THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507060060
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: CHAIN REACTION
TYPE: Restaurant review
SOURCE: BY BROWN H. CARPENTER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines
CHEERS, A popular dining spot at Greenbrier Mall in Chesapeake, seems barely big enough to be a chain. Owners Steve and Geri Dokos have but four restaurants, all in Virginia, and the stores don't even have the same name.
Dokos contracts to use the name ``Cheers'' in Chesapeake and Newport News, but was required to use a different label - Season's Cafe - in Williamsburg and calls his Fairfax restaurant ``Beacon Street,'' since that name isn't limited to Virginia as the copyrighted ``Cheers'' is.
``Cheers,'' of course, was a popular television show featuring a bar in Boston. The rules regarding the use of the name are complicated.
The Greenbrier Cheers, with a Boston theme, is a pleasant eating experience.
The interior is designed to facilitate conversation. A brick wall separates the outer dining area from the large sunken bar area in the center of the restaurant.
Boston street signs and hanging plants form the basic decorations. No washtubs or movie posters adorn the walls.
The entree prices hover around $10 but the menu offers several items more imaginative than the typical fare of the larger chains, including fresh fish, crab cakes and a chicken dish featuring Brazilian mustard glaze.
For starters, our party of four shared two appetizers, Cambridge Crab Dip ($6.25) and chicken fajita quesadillas ($5.45). The dip, a tasty blue-crab-flavored cheese sauce, was devoured greedily. We even asked for extra bread to scrape up the last bit.
The quesadillas also rated an Ole! Cheers delightfully complicates this recipe with marinated chicken, mushrooms and onions.
Our entrees accented seafood: Hickory Grilled Shrimp ($9.95), Boston Chicken & Shrimp ($10.95), the Fisherman's Choice ($12.95) and the Crab Cake Platter ($11.95).
The star on this particular Saturday evening was the Fisherman's Choice (a catch of the day), which featured tuna, either grilled or blackened. We opted for grilled; it was just right, juicy and nicely seasoned.
Contending for honors was the chicken and shrimp entree, blackened and served over fettuccine with a cream sauce. All ingredients blended superbly.
The grilled shrimp, served over linguine, were flavorful, but the butter sauce on the pasta was lackluster.
The crab cakes were more like a casserole than the solid concoctions smacked into shape at small waterfront eateries around the Chesapeake Bay. But with a little effort, this dish could be a major breakthrough for chain restaurant menus.
All accompaniments were A-1 - the sauteed vegetables, french fries, cole slaw and salad.
For dessert, we split a sinful Boston Derby ($3.65), a gooey brownie topped with vanilla ice cream.
The children's menu is a bargain. All items are just 99 cents.
Cheers recently began a Sunday brunch, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and featuring an omelet bar; eggs Benedict; all the shrimp you can eat; or pastries and fruit. Each is $8.95.
Despite the number of nationally known chain restaurants with stores in Hampton Roads, Cheers lures customers with its atmosphere, menu and service. ILLUSTRATION: ROY A. BAHLS COLOR PHOTOS
BBQ Baby Back Ribs, served with baked beans and coleslaw, are a
specialty at Cheers in Chesapeake.
Graphic
CHAIN REACTION
Cheers Unlimited Cafe & Tavern: 1405 Greenbrier Parkway,
Chesapeake. 424-4665.
Hours: from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (appetizers until 10:30) Sunday;
from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; from 11 a.m. to
midnight (appetizers until 12:30 a.m.) Friday and Saturday.
Prices: Dinner salads and quiche from $6.25 to $6.95; sandwich
entrees from $5.95 to $6.25; pasta platters from $6.95 to $10.95;
beef dishes from $11.95 to $13.95 (grilled shrimp added for $3.45
extra); and ``Olde Favorites'' (chicken, ribs, shrimp, etc.) from
$6.95 to $12.95. Sunday brunch has omelets, shrimp, pastries, fruit
and other breakfast items for $8.95.
Reservations: Accepted for large parties only.
Smoking: Restricted to 10 booths in the bar area.
Owned by: Steve and Geri Dokos, who own four restaurants: Cheers
in Chesapeake and Newport News, Seasons Cafe in Williamsburg and
Beacon Street in Fairfax.
by CNB