Today I ventured with the class to Red Bone’s Cafe in downtown Sioux City. It was a little hard to find but if you stay on West 7th you’re sure to see the sign on top of the building, which is legible from about a block away.  There is little off street parking and I am not even sure that I parked in their parking lot, oops.

The waitress greeted me right as I walked in the door saying, “Welcome to Red Bones.” She pointed to where the rest of the class was sitting and then asked me what I would like to drink. Of course being at a southern restaurant I ordered sweet tea. It was pretty amazing to say the least, I don’t know if they make it themselves or not, but it did not matter it was that good.

Sweet Tea = Yummy!

When ordering our food we were not told about the special, which was a little disappointing. But I was pleased with the options on the menu: fried chicken, fried catfish, fried pork chops, and many sides to choose from. I ordered the Southern Fried Chicken Plate with a corn muffin and two sides, I decided on the Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Gravy and the Smoked Baked Beans for my two sides. Everything tasted good, the chicken was excellant and very moist, the mashed potatoes were tasty but if not for the gravy they would have been pretty bland, the baked beans were the best part with the seasonings used they were as close to perfection as you could get them, and the corn muffin was also very appetizing, I usually eat corn muffins with syrup but this one needed none of that.

The plate presentation was very nicely done. You could definitely tell that the chicken was the main part of the meal because it took up the majority of the plate, then the two sides were the next largest, and the corn muffin took up the smallest amount of room. The food kept to the inner circle of the plate, except for the muffin which is expected. The beans stayed in their separate bowl well and there was no spillage of any bean juice onto the plate. The hole in the mashed potatoes could have been a little bigger so more of the gravy would have stayed with them instead of around the plate. Overall the plate was done pleasantly and from what I saw others with the chicken or catfish plates looked quite the same.

Southern Fried Chicken Plate with corn muffin and two sides
(Mashed potatoes and gravy & smoked baked beans were the sides I chose)

For desert there are two options: peach cobbler or sweet potato pie. I decided on the peach cobbler and was happy with what I got except for the fact that there was no way I was going to finish by myself, luckily I have friends willing to help with that kind of problem. I wish there had been more peaches though. The whipped cream was a nice touch on top and I enjoyed that it was served hot.

The dessert presentation was much like any fruit cobbler or crisp would be servered. It was in a dish that curved up on the sides just enough to hold in the continents and yet not look like a bowl. The cobbler filled the bottom of the dish and then on top was a dollop of whipped cream. This is highly normal and it works very well, my only suggestion would be to add some type on garnish to give it that extra step, this could be as simple as a mint leaf placed in the whipped cream.

Peach Cobbler

Overall, if you like good fried chicken and sweet tea you’ll love this place. The portions are wonderful and the atmosphere makes you feel very comfortable, even with a news station filming. The wait staff are very helpful and kind to new comers that may not know what they are getting themselves into. So everyone this is a place to put on your list of must stop ats.

*Fun Fact- Today I learned that Leonardo DiCaprio has been in several good movies according to my table mates. You learn something new everyday!