Strawberry's Hits a Home-run

My mom wanted to go out for brunch to celebrate her birthday and I, of course, was given the important task of finding the right restaurant close by.

After a quick Internet search, I landed on Strawberry's Sports Grill's Web site and was surprised to find a full brunch menu. After a quick scan of their offerings, I knew I'd found the place.

Our party ended up being nine. We arrived at 11 a.m. on a Sunday and were greeted at the door by Mike Strawberry, Darryl's brother. I actually did a double take at first thinking it was Darryl. They definitely look like brothers. 

Upon entering the establishment I was greeted by a huge bar, tons of New York sports paraphernalia decorating the walls and enough high-definition TVs to satisfy the most die-hard baseball, football or hockey fan. Mike Strawberry brought us to our table himself and handed us our menus.

Since this was our first time here, he invited us to take a walk around the restaurant and tell us about some of the memorabilia hanging on the walls. It was a nice, personal touch.

The place is pretty large. There is the main bar and dining area when you first walk in with an area adjacent to it that has a bunch of booths to sit at. A brunch buffet was setup along a hallway room that provides additional seating during other hours and at the end of the hallway is a sort of indoor patio that seems perfect for private parties.

After our tour we sat back at our table and looked over the menu. I didn't see the same brunch menu as the one posted online, so I asked our server for more information. 

I was told that they do not have the brunch menu anymore — instead, there's a buffet for about $15 that comes with a mimosa or a Bloody Mary. We all went with the buffet and got up to get some grub.

The buffet selection was small but had all the essentials. The first table had pastries and croissants. Next was the hot food: grits, tater tots, biscuits, waffles, breakfast sausage, bacon, chicken tenders, BBQ chicken, pulled pork and macaroni and cheese. Along with the buffet, there was friendly chef ready to prepare a two-egg or egg white omelet with a nice selection of ingredients. On the last table was some fresh fruit and oatmeal along with syrup and gravy.

Since everyone went straight to the omelet chef, I started with waffles and sausage. Some of the waffles were a little hard and some were a little soggy, you had to search for one that was in-between. 

When returning to our table I noticed my son had moved himself, along with my wife and father, to one of the booths. That led to all of us moving. I apologized to Mike Strawberry about this and his response was: "No worries, the place is yours."

On my next trip to the buffet I had an omelet with bacon, onions and cheddar cheese. When he was finished I cut the omelet in half and put each half on a biscuit. Those biscuits were really good, crispy on the outside, warm and buttery on the inside — a perfect combination with the eggs.

On my last plate I tried some pulled pork, mac and cheese and chicken tenders. The pork was very juicy and sweet, tasting like it just came off the bone. The mac and cheese was heavy on the "mac" and the cheese — nice and gooey. The tenders I had were pretty dry but had a good spicy kick.

By the end of the meal everyone seemed quite satisfied (and full!). We really enjoyed the atmosphere of the place. It's clear that the staff of Strawberry's takes pride in the restaurant's appearance. 

Because of Strawberry's hospitality and the quality of food, I've asked my wife when we can go back to try out some of the restaurant's celebrated burgers. I can't wait.

Strawberry's Sports Grill is located at 42-15 235th St. in Douglaston, near the Long Island Railroad station. Hours are Mon.-Thurs., noon to 11 p.m.; Fri., noon to midnight; Sat., 11 a.m. to midnight and Sun., 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Brunch is served every Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.