I ate at 6 of these places (Cheyenne, Lander: sale, buyer, restaurants)

[VAQUERO 45]

As an out of stater who plans on visiting state next May and doing some "lookin around" while I'am there .
I would like to thank each and every one of you's for your thoughts , opinions etc on these places .
I'am more of a rib eye man instead of prime rib . Perhaps someone could comment on the best bison burgers at any of those establishments ? And thank you again Mr Jody for starting thread .

[jody_wy]

Originally Posted by VAQUERO 45

As an out of stater who plans on visiting state next May and doing some "lookin around" while I'am there .
I would like to thank each and every one of you's for your thoughts , opinions etc on these places .
I'am more of a rib eye man instead of prime rib . Perhaps someone could comment on the best bison burgers at any of those establishments ? And thank you again Mr Jody for starting thread .

Rib Eye is the best steak off a steer. Then I take a lamb rack over prime rib any day. Dads in Thayne Wyoming has a good rib steak, Soup homemade as some of the appetizers , then just a baked potatoes.
Buffalo Jump in Beulah you can get a side other then potatoes and I like their Rib Steak Oscar .
oh those tweo steak houses are 500 miles apart one on SD line the other really close to Idaho...

[SkyDog77]

Svilar’s is the only one on that list I’ve been to. I give it 3/5 stars. I’ve been to a lot of better places in other states.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by SkyDog77

Svilar’s is the only one on that list I’ve been to. I give it 3/5 stars. I’ve been to a lot of better places in other states.

Wasn't that one a five star restaurant at one time?

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by NDak15

Wasn't that one a five star restaurant at one time?

As Svilar's mentions of their visit by Duncan Hines and his rating at the time, it likely was a very top quality restaurant comparable to some of the "big city" restaurants of the era.

It's still among the better restaurants of Wyoming … but not a top tier place in the industry anymore.

[jody_wy]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

As Svilar's mentions of their visit by Duncan Hines and his rating at the time, it likely was a very top quality restaurant comparable to some of the "big city" restaurants of the era.

It's still among the better restaurants of Wyoming … but not a top tier place in the industry anymore.

they are not fancy but they do fry up a better steak then said steak house chains which I drought serve up Samar and raviolis as sides

[rya700]

What about the Hitching Rack in Lander...they recently reopened under new ownership. Haven't tried it yet but hearing good things.

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by jody_wy

they are not fancy

true. I doubt there's been any significant upgrading/remodeling of the place since 1950. It's quite the step back in time. It almost pre-dates the era of motor court travels, having been established a long time ago as a local's restaurant in a small Wyoming mining community.

but they do fry up a better steak then said steak house chains which I drought serve up Samar and raviolis as sides

The cabbage rolls and raviolis by "mama" Svilar were an obvious "gimmick" to the palates of the miners … who hailed from other cultures where these items were customary fare.

It's unlikely that other steakhouses around the USA in big cities needed these particular items to draw in clients.

For many, bowls of cocktail shrimp are another appetizer gimmick in the steakhouse trade, but would have been a difficult and expensive item to serve back in "mama" Svilar's day. Or such fare as oysters on the half shell.

When one reads the more recent on-line restaurant reviews about Svilar's … it gets less than stellar mention for it's bread/rolls, salads & dressings, seemingly "canned" vegetables for the plate, and even their baked potato's get panned. As well, the beef reviews get widely varying mention … from awesome to not very edible hunks of mostly fat portions served to some patrons.

Suffice to say that the place is not run by "mama" anymore, cooking from scratch and paying serious attention to the fare served in a day when pre-pack and restaurant convenience foods weren't available. It's more likely that "back in the day", "mama" baked all the breads/rolls/pies/cakes, served fresh locally grown veggies/produce in season, made their own pasta in-house, and served locally produced meats that were aged/cut/trimmed in their own kitchen.

IMO, it's not worth a multi-hour drive to seek them out as it might have been many decades ago. I've never had a bad meal there, but I'd say that some of them have been noticeably better than others. Nevertheless, it is still in the better tier of restaurants around Wyoming compared to so many less than average places here … especially compared to the fare in Riverton or Lander.


PS: one might keep in mind the prices that places like this are asking … a typical dinner for 2, not including alcoholic beverages … will easily run $65-80, plus tip. At that much money for a meal, I'm pretty critical in comparing it to the fare I can get at other restaurants in my travels.

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by rya700

What about the Hitching Rack in Lander...they recently reopened under new ownership. Haven't tried it yet but hearing good things.

I haven't seen any reviews in the usual listings on-line about the recent reopening. Where are you "hearing good things" about this place?

PS: the Facebook pages about this restaurant only mention their featured specials. As a Wyoming free-range "natural" lamb producer, their recent lamb feature caught my eye. I don't know what your taste in lamb might be, but their chef made a huge overproduction with a marinade and seasonings that IMO would mask, if not destroy, the wonderful flavor of good quality grass fed and finished free-range lamb. I'm with Jody on lamb … a good rack has more flavor than prime rib and comparable tenderness, although I also enjoy lamb chops, and steaks from the front shoulder and/or legs. And that's even with enjoying our similarly raised free-range "natural" beef from our ranch herd.

As well most of their "featured specials" on Facebook were overproductions of the food items. From all appearances, way too heavily sauced or "fancied up" to appear like these are really special food items justifying a big tab.

I did see on one of the review sites that their price range for entrees was $$$ … so I'd expect a meal probably running $30+ per person for entrees. Again, a not inexpensive foray into "fine dining" price levels, so the place does invite comparisons to restaurants in larger population areas.

Of passing interest in this restaurant … the former owner, John D's background was a real estate salesman. Other than buying his "dream" restaurant in 2008 (and "the Rack" had been around since 1979), I haven't seen anything that suggested he had a background or training in the hospitality or food service biz. The asked price for the restaurant after he closed it down was $296K. Like so many similar businesses, the best time to sell it is as a going operation. Otherwise, you're looking at the replacement value of the land, depreciated building, and "remaining equipment" in such a facility which is usually far less than the value of a successful positive cash flowing "popular" restaurant operation. Many of the posted reviews of the place prior to it's last shut-down were pretty poor.

When I read about the new ownership, I'm not seeing anything that suggests a food service background in the management or "chef" … have you heard of anything about this?

[jody_wy]

Finding Lamb, well the blue Lion in Jackson , oh never ate there . The Rib and Chop houses have chop… Usually over season. The Bull in Riverton used to have good lamb chops but it changed hands. Sweetwater Station in Jackson used to have leg of lamb as their main entrée every night. We were going up there to the Hospital a few times a month and would eat lunch there , they would make phyllo pies with the left over for a lunch special.

Was at a place on the River in Idaho Falls, asked if their lamb grew up on a boat or was local.... The waiter went and asked the Chef and said we only server New Zeeland Lamb it much better to which I said it tastes gamey to me. Snow lodge at old Faithfull had good chops as did the lodge in Mammoth ( theirs was local Montana lamb).
No was with a group going to the Merk in Chicago, some of us went to Gene & Georgetti for a Steak (better have some Benjamin Franklin on you bills) Hugh steaks, but the lamb chops , they come out on a heaping platter... and cost more Then I get for a live lamb.... but they were to founder on.

I been to a few business reception around the State where rib chops were handed out as appetizers. At one in Jackson one of the waiters found me every time a tray came out of the kitchen...


We slaughter a fat lamb of grass but we feed 2 or 3 more on grass and put in our and the kids freezer. I like lamb burger for chili , think it takes the flavor up so much better then beef. Had Rosemary Chocolate short ribs at a board retreat at a Lodge one time... Found the recipe and use it with a lamb shoulder roast. When we are cutting up the lamb I take the ribs and boil them then stick them in a roaster then Glaze them with a jar of home made pepper jelly. Left over from a leg of lamb , cube it up ad garlic , onion, rosemary , chicken broth , white wine , salt , pepper, package of frozen peas and carrots and cover with a lard made pie crust and bake. One of our favorites.