The Chicken Fried Steak at Prego’s Pasta House is Stellar

There’s a certain appeal to hearing about people who find hidden treasures right under their proverbial nose. Every time a news story breaks about someone buying an original copy of the Declaration of Independence for a dollar at a garage sale or discovering a stash of money in the midst of a home remodel, people can’t help but open up the frames of every piece of art they own or smash holes in the drywall of their homes in hopes of finding treasures of their own. Antiques Roadshow has earned a rabid following by tapping into this same set of feelings.

A hidden food find in an unexpected place may not have the same monetary value, but we still get excited when we make such a discovery. Earlier this fall, we sat at a table full of strangers at one of Knife’s pop-up dinners, and discussion wandered across food from multiple cuisines. One of our dining companions mentioned that he had the best chicken fried steak at an Italian restaurant, and our ears perked up. Could this be our next foodie treasure trove? It took a few weeks to fit it into the schedule for a visit, but we’re happy to share what we’ve learned.

Situated just south of Central Market at Greenville and Lovers, Prego’s Pasta House has been plating up Italian classics for four decades. Neighborhood locals swear by Prego’s for a multitude of reasons; while some come for the house-made Italian sausage and meatballs, others keep returning for the friendly staff of long-tenured bartenders and servers. Even first-timers quickly feel at home when they walk in and leave with full bellies and smiling faces.

As we sat at the bar and scanned the menu over a glass of wine, there was nary a mention of chicken fried steak, although we did see a 14-ounce New York strip listed for $37.95. When asked, our bartender confirmed that the same strip steak can be ordered chicken fried, pounded thin, battered and fried to a perfect golden hue and served on a bed of cottage fries.

It’s served with a side dish of cream gravy that employs the drippings of ham roasted earlier in the day. After finishing his description, our bartender also warned us about the sheer quantity of food we were about to order. But our mouths were watering over “cream gravy with ham drippings,” so we plowed ahead undiscouraged.

In hindsight, you should order Prego’s chicken fried steak only if you’ve spent a day fasting, or you’ve brought a friend. Yes, $38 is a lot of scratch for chicken fried steak, but Prego’s offering can easily feed two people with healthy appetites, which helps with the value proposition.

Oh, and it’s phenomenal, both in taste and visual appeal. Our only complaint might be that Prego hasn’t invested in larger plates just for this dish, as even their largest platter struggles to contain the slab of fried beef. You might think your cottage fries were left off the order, but trust us: they’re present and accounted for. You just need to lift up the steak to find them underneath, crisp, ripple-cut potato discs to partake of when you need a break from the steak.

The New York strip is fork tender and juicy, and the batter that encases the beef is crispy and golden without being greasy. With the gravy served on the side, you can smother each bite with as little or as much as you prefer. We erred on the side of caution, choosing to dip each morsel into the dish of gravy, but the gravy is so rich and fantastic that you’d be forgiven for dumping it directly on your plate. You’d also be forgiven for asking if Prego’s sold the gravy by the gallon. We did, and they don’t.

Our bartender was right: there was no way we could finish our meal, and we took more than half of it home for leftovers. A week later, we were back at Prego with some friends, and we convinced one of them to order the chicken-fried steak for themselves. Then we grabbed our smartphone when the food arrived, so we could document the shock on their face and the expletives that issued from their mouth when first laying eyes on their meal. It’s one thing to tackle this delicious dish on your own, and another to watch your friends’ reactions when they see it for the first time. Both are experiences we highly recommend.

Prego’s Pasta House, 4930 Greenville Ave., Monday – Thursday, 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.; Friday, 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.; 
Saturday, 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.; Sunday, Noon – 9:00 p.m.