GREENSBORO — My mother-in-law, a Mount Airy native, recently told us about a place in her hometown that we just had to try — 13 Bones. So when I heard the eatery opened a second location in Greensboro, I knew it was time to check it out.
On a strip of High Point Road dominated by chain restaurants, 13 Bones stands out from its nationally recognized neighbors.
The restaurant serves a range of items: steaks, seafood, burgers and salads.
Appetizers include the usual suspects — mozzarella sticks, Buffalo wings and the like — plus more “Southern” choices, such as extra-crispy fried pickles and sweet potato fries served with cinnamon sugar butter. Hand-cut potato chips are crispy without being greasy and are served with homemade ranch dipping sauce (most of 13 Bones’ sauces are homemade).
Salads include the classic chef, Caesar, mandarin orange and shrimp or teriyaki chicken.
As its name suggests, 13 Bones’ signature entree is its pork ribs served in full or half-racks. Laden with tender meat and slathered in a tangy sauce, the ribs live up to their “soon-to-be-famous” billing. Equally impressive is the blackened North Atlantic salmon (served with herb butter, honey glaze or lemon zest). The fish is tender and moist with a pleasantly crispy exterior, spicy with a touch of sweetness.
In addition to pork and fish, 13 Bones serves several chicken dishes (barbecue cheesy chicken and Buffalo chicken among them), plus steaks such as the Bourbon Street steak, a tender hunk of meat, marinated in a light seasoning sauce.
Entrees are served with a choice of home-style sides, such as creamy and chunky mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans and cinnamon baked apples. The macaroni and cheese is creamy enough but lacks the cheesy gooeyness that I prefer. More impressive were the baked beans, served in a thick smoky-sweet sauce punctuated with diced green peppers.
The menu also includes sandwiches and burgers.
The blackened chicken sandwich comes topped with thinly shredded tobacco onions, while the barbecue cheesy chicken rests inside a soft cornmeal dusted Kaiser roll.
A soft sourdough roll is laden with tender beef for the Philly cheese steak, and the turkey sub is piled high with freshly sliced turkey, cut in-house daily.
The burgers are thick and juicy, made with 100 percent black Angus beef.
It’s easy to see why the restaurant has been successful enough to expand. Everyone from families with small children to older couples feel comfortable in the relaxed atmosphere, and the friendly wait staff goes out of its way to make sure customers are attended to and satisfied. The eatery does a good job of maintaining its small-town charm while serving a menu varied enough to satisfy a city crowd.
Casual Dining features local restaurants for diners on a budget. It runs every other week in Go Triad. Contact Jennifer Bringle at jenniferbringle@gmail.com.
