Timber Tavern a cut above its rowdy past

PARISHVILLE — The Timber Tavern is open once again.

Gone is Rockin' Rita and her country western band. Gone are the slugs who used to hang out at the bar. Gone are the gun rack-toting pickup trucks in the parking lot (well, most of them).

It was a landmark rowdy watering hole back in the '80s, a place where Rockin' Rita's music was regularly interrupted when a fight broke out or a beer bottle whizzed across the room.

New owners have changed all that. They've cleaned the place up, fired up the original wood-burning fireplace in the dining room and added a beautiful woodstove in the bar.

The Timber Tavern still has an informal and local feel to it. It's a friendly place to have a neighborly drink and enjoy some local conversation.

The neat red-topped U-shaped bar has all the necessities: all-American beers (Genny three ways, of course), a couple of imports and basic wines. You can play pool and shuffleboard. The young bartender could use a little coaching — she didn't know what bourbon was. We had to ask for napkins and coasters.

There's a new log wall dividing the bar from the dining area. That's right, a separate dining room offering country-casual fare: roast beef or roast pork dinners (right-priced at $8.95), steaks (Delmonico and flat-iron), tenderloin tips, deep-fried shrimp, haddock (broiled or deep-fried) and chicken prepared "francese" or Parmesan.

There are pasta dishes too: lasagna (meat or vegetable), fettuccini Alfredo, pasta primavera or spaghetti with homemade sauce.

And if you want to go light, they've got sandwiches, burgers and Phillys.

Appetizers consisted of the standard fried stuff: chicken wings, chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, rings, skins and logs. So we skipped right over them, going directly to the main course.

Amber took our order. She's a real piece of work. Her humor and banter fit the setting well. She's waited tables in the area for 38 years, and wasn't shy to tell us "This ain't my first rodeo."

Our foursome chose roast pork, beef tenderloin tips, chicken Parmesan and meat lasagna.

We hit the salad bar, filled with all the usual stuff: crisp iceberg lettuce, grape tomatoes, sliced onions, pepperoncini, shredded cheese and a host of dressings. Of particular note was the excellent homemade macaroni salad. Cole slaw was very good, too.

We enjoyed homemade beef barley soup, served piping hot, chock full of veggies, barley and small chunks of beef.

While we were away from the table, Amber delivered oblong loaves of crusty slice-it-yourself bread on little cutting boards. This was a very good product from one of their restaurant suppliers.

Roast pork dinner ($8.95) was a satisfying plateful of sliced pork, mashed potatoes and vegetables. While the pork appeared to be processed meat, it was quite tasty along with equally tasty gravy. The mashed potatoes were made right there, still a little chunky and noticeably buttery. The veggies? Well, they weren't fresh, but someone in the kitchen went out of their way to kick them up with a little melted butter.

Chicken Parmesan ($10.99) was nicely prepared and presented, a good-sized chicken breast smothered with sauce and cheese. A side of spaghetti lacked pizzazz. Buttered veggies filled out the plate.

We were quite surprised to see on the menu beef tenderloin tips ($13.95), beef tips sautéed in butter and Burgundy wine along with mushrooms and onions, served over rice. The bite-sized pieces of meat are often overcooked, but these were still pink and juicy in the center. A little more sauce would have been nice.

Lasagna ($10.95) got a thumbs up around the table. It was loaded with meat and lots of cheese, baked with their homemade tomato sauce.

We were impressed with the locally made desserts. The Hoho pie, scary as it sounds, was very good. So was its fraternal twin, another gooey, chocolatey layer cake. Coconut cream pie was right up there, too, topped with toasted coconut.

The showstopper was the double lemon pie, a smooth variation on lemon meringue. This would be our first choice for dessert.

Dinner for four cost $58 before adding a tip for Amber. A round of drinks added $13 to the total.

Prime rib is served on Saturday nights. There's an all-you-can-eat brunch from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays.

The Timber Tavern has filled a niche in Parishville and surrounding communities. Owner John Blevins has restored and preserved a piece of north country history. Once a wild-times watering hole, the distinctive log cabin building on the outskirts of Parishville is now a cozy, family-friendly eatery where all are welcomed.

You can contact restaurant reviewer Walter Siebel via e-mail: wsiebel@wdt.net.

Timber Tavern

2024 Route 72

Parishville, N.Y.

261-4025

The former wild-times watering hole on the outskirts of Parishville is now a family-friendly eatery where all are welcomed.

HOURS: 3 to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday

Noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday

Choose from roast beef or roast pork dinners, steaks, tenderloin tips, haddock, chicken and several pasta dishes.

RATING: 3 FORKS