings he's ever had, and he has tried a ton of wings. If you like wings, give these a try and see what you think.

A selection of the well done casual dining American food available at Dogwood Social House.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

The nachos, though, were taken to a whole 'nother level. The little chunks of steak, not ground beef, were tender and small, just the right size for staying on your chip. The nachos were smothered in a queso cheese that was full of soft little pepper pieces, and topped with the steak, banana peppers, pico (tomatoes, finely chopped red onion, peppers), just a few beans, guacamole, and sour cream. For the first time in forever, I didn't ask them to hold an ingredient. When the plate arrived, it was ginormous and towering, a massive plate of nachos, sprinkled with sparkling fresh green herbs. I know it is a little silly to wax poetic about a plate of nachos, but these were perfect. Not too many of one ingredient, not too little of another, fresh flavors, flavorful tender meat that was of a better cut than you'll find on most nachos; it all added up to be a winner.

After we ate, we bought a game card to spend in the arcade, which we thought would have a handful of games. Boy, were we wrong. The arcade area is hidden from sight behind a wall, and it is a long, stretching room. Dozens and dozens of state-of-the-art games waited for us, from virtual sports, shooting games contained behind curtained booths of their own, ticket-winning games, the world's largest Ms. Pacman/Galaga and on and on and on. We played an Alien game for 20 minutes, went all the way to the end and beat it, and felt like we were dating again. It was so much fun. I couldn't stop thinking about how I had had to go to St. Louis for this kind of entertainment before, and now I didn't have to. It was right here, 15 minutes away from me, and that is completely cool.

Dogwood Social House has it all. If you want a fun date night, it's here. If you want to hang with your friends, it's here. If you want to take a night off of cooking and spend some time not worrying about chores, it's here. It's here guys, in Cape! Go see.