Turducken at Alpine Steakhouse in Sarasota, FL--A Restaurant Review

Have you ever heard of Turducken? Well, unless you have seen the piece about Alpine Steakhouse on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on the Food Network or live in Sarasota, Florida, probably not. The Alpine Steakhouse located at 4520 South Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, FL qualifies as a "dive". It's small, doesn't look that great on the outside, and the décor inside is, well, a little kitschy. But if you want a good, hot meal served for a decent price, then you need to head directly to the Alpine Steakhouse. And don't forget the turducken.

What is Turducken?

Speaking of turducken, this reviewer recently visited the Alpine Steakhouse and ordered it just to see what it was all about. And it was a pleasant surprise. So what exactly is turducken? Well, it's a Cajun entrée that combines turkey, duck and chicken. Thus the name "tur-" from turkey, "duck" from duck and "-en" from chicken. According to an article found in the Sarasota Herald Tribune, turducken is made from a boneless turkey stuffed with a boneless duck and a boneless chicken. Served at the Alpine Restaurant since 1995, the turducken draws customers to the restaurant, and the great cooking keeps them coming back.

Alpine Steakhouse Owner, Mark Rebhan

A Sarasota Herald Tribune article (2007) reports that Mark Rebhan has been the owner of the Alpine Steakhouse since 1989. He prides himself on using fresh ingredients in all the dishes served at Alpine. He makes his own sausage and roasts his own peppers that grace the top of the turducken plate. He has combined a fresh butcher shop, a deli and a restaurant to create an eatery that promises an eating adventure with hot, fresh food.

Dining Experience at the Alpine Steakhouse Sarasota, Florida

Upon entering the rather quaint restaurant on a recent Thursday evening, the party of 4 were immediately greeted and taken to a booth. Drink orders were taken and served before dinner orders were made. The wait to place the dinner order seemed lengthy, about 25 minutes. Warm garlic bread was brought to the table right away. A few minutes later, Gorgonzola salads in cold cast iron bowls were served to the 2 ladies while cups of the Black-eyed Pea Soup were brought to the 2 men at the table. The salad was fresh, cold and really tasty. Normally not a lover of Gorgonzola cheese, this reviewer found the salad to be bursting with flavors of the cheese, crisp lettuce and shredded carrots. Both men reported the Black-eyed Pea Soup was no doubt home-made, hot and had good flavor. This reviewer sampled a bite and agreed.

After about 25 minutes or so, dinner was brought to the table. Served with the turducken may just be the best mashed potatoes, gravy and dressing ever. Along with a small cup of cranberry sauce, more garlic bread was served. All in the party were pleasantly surprised- entrees were steaming hot and well-seasoned. The turducken was hot and sliced about ¾ of an inch thick. The turkey was juicy and its flavor blended well with the incredible dressing that was stuffed between the layers of turkey, duck and chicken. There was almost no fat or gristle to be found in the duck. The mashed potatoes and gravy tasted so fresh and delicious, this reviewer wished she would have had a second serving. The cranberry sauce had a bit of orange in it and was the perfect accompaniment for the turducken.

The restaurant's décor could use some updating, yet somehow, it fits with the menu. Speaking of the menu, besides turducken, there were ribs, various chicken dishes (chicken primavera, for one), stuffed pork chops, and Philly cheese-steak sandwiches. Seafood dishes and a variety of steak choices also grace the Alpine Steakhouse's menu. Even German selections are included-wiener schnitzel, sauerbraten and Hungarian goulash, to name a few. No one in the party ordered dessert but it was on the menu. Items such as Apple Strudel, Cherry Cobbler and New Orleans Bread Pudding were listed.

Although the dinner guests arrived a little early for the dinner hour, after an hour or so, nearly every table at Alpine Steakhouse was filled with families or elderly couples. Parking was ample, although traffic was very busy on Tamiami Trail, the main drag through Sarasota, where the restaurant is found. Atmosphere was homey and "diner-like."

Cost of Meal for Two at Alpine Steakhouse

Cost of 2 meals was $50, including tip. One entrée was Turducken, the other was smoked ribs.

Rating of the Dining Experience at Alpine Steakhouse

Overall, this dining experience rates 4 out of 5 stars.

Order Turducken Online at the Alpine Steakhouse Website

You can order your own turducken or turducklet (smaller version) from the Alpine Steakhouse website, if you wish. Baking instructions will be enclosed.

Sources

Alpine Steakhouse website.

Personal experience.

Sarasota Herald Tribune website, "15 Minutes of Fame built on Values, and Turducken" dated August 9, 2007.