Parker County Today April 2016 | Page 105

our taste: RESTAURANT REVIEW Friday Night Lights — Weatherford Downtown Café Beyond Breakfast and Lunch BY THE WEATHERFORD FOODIE the temperature requested and the potatoes were dripping with brown gravy and came with fresh and hot dinner rolls. My catfish’s temperature was almost too hot to eat, if that’s possible (I’m not a fan of lukewarm catfish) and came with hushpuppies, cornbread and tartar sauce. Both meals were excellent. We chose to share a dessert; also listed on the chalkboard was a list of dessert choices including banana pudding, two different types of cobbler and key lime pie. All in all, our Downtown Café meal experience was very good and it was pleasant to follow it by briefly sitting on the benches located in front of the restaurant admiring the Courthouse and letting our food settle. Jason Ratliff is the proud proprietor of the restaurant that is located in one of the older buildings on the Historic Weatherford Downtown Square that was built over a century ago. You have probably had breakfast or lunch here, but I highly recommend a weekend dinner. I enjoyed my evening meal here as I am sure you will too. Weatherford Downtown Café is open for dinner Friday and Saturday nights from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday 7 a.m. until 2 p.m., and 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Sundays. It is located at 101 W. Church Street on the Courthouse Square in Weatherford, Texas. They can be reached at 817-594-8717 or on Facebook. PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY Weatherford Foodie can be found at weatherfordfoodie.com, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Yelp, Urbanspoon, Foursquare, and Pinterest. APRIL 2016 While driving around Weatherford searching for a place to eat out on a Friday night, I noticed several cars parked in front of the Weatherford Downtown Café, so I decided to investigate. As it turns out, they’re open on Friday and Saturday night for dinner. I have been eating breakfast and lunch there for years so I decided to give it a try for dinner. I was pleased to find that they offer the full menu plus a number of excellent specials, based on which fresh, seasonal ingredients are available that day. I walked across the ancient wooden floors towards my desired table and sat down as I enjoyed live music from an excellent local band, Days Like This, a guitar/bass trio. The menu includes a number of the breakfast and lunchtime favorites but the dinner specials are posted on a large chalkboard running the length of the restaurant. I sat down and looked to the large chalkboard to decide what to order. As I enjoyed the music I ordered the fried catfish special with two sides (I chose fried okra and mashed potatoes) and my dinner companion selected an 8-ounce sirloin steak with fried spinach, mashed potatoes and gravy. Our server asked how she wanted the steak cooked, a nice touch, and scurried to put in our orders. While waiting for our meal we admired the Weatherford-themed mural inside and the beautifully lighted Parker County Courthouse just outside the Café front windows. My companion and I shared a great conversation without having to yell over a band that was too loud. The sound level for this band was perfect. Soon our meals arrived and we weren’t disappointed. The steak was cooked perfectly at 103