We took a leisurely drive east on U.S. Route 12 to Beverly Shores, named after Fredrick Bartlett’s daughter. Bartlett was a pioneer in the area, just as the owners of Miller Bakery Café and Bistro 157 hope to be. Bartlett’s is an old, converted roadside bar. Décor was sparse, but the foodie fare was near high-end. We were disappointed that with entrees priced between $13 and $22.50, our soup or salad was an additional $5 to $8. Bob felt that this roadside bar, serving macaroni & cheese ($13), corn dogs ($5) and burgers ($9.50), was overpriced.
We felt that the chef felt his dishes were already perfectly cooked because mustard & catsup were the only condiments on the table. No salt or peppershakers! At least we did not notice any.
From Bob: “My Low Country Shrimp with Tasso Ham and White Cheddar Grits ($21) was well prepared with bits of red pepper, onions, and a mild cream sauce. It was tasty, but the presentation was bland. The food was served in a large pasta bowl with a bare 3-inch rim. A colorful garnish on the rim would have made the dish more visually appealing and perhaps justified the meal price. The shrimp were very good and the mild white cheddar sauce gave the normally dull grits a nice taste. The Tasso Ham is a Cajun spiced ham with a little “zing.” Not hot, but with medium heat.
Patty’s Shrimp and Linguine ($18) smelled of iodine and the smell permeated the rest of the dish. The food looked tempting but the iodine smell was offensive. I don’t think we would make a dedicated return trip for the over-priced “gourmet grilled grub”.
Jodi enjoyed her Penne Pasta special ($16) with smoked beef and cream sauce, and offered that the plain dish (same dish as Bob’s) offered a “simplistic look” without the entire dish clutter. She offered that those garnishes could be found at 157 or Miller Bakery Café. Her dish was also spicy but not over bearing. We (the other three in our group) gave her hell for the comment and offered that something (even not expensive garnish) should have been added to the dishes. She actually loved her meal and brought home a little for the next day.
From Rick: “I enjoyed the Northwood’s Whitefish encrusted in pecans. The sauce was a homemade tarter but very mild. It complimented the fish nicely and this dish was reasonability priced at $14.50. It was served on a bed of smashed potatoes that lacked something… they were okay, but nothing worth writing about. I would have added a little garlic (always great with fish) or perhaps some butter and salt. The fish was prepared correctly and the taste with the breading was very mild and woodsy.”
Other delights that we tried were the Jam Packed Jar of House Pickles and Olives ($5), the Corndog appetizers (4 of them in the order) $5, and the Breadsticks with three different sauces ($7). All were good, but we were a bit disappointed in the Jelly Jar Packed with Pickles & Olives. I guess we were expecting something different.
We shared a bottle of Santa Alicia Malbec Red Wine ($24) and it was tasty with all of the different dishes. Bob drank a diet cola and was informed that it was not Coke or Pepsi branded product. Bob could tell. Not sure, what that is all about, but we all feel that any restaurant with a bar or offering drinks need to have Coke products. Rum and Coke, Jack and Coke, etc. Nobody wants a generic cola and Jack Daniels. The two shouldn’t even be mixed together, right? Even if Coca Cola products cost a little more, come on, what about taste? All ingredients should be the best for the use intended.
Our dessert was delicious, a fresh berry topped tart. Jodi and Bob enjoyed it much. Patty and Rick were too full and really would have had a Chocolate item, but Jodi tried som
What’s hot about this place?
• Our server, named Christy did an excellent job and you should ask for her by name. She was funny, bright, and attentive to our needs. She even put up with our goofy table, so she has to be good! Her sidekick (no name) girl was right on top of the dirty dishes and we joked about how we needed to eat fast before she removed the fork from our mouths. (really she was not that bad, but fast enough for us to notice)
• Good food (except for the iodine smelling shrimp that Patty had)
• Nice ride… not much really around there, so most will travel a bit. The ride there is a nice one and will be especially nice this spring, summer, and fall
• Plenty of parking
• Full wide menu sure to please almost anyone
What’s not so hot?
• Just a little pricy. (picture Randy from American Idol “I don’t know dude, it was a little pitchy”. Replace “pitchy with pricy”. It’s not Bistro 157, but had that feel on the price side.
• Sparse décor at this point and bad view of trash bins right outside the east side windows. We are sure this will be enclosed at some point, but looks nasty now.
• Parking area not yet paved. Granted, waiting for weather to do that. Once that is done, parking will be a nice area.
• Limited seating area, although Christy informed us that they are opening a p
• Missing something… that little extra attention to detail. Not sure, what it is, but it felt unfinished. Missing some lighting, candles, something.
• Music loud if you are close to the speakers. Additional speakers would assist here, nice music, but a bit loud. (attention to detail again… just not quite there)
Click here to see Bartlett's lunch, dinner and take out menus: MENUS
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