Logan's Roadhouse serves Texas-sized fare

Steak, steak, steak and more steak.

I am unabashed carnivore -- or omnivore, if you want to get technical. A lover of animal fat and protein hot off the grill and rare, that's me.

The staff at Logan's Roadhouse realizes that every woman is a queen and treats us -- and everyone else -- like royalty.

Going to Logan's was the perfect start to the official first summer weekend: Memorial Day weekend. My daughter Roquelle and I sat down at a booth table with the signature homemade-looking lamps. (They are so cute!) Going out to eat with teenagers is like going out to eat with actors. They are always hungry. We had started off with a bucket of onion petals for our appetizers. I ate exactly enough petals to make a flower; the rest were gone already.

I had the 6-ounce steak with a baked sweet potato covered with loads of butter and cinnamon. As I have stated before, I like my steak rare -- slap each side on the grill and make sure there is the echo of the "moo" when it's coming to me. Having a chef who actually listens to you and makes your steak the way you like it, rare, is like having a husband or boyfriend who listens to you, also rare.

The entree came with a side salad. I loved their house dressing: a creamy peppercorn parmesan ranch. Roquelle kept stealing bites from my salad. She had the cheeseburger with homemade chips. The chips had that just-cut, just-fried flavor I like sooo much.

The general manager, Todd King, stopped by our table. I asked him what were some of his favorites at Logan's. He likes the onions petals, fillet mignon (medium rare, my kind of man) and, for dessert, peanut butter ice cream pie with an Oreo pie shell.

I called over Chris -- our waiter, lovely boy -- who didn't warn us that these desserts are Texas-sized. (However, they're not Texas-priced.) Two or three people can share one. I got the apple cobbler, which came with a mountain of vanilla ice cream and was made with those sweet-tart Granny Smith apples. The cobbler crust is made with corn flakes, giving a it crispy texture.

Roquelle ordered the peanut butter ice cream pie. Not only does it have a Oreo cookie crust but also contains a yummy chocolate layer and is served with hot fudge swirled over. I got a total of three bites.

The atmosphere at Logan's is relaxed causal. The trademark buckets of in-shell peanuts are at each table. When you are done, you can throw the shells on the wooden plank floors.

Don't forget the in-house entertainment! I watched the chefs work their magic through the big display window

Logan's is moderately priced but, if you have a family of three or more, it can get on the expensive side. So do what I do when I'm on limited funds: Don't feed the kids. They can live off the in-shell peanuts and lukewarm tap water. (It's a joke.) Now, for a quick review: Relaxed, casual atmosphere; fab steaks; larger-than-life desserts.

Life is still short É let's eat dessert now.

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WANT TO GO?

THE SCOOP

The restaurant: Logan's Roadhouse

Dining hours: Sunday through Thursday, 10:45 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10:45 a.m. To 11:00 p.m.

Available: Dine in, call 20 minutes in advance for carryout

Address: 3012 William St., Cape Girardeau

Phone: 651-4142 or fax 651-4287

OUR PRICE GUIDE

$$$$ = On the expensive side

$$$ = Midrange to expensive

$$ = Low to midrange

$ = Low