The Blue Plate - Northport — Restaurant in Northport

My family and I were trying to decide on a nearby place to eat. We hadn't tried the Blue Plate in a while, so we decided to try them again. The waiter was friendly and answered our questions. But, later he didn't explain that we were going to get charged more for what we ordered than we expected. Keep in mind: the menu refers to the "dessert of the day" as a side item. It is listed in a bubble with all the other side items. There was a sign referring to it as a side, too. All four of us ordered various "Blue Plate Specials." My wife and I ordered the Banana Pudding as one of our sides, since it was the "dessert of the day." Later, the food comes. Three of us had squash casserole, which we DID NOT ORDER OR WANT, on our plates. My son received his instead of the cream style corn he ordered. We didn't realize he was missing the cream style corn, so I am more understanding about that part. My wife and I just thought we were getting a bonus item. We even told the waiter that we weren't expecting an extra side. The waiter did not clarify that it wasn't a bonus. The front of the house manager kept coming by to check, like she was expecting us to be upset. This was good, at first, since they were bringing my daughter a completely wrong order. But, she kept checking back like she expected us to be upset about something. When the check came, I finally remembered a misleading practice of this place: they don't actually consider the dessert of the day to be a side. What they did was added on the dessert of the day as 2 additional sides. So we paid for the squash casserole we didn't want! Instead of asking us if we were okay repeatedly, why didn't she clarify this to us? My billing frustrations didn't end there. It looked like the sales tax was already included on the check, but at the register the bill went up. The person behind the register said it was tax, but I thought too much was being added. The system probably wasn't that far off in the calculation, but it just seemed like the tax was already showing on the check. I have no way to know, because they took the check from me. Instead of going over the check with me, the staff person behind the register started to flip the screen of her register around (with an attitude). That was not helpful. The food was good, overall. But, I don't like the way the menu is misleading, the misleading items don't get clarified, and you get billing surprises. If you ever look at their menu, you will know exactly what I mean about how they are misleading with that dessert of the day. If they would have been upfront with us about that at some point, we could have changed that squash casserole to a side we actually wanted. Instead, these frustrations have me not wanting to come back...

Ordered carry out from here for lunch today and was really pleased. Very tasty country cooking.

They told me it'd take about 15 minutes, which was fine - my drive over there took about that long. When I arrived, there was basically a line out of the door. I guess it was Sunday and everyone was out to eat with their families! I found my way to the pickup counter and my food was ready and waiting for me.

Despite the rather lengthy drive home, the food quality really did not suffer at all. I cracked my styrofoam box open on the way home to keep my food from getting soggy (and also to catch some delicious smells), so that probably helped, but I was still impressed with how well it all held up, especially since I had a fried chicken breast and French fries, which are super prone to deteriorate quickly.

Portion sizes were generous and I was quite full when I was done. Again, I ordered the fried chicken breast, French fries, and Mac and cheese. They tossed in some pieces of cornbread, too. The cornbread was pretty dry and not too flavorful, but I pretty much only like my dad's cornbread. I'll have to ask for biscuits next time.

The macaroni and cheese was decent, but definitely the weak link, as it was a little bland. The fries, though, were really good: thick-cut steak fries with good seasoning. Crispy edges and a soft, potatoey inside. And the fried chicken! A huge piece, very crunchy and juicy, with great flavor. I'd love to eat it again! I hope I get a chance to return and try a few more different items, as well as to enjoy the fried chicken hot right out...

Not everything was perfect here, but there were so many "right" things that I can't give them anything less than all 5 stars!

The disappointments were minimal: we asked could the salmon be cooked to a specific internal temperature and were told "no way". The personable, bubbly waiter had no doubts the chef couldn't handle a specific request. We also ordered a country fried steak and requested the gravy be served on the side. The gravy was all on top of the beef, but it tasted good regardless (and my daughter wasn't too concerned). Lastly, we requested hot tea and were told they do not serve that, BUT the waiter, being incredibly creative, offered to heat unsweetened tea in the microwave for us if we desired. Lol.

We ordered the chicken livers appetizer and it was perfectly cooked: crispy crunchy on the outside, soft and buttery inside.

They have a very large and appealing list of "sides" options. I had to order just a plate of sides, getting fresh fruit, a garden salad, rutabagas, lima beans, and purple hull peas. Oh my it was all great, especially with the complimentary cornbread served as a family sized complimentary appetizer. note the fresh fruit cup was filled with canned mandarin oranges on the bottom, but with the fresh fruit on top it was very tasty.

Cornbread was not overly sweet. 👍. The veggies and the soup were not over salted! 👍👍 The service was cordial and efficient. 👍

I'd sincerely recommend this place for anyone looking for delicious home style cooking in a homey, clean, fun...