Easy Rider - Southern, Petaluma

190 Kentucky St, Petaluma CA 94952
(707) 774-6233
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon-Fri 5pm-9pm; Sat-Sun 10am-1:30pm, 5pm-9pm
www.easyriderpetaluma.com

Last Visited: May 6, 2023

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars

Service: 4 to 5 stars

Price: $$$

Petaluma's food scene is pretty happening for a small town - Italian is a staple and while there is a good variety of everything else, there hasn't really been a southern comfort food spot in Sonoma County, so it's fun to see a new place take this location.

Enter Easy Rider and you'll see their full bar.  Tables tend to be a bit tight in terms of space - for example, we sat in the booth across from the bar and if you happen to be a little larger, this would have been uncomfortable, but overall, they have made it cozy and rustic, using up every counter and corner that you can find.

The restaurant was packed on a Saturday night by 6pm, so reservations are definitely recommended.  If you live locally, consider the three course prix fixe menu for $44 - a terrific deal when most of their entrees are in the high $30 range.  Brunch is available on the weekends.  If you have to wait, there seems to be an abundance of drink choices to try.  

Ashley, our server, was very positive and had such a pleasant attitude.  She was not fazed at all by our declaration that we would share all of the entrees and made sure the bussers didn't take our plates away after the appetizer.  I really appreciated her service and attention to detail. 

- Hushpuppies - For our starter, we chose the bacon and cheddar hushpuppies which are served with a sweet strawberry and japaleno jam.  The hushpuppies exterior are a bit dark in color, but the inside is bright yellow and the flavor of the bacon and salt from the cheddar definitely comes out.  There were six in total.  The jam could be more jammy/thick, and the strawberry was definitely more prominent the jalapeno, but that was fine for our table since we can't tolerate a ton of spice anyways. Solid, but I would have preferred the oil to be fresher so that the presentation could be golden brown.  $13.75

- Braised Short rib - This was easily the best dish of the night.  The short rib is super tender and flavorful.  You don't even need a knife.  The potato puree is covered with gravy and topped with the meat, so you can't go wrong there.  The short rib was topped with some fried shallots, chopped parsley, and a horseradish cream.  While the menu mentions turnip and mushrooms, I think with our splitting all of the entrees that I missed getting these ingredients. They certainly weren't overwhelming.  In any case, I could easily eat this dish again.  The horseradish cream is pretty mild, so I wouldn't have minded if the horseradish flavor was stronger here.  Four stars. $37 

- Shrimp n grits - Four shrimp are served with four slices of andouille sausage cut on the bias and grilled.  The grits are topped with sauce creole and there is a small spoonful's worth of trinity pickles on the side.  The shrimp is tender and not overcooked and the sauce has a kick - so if you don't like spicy food, you should skip this one.  The grits are just the right texture.  For this price, I think another couple of shrimp would make it a better value.  Good, but the sauce can be a touch overpowering and possibly affected every dish I ate after this one. $33.50

- Berkshire pork chop - I was pleasantly surprised at how juicy this pork chop was when I cut into it.  It's thick and meaty - maybe it's brined.  With all of the other dishes, my palate might have been a bit distorted by the time I ate this, but the pork chop could be a bit saltier.  The cheesy grits don't have as much of a cheesy taste as just a regular grits taste.  The collards are slightly sweet because of the apple butter.  This was just okay, but the meat was done nicely.  If you want mild flavors, choose this one. $34.50

- Southern fried chicken dinner - This was my second favorite dish of the night.  Four pieces of chicken are breaded with a cornmeal crust and fried.  I think they probably brine the meat because I've never had a fried chicken breast this size that is this juicy.  The meat is served drizzled with calabrian chili honey and there is bacon truffle gravy on the side.  Mac and cheese and collard greens also come with the chicken.  The calabrian chili is not very noticeable, but the sweetness of the honey makes for a terrific bite with this thick crust.  Similar comment as above when it comes to the color being a bit on the dark side.  Nevertheless, the gravy makes it better, although I could taste the bacon more than the truffle.  Actually, had the menu not said truffle, I can't say I would have even noticed that was part of the ingredient list, but again, it could have been that creole sauce from the shrimp and grits dish that made it less noticeable.  The mac and cheese is awesome - even if you're not ordering the chicken, I wonder if you can get that as a side (it's not on the menu as a side dish).  Collard greens are ok - nothing to write home about here.  The sides make this a really good value. $35.50

The food and service make Easy Rider worth a visit.  In my opinion, there is a lot of good flavors going on, but some ingredients could be highlighted even more.  I'm really glad I shared the entrees so I didn't feel stuck with any one because depending on what you order, as noted, some flavors are mild while others may be too strong.  

The menu offers sandwiches and other sides as well as lighter fare.  The staff was all around friendly and made the evening enjoyable.  It's a fun atmosphere for drinks or night out with friends.  Note that they also charge a living wage surcharge on your dine in bill.