Roadhouse 52 — Restaurant in Manhattan

Roadhouse 52 was excellent! Go here now. Pros: Hooray! A restaurant with an extensive beer list, but no TVs and the dining area was well-separated from the bar (Bar? What bar?). We much prefer looking at the historical photos and conversing. We arrived at an off-hour so had the place to ourselves for 20-30 minutes, til everyone started following us in. It was still quiet enough for conversation. We left with our hearing intact.

Starr was a wonderful server, friendly as family, but not over bearing. She asked if we liked IPAs, and with an affirmative answer, her recommended Evil 3 Triple IPA that was quite tasty, smooth, and easily hid its 11.5% ABV. A pint can too, unlike some local brewhouses that serve anything over 8% in a shot glass.

Her dinner recommendations were spot-on, both of us loving the baby back ribs, and I had the brisket too. Excellent balance of spice and smoke, tender, but not par-boiled fall of the bone. My smoker is in retirement; I can never match the skill they have.

Little things: The Hushpuppies were delicious. Bite-size, well-seasoned, and fried correctly, so they were not the oil sponges like some places serve. The side salad, billed as just head lettuce, was actually a nicely done mixed greens salad with house made ranch. Starr coaxed us into an appetizer and we’re glad she did. Mozzarella sticks with marinara, and she also brought a cup of the house made chipotle mayo. Good bite, well balanced, a simple side that many have trouble with, but Roadhouse 52 got it right.

Cons: Why didn’t we visit here sooner?

This is our new go-to restaurant! Quit reading and go.

05/07/18 - Another great visit to Roadhouse 52. I had the Monte Cristo sandwich special and really enjoyed it. Hubby had the platter with pulled pork and turkey. A healthy portion of both, they had a just-right smokey flavor, but not overbearing. Lindsey was an excellent server, so polite, and showing great hustle.

Update 04/11/19 Disappointed - New owners won't last long if they don't step up the kitchen. No more smokehouse, plain jane menu. Salads were iceberg, with 1/2" slabs of cucumber. The old place did great broasted chicken. Today, first bite of the 1/2 fried chicken brought the comment "Christmas Vacation". Didn't know you could dry out a drumstick. The rest was equally dry. The special country fried steak brought to mind the John Hiatt tune, "Paper Thin". The gravy was good. We aren't big on veggies, but these were just bad - stumps and things I didn't recognize. Waitress was nice enough. No beer list. Still quiet - we left at the 6 o'clock dinner hour, and there was only one table seated. Mediocre at...

The remodeled store was a pleasant surprise and a big change from the former Manhattan Family restaurant I have been to Road house 10 or 12 times because it is near where I live and I like BBQ. The first trip they were out of brisket because a large group had been in earlier, I got pulled pork that was ok, but not something I would order again. Next i think I had brisket and I liked it a lot, next we tried buffet and it was good and then I had ribs with were tough but had a good taste. I tried chili and it was just a cup of pulled pork and a turn off. I had a brisket burger I liked. My wife had pot roast maybe three times and it seemed to be good first time and then not as good each additional time. I once I ordered brisket with a side of 1/2 slab of ribs for additional $7.00, I asked was it a full 1/2 slab because that is $11.00 on menu. To my surprise the ribs were the 1/2 slab, but the brisket basket was a 1/4 order. The ribs were very tough, but tasty. I was disappointed in the basket. We did the buffet again and I liked it. I tried the smoked wings for .50 cents and I would skip them, I tried the breaded wings and the flappers were good, but the drum stick had blood and was a turn off. Last week we had potato soup, it looked like a combo of left overs and would not be ordered again. The restaurant has slowly (over the summer) lost what quality it had. First visit I would have given 3 stars, but on 10-11-12 I think we have to give one star. The girls waiting tables are great and the bar keepers are too, but there needs to be a constant quality meal served to keep people like us coming back. I had high hopes for the restaurant/bar as it was close, but the food has been a bad experience that got no better over time. We have given them the whole summer to get it right, they failed. Sorry as we do need a good place to get a good meal and this is not it for most of the menu. We try them again next summer if they are still around as on our last two visits there were less then 10 customers at 6 pm. They have a big menu and i am sure keeping quality up when things set around is...

This place is pretty legit. They boast a decent menu with good staff. Overall, this restaurant is a nice addition to Manhattan.

I have been here twice for dinner and once for lunch thus far. The two dinner experiences were completely different; the first time was with their very limited grand opening menu and the 2nd time was months later with a more robust menu. Both times boasted fantastic food. The wait time was a little slow, but it was a packed house (especially in the bar area). Me and my family's main gripe with this place was the lack of food before the main meal. A nice addition would be soup, salad, or some of those delicious Kirby's Bakery rolls before your meal (especially when the place is packed/wait for food is longer).

My girlfriend and I also visited for lunch, which was a pleasant experience. We were the only people there, and the prices and food were both amazing! Most items were $4.99-$6.99, which included a side (and included soup for me too!)

I have yet to try breakfast, but I am sure I will soon. Ultimately, this hole-in-the-wall joint on Route 52 is...