The Wallow Bar & Grill is the latest in a series of restaurants to occupy a spacious building on Spring River Road southwest of Sunriver Village. It may not be the best of the bunch, but it more than holds its own as a locals’ spot, a couple of miles outside the hubbub of the tourist-oriented resort community.

A wallow, according to a definition printed on the restaurant’s menu, is “a place to meet and gather with the purpose of indulging.” Indulging in what, it doesn’t say: Food, drink, conversation? It could be any or all of them.

Open just short of four months, The Wallow is a casual spot that seems to appeal mainly to a blue-collar clientele of area residents, not so much to visitors passing through — although it collects some of them as well.

“My whole business plan is for local people,” said owner Greg Farfaglia. “I want to serve house-made food at a low price, 15 to 20 percent less than other (similar restaurants).”

Farfaglia, who also owns the Southside Pub in Bend and the Tumble Inn in Redmond, lives in the nearby Three Rivers area. “It’s a little tougher economically here (than in other parts of Central Oregon),” he said, “but you’ve got to have the locals.”

Although The Wallow is not exactly a sports bar, three televisions tuned to games and sports-news channels are raised high on the walls in different parts of the establishment. Sound is turned down, however, in favor of classic rock music that plays continuously.

The head of a large elk overlooks the main part of the dining room, which seats about 60 at indoor tables. There are another dozen stools at the bar and ample space for seasonal outdoor dining at a pair of adjoining decks.

All about the meat

The menu is heavily dominated by burgers and other sandwiches, with little available for vegetarians or gluten-free diners.

My first visit to The Wallow was at lunchtime. I selected a sandwich called the Wallowin’ Reuben ($9). The main ingredient — corned beef, roasted in-house — was lean and excellent. Four modest slices were stacked one atop another and topped with sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese.

But the marbled rye bread was toasted rather than grilled, and the sandwich’s Thousand Island dressing was very thinly spread: I had to supplement it with ketchup.

My companion opted for a BLT ($7) on toasted sourdough spread with mayonnaise. The bacon made this sandwich: It wasn’t the typical breakfast accompaniment, but rather smoked pork loin, similar to Canadian bacon or thinly sliced pork belly. Lettuce and two thick slices of tomato finished the sandwich.

We could have chosen fries or baked beans, but both my companion and I decided upon coleslaw to go with our sandwiches. Next time I would select one of the others. The coleslaw was soupy and lacked an edge; it may have needed a little more apple-cider vinegar, as well as an extra trip through a strainer.

A dinner visit

Several days later I returned for a solo dinner. I began with a house salad of chopped green-leaf lettuce, which I found to be better than the norm. Besides chopped tomatoes and red onions, it featured sliced green peppers and a touch of radish that gave the greens an extra bite. Shredded cheddar and Jack cheese were sprinkled on top, and an ample serving of honey mustard dressing (my choice) was served on the side.

From a selection of five dinner-only entrees served after 4 p.m., I requested the New York strip steak ($15). The grilled 12-ounce cut may not have been prime beef, but it would have been hard to beat it for this price anywhere else. Topped with mushrooms and onions sauteed in a balsamic reduction, I thoroughly enjoyed the meat even though the preparation (I had requested medium rare) was not consistent throughout.

The entree came with skin-on roasted potatoes, coarsely chopped and seasoned with fresh rosemary. These were excellent, perfectly cooked to the degree that they were neither crunchy nor mushy.

Service was excellent on each of my visits. Both of the young women who attended me were friendly and efficient, quickly and accurately taking orders, checking back after food was delivered and generally making my Wallow experiences very pleasant.

The Wallow doesn’t make everything in-house, but it has some worthy partners. Breads are made in Bend by Rockin’ Daves Bagel Bistro, while the Redmond Smokehouse provides German sausage for the restaurant’s one-third-pound “Sportsman Dog.”

The Wallow doesn’t have a menu as upscale as its immediate predecessor, the Deschutes Roadhouse, which closed in early 2014, but it seems to answer a need for modestly priced restaurant meals in the Three Creeks area of Sunriver.

— Reporter: janderson@bendbulletin.com