Restaurant Week: Batch Southern Kitchen

Related: List of Restaurant Week Venues

Batch Southern Kitchen
All Photos: North Palm Beach Life

To conclude the first week of Palm Beach Restaurant Week -- which is actually more like two weeks -- friends Bill and Eileen joined us once more for a dining trifecta. Our third stop was Batch New Southern Kitchen and Tap, located at 223 Clematis in downtown West Palm Beach.

As their website notes, Batch offers a "modern casual dining restaurant and bar featuring a scratch-cooked, locally sourced new southern culinary menu and garden-to-glass cocktails."

We were there Thursday night, which coincides with Clematis by Night, a weekly celebration of music and food. Our outdoor high-top table put us right in the middle of the action, so to speak, as tricked-out cars cruised up and down Clematis, testing the decibel levels of their speaker systems.

The Batch Restaurant Week special was a $30 dinner that included appetizer, entree and dessert. We started with a cocktail while we made our selections. Pam and I went with a House Made Gin and Tonic ($12), while Bill ordered the Toasted Pecan Whiskey Sour ($12). Eileen started with a Cucumber Crush ($12), but she found it a bit too much cucumber, so she switched to the whiskey sour.

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Deviled Eggs

BBQ Pulled Pork Eggrolls

Chicken and Waffles

Between us, we tried all three of the appetizer options: Pam had the Deviled Eggs; Eileen the Bacon Tots, while Bill and I went with the BBQ Pulled Pork Eggrolls.The consenus? Two thumbs up for all three. 

For the entree round, three of us picked one of their signature dishes, Chicken and Waffles, while one chose the 10 oz. prime flat iron steak. The former features "sweet tea-brined and fried 1/2 chicken with cheddar cornbread waffle, chili-thyme honey and bourbon-maple butter." The molasses-ginger steak came with grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes. But the potatoes weren't available, so brussel sprouts was a substitute.

When they arrived, it was obvious we needed a bigger table. The half-chicken and four portions of waffles was a feast that could have easily been shared. But it's also big on flavor. The waffles were amazing, and once the chicken cooled down, we found it moist and delicious. The steak also got good reviews. Needless to say, all four of us needed to-go containers.

But let's not forget dessert, which for all of us was their chocolate tart with homemade ice cream. The perfect complement to our meal. Here's also a special shout-out to our server, J.R., who took good care of us throughout the evening. 

If you enjoy some down-home Southern cooking with a flair, Batch is the ticket. But come hungry. Their $30-Restaurant Week menu is the bargain of the week. -- Gerry Barker

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You will probably need a to-go!