Bulletin E-Edition:
more photosScoots Bar and Grill in Sisters attracts mostly locals and has a distinctly bar feel, with big-screen TVs and a pool table.
Pete Erickson / The Bulletin
A burger like Dad used to make
Scoots Bar and Grill in Sisters isn’t fancy, but the food is good
By John Gottberg Anderson / For The Bulletin
Published: November 27. 2009 4:00AM PST
My father made what I considered the world’s best hamburgers.
There was nothing fancy about them. He’d just knead the ground beef with some spices and seasoning and toss them on the grill. They weren’t flat patties — in fact, they often had more girth than breadth — but when he’d serve them in a bun with lettuce and tomato, ketchup and mustard, there was nothing quite like them.
Nearly two decades after his passing, I have found a restaurant that makes its burgers the same way my dad did. Coincidentally, it’s in the same town where he spent his retirement years: Sisters.
Scoots Bar and Grill is not a fancy dining spot. Indeed, between its big-screen TVs, its pool room and its karaoke setup, it’s more bar than grill. A half-block north of Cascade Street, as state Highway 20 is known where it passes through downtown Sisters, Scoots attracts mostly locals; it is just off the radar of people just passing through.
Neither the building nor the menu is glamorous. Scoots offers standard bar-and-grill cuisine, with pizzas, wraps, soups and salads complementing a list of mostly deep-fried finger food. But the burgers alone are a compelling reason to visit.
A half-pound of beef
Scoots promotes its burgers as “half-pound, hand-made, 100 percent Angus beef,” and I’m certain the claim is true.
The kitchen layers its char-grilled meat on a big sesame bun, stacking it with a mayonnaise spread, several leaves of green leaf lettuce, a thick slice of tomato and a thin slice of red onion, with cheddar cheese melted atop the beef.
The burger can also be made with free-range buffalo, bacon and barbecue sauce. A garden burger is available for vegetarians, although I can’t vouch for the quality of this sandwich.
I had french fries with my burger, and they were also among the best I’ve had in this vicinity. Treated with a crispy coating, cooked so they were still soft inside, they were a perfect complement.
I could also have chosen soup, green salad, cole slaw or something called Texas toothpicks to accompany my burger. The “toothpicks” are battered, deep-fried strips of onions and jalapeno peppers. Sounds good. Next time, maybe.
Chilly-day chili
It was a cold wet day when I next visited Scoots. I have a personal rule of thumb that says when the temperature is chilly, if it’s on the menu, order chili. So that’s what I did.
Scoots’ Texas-style chili was just what I wanted. With no holds barred, the kitchen served up a hearty bowl of meat and pinto beans, topped with diced onions, jalapenos and cheese that quickly melted into the stew. Too timid to order the “extra hot” version, yet not wanting my chili too mild, I settled for the standard, which was sufficiently spicy for my palate.
The order came with basic cheese bread. I also ordered a small side salad, which was not just iceberg lettuce. The salad mixed iceberg and leaf lettuce, as well as a bit of cabbage, tomatoes, red onions, croutons and a choice of dressing. Yes, the salad was more-or-less standard issue, but it was better than the norm.
Scoots also offers a Cobb salad, steak and chicken salads, and clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. The sandwich menu features pulled pork, sliced turkey breast, mesquite-grilled chicken and a small sirloin steak.
Cowboy but not chic
In my estimation, it’s in the atmosphere that Scoots falls down. Perhaps the establishment is trying for the “cowboy chic” image that is Sisters. But while this may be cowboy, it’s certainly not chic.
Guests enter Scoots as they might enter a bunkhouse, through an open front porch with seasonal seating beneath an overhanging roof. They are immediately greeted by a long bar that specializes in local microbrews. Rodeo and auto-racing posters are plastered on the walls. Several televisions broadcast sports events. A video-poker room is off to the side.
In a second room is the karaoke machine, where a disc jockey spins records on weekends and live bands perform, mainly on summer weekends. A flat-screen television encourages video gaming; a favorite of patrons is Nintendo Wii’s “Guitar Hero.”
The back room is the largest of the three, and a more traditional game room. Here are pool tables, dart boards and even ping pong. Outside — for obvious reasons, more popular in spring and summer than in November — picnic tables stand beside a horseshoe pit.
Scoots is clean and moderately well-maintained, but it’s not trying to compete with more upscale restaurants in Sisters. Still, it has its niche among locals. Bend and Redmond residents might consider it a good stop for lunch with one of the best burgers in Central Oregon.
SMALL BITES
The NWX Bar & Grill has replaced the Aloha Cafe in the NorthWest Crossing space originally built for the 38 Degrees Mediterranean Bistro. Owner Chrisalis Stoddard, formerly of Bella Cucina, said the family-friendly menu features burgers, sandwiches, in-house soups and salads, as well as a big-screen sports bar. Long-range plans are to begin offering a full dinner menu in early 2010. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 745 Mt. Washington Drive, Bend; 541-318-7450.
The Aloha Cafe closed its west Bend restaurant Oct. 23. It continues to operate its other two locations: 547 N.E. Bellevue Ave., Bend (541-382-5662), open 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day; and 57100 Beaver Drive, Sunriver (541-593-5662), open 11 a.m. to midnight every day.
Chicago Style Hot Dogs has opened in the former Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream shop in northeast Bend. Owners Jeff DeHart and Raemi Poitras said they import all of their products, including meat and condiments, from Chicago, where DeHart grew up. Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. 1106 N.E. Third St., Bend; 541-383-3647.
RECENT REVIEWS
Sage Cafe & Coffee House (A-): Now nearly seven years old, the first business in Bend’s NorthWest Crossing neighborhood is going strong. Atmosphere is pleasant, counter service fast and friendly, egg dishes and freshly made sandwiches are outstanding. Open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. 2762 N.W. Crossing Drive, Bend; 541-382-6740.
Tetherow Golf Club Bar and Grill (A-): Outstanding dinner entrees speak highly to the ability of young chef Rian Mulligan, who has an affinity for such ingredients as truffle oil and balsamic vinegar. Prices are moderate, the staff friendly and well-trained, and the northerly golf-course views among the best in the region. Lunch 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, dinner 5 p.m. to close Thursday to Sunday. 61240 Skyline Ranch Road, Bend; 541-388-2582, www.tetherow.com.
John Gottberg Anderson can be reached at janderson@bendbulletin.com
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