Valkin Restaurant

For a small town like this, this is a decent restaurant.  I'm happy to see any restaurant around here that's not a pizzeria or a diner!

The outside "tiki" bar with live music is nice idea, and I hope they keep it up.  Nothing was happening the night we went, though.

The food was fairly decent, although what struck me was how small the portions were.  Then I thought about the fact that I wasn't hungry afterwards, so was amused at myself for being so used to giant portions that has become the American standard.

My friend had the french onion soup and it looked great.  He happens to be a french onion soup hound, so if he says it was very good, it must be very good.  My wife had the seafood pasta in a creamy tomato sauce, which had very good flavor.  I had the "Kansas City Steak" special, which you would not expect to be a small piece of meat that's cut up for you, but nevertheless, tasty.

The good news is that the prices are proportional to the portions, so wholly appropriate for the quantity and quality.  Service was good, and the atmosphere was quaint and cozy.

As this is one of only a handful of local restaurants in my area, I hope to make it a regular place for my family.

I've been to the ValKin a few times and it seems to be hit or miss. My husband and I usually order the sandwiches - sometimes it's really good, with fresh, crisp fries and sometimes the fries are cold and soggy and te sandwich is bland.

I got an entree once (an asparagus pasta dish that I believe was a special) and it was really great. Other good things are the decor (rustic) and they have more than Coors light on tap, usually.

One night, we sat by the kitchen, and the Star Wars theme was blasting through the doors. Some might find that a negative, but I thought it was hilarious. YMMV. :)

They also have a tiki bar in the summer which I have not yet experienced, but you can tell they are trying to make it a fun place.

All in all, the food is just too inconsistent for me to return.