Arby's (5864 Sawmill Road)

"A Tale of Two Arby's"
It was the best of meals, it was the worst of meals...

Last week, my wife surprised me by calling to ask if I'd be interested in meeting her for lunch. The only catch was that we had to eat at Arby's, the favorite restaurant of my four-year-old son, Cap Jr. I had my reservations, given the bad experience I'd had at the Hilliard-Cemetery Arby's, but I agreed.

We met at the Arby's on Sawmill Road near Home Depot at noon. The line was fairly long, but the cashiers were quick, friendly, and efficient. That's right, cashiers - this restaurant had two registers open to better handle the lunch rush. The Sawmill Arby's also has duplicate soda fountains and condiment stations. Mountain Dew and Horsey Sauce, no waiting.

The dining area was the nicest I've seen in any fast-food restaurant. Dark hardwoods, tasteful carpeting, green plants everywhere, a glass-ceilinged atrium in the center of the restaurant, and convincing faux-leather booths. Many full-service chain restaurants aren't this well furnished. Quite a difference from the Hilliard-Cemetery location.

For fast fare, the food was first-rate. I ordered the philly-beef toasted sub, which features Arby's roast beef on a toasted ciabatta roll, roasted onions, crisp bell peppers, and garlic mayonnaise. Delicious. I also had Arby's signature side - potato cakes. Depending on where you get them, these hash-brown-like triangular cakes of shredded potatoes can be underdone and chewy, or overdone and bitterly crunchy. Like Goldilocks' bed, these potato cakes were just right.

The lovely, health-conscious Mrs. Fine-Burger had a Martha's Vineyard salad: grape tomatoes, diced apples, dried cranberries, and shredded cheese on a bed of lettuce. Unlike many fast-food salads, this one contained romaine lettuce as well as iceberg lettuce, and there were no wilted brown spots to be seen. The Martha's Vineyard salad also contained slices of chicken (probably from Arby's chicken filet sandwich). Mrs. F-B reports that the chicken was well-cooked and lean, which is crucial to a good salad. After all, nothing ruins the illusion of healthy eating like biting into a chewy, gelatinous piece of chicken fat.

Cap Jr. had the Arby's Kid's Meal: a junior roast-beef sandwich, curly fries, and a juice box. Cap's meal looked as tasty and well-prepared as mine. He was happy with the food, but disappointed that the "surprise" was two plastic Arby's cowboy-hat logos that could be linked together. Not much fun. A critic has to say something negative about any restaurant. When you're reduced to criticizing the toy in the kid's meal, you know you've had a good fast-food dining experience.

The check was under $16. That's a little high for a fast-food meal for three, but well worth it considering the quality of the meal. If the economy truly turns Dickensian, you might consider saving a few bucks by forgoing the sit-down chain restaurants and taking the family to the Sawmill Arby's.