Doolittles Woodfire Grill is a regional chain (North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin) that opened in May near East Towne Mall in an area already dominated by other chain restaurants. Its specialty is wood-fired rotisserie cooking, although I was underwhelmed.
From the parking lot to the front door, patrons are greeted by an enticing smell of smoked meats. However, several menu items failed to deliver on these aromatic expectations. The ribs, for instance, had little smoky flavor, plus they had barely any meat, and the meat that was on it was tough to chew. The spit-roasted chicken had slightly more flavor; only the tender and juicy meat saved it from being a complete disappointment.
At least the Applewood bacon and smoked cheddar burger was done right. Big pieces of bacon and a wish-I-had-more smoked paprika aioli topped a fresh-off-the grill patty. I just wished the accompanying fries weren’t so blah.
Many of the appetizers caught my eye, such as the Asian pickled tacos and the woodfire buffalo wings. However, I settled on the walleye fingers, which I enjoyed. Good fried taste to the flaky fish, nice parmesan crust, plus a creamy tartar sauce make this dish worth ordering again.
The rest of the menu is comprised of salads, sandwiches, saute dishes (e.g. linguine with shrimp) and steaks (how’s that for using four “S” words in a row?).
Doolittles has a huge, four-sided bar in the center of the restaurant that indicates it could be a good place for happy hour. TVs are placed in the upper corners of the ceiling to steer away from being a sports bar. Just beware of the high drink prices. A screwdriver, for example, was $7, and that’s after the $2 discount.
I always get nervous when I see more hostesses than waiters (see my review of The Egg and I), and that’s what happened on a weekend lunch. Three hostesses greeted us, but we didn’t see one of the two waiters for nine minutes, and only after I asked a hostess to send a waiter to our table.
Doolittles Woodfire Grill is open every day for lunch and dinner.
Similar to the nearby One Barrel Brewing, the recently opened 
The patty in the Atwood Burger ($10) had a nice thickness to it because it was made with beer-soaked rye bread mixed in. I liked that it was served on a Stalzy’s Challah bun. Meanwhile, I adored the 72 Hour Beef Shank ($14.50). Like the pate, this dish is not meant for conservative eaters. The beef is salty, full of gristle–both qualities I enjoy–and supremely tender as it’s braised in beer for three days. The side of root vegetable mash was creamy and delicious, especially as it soaked up the juice from the meat.
Some parting thoughts: Apparently it’s not much of a destination for the breakfast crowd, as the cafe was once open at 8 a.m. Tuesday to Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday, but now it opens at 10 a.m. those days. Also, the staff makes a big fuss if you try to pay with a credit card for any tab less than $20. At least there’s an ATM on site.
