Experience #22- Eat at Mike's

Okay, so it's not as cool as saying "Eat at Joe's", but still, I knew this was something I just had to finally do this year. Mike's is a little restaurant about 7 miles away in Bartow, FL. Although I live in Lakeland, I went to school for 5 years down in little old Bartow- pop. 20,000. I seriously can't tell you how many thousands of times I must have driven past this little place and yet never once have I seriously considered eating there. I'm not sure why really. It is very popular. Everyone I know that goes there loves the steak. I mentioned that I planned on finally eating there and my mom was almost worried for me. She said she thought that was place that was only for hardcore regulars. You know, the kind of place that when a stranger walks in, the jukebox cuts off, everyone turns to look, and then some fierce looking cowboy gives the stranger the evil eye till he walks out and pretends that he never came in? Which totally explains why my parents haven't eaten there either. And they both have worked in Bartow for the past 13 years! All of which time the dated marquee out front has advertised their famous "sir on steak" (sirloin steak if you need the translation). Shame on us for our prejudice! So I decided it was time to finally go in and see for myself.


And do you know what? It was magic. Right there in a booth around the corner from the register was Don and Romona Douberly. They are in my ward at Church and our family has known their family since we moved to Lakeland in 1988. She was my early morning seminary teacher for 9th and 10th grade. And these are the regulars I was looking for! Who knew? They eat there all the time! They gave me a quick run down of all the food, recommending pretty much everything. Great seafood, great steak, salad bar- you name it. They introduced me to their own personal waitress, Julie, who waits on them every time and even made them Christmas cookies this year. Does it get any more hometown than this??!! I think not. And just as she was telling me about the other regular I would know there, that being Samantha Taylor and her grandparents (another Church friend), I looked two booths across the room and there she was!! Ramona thought I was pulling her leg, but indeed, just as she said, there was Samantha and her grandparents. It really was kinda funny :)



Alright, enough of the chit-chat! Time for my sir on steak!



So I got the sirloin steak, fries and salad bar. And it was not half bad! The portion size was really good, giving me a whole half of steak to take home. Jacob got the New York Strip and was pleased as well. He is a little more picky than I, so that is saying something right there! Anyway, the biggest miracle of Mike's is that it somehow has escaped the black whole of horrible service that every other restaurant in Bartow has fallen into. Seriously, go to any place down there, McDonald's, Arby's, Denny's- you name and it- and I triple dog dare you to get your food in under two hours. Not at Mike's. These guys live and die by the repeat customer and it shows. On a scale of 1 to 10- I give Mike's an 8. I will definitely go back- especially the next time we are in Bartow and are thinking of going to Denny's. Bet they wouldn't let me just pay for my meal the next time I come in if I just happen to have forgotten my wallet! Ask the Douberlys, they'll tell you all about it :)