Ever come away from a restaurant still hungry? That won’t happen at Gaffney’s Cheap Seats. Portions here are major league.
The last time I was in the building, it was, unbeknownst to me, in its last days as Kelly’s Tavern. Gaffney’s is managed by one of Kelly’s original owners, which is good news for fans who had been missing Ms. Patty for the past few years. She has a reputation for ensuring good, quality food. Another welcomed change is that I’m more comfortable taking my kids here now that the theme has switched from tavern to sports.
As for the food, we started with a variety of fried appetizers and decided the onion rings and mushrooms are our favorites. Next time, I will try the deep-fried jalapeno-stuffed olives, which sound like a good accompaniment for one of their frosty adult beverages.
The chef salad is easily enough for two people and I carried two-thirds of it home in a box. Huge rolls of good quality ham, turkey, thick sliced bacon and American and Swiss cheeses are piled high on plenty of lettuce and other veggies. I usually prefer more dark or baby greens in my salads, but I don’t think they would support this much meat and cheese. It was tasty and filling.
The burgers, named after sports teams, weigh in at more than half a pound and come with homemade potato chips. Some of the toppings are a bit unusual, such as a fried egg, ham or pimento cheese, but they don’t seem to mind if you ask to omit what you don’t want. I like that they serve all-beef hot dogs and use local produce, when available, from Madrac Farms in Rincon. As a matter of fact, Madrac’s owner, Melissa, was our server, so you know they take the farm-to-table concept seriously!
The club sandwich is so big that it has to be deconstructed to be consumed. A fork and knife are essential for the open-face sandwiches, of which I was leery ever since my processed cheese disappointment with Kelly’s reuben earlier this year. But I am encouraged to see that Gaffney’s Fighting Irish Reuben is topped with real melted Swiss cheese and according to the birthday girl in our group, is back up to par.
So, if your appetite is ready for the majors, step up to the plate at Effingham County’s newest restaurant.
• For the major league appetite: The Coaches Challenge is two hamburger patties in between two grilled cheese sandwiches made with Texas toast, topped with jalapenos, caramelized onions, bacon, Cheap Seats sauce, and pepper jack, Swiss and American cheeses.
• For the minor league appetite: The salads or club sandwich are your only options here, but they are very satisfying.
• For little leaguers: Corn dog, hot dog, hamburger, chicken tenders and grilled cheese sandwich.
Gaffney’s Cheap Seats
840 S. Laurel
Springfield, GA 31329
912/754-2222
http://www.facebook.com/GaffneysCheapSeats#!/GaffneysCheapSeats
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-12 a.m.
Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-1 a.m.
most entrees: $6-$9
free wi-fi: yes
alcohol: yes
atmosphere: casual, sit down, bar and grill
credit cards accepted: all major