Cask ‘n Cleaver

January 26, 2011

Rancho Cucamonga, California – A couple of companies publish a coupon book for the Rancho Cucamonga area. It was in one such book that I first learned about this restaurant. To me, finding a good steak house is always nice. And you’re gonna give me a coupon to eat there, too?

Cask ‘n Cleaver has been around since 1967 and has 3 locations; the other two are in Riverside and San Dimas. The RC location is tucked away in a residential area and is easy to miss when driving by. Look for the wooden sign next to the driveway if you approach it by traveling west on Ninth Street.

When you walk in, you’ll find a waiting area leading you to the host/hostess station. You’ll notice a lot of wood and vinyl. Word is the building used to be a ranch house before the current owners turned it into a restaurant. It is very spacious and has an older, well-worn feel to it. Kind of like your favorite pair of jeans. You’ll definitely know you are in a steak house.

To your left is a large bar seating area. There is outdoor seating available. Both times I visited, I was seated right away but I hear it can get busy at certain times. If you are being seated in the main dining area, you’ll walk past the kitchen where you can see the chefs at work. Occasionally, you’ll see flames leaping up from the grill as another steak gets cooked to order. You’ll also see several cupboards containing fully-stocked wine racks.

The main dining area surrounds a nice-sized salad bar. (Careful when walking around there; the floor as you walk toward the window is uneven). Entrées come with either a wedge salad, Caesar salad, or a trip to the all-you-can-eat salad bar. The salad bar is stocked with lots of ‘toppings’. Bacon bits made with real bacon caught my attention. Your first stop, though, is at the plate station, where you’ll pick up your chilled plates. Be forewarned; they are really cold.

Now that I’ve got my salad built, I sat down to get my graze on. The rolls arrived soon after. Those rolls are warm, fresh from oven. You get one sourdough, one wheat. They are nice and soft when brought to the table but don’t let them sit too long because they will get hard as they cool. I spread some butter on them and those rolls were dispatched quickly, leaving me wanting more.

For the main course, I had planned on having “The Cleaver”, a 22oz. bone-in rib-eye. When the waiter explained they didn’t have that anymore, I was disappointed. But only temporarily. He then explained some of the specials. He told me they had a blackened rib-eye topped with bleu cheese. Sold! For my side I ordered the garlic mashed potatoes. The menu had an item called Grilled Steak Lollipop in the Appetizer section. That looked interesting enough to try, so I did. To accompany the meal, opting for a red wine, I decided on a syrrah.

My appetizer came fairly quickly. According to the description on the menu, Grilled Steak Lollipop is “Asian bbq-glazed with toasted sesame seeds” medallions – which are chunks of filet mignon. They were extremely tender; melt-in-your-mouth tender. This was served on bed of shredded green and red cabbage. The Asian bbq glaze was full-bodied, slightly salty but very good, almost addictive. It was served in a container with sesame seeds. Securing the medallions in line were bamboo skewers. The ends of the skewers were shaved thin and tied in a bow. Nice touch.

My first bite was into a chunk that had been charred a bit too long. Can’t fault ‘em for that, though. Small bits of meat cook fast on a hot grill. The rest were cooked perfectly. Succulent. I savored each and every bite.

The main course came soon after the appetizer. On the plate, the garlic mashed potatoes were piled fairly high. These were the skin-on variety and were mashed very well, almost to the point of being whipped. The garlic flavor was present but not overpowering. It made an excellent companion to the steak.

So let’s talk about that steak. The Black and Bleu Rib-eye was new on the menu as of today. Lightly spiced

with Cajun (blackened) seasonings. It was extremely tender. One of the most tender rib-eyes I have ever eaten. Delicious! I like the way the flavors came together without losing their individuality. I’ve had blue cheese-topped steaks in other places and discovered that too much blue cheese will overpower the steak, leaving you with what amounts to blue cheese shaped like a steak. Cask ‘n Cleaver used just the right amount of blue cheese. Whoever first thought of putting blue cheese on a steak probably had something close to this in mind.

To cleanse my palate in between bites of the rib-eye, I sipped the syrrah. I think it was appellation Hahn from the central coast of California. Great flavor with just a hint of sweetness. It stood up nicely to the steak. I will have to try this one again.

I ended up taking half of the meal home to have for lunch the next day. That was for two reasons: 1) I was getting full fast, and 2) I wanted dessert. A vanilla bean cheesecake did nicely. The subtle vanilla flavor came through. Bits of vanilla bean were visible letting you know real vanilla beans were used. It reminded me of the New York-style cheesecake. It was good but – no offense to New Yorkers – I’m finding I prefer the creamier style of cheesecake more. Still, a nice way to finish off a very good dinner.

Cask ‘N Cleaver is a nice place to have a meal. It feels like you’re dining in a home whether you’re dining solo, with your significant other, or with a group.

Cask ‘N Cleaver – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended.

Update: Noticed on my second visit that the menu had changed. Gone were the Grilled Steak Lollipops I enjoyed last time. Thus this disclaimer: Menu items and pricing current as of the date of my visit.