A Very Nice Friday Lunch for Two!

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." 
~Virginia Woolf.

My husband and I had talked about a Friday that involved some travels, but when we got up in the morning, after the busy week we'd had, we didn't feel like going far. So instead of a long-distance road trip, we headed into town to enjoy a meal out and pick up a few things at the store. 

Next week, students will begin to return for fall semester at Penn State. Things get crazy in town when that happens, and so we wanted to get a couple of things done, in advance of the influx of people. During the few days around the start of fall semester, the two Walmarts in our town do the most $$ business of any Walmarts in the United States. Just think about that.

This was our very nice Friday lunch for two, which we had at the Texas Roadhouse in State College. It's conveniently located, about a fifteen-minute drive from our house, via I-99. We went there for the first time on my birthday back in December 2023. We have been regulars pretty much ever since.

They offer some discounted "early dine" meal specials between 3 and 5 p.m. on Monday through Thursday. On Friday, the deals are available from 11 to 3. My husband and I both got the 6-oz sirloin steak dinner. (To the right is my meal; to the left is his.) 

I got mine with salad and steak fries. My husband got his with steak fries and chili (make it a bowl). They always offer rolls and butter, and we get ice water - I turn mine into lemonade with a tiny squeezy bottle of lemonade mix that I carry.

For a different variation on our standard "favorite" meal, see this January posting, which features the killer rib basket (considered an appetizer, and a personal fave of mine) and the chicken critters. Sometimes they offer specials where you can purchase a voucher for an appetizer for a very good price. The last time it was $5, and I picked one up. That's a square deal; the regular price on the killer ribs appetizer is $11.99. The next time I'm there, I just might enjoy those ribs again.

The time before last that we visited, they were starting into some sort of customer appreciation phase. They gave us each a sealed envelope and told us to come back a few weeks later; during that "later" visit, a manager or server could open your sealed envelope to reveal your prize. Each of us won a free cactus blossom (fried onion) appetizer. So the last time we went, we had one, on the house. This time, we ordered our second freebie.

I am not into the business of advertising but let me tell you that everything we had was good to very good. My steak (medium, hot pink middle) was tender and melt-in-your-mouth. My fries were golden, crispy on the outside, tender in the middle. My salad was fresh and good. The cactus blossom was perfectly done, crispy and delightful. We almost never order appetizers, so getting two rounds of cactus blossoms ($7.99 on the menu) for free has been a nice treat indeed. Yes, we do feel appreciated!

The service - Friday morning at 11:30 - was fast and we were in and out in under an hour. You might be looking at this photo and saying, "Whoa! How could they eat all of that food in one hour?" The answer is simple: we didn't.

I am the mistress of containers, and so I take along my own containers when I eat out. I had a tote bag with about five main containers: one each for leftover steak, fries, cactus blossom, salad, and chili, and a smaller container for the extra ranch dressing, which is just delectable. We saved about half of our food for later, and it is always quite good heated up. (I myself have been known to enjoy meat snacks late at night. Ask my husband.)

So here is a photo of our very nice lunch. I need a song to go with it, and here's one that fits on a Friday: the Cure, with Friday I'm in Love.

I know you did not ask, but in case you are interested, the total cost of this meal was $11.99 apiece for the steak dinners (steak and two sides), plus $1 to upgrade the chili from a cup to a bowl, and the appetizer was free with our customer appreciation coupon. Plus tax and tip, of course.