Ruby & Ketchy's Incorporated

I heard about this little diner from a few friends. They said breakfast was great, but I was only available for lunch, and I wanted to check it out anyway. Located in Cheat Lake, this diner is pretty easy to miss if you aren't familiar with the area. It doesn't boast a huge sign, but there is a small one next to the building.

When you walk in, there is a counter and stools and a few separate dining areas. This is your typical, old-school diner, complete with worn chairs and booths and a homey feel - even a fireplace! We chose a small booth and flipped through the menus that were located on the table. The food was cheap, and featured typical diner dishes - some salads, dinners, sandwiches and lots of side dishes.

I planned on getting the country fried steak dinner until our waitress came over and listed the specials. As soon as she said creamed chicken with biscuits and mashed potatoes, I was sold. It also came with two sides: I ordered a house salad and green beans. We also put in an order for fried mushrooms.

The waitress came back with our drinks - I ordered a coke, which was served in a can with a tiny glass to pour it in.

We waited a little while, and our salads and side dishes arrived. The salad was bland, nothing more than some chopped lettuce and a few mushy, diced tomatoes, and a couple onion slices. Drenched in the French dressing, though, it was fine. The green beans had small chunks of bacon in them, but it wasn't crispy. A lot of the bacon was just pieces of fat, so I picked around the bits. The green beans were fine, too. I didn't get a fresh, garden taste, but they weren't bad.

Our entrees came out shortly after. It was a large helping of a biscuit split in half and a scoop of mashed potatoes with a chicken gravy on top. The biscuit was a little hard, which works well with a gravy over it. The mashed potatoes were creamy and tasty, but the chicken gravy itself didn't blow me out of the water. I was expecting some delicious, homemade gravy, but what I got was a slightly bland gravy reminiscent of a jar gravy. I must admit, my high school made the best creamed turkey/chicken, so I hold the dish to a high standard. This dish just fell right along mediocre. The gravy was a little thick, I would have preferred if it wasn't so much, and it could've done well with a dash or two of garlic. Our mushrooms never did come out, and when I asked the waitress, she said she thought she brought them out. When we said no, we just asked her to take them off the bill, as our entrees filled us up.

I ordered a straw- berry cheese- cake for dessert. Though a small sliver of cheesecake, it was tasty. It was creamy, and the strawberries were very sweet. The graham cracker crust was sweet and moist, and the flavor was delicious. Too bad it was so tiny.

My friend really enjoyed the whole dining atmosphere. If you like that down-home, country feel, this is a nice little place. The food isn't out of this world, but it's comfort food and feels familiar. If you're looking for new and exciting flavors that burst in your mouth, this isn't the place. But it's not trying to be, either.

Grade: C