It's the meat that is the star at Chad's

Maybe it's the familiar décor — all woody and Old West.

More likely it's the greeting from the friendly staff that immediately sets diners at ease.

Whatever it is, there is no mistaking what you're gonna get at Chad's — a really good steak and a no-nonsense meal.

Appetizers here are a throwback to an era when shrimp cocktail was exotic and fried potatoes were more popular. They include chicken strips ($6.45), potato skins ($5.95) and fried zucchini sticks ($6.45).

The starters may be an afterthought because dinner entrees include bread, salad, beans and a choice of potatoes or rice. After finding out that dinner included the extras, we didn't see a need for the appetizers.

On both recent visits, the dinner salad set a pleasant tone for the rest of the meal. Truthfully, there was nothing out of the ordinary in this salad. It was just a good, crisp mix of lettuces, julienned carrots, olives, broccoli, tomato and croutons. Diners get a choice of several dressings. If you want, the server will sprinkle feta or blue cheese on top.

The restaurant's renowned bread arrives soon after you sit. Tasty, warm slices of buttery bread rolls topped with Parmesan cheese were gone shortly after the server placed them on the table.

But we were there for good steaks and prime rib. Chad's delivered on both.

We ordered Chad's Signature Rib-eye Steak ($20.95), medium. We were taken by the description billing it as a hand-cut, Black Angus steak that's "melt-in-your-mouth" good.

It came to the table darkly caramelized and full of charbroiled flavor on the outside. But it was red, juicy and tender on the inside. For meatatarians, this surely is the same steak they serve up in heaven.

Chad, by the way, is the name of the previous owner's son. Owners Shaun and Sandi Herrington kept the name when they bought the steakhouse about 41/2 years ago.

For our other entree, we ordered a medium-rare prime rib ($17.95 for the smaller portion, $20.95 for the larger). We didn't have any complaints with this tender, juicy and flavorful cut swimming in au jus. We had the smaller portion and that was plenty of beef for even big eaters.

But it came to the table closer to rare than medium rare, though not so much as to send it back. And we discovered that we enjoyed it as much as the prime rib we usually order.

On the second visit, we had a porterhouse steak ($22.95) and Chad's baby-back ribs ($15.95 half slab, $19.95 for the full slab).

Again, this steakhouse did a great job on the meat entrees. The ribs (the half slab was plenty) were slathered in a sweetly tangy sauce that complemented the fall-off-the-bone rib meat.

Like the rib-eye on the previous visit, the ribs had a nice char flavor on the outside that gave them that desired grilled taste. Because eating ribs is messy business, they're served with plenty of pre-packaged hand wipes on the side.

The porterhouse is definitely a macho-size steak. It was so good my dinner partner said the steak had that "delicious char-broiled taste" three times. While the flavor was the selling point, the steak was also tender and juicy.

Chad's did strike a couple of minor sour notes. On both visits the baked potatoes were overcooked. The first time, we enjoyed only a couple of forkfuls of potato because the skin had hardened far into the potato.

On the second visit, in addition to being overcooked, the potato was just barely warm enough to melt the butter topping.

On the other hand, the sweet potato was perfect, and with a little brown sugar and butter on top, it went down well with the entrees. On both visits, the beans — too salty, too spicy — remained untouched by all diners.

The minor hiccups didn't mar the dinner. And we had no reason to complain about the service.

On both visits we noticed that the clientele was a diverse group of families, business people in suits, retired folks and young couples. The love of a good steak, it seems, lasts a lifetime.

Restaurant review

Chad's Steakhouse and Saloon

3001 N. Swan Road, northwest corner of Swan and Fort Lowell roads, 881-1802.

• Family call: Everyone.

• Noise level: Country music plays in the background, but conversation is comfortable.

• Dress: Casual.

• Reservation: Recommended.

• Menus: Lunch and dinner.

• Vegetarian options: C'mon – this is a steakhouse. The vegetarian options are limited to the side dishes.

• Wine list: A good selection of red, blush and white wines.

• Price range: Entrees range from $13.95 for the chicken breasts to $22.95 for the porterhouse. Chad's also has seafood entrees at market price.

• Et cetera: The saloon portion includes a wide-screen TV.