FAIRBURY — I had no reason to travel here except to see an old friend when she returns to her hometown to visit her family.

But that has changed.

Located in downtown, on one of the city’s many bricked streets, is a steakhouse that has built quite a reputation.

And for good reason.

It’s here diners can find juicy, affordable prime rib as well as a nice selection of other choice steaks and grilled entrees.

The restaurant is owned by Jon and Karen Eisenhauer, who moved to the small south-central Nebraska town from Asheville, N.C., where Jon worked at The Bistro at the Biltmore Estate. Jon has been in food service for nearly 20 years.

They came to Fairbury to be closer to family. Jon’s parents live there now, and Karen is from the Milligan/Geneva area.

The Eisenhauers opened the steakhouse in 1999. TrailBlazers takes its name in part from Jon and Karen’s children: the capital “T” is for Tyler and the “B” for Brooke.

The restaurant is in the two-story building that used to house a Montgomery Ward department store. The Eisenhauers use the basement for their party room.

“The ironic thing is, Montgomery Ward is the department store where Karen’s mother and grandmother used to shop,” Jon said.

I remember the department store, too. When I lived in Beatrice, my folks shopped there sometimes. I got a Washington Redskins windbreaker there when I was 10. I loved that windbreaker.

Anyway, another restaurant was there before the Eisenhauers moved into the spacious building. Spacious may be understatement. The main level can seat 140. The party room can hold another 225 more people.

In developing the menu, Jon knew he had to cater to the area, meaning it’s filled with a lot of meat and potatoes.

“My background is French cuisine, so the joke is the meat and potatoes are pushed as far as I can for the Midwest,” he said.

For instance, the special last Saturday was chicken velvet, Jon’s take on chicken cordon bleu, featuring chicken, ham, cheese and a mornay sauce.

The big draw is the prime rib, which is served on Friday and Saturday nights. It’s available in three sizes at 8, 10 and 14 ounces, and starts at $14.95. Bigger sizes are available. A neighbor of my friend’s family routinely orders a 20-ounce cut.

The dinner menu also features such favorites as grilled chicken, country fried steak and a loaded chopped sirloin, which my friend enjoyed for $11.95.

I ordered an 8-ounce prime rib medium rare and found it as tasty as any that I’ve had at Misty’s or The Steakhouse in Lincoln.

Most entrees come with choice of side and a trip to the “salad emporium” — the restaurant’s name for its gigantic salad bar, which features several homemade salads and soups. I enjoyed a delicious roasted garlic potato soup from the “emporium.”

Reservations aren’t necessary, but Jon recommends them on weekends or for large groups. If you’re hungry for a steak or prime rib, it may be worth your time and trouble to head to Fairbury.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.

Dining out

TrailBlazers

500 Fourth St.

Fairbury

Specialty: Steaks

Atmosphere: Casual

Payment: Cash, checks, major credit cards

Cost: Lunch entrees range from $4 to $10; dinner entrees range from $10 to $20

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday

Phone: (402) 729-5205

Note: On-street parking, alcohol, catering

v v v

Food: ***

Service: ***

Atmosphere: **

The Last Bite: No offense, but there’s not much to Fairbury, so it’s one of the last places I would expect to find a steakhouse as good as those in Lincoln. There’s not much for ambiance because it’s in a former department store, which gives it that wide-open cafeteria feel.

Rating system: Outstanding HHHH; Good HHH; Fair or uneven HH; Poor H

Editor’s note: Ground Zero is off on its traditional July road trips to visit restaurants in nearby communities.