For many, one of the best ways to spend the Sunday in June known as Father’s Day is out on the links playing a round of golf with Dad. Of course, it doesn’t have to be Father’s Day and it doesn’t have to be with your dad for a visit to Windance Country Club in Gulfport. In fact, there doesn’t even have to be a round of golf to enjoy a meal at the club’s restaurant, The View at 19, where no membership is needed to enjoy breakfast or lunch daily and dinner on Friday and Saturday nights.
The restaurant boasts floor-to-ceiling windows giving dining room guests at every table a perfect view of the golf course’s 18th hole. There is also a bar where guests can relax with a drink and enjoy a meal while recounting the best drives and putts of the day.
Always tasty and filling, the food is made fresh to order by Sous Chef Latonya Smith and her team, and includes eggs, omelets and pancakes for breakfast, and sandwiches, salads and smashburgers for lunch. Smith said the variety of items ensures there is something for everyone no matter the appetite.
We were excited to try a few of the dishes Smith said were most popular, including the All American smashburger featuring Wagyu beef from the Wiggins-based Black Jack Ranch. All of the beef burgers are one-third pound handmade patties, smashed on the grill and intensely seared. That juicy, seared flavor comes through in every crunchy bite of the over-sized patty and stands out deliciously against the crisp, fresh toppings.
Our burger was topped with the classic combo of cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion, but burger combinations also include sauteed onions and mushrooms; house-made chipotle ranch and fried jalapenos; and barbecue sauce and fried onion strings. Served on a brioche bun, the burgers come with fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots or chips. There is also the choice to get thick-cut, hand-breaded onion rings, which is exactly what we did. We were not disappointed in our choice as we savored the crispy exterior and sweet onion inside. Be sure to get a side of ranch or the chipotle ranch for dipping.
Also breaded to order are the chicken tenders, one of several appetizers that are a great way to begin a meal or have alone as a filling snack. Large and hearty, the tenders feature thick cuts of juicy chicken wrapped in a crunchy hand-breaded crust. Firecracker shrimp, wings, fried mushrooms and loaded fries join the popular Southwest egg rolls on the appetizer list.
The 16-inch thin-crust pizzas are also favorites at the restaurant. Overflowing with meat and veggie toppings and plenty of cheese for a good cheese pull, the pizzas are satisfying from the first slice to the last.
Salad choices range from grilled chicken and grilled or fried shrimp, to salmon, the chef and the Southwest chicken served in a fried tortilla shell with chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, corn, black beans, and pepper jack cheese. It comes with the creamy chipotle ranch dressing that deliciously ties together all the flavors. Additionally, the restaurant has a healthy option served daily of grilled chicken or salmon.
We also indulged in the turkey Reuben, which featured thick-cut slices of turkey piled high with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. The tasty sandwich, which can also be made more traditional with grilled corned beef, was served on toasted rye bread and we opted for the flavorful sweet potato fries as our side. The BLT, tuna salad, club, French dip and Philly steak hoagie are a few of the other sandwiches offered.
The dinner selections offered Friday and Saturday, May through October, are an abbreviated version of the full lunch menu.
For fresh flavors and a satisfying meal, The View at 19 at Windance Country Club delivers a hole-in-one dining experience.
The View at 19
19385 Champion Cir, Gulfport
228.832.4871
windancecc.com/clubhouse
Hours: Breakfast 7-10:30 a.m.
Lunch 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Dinner Fri & Sat 3-6 p.m
