Perky's Restaurant

Looking for a funky place with excellent service and even better food? Look no further then Perky's Restaurant.

Located at 802 Wards Rd in Altavista, the small building doesn't stand out and the sign out front isn't bright or flashy. But the full parking lot, booked up reservations list, and packed dining room proves the age-old adage: Never judge a book by it's cover.

Sarah had visited Perky's once before, but it had been a while so since I've been wanting to check this place out we decided to pay it a visit. Since we were warned about getting reservations, we called on Wednesday and booked ourselves a table for 3. On Saturday night, our friend Jessie joined us and we made our way across town to see what the Perky's buzz was all about. When we pulled into the parking lot, we were immediately hit with delicious smells that let us know we were in for a good time.

Walking into the dining room, we were thankful for our reservations as the place was packed. The atmosphere was what you would expect: loud and busy. There were around 20 tables in total and as soon as one party left, another one was seated. It seemed like most people knew the secret of reservations, since there was a minimal line waiting to get seated. There is a bar with the open grill/kitchen area right behind it. Waitstaff bustled around bringing food and drinks to customers and while we waited for our table, it gave us a chance to look around the place.  The decor can best be described as eclectic.The walls were covered in license plates and stuffed animals (as in dead animals that are hung up as decorations). A big sign up front spotlighted their specials for the night: Swordfish, Salmon with Shrimp, and Brisket. Oh and Fried Pickles. Done and done.

Janet was our waitress and she was fantastic. Not only was she friendly and efficient but our water glasses were never empty which is a true sign of a great server. For our appetizers, we chose the fried pickles and BBQ ribs. The pickles were tasty, but the ribs... oh the ribs. Thick and spicy boneless ribs that came with a tasty homemade BBQ sauce, but were delicious enough to eat on their own. 

A quick glance around the room showed that the most popular dish was their steak. At least one person at every table had ordered it and no one looked unhappy about it. Janet said that the steak was the most popular plate, but also recommended the salmon and her description of the brisket almost made me change my mind about my steak order. So many good choices!

The menu offers a few different types of steaks such as ribeye and filet mignon. You can also get seafood (Grilled Tilapia, Cajun Crawfish, and Maryland Crabcakes), pasta ( Chicken/Shrimp Alfredo or Chicken Marinara) or various BBQ and chicken platters. We chose to just drink water, but it's worth noting that they have an extensive beer/alcohol list that is pretty impressive. 

Sarah ordered the salmon with a side of rice and sautéed mushrooms as recommended by Janet. Jessie and I both got the ribeye, with orders of corn, green beans and sautéed mushrooms. All entrees are served with two sides, house salad and bread.

None of us regretted our decisions. Everything was delicious. The steaks and salmon were cooked perfectly to order and the sides were great. They provided sauces and seasoning on the table, but they are completely unnecessary since everything is seasoned so well. The biggest issue was not stuffing ourselves in order to leave room for desserts. Priorities!

Let's talk about desserts for a second. Peanut Butter Pie. Toll House Cookie Pie. Key Lime Pie. Deep Fried Banana Cream. Cheese Cake. Strawberry Short Cake. Without hesitation, Janet recommended the Peanut Butter Pie and after we found out she makes the Toll House Cookie Pie, we got that as well. The Peanut Butter Pie was everything you'd think it would be and more. Peanut butter and chocolate served with a chocolate pie crust. Seriously. Sarah didn't like it at all. 

Just kidding, she loved it.

The cookie pie was basically a warm cookie served in pie form with ice cream on the side. When I say this was heaven in the form of pie, I'm not exaggerating. Trust me. 

If you haven't figured it out by now, we highly recommend Perky's Restaurant. It may be a little out of the way, but it's worth it. 

Details:

Perky's Restaurant

802 Wards Rd, Altavista (29 South on the right).

Website: www.perkysrestaurant.net

Prices: Entrees between $12-$22.

Reservations recommended, but walk-ins welcome.

Thanks for reading our first review! We are excited to bring you more! If you have a recommendation for a place you'd like us to check out- let us know!