JW's

Decatur, AL
$10-$20 Entrees

My husband is a native of Decatur, a small city in northern Alabama gracing the banks of the Tennessee River. He and I went with his father to dinner at JW’s, a steakhouse located on Highway 67, near the I-65 junction. Upon entering, we saw they were running a special: two filet dinners for $30. Not bad.

No steak – and I mean no steak – meets the standard of my father-in-law. He enjoys complaining about any steak he receives and has been known to send steaks back to the kitchens of various, unfortunate restaurants. However, he continues to order steaks wherever he dines, preferring filets. I used to be a rib-eye girl myself, but he converted me. We agreed to order two filet dinners. I prepared myself for a scene.

However, the other shoe never dropped. After a basket of steaming, yeast rolls, we enjoyed colorful side salads with excellent blue cheese dressing (short on the blue cheese, but never-the-less, excellent). My sweet potato was perfectly cooked and as soft as melted butter. The small bowl of brown sugar on the side was a thoughtful touch. The thick, 9-ounce filets melted in our mouths. Really, it was incredibly delicious with a crushed black pepper exterior and a warm, pink, juicy center. I asked my father-in-law how his steak was. He said, “It’s good.” High praise.

Although we were stuffed like ticks, we ordered dessert. The pecan pie was hot, gooey, and just right. But the cheesecake. Oh, the cheesecake. Did I mention the cheesecake? There is a company in Chicago called Eli’s cheesecake. People would come from as far as other states to buy Eli’s cheesecake. JW’s cheesecake is better than Eli’s cheesecake. We received quite a large slice, which my father-in-law and I split. It was creamy and delectable. The buttery, graham cracker crust was clearly made from scratch. My baby daughter liked it too, and she is known to be a discriminate eater.

The atmosphere at JW’s is unremarkable (which can be a good thing) with comfortable, large booths. The service was timely and unobtrusive. You may want to ask for Lauren’s section.

4 Kudzu