Spring Street Grill & Catering (Business Lunch)

Spring Street Grill & Catering
101 N. Spring St., Springdale

Walking into the Spring Street Grill, our expectations were anything but great.

Not that the café didn’t appear attractive, but it looks like a small mom-and-pop operation, which can be iffy in the culinary world. We expected a mediocre lunch at best, but we were pleasantly surprised as we cleaned our plates.

One reviewer had the southwestern chicken sandwich ($6) and, instead of potato chips, opted for a small dinner salad ($2) with ranch dressing. The salad had fresh tomatoes, but the greens had some noticeable brown spots, she said.

The sandwich consisted of a grilled chicken breast topped with green chili slices and Monterey Jack cheese on a toasted homemade Kaiser roll.

She said the chicken was tender and moist with good flavoring. And the green chili slices added a perfect touch with the melted cheese. The homemade bun was perfect for the lunch.

Our other reviewer went for a chicken fried steak sandwich ($7), which is touted on the menu as “exquisitely tender” and also served on a Kaiser roll. The waitress assured him the steak was hand-battered in the Spring Street kitchen and not directly out of a box.

The meat was as tender as advertised, he said, and the meal with only the side of chips was large enough for just about any workin’ man.

Before bringing the check, the waitress rattled off a long list of potentially perfect pies, and the pair settled on a single slice of homemade coconut cream pie ($2.50). The waitress was kind enough to split the piece for them, so they each had their own plate.

The coconut cream was terrific, topped with a well-made, moist meringue. It had them clacking the plates with their forks as they savored every bite. It had a nostalgic taste, said the lady reviewer, almost as if it were from her Grandma’s kitchen.