Jerry Griffis did just that for a simple reason- his love for good food.

After tying the up loose ends of his aerospace business, Jerry's The Restaurant was set up in 1994 at Jalan Kayu. And after a successful run of about two years at the little cosy corner restaurant, not far from that fabulous Thasevi's prata stall, a knee injury sent Jerry back home to Georgia, USA. He sold his business here and promptly returned two years later in 1998. Serving good ol' country grill was a mission he could not abort. And with the help of his trusted aide Daryl Peterson, Buckaroo BBQ and Grill was born.

But in the Jalan Kayu area again?

Well, if you happen to zip by Seletar West Farmway 6 where Buckaroo is located, you will understand why…..it is ulu, the air is fresher, noise level is lower (save for the Eagles blaring from the speakers). The regulars are a bunch of unpretentious expats and locals. You come in anything or with anyone and they will serve you anything they have in their menu - my first trip there was with my dog Barky!). The place is cool, non air-con and very laid back with their very humble attempts at what appears to be décor.

When we finally got past Daryl's friendly banter, we touched home base - food!

High on the must try list of their starters is definitely the Deep Fried Button Mushrooms, no fancy names here, just huge and fresh battered balls of fried mushrooms delivered by their supplier from their backyard, Everbloom Mushrooms. Dip them in the tartar sauce and we realised that we had to order another portion to feed the greed. At $12, it was not a small portion either. Although the Nacho El Grande ($16), looked what it said it was -- grand, the dips were a bit on the sedate side of "kick". Apart from the beans and beef dip, the cheese, salsa and sour cream were mild. But a wonderful flush came in the form of the Clam Chowder ($7, served in a bread bowl) and the Mushroom soup ($5.50). The chowder was light and pleasant fishy in the crispy bread and the mushroom soup had a kiasu amount of mushroom bits in it.

Now, the grills, which Jerry claims he personally handles. The Buffalo Wings (between $11.50-$13.50) looked like they came from a buffalo - huge. They were flavoured in typical country style - vinegar and chilli. A word of warning here, they serve it in three grades of spiciness, and if you are not feeling too heroic, stay with grade one.

The BBQ Beef Ribs ($24.50) was a delight. For a start, the portion was big. An oversized slab of thick, tender and succulent ribs flanked by coleslaw and jalapeno chips. No points for presentation here - just straight to the point. Though there was a sinful amount of fat…..hey, otherwise it would taste like well marinated cardboard. The Half and Half Combo Platter ($27) of chicken and pork ribs can't quite hold out against the beef ribs. The chicken was tender but a tad salty and though the pork ribs were well marinated, the meat was rather dry.

A pleasant surprise was the Spaghetti Alo Alo ($9.50). This vegetarian platter was simply tossed in classic olive oil, herbs, loads of garlic and a sprinkle of fresh chilli bits, for the local touch. It was blessed with a generous toss of fresh mushroom bits. We would have enjoyed it even more if the spaghetti texture were a little more al dente.

The charm of this lovely little laid back void deck restaurant certainly lends flavour to the dining experience. But a little set back is that they close at 11pm, so even if you are downing magaritas by their quaint little bar beside, it's bedtime by midnight.

Where:	Buckaroo BBQ and Grill Blk 1, Seletar West Farmway 6 #01-08 Tel : 481 4986
Food Rating:	Excellent

Picture essay and words by KF Seetoh