By SUE CODY – Photos by ALEX PAJUNAS

Coast Weekend

If you’re tired from a day of sun at the beach, maybe in need of a steak after a long game of volleyball, Girtle’s Seafood and Steaks is a quick walk away from the Turnaround in Seaside. Sitting on the main drag at 311 Broadway, the restaurant offers a variety of options of surf and turf fare in a family-oriented atmosphere.

Kansas City beef is the name of the game at Girtle’s. New York steak, tenderloin, peppercorn, rib-eye or the prime rib all begin with select choices of meat.

The prime rib, seasoned and cooked to perfection, has that melt-in-your-mouth texture that is unique to prime rib. Pink and juicy, it comes served with au jus and horseradish on the side. Just salty enough, without going overboard, it satisfied this meat-lover’s appetite.

If you like your pepper steak hot, try the peppercorn New York steak. Encased in peppercorns seemingly pounded into the meat, my companion found it too spicy. The pepper seemed to overwhelm the taste of the excellent beef.

Served with traditional options – salad or soup, baked potato, fries or polenta – there was nothing noteworthy about the side dishes. The baked potato was served with ramekins of butter and sour cream to sate a traditional craving for meat and potatoes.

On a weekday afternoon, the service was only fair. After ordering, it seemed a long time before our salads – typical iceberg lettuce, red onion and cucumber – arrived. Three bites into the salad, the meal arrived. Two minutes after the meal was served, the check arrived.

Needless to say, the salads were barely touched as we dived into the main course. The beef was hot and savory. The vegetable medley of broccoli, kohlrabi, green beans and carrots with a hint of herbs was steamed to perfection. A round of spiced apple, dyed red, red, red, was tasty, but could have been mistaken for a beet.

Strangely, the menu didn’t list desserts. When the waiter showed up to clear our plates, we asked for a dessert menu. “I’ll see what we have,” he said.

The choices included cheesecake, cobbler, chocolate mousse and ice cream.

The New York-style cheesecake was firm and topped with delicious fresh strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream. It ranked an 8 on our scale of 1 to 10. Pretty darned good for a West Coast beach restaurant. The chocolate mousse was sweet and creamy with a hint of brandy taste. It was good, but not outstanding.

If you’re hankering for a steak and your companions want a sandwich or chicken or seafood, Girtle’s is a good choice.

In addition to steak, the restaurant offers chicken breast (teriyaki, lime butter or Dijon), prawns, a crab or lobster casserole, halibut filet, razor clams, salmon, lobster tail, pasta dishes (fettuccini with chicken, seafood or Alfredo sauce) and beef Stroganoff.

Lunch and dinner prices begin at $12 for a steak sandwich or fettuccini Alfredo. Chicken dishes are $16 and steak and seafood offerings range from $19 to $23 ($36 for lobster tail).

Select wines from Oregon, Washington and California – Duck Pond, Stone Wolf, 14 Hands – are offered, along with one or two selections from Chile and Australia.

Wines are priced from $20 to $40 a bottle or $5.75 per glass. There is a full-service bar in the back, separate from the restaurant.