Cowboy boots encouraged at this new Fresno brunch and dinner spot. What’s on the menu?
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Where in Fresno can you get pineapple upside-down pancakes while listening to country music with Garth Brooks lyrics in neon on the wall?
A new restaurant in northeast Fresno called The Woodward American Grill.
At Friant and Fort Washington roads, it’s a brunch and dinner spot with a sports bar, specializing in offering brunch six days a week.
Those lyrics in neon? “Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots,” from Brooks’ ear worm and favorite drunken singalong, “Friends in Low Places.”
There’s definitely a breezy country vibe at this business. There’s even a cocktail with a pink sugared rum called a Backwoods Barbie. And yes, both customers and staff are encouraged to wear cowboy boots and hats.
But don’t get the wrong idea. This is not a rowdy joint with saddles made into bar stools.
“We weren’t going to be cheesy and go over the top with that stuff,” owner Lewis Everk said. “We wanted to have a little country undertone.”
The restaurant
The Woodward is a proper restaurant, with velvety booths, reservations and a chef with some serious chops who launched a creative menu.
“It’s a little bit brunch, a little bit dinner, a little bit sports and a whole lot of fun,” Everk said.
He’s the man behind Vyxn Restaurant & Lounge and several Jugo Salad & Juice Bar locations. In the past, he opened LUXS and HCK at Champlain Drive and Perrin Avenue.
Though he’s sometimes known for nightclubs with bottle service, he grew up in the restaurant industry and wanted to make The Woodward more of a traditional restaurant.
It sits on the corner of the RiverView Shopping Center where people often park and walk into nearby Woodward Park.
That’s part of the reason for The Woodward’s name, along with all the wood used in the dining room. The wooden planks were burned by hand and hung by Everk and others.
The food
The executive chef at The Woodward spent spent 17 years at Milano Restaurants, the Fresno-based parent company of Me-N-Ed’s Pizzeria. Marcel Bustos oversaw the culinary launch of its new restaurants such as Piazza Del Pane and Blast & Brew.
His menu here is eclectic.
“It’s a fun, indulgent brunch,” Bustos said.
You can order a “pancake flight,” with options such as a pineapple upside-down pancake, or a rainbow pancake made with Fruity Pebbles cereal.
One popular seller is an upscale version of chicken and waffles. Served with maple butter and a Thai chile sauce, it’s a colorful plate sprinkled with red and yellow peppers and fried green parsley leaves.
The dynamite cauliflower is a creative appetizer. At first, the lightly fried cauliflower seem like a dish you might see on other menus. But this version comes with masago, the fish eggs often used in sushi and unagi (eel) sauce.
Of course, there are burgers, sandwiches, pizza and all the expected entrees. And it wouldn’t be a Fresno breakfast spot without chilaquiles on the menu.
On a recent weekday, Shacaree Sears was celebrating her birthday at the restaurant with Samilya Goodwin of Clovis.
She was drinking a Backwoods Barbie, a pink drink made from whipped cream vodka, watermelon and sweet and sour.
“I got it because it was pretty,” she admitted.
Her turkey burger even had some flair, with a “W” branded into the brioche bun.
On the cocktail menu, there are mimosas, of course, and a few coffee-based drinks.
There’s also a drink called balls back. It’s a nod to the drinking game beer pong, where ping pong balls are thrown into cups.
The cocktail is made from Blue Moon beer, Peach Schnapps and orange juice, served in a red plastic Solo cup and garnished with a ping pong ball.
Obviously, this place doesn’t take itself too seriously, striving for a balance between good food and a good time.
It’s a bit like the Garth Brooks lyrics say: “Where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away. And I’ll be OK. Yeah, I’m not big on social graces. Think I’ll slip on down to the oasis.”
Details: The Woodward is at 9433 N. Fort Washington Road, suite 107. Hours: Brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The restaurant closes and reopens for dinner from 5 p.m. to midnight. It’s closed Mondays and only open for brunch on Sundays.
Reservations can only be made through its website at www.thewoodwardfresno.com or by calling 559-412-2972. You can text the business at 866-619-1091.
