Shorty’s True American Roadhouse

When you walk into Shorty’s True American Roadhouse in Toledo, two things hit you when you enter the dining room: the layout of the place and the beautiful lingering of aromatic wood. Smoke, baby.  Before you sit down, it’s obvious you’re about to partake in something special. Something in the atmosphere has a calming effect on me. The smoke and wood play like an aroma therapy session for the senses. The vapor gets into my mind, takes me to a better place—a land flowing with brisket, pulled pork, and barbecue sauce. I inhale deeply. I want to hang-out in this place; sit fire-side with a glass of wine or a cold beer, not just stuff my face with smoked meats...but first things first. 

We moseyed over to the outdoor seating area—an enclosed patio with a bar and another fireplace in the center.  We were the only table in the outdoor area, initially, but our server greeted us with a smile and menus.  The night was a little crisp—low 60’s. We sat next to the fireplace which was putting off a generous wave of heat. 

I freed the dark horse from its bottle—Dark Horse Cabernet, that is. It was the house red and it was better than expected—oaky, bold, balanced, medium-dry, very smooth finish.  

We got the ultimate feast—a rack of ribs, pulled pork, brisket, a whole chicken, baked beans, coleslaw. I opted to switch the coleslaw for mac and cheese. This mac is heavy. It’s so cheesy, like it’s covered in thick cheese sauce the consistency of caramel. 

I started making my Mac and cheese on the stove top instead of the oven when I saw Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, do it on her show. I’ve always preferred my Mac gooey. Don’t listen to anyone who says that mac and cheese shouldn’t be  “liquidy”. This dish is tasty, rich and it’s better than those oven-baked macs that turn out dryer than Maytag. 

The feast comes with fries and corn bread muffins that smell heavenly. They’re slightly sweet, satisfying, and I’ll take them over plain old dinner rolls any day of the week. 

The star of the show for me has always been the ribs. They’re St. Louis style, they’re smoky, they’re flavorful, they’re perfect. The beef brisket and pulled pork are tied for second.  The brisket is sliced, it’s lean, it’s tender. The pulled pork is more like chopped pork with awesome texture because of all the crispy little burnt ends.  

The ultimate also comes with a couple slices of Texas toast and some of the best barbecue beans you’ll ever have, laden with chunks of meat, infused with smoke.  The chicken has that smoky pink hue—saturated with wood flavor.  It’s moist. It’s another winner. 

Service was excellent. “Semma” was the type of server who was juggling half the patio by herself and making it look easy. 

But there’s something about the air in Shorty’s—the crackling fire, woodsy aromas, good food—that is so “soothing,” if I can use that word.  Having dinner here is a treat I’ll be looking forward to again.