Sideline Cafe, Chester

At Sideline Cafe, the staff works to treat every patron like family—but they don’t want that to scare anyone off. More importantly, the crew draws on nearly two decades in business to forge a diverse menu of homestyle dishes beneath large-screen televisions and a fully stocked bar. Amid wood paneling and sports memorabilia, crispy fried hush puppies and fried okra hint at quick spells in bubbling oil, and steaks and burgers let tables flaunt their strength. While two-handing a burger or juicy sandwich, diners can create new brain wrinkles at weekly trivia nights or channel the emotions of a small-town girl living in a lonely world during weekend karaoke.