Hut and Heavy

Bob announced that when he had worked in a local seafood house, the frog legs had been imported from Bangladesh, but our server didn't seem convinced that the Bamboo Hut's had come from that far away. The big, meaty hind legs (the only edible part of a frog) were surprisingly good, flash-fried in a light, airy batter. I guess they tasted like chicken, but not as fabulous as the juicy, succulent bird fried in the Bamboo Hut's kitchen each night by cooks Don and Rick. Bob loved the crispy, crackly crust and the hefty size of the breasts.

One Bamboo Hut tradition that Lori Cheek hasn't changed is the no-dessert policy. That doesn't mean customers have stopped asking for it, Adam said. "Yeah, it would be nice if we had, like, a tiramisu or something."

I was thinking more along the lines of apple pie. But who the hell can even think of dessert after packing away a big meal at this place?

A few nights later, Bob and I returned, this time with the saucy Joy. She had never heard of the Bamboo Hut, though she did point out a Highway 40 celebrity landmark on our journey to the joint. "You see that place that looks like an old gas station? That's where Skip Sleyster lives."

Our waitress that night was a no-nonsense Bamboo Hut veteran who clucked over us as if we were her grandchildren. "She's so friendly and nurturing," said Joy, who then nearly jumped out of her seat when a buzzer went off in the kitchen, alerting the servers that an order was up.

We sat closer to the TV that night so Bob could watch the Mizzou basketball game -- along with everyone else in the dining room, which was packed at 7 p.m. An hour later, the place had nearly emptied out, though we had barely noticed because we'd been so focused on our dinners. Joy raved about her tender, perfectly grilled 5-ounce filet. Bob was equally passionate about his Kansas City strip, cooked in butter and garlic and sided with a foil-wrapped baked potato that he piled with butter and sour cream.

For some reason, I'd been craving a grilled Reuben. Because it's been on the Bamboo Hut menu for years, I decided to try one. It turned out to be one of the best in town -- the corned beef was tender, the sauerkraut was tart, and the whole damn thing was hot and heavenly.

How old did you say this place is?" Joy asked as we walked through the gravel parking lot.

Timeless, I'd say.