I don't know how I feel about this.

This might be a nice gift for the meatloaf lover(s) in your life, but I think they would prefer the real thing. Anyway, you can get it here.

The Fishery, East Rockaway, NY

  Let me start by saying that I don't like fish. I just don't. Sure, I'll have a tuna melt, or some cocktail shrimp, but that's about it. But sometimes you have to suck it up and eat where everybody else in your group wants to go. So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw "Meatloaf stuffed with spinach and mozzarella" on the menu of this apparently very popular dockside seafood place.
  This is one tasty loaf o' meat. The spinach and cheese are not really "stuffed" inside the loaf, rather they, along with nice bits of onion, are more accurately scattered about, a nice combination of taste and textures in every bite. My go-to sides, mashed potatoes and broccoli, were also very good.

Update: Apparently after hurricane Sandy, The Fishery has reopened as Reel LI, and no longer has meatloaf on the menu. Guess I won't be eating there again.

Eveready Diner, Brewster NY

Sometimes, you know you're in for a treat before you walk in the door of a place. That's the vibe we got as we pulled up to the Eveready Diner in Brewster, NY. It's a modern building but the art deco style makes it a very inviting place to eat. So, how was the meatloaf?  Very moist, with a pleasant slight sweetness. The mushroom gravy was excellent, complementing the meat, not overpowering it. The veggies provided the contrasting crispness, and the mountain of mashed potato was terrific, with a texture that seemed more like a scooped out baked potato. Washed down with an authentic egg cream drink, this was a great meatloaf meal.

Rigas Restaurant, Bellaire OH

The Rigas family has been operating this cozy diner-style restaurant since 1963.  I have eaten here on and off for 20 years, usually ordering their great chicken salad club, when it dawned on me that I had never tried the meatloaf. (Hand smacks forehead.)  I set out to correct this grave error, and was not disappointed.  It was very tasty indeed, with a large helping of smashed potatoes, and cole slaw.

Karen's Drive-In, Patterson, NY

Meatloaf for breakfast! Karen's Drive-In, Rt 22, Patterson NY, is a small restaurant popular with the local residents. They serve eggs with a meatloaf topped with sliced tomato, cheddar cheese, and the one breakfast item that improves everything, bacon! Very tasty.  

Neptune Diner, Oneonta, NY

Bob S. in New York emails us to say that the Neptune Diner in Oneonta, NY has very good meatloaf. He particularly liked the mushroom gravy. He sends this photo:
The diner is open 24/7, as all diners should be. The plate that the meatloaf is on looks rather fancy for a diner, don't you think?

Hoss's Steak and Sea House, Wheeling, WV

Hoss’s Steak and Sea House is a family restaurant chain with 38 locations in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Bigger than a mom and pop place, but smaller than Applebee's, for sure. Even though it's mainly a steak and salad bar place, the waitress told me that many folks do order the meatloaf. After trying it, I can see why. It had a great texture, not hard, and yet held together well, with bits of onion inside. I opted for ketchup instead of gravy this time (hence the inelegant stream of Heinz in the photo), and was not disappointed. This was one fine meatloaf. The stuffing with gravy was better than average, too. I would recommend this to anyone who is searching for a good meatloaf while on the road. And they receive one bonus point for wifi in the restaurant. You may notice a lack of veggies in the photo, there was a large salad on the plate next to this one, I swear.
Update: I am saddened to learn that the Wheeling location has closed, but other Hoss's remain open.

Sonny Boy, Bridgeport OH

Sonny Boy is a local diner that's been around seemingly forever. Located on the National Road, it's a good place for inexpensive, no-nonsense food. It's always busy, which is a good sign for folks who seek out these kinds of places. During all my visits there, I have only ever heard three different CDs playing: Anne Murray, Johhny Cash, and assorted polkas.
The meatloaf was pretty good, once I got past the extreme "brown-ness" of the gravy. It had a very uniform taste, no bits of onion or other things popping onto the taste buds (not that it's a bad thing). I think next time I eat there, I will order it without gravy and apply ketchup instead.

Meatloaf Musings

From guest contributor Molly B in NY:
Is meatloaf inherently a manly food? Is there something about its saucy, savory solidity that specifically appeals to the Y chromosome? There’s much to recommend a food that can be eaten in slabs. And perhaps this predilection is hard-wired into the DNA of men. I’m not suggesting a government study, but we can speculate.

Does it remind men of their mothers and happier times round the Formica table, when people actually drank milk with dinner and ate Jell-O for dessert? Does it represent a more wholesome and orderly universe not yet pervaded by scary foods that you can’t pronounce? If you had to ask me what the opposite of meat loaf is, I’d have to say “quinoa.” Not only can you not pronounce it, nobody knows exactly what it is, and it tastes terrible, although it is reported to be good for you. About as far from comfort food as you can get, I’d say. Or maybe arugula. Not a comfort food. Definitely not a guy food. Guys may eat lettuce and even spinach on occasion, but anything that looks too much like a weed is not making the cut.

Or is it the ground beef aspect of le loaf that gives it such masculine appeal? Its consanguinity with burgers and chili and some canned substance that I myself cannot identify called “Manwich?” See? It’s even got “Man” in the title. This is unquestionably a man thing. Ground meat and some kind of gravy on a bun. For my money, the bun is a poor substitute for mashed potatoes, but I can see the appeal.

I want to hear from guys and girls on this. Yes, I know girls love meat loaf. I love meatloaf as much as the next gal. But, I do not worship at the shrine of Loaf. Ground beef holds no mystical appeal for me, nor does A1 sauce or any other topping—except gravy (see earlier entry). What makes us traverse the nation in search of the Holy Grail of meat loaves? Because I am prepared to do just that. I want a meatloaf that will make me cry tears of joy. Bring it on, America.

Perkins Restaurant, Wheeling, WV

I ate at Perkins, a chain restaurant, mainly because they are open 24 hours on weekends. Of course, I ordered the meatloaf. It wasn't nearly as disappointing as I had expected. The crust had a nice hint of tomato, and the gravy did not overwhelm the meat. As premade meatloafs go, it was better than average. As a bonus, the place has free wifi, and great muffins.