The community has officially welcomed Bobbie Sue’s Roadhouse to the line up of places to eat in Lowell.
After the highly anticipated opening several weeks ago, the restaurant appears to have had a steady stream of customers who have arrived for casual dining or to watch a sports game at the bar.
Located at 11656 Fulton St., the building has been heavily renovated by owners John and Bobbie Sue Heim. The location previously housed The Golden Dragon and La Te Da’s restaurants.
With diverse brunch, lunch, and dinner menus featuring smoked brisket, signature spice-blended fries, and a slew of unique appetizers such as “mac & cheese croquettes,” the restaurant has a strong home-cooking vibe. It’s as though you are sitting down to a meal at the home of someone who is really good in the kitchen.
With a passion for food and a desire to create enjoyable meals, the Heims have created a unique yet familiar atmosphere. There really is no one word to describe the type of menu they offer at Bobbie Sue’s other than maybe, “homestyle.” Because of John Heim’s southern roots, you may even say, “southern homestyle.”
The vibe is very friendly and casual, and the staff seeks to make sure guests are satisfied. John and Bobbie Sue are a welcoming presence, greeting and seating guests and working behind the bar.
When I visited on a mid-week evening during their first week open, we were seated immediately. The restaurant was about three-fourths full, and our server greeted us and got us drinks and complimentary seasoned popcorn within minutes.
The dinner appetizer menu has nine options with a price range of $10-$15. The Roadhouse chips that came with our meals are one of the appetizer options and have a medium spicy, salty flavor. The “Monsterella Stick” that we ordered was literally one, approximately 10-inch stick of breaded mozzarella.
Our main dishes were the BSR burger, which is a very flavorful brisket burger wrapped in a cheese “sweater,” a battered and fried chicken sandwich, and a sausage, chicken Cajun gumbo. All delicious and hearty. The brisket is especially good as it is very tender and well-flavored.
There are several “handheld” options ranging from $14-$17 and entrees ranging from $22-$48. Saturdays and Sundays feature a brunch menu from 10 am – 2 pm with more favorites like French toast and a rotating feature of different Eggs Benedict dishes. There is no dessert menu at this time.
There is a full bar of beer, wine, and liquor, with cocktail options and drink specials. They serve “Real American Beer,” which is a brand affiliated with the former wrestler Hulk Hogan, as attested to the large cardboard cut out figure of him in the foyer.
According to their Facebook page, they will also have live music.
It’s not a large establishment, but when I interviewed the owners in the early spring, they said they hoped to add outdoor seating in the future. A plus with their location is they don’t have to compete with other downtown establishments for parking spaces.
Bobbie Sue’s will appeal to many in the Lowell community for its “everyone-knows-your-name,” small town, hangout vibe. You can get a variety of comfort food and drinks and enjoy a sports game in a communal atmosphere. It should hold its own amongst the other newer restaurants in our area as it is just different enough to stand out and become a dining and hangout favorite with many.
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