Friday evening rolled around, and we needed to head out to grab some dinner. I felt like trying something new, so we headed south on Ohio 7 to Shadyside.
There are a few stops in town I’ve been meaning to try, but I let the GF pick this time. Seeing as the Central Grille appeared to have beer-battered fries, that’s where we found ourselves.
Located along the loop at 3882 Central Avenue in Shadyside, the Central Grille has two sides when you walk in. There’s the bar side, with your typical high-top tables, stools along the bar, televisions; you name it. The opposite side is more restaurant-style with four tops and six tops, with a pathway for staff to work between both sides.
The bar wasn’t brimming yet as it usually is later on Friday evenings. Yet, seeing as neither of us is particularly social, we opted to head left upon entrance to take a seat at a table in the dining room area.
We’d skimmed the menu prior to swinging by, as well as looked at some of the food photos on Central Grille’s Facebook page.
I knew what I wanted, mostly, but ended up changing my mind for two reasons once we got to the restaurant.
I’m fully aware of the supply issues with chicken wings and why said issues force a rise in prices for wings at every restaurant in the valley. These are, after all, businesses. They have to be able to maintain some semblance of a profit. Otherwise, they can’t pay their staff, the owners, and they can’t stay open.
I purchased wings recently, but that was a special occasion. Normally, when the market price is the going rate for wings, I tend to steer clear. In short, I’m cheap. Well, cheapish anyway.
The other is I spied something that looked more enticing on the menu, and I had to try it. I wanted to see if it could crack my Top 5.
And it did, sliding in at No. 5.
The Food
Someone was eying up the fried dill pickles on the appetizer menu, and she decided to get an order. They come with a ranch dipping sauce. Some of them also have banana peppers; some do not. She’s not a big fan of banana peppers, but the fried pickles sans the peppers she said were amazing.
But after we ordered our drinks and before the app, I inquired of our server about what exactly the Tiger Pride sauce was, as I noticed it came on a lot of menu items.
She said it was ranch-based and zesty and that it was their most popular sauce. Before I could inquire further, she asked if we wanted to taste a sample, and brought out a small plastic cup filled to the brim.
One of us isn’t a fan of spicy at our table. The other is me. I took one taste of the sauce and knew this was something I was going to like to put on everything. And I was right.
Because of that, I went ahead and ordered the Big Bob burger. The Big Bob burger is cooked in Cajun seasoning, topped with bacon, provolone cheese, a fried egg, and a helping of Tiger Pride sauce. It also comes with mild banana peppers. Seeing as I’m not ruining a perfectly good burger with veggies, I asked for those to be held. I ordered fries with gravy to go with it.
She too ordered a burger, the MVB (most valuable burger). It came with your choice of toppings, so she went cheese, pickles, and ketchup. She also opted for the fries, seeing as they were her favorite kind.
I’ll get to the burger in a moment, but my fries came without the gravy. I thought about saying something, but I tried one first. They were extremely tasty without the gravy, so I figured I’d go with them naked. Besides, there was the extra Tiger Pride sauce to be used, which I did. No harm, no foul right?
Now, back to the burger. The sauce, mixed with the egg gave what would have made an otherwise tasty bacon cheeseburger that added kick and flavor. This is one I’d definitely order again. As said, I’ll slide it into my Top 5 locally at the No. 5 spot. This is a definite must-try burger.,
She truly enjoyed hers as well, along with the fries. Central Grille didn’t have malt vinegar to sprinkle on the fries, but they did have red-wine vinegar, which she said was just as good. She had to get a to-go box as there was a bit too much food for her appetite.
I do want to return once the wing market settles as I spotted a few flavors I’d like to try, including the Tiger Pride sauce wings. I’d wager those are pretty amazing, and I intend to find out.
Central Grille’s menu has an extensive selection of appetizers to pick from. There are also entrees, burgers, sandwiches, paninis, and hoagies. There’s also a kids’ menu, so you’re sure to find something for everyone.
