Steak with a Side of ... Well, Steak

Top left: the blackened steak tips appetizer on a bed of fried onions; top right: the cowboy cut steak weighs in at a hefty 18 ounces but costs a reasonable $24.99

A wise sage once told me that there's very little in this world that can't be cured with a good steak and a nice glass of red wine. Actually, I may have made that up as a fake truism to justify my regular need for steak and wine. But, whatever. Either way, steak is good.

My love of steak made me especially eager a few weeks ago to attend the opening of Wild Buffalo Steakhouse, or "WBS" in North Charleston. WBS is Charleston Hospitality Group's latest addition to the North Charleston dining scene, having experienced success downtown with such restaurants as Eli's Table, Tabbuli and Toast. I have to admit that I don't frequently venture up towards the area of North Charleston where WBS is located, but I was pleased to see that WBS is a strong local contender among the many franchise restaurants that dot the strip mall landscape up around Rivers Avenue.
 

WBS's fare is fairly straightforward bar food, with steaks, burgers, and sandwiches rounding out the main courses. The restaurant also boasts a 24-foot long salad bar, and a host of speciality cocktails. For me, though, the clear winner of the night were the appetizers. The pickled fried green tomatoes were just lightly acidic, fried crispy and not overbattered. A blackened steak tips appetizer was large enough for sharing or to be an entire entree for someone who perhaps didn't want to indulge in a full pound and a half of steak. Yes, you read that right.
 

The chicken wings, available dipped in a variety of sauces, were flavorful, and I enjoyed them outside on WBS's patio with an outdoor bar while waiting for the main event, an 18-ounce ribeye "cowboy" cut, a frenched bone-in ribeye steak that arrived atop a mass of more fried onions. Okay, so maybe I didn't need those blackened steak tips before I dug into a steak larger than my face. Maybe. The ribeye, perfectly cooked to the medium rare that I requested, was a solid piece of meat. I kind of wished that the dish would've had something other than more fried onions, but again, due to my attempt to try a sampling of what the menu had to offer, I might not have actually been hit with a double serving of fried onions if I'd gone on a regular night and just, you know, eased back on the protein selections a little.

WBS is a good option for diners looking for a casual, fun option with a variety of menu items to satisfy everyone. After my personal meat festival, I didn't have the energy or the capacity to try stuffing myself with the items from their salad bar. I guess that's what return visits are for.