Before you read on, put this paper down, take a moment and think about the sound a motorcycle makes when it’s starting up. Do you have it in your mind’s ear? Well, that’s the very sound that inspired the name for a new restaurant in town, WhaBah Steakhouse Saloon Steelhorse Ranch.

The unique ideas and attention to detail followed us throughout our dining experience at WhaBah. The owners have gutted and transformed an old warehouse into a rustic, inviting wide-open space with high seating, wooden tables, a bar and a 16-foot grill where customers can cook their own steaks. How unique is that!? There’s an attractive, enormous double-sided, river-rock fireplace that warms both the front and back dining rooms, as well as a wall of windows that looks out onto patio seating.

The word is that Friday and Saturday nights are a hot spot of fun and chaos, with live music and a case full of various cuts of fresh (never frozen) steaks to choose from. If you’re not into the party atmosphere, other nights of the week are quiet and might be a good time to bring the family for a cookout.

We ventured in on a calm Sunday evening, which gave us a chance to chat with the friendly wait staff and one of the owners, who shared his vision with us. He knew there was nothing like this in Bowling Green and, after months hard work by he and his partner, their dream was realized.

What I love about WahBah is that it runs the gamut: You choose your own steak from a case (as you would in a fine restaurant), but that feel is combined with the do-it-yourself salad and potato bar that offer the quaintness of a southern buffet. Either way, between this and cooking your own steak, the atmosphere lends itself to a lot of movement. You’re constantly meeting, greeting and interacting with other customers – not just isolated at your table.

You can begin with one of their six appetizers, or choose from steaks that are the same price, $18.95, but differ in size, from an 18-ounce sirloin to 16-ounce ribeye or T-bone to the 10-ounce filet, which was our choice. I jumped up to look at the steaks in the case, and right away could see that I couldn’t eat one by myself. We decided on their “split a meal” deal. This was a new and novel idea. Two guests can split the steak and pay for each to have a trip to the all-you-can eat salad and potato bars.

For a dollar extra, you can have the master grill chef cook your steaks, instead of getting up to do it yourself. The owner noted that only about 10 percent of the people are cooking their own steaks right now, but my guess is that the novelty will catch on in time. Still, we decided to let the chef handle ours, and when the question of how we wanted the filet grilled, there was a tense moment – we both knew we were at opposite ends of the grilling spectrum. I’m a medium rare gal; he likes his well-done. Not to worry, though – Wade, our waiter, sensed the dilemma and told us the steak could easily be cut in two. Do you know the sound my mind makes when I can have a steak cooked the way I like it? Whew!

We enjoyed an ice-cold Corona as we waited, because the atmosphere felt as relaxed as a beach in Aruba. Then, we were up again and off to the salad bar. I personally give salad bars a 1-to-10 rating in my head, depending on the variety they have to offer. This one had all the usual suspects: lettuce, cucumber, tomato and grated cheese, as well as a few items I don’t choose, but appreciate, like eggs, macaroni salad, potato salad and fruit salad. It did have two of my favorites that not all salad bars have: olives and sunflower seeds. Most items were fresh and there were six salad dressings to choose from. I gave it a 7.5.

When our dinner arrived, it was a no-frills plate with the steak and a piece of Texas toast. The presentation of both was uneventful, and there was a concerned look on my face when it was set in front of me. I’m happy to report, however, what it lacked in looks it more than made up for in flavor. The steak was cooked perfectly, to each of our liking, and the toast was buttered, toasted and seasoned just enough to take me a back when I bit into it. Yummy! My dining companioned expressed the same experience before I had a chance to say anything.

We then took our plates and headed back up, this time to the potato bar. The potatoes were large, fresh and flavorful. Again, all the usual items were present: butter, sour cream, cheese, chives and an exciting treat, real bacon.

We finished off the evening with a slice of chocolate delight, a light chocolate cake drizzled with warm chocolate sauce and topped with whipped cream. The plate presentation was as appetizing as the cake.

We hauled ourselves out of there with smiles on our faces, celebrating a truly unique experience with the sound of satisfaction in our heads, echoing the sound a motorcycle makes as it rumbles wild and free into the unknown. Waaaaaaaaaah.

Copyright 2006 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)