Country Dinners: The Section Nobody Reads

Country Veg Plate $10.99 (400–1,580 cal) — choose four sides, one of which may be a salad. The cheapest adult entrée on the whole menu and the only vegetarian-friendly plate. Its calorie range is the widest on the board and depends entirely on whether you pick green beans or loaded potatoes.

Grilled Pork Chops — single $13.49 (440 cal) or double $16.49 (730 cal). Boneless chops with peppercorn sauce. The double adds 290 calories for $3, a reasonable ratio.

Pulled Pork Dinner $13.49 (890 cal) — slow-cooked BBQ pork with toasted fresh-baked bread. Heavier than it looks, mostly from the sauce and bread rather than the meat.

Country Fried Sirloin $14.49 (1,180 cal) — hand-battered fresh-cut sirloin, fried, with cream gravy. The heaviest non-steak entrée on the menu; the batter and gravy together add more than the beef does.

Beef Tips $14.49 (960–1,060 cal) — steak pieces with sautéed mushrooms, onions, brown gravy and sour cream over rice or mashed potatoes. Comes with one side rather than two.

At $10.99 for four sides it is cheaper than ordering four sides individually at $2.99 each, which would be $11.96. A small saving, but the point is that it is a legitimate entrée rather than a workaround.

The 400 to 1,580 calorie range is the widest of any item on the menu, and it is entirely your choice. Four vegetable sides comes to around 400 to 600; four loaded potatoes approaches 1,580.

It is the answer for a vegetarian at the table, and it is a better answer than a salad — the Chicken Caesar without chicken is still a heavy plate of dressing and croutons.

Country Fried Sirloin and Pulled Pork Dinner both appear on the $11.99 Early Dine list, as does the single Grilled Pork Chop.

On the Country Fried Sirloin at $14.49 that is a $2.50 saving, one of the larger ones on the list.