Description: The mastermind behind Damn Yankees is a chef named Dave. He's opinionated, bossy and loud — and possibly one of the most talented chefs in Anniston. When he's in a good mood, the whole restaurant knows it and likewise, when he's in a bad mood, the whole restaurant knows that, too. (As in "NO SOUP FOR YOU!") Even though the restaurant is named Damn Yankees, the local's refer to it simply as "Dave's." Such as, "You wanna go to Dave's?"
My friends and I have tried lots of things on Dave's menu and have never had a bad meal yet. He makes, hands down, the BEST salmon I've ever had. Moist and succulent and never, ever overdone. All of Dave's fresh fish and seafood entrees come with a choice of sauces. My favorite is the Cream of Artichoke. It is downright addicting. This meal comes on a bed of perfectly-cooked pasta. In fact, all of Dave's pasta is superbly prepared as are the accompanying homemade sauces - alfredo or marinara.
The locals can easily get into a Damn Yankees rut - which don't get me wrong - is not a bad place to be. It just means we tend to order the same thing every time we dine there. Just like I always order the salmon with cream of artichoke sauce, my friend can't get past the chicken alfredo. She WANTS to try something new but can't say no to her inner cravings. My daughter orders clams and mussels with angel hair pasta, and never comes close to finishing the massive portion she's given. My husband always orders The Duo, a very large gorgeous garden salad chocked full of all the good stuff a person wants in their salad and topped with a serving of Dave's creamy dill chicken salad AND dill seasoned cooked shrimp, each one plump and tender.
Pizzas are another specialty of the house, but eh, we're just not inclined to order pizza at a sit-down restaurant. One night, however, we went to Dave's for a private party and he served a variety of loaded, homemade pizzas that made me weak in the knees to behold. Unfortunately, each pizza contained some sort of meat topping — pepperoni or ham or bacon — and since this particular night was a Friday in Lent, meat was a no-no for us Catholics. Dave took pity on our pious souls and prepared an incredibly scrumptious vegetarian pizza, topped with artichoke hearts, mushrooms,olives and cheese. Good stuff.
For a couple of dollars, one can get a house salad with the purchase of any entrée. SPEND THE MONEY! It's a great salad with a variety of lettuce, ripe olives, tomatoes, grated cheese and best of all — Dave's own homemade dressing.
The lunch and dinner menu are the same, with the same prices. For lunch you go to the counter and place your order; then fetch your own drinks and silverware. They'll bring the food to your table when it's ready. At night, it's full service so just have a seat and menus will be brought to you. But if it's crowded, flag down a waiter and get your name on the waiting list. Don't just take a seat or you'll be chased off. (It only has to happen to you once.)
On Friday and Saturday nights, the atmosphere of Damn Yankees is loud, chaotic and may take an hour to get a table due to the fact that there is such limited seating - but don't be dissuaded. It's totally worth the wait.
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