Have you ever ordered a one lb. steak with a side of mashed potatoes and unlimited complimentary dishes without also receiving a $100 tab to pay?

Presenting a wild west theme to customers and a variety of steaks on the menu, Cool Hand Luke’s Steakhouse and Saloon offers remarkable service and great prices for high-quality meat.

Although my family and I have already celebrated many occasions at Cool Hand Luke’s, I decided to look from a new perspective and critique their service and menu at the convenience of my brother’s birthday.

Since 2004, Cool Hand Luke’s has been serving the Clovis and Fresno metropolitan area great steaks and Western-style food seven days a week. Originally family-owned, Cool Hand Luke’s has evolved into a franchise opportunity for some, but manages to keep the slogan “The Coolest Joint In Town.”

Upon walking into the restaurant, I was fascinated by the Western collection they had in the waiting area outside. Along the right side of the steakhouse was a life-size replicated Western wagon, cacti and other Western-themed items that combined well.

After about a 15-minute wait, a host seated our family in the back of the restaurant, which always makes an individual feel unwanted. Surprisingly, the waitress came and took our order rather quickly, and while we waited we were given the compliments of the restaurant.

The freshly-baked bread rolls were served with a new garlic butter that has never been served until recently. On the side of our table sat miniature kettles that held sweet, yet spicy chili beans. The chili beans are always my favorite because of the chopped up pieces of steak and the well-seasoned base in the mix.

For the appetizers that came with my meal, I had a choice between chicken gumbo and Spanish salad. I chose the chicken gumbo, which is my all-time favorite to eat while at Cool Hand Luke’s.

The chicken gumbo is composed of chopped Spanish bell peppers, wild rice, pieces of chicken and a creamy yet thick base that gave a feeling of comfort. The best part is that the chicken gumbo is unlimited with the bread and chili beans.

After a 20-minute wait, our food finally arrived for twelve people, and my one pound medium-well steak laid before me. My steak was so tender that it almost melted in my mouth. It was seasoned with peppercorn and salt, charbroiled to perfection on the outside and had chopped garlic and sauteed mushrooms on top.

On the same plate were my garlic ?red mashers.” The pieces of the red skin, minced garlic and chives combined to make one fluffy white blob of mashed potatoes on my plate, which added a smooth texture to every bite. The mashed potatoes were as if someone had plopped them on my plate right before it was served.

My father, who dislikes steak, and my mother, who loves poultry, shared the two for a $20 combination, which consisted of two thickly-sliced barbecued chicken medallions and a ten ounce New York steak slab.

On the side was a large baked potato with butter, cheese, sour cream and chives overflowing from the potato. After glancing over their plate, I regretted ordering mashed potatoes and wished I had ordered the baked potato.

Cool Hand Luke’s is rather economical for the large portions served. For a family of four, like mine, the total cost was $68.02. With the great service we had, we definitely are planning on returning to dine at Cool Hand Luke’s again. I am proud to say that Cool Hand Luke’s is one of my favorite places to eat due to its reasonable prices and enjoyable food.

Cool Hand Luke’s in located near Shaw and Clovis Avenues. For more information, visit their website or call: 559. 297.7435.

For more food reviews, read the Sept. 23 article, Italian heritage defines Giuseppe Gallos.

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