Open since last September in a strip mall off Route 1 near the busy Dunns Corner intersection, Evie’s Cocktails & Comforts, with its triple roof peaks and attractive blue exterior color, has been calling out to us for months. At last, we got there.

We visited for an early dinner on a weeknight and, with threatening clouds on the horizon, opted to sit inside rather than on the patio, which looked very inviting.

We had read that Evie’s serves up “American comfort food with a twist,” and we were curious to see what that would be. The menu is extensive and more on the casual side, with entrees such as smoked gouda meatloaf served with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted carrots, $20, macaroni and cheese, $15, eggplant rollatini, $18, pan-seared salmon, $25, and the proclaimed house favorite fish and chips, $19.

They offer starters, soups and salads, a large selection of sandwiches including burgers and a lobster roll, and daily specials. Among the specials the Tuesday night we visited were street corn, $12, a crab Greek salad, $14, and Cajun shrimp and corn alfredo, $22. They also advertised specialty cocktails like the spiked pink lemonade, $10, with Irish whiskey, Chambord, sour mix, and white cranberry, and desserts. One sweet that caught our eye was the Almond Joy, with chocolate cake, coconut almond buttercream, and chocolate ganache, for $11. Alas, by the time we got to dessert, we were full.

After studying the menu, we decided to share the burrata caprese salad, $16, and the Buffalo cauliflower, $15, as starters.

There is no going wrong with a dish that includes fresh locally grown tomatoes. The salad was exceptional. A bed of arugula was topped with a palm-sized hunk of the cream-filled mozzarella and surrounded by halved grapes and sliced Roma tomatoes. All that was drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze. The tomatoes were exceptionally good, and the combination was the best of summer.

The Buffalo cauliflower was also very good. The buttermilk fried cauliflower florets were cooked just the right amount – tender but not mushy – and the Buffalo sauce coating was tasty but not overpowering. The veggies were resting in blue cheese dressing and topped with crumbled blue cheese and sliced scallions. It was a large portion and too good to not finish.

After the two appetizers, we really did not need anything more to eat, but we had ordered what Evie’s calls “Hand-Held,” or sandwiches.

One was the Bulldog Burger, $16, which was a handful with two, double smash patties, bacon, cheddar, pickled jalapeno, fried onion strings, and remoulade sauce on a brioche bun. It came with a side of golden brown, piping hot, deliciously cooked French fries. It was a guilty pleasure to devour, even though the burgers were more well done than our meat-eater prefers. Our very helpful waitress never asked, and he never specified that he likes rare over medium well.

The crab cake BLT was also served on a brioche bun, and we debated whether it would have been better on toasted bread. It was advertised with the bun, so we knew what we were getting, but somehow it seems that a BLT should be on toast.

The sandwich was good but too much starch, between the bun and the crab cake, and again, those delicious French fries. So we dismantled the sandwich and ate the crab cake with the bacon, lettuce, tomato, and remoulade sauce. The bun was soft and fresh, but we abandoned it.

We were curious about the restaurant’s name – Evie’s – and found a post on the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce Facebook page from last fall that explained it. The restaurant pays homage to the late Evelyn Sullivan, who lived in South County and made a name for herself in the hospitality industry. She was a friend of the owners, Justin Dalton-Ameen and Josh Culpo, who, according to the chamber post, are the same team behind three other Rhode Island restaurants -- Back 40 in North Kingstown, Black Oak in Coventry and Union & Main in East Greenwich.

These guys know and understand the business. Evie’s is bright, clean, and inviting. The service was friendly and efficient. And on a Tuesday night, the place was busy. With its big bar, friendly atmosphere, and comfort food, Evie’s is a great stop after work, or a day at the beach, or just for lunch or dinner with family and friends.

Evie’s Cocktails & Comforts

224 Post Road, Westerly

(401) 388-4201

Search Evie’s restaurant Westerly to find them on social media or email info@eviesri.com

Atmosphere: This place is bright and airy, with big windows, an oversized horseshoe-shaped bar, high tops on one side and ample seating on the other. It has a seaside vibe with scallops and fish wallpaper, oars over the bar, big-screen TVs airing sports, and old photographs framed on the walls. It used to be an Applebee’s but you would never know that. There’s also terrific outdoor seating with umbrellas and firepits with a tall privacy fence that makes you forget you are in a strip mall off busy Route 1.

Alcohol: Full-service bar

Hours: Open seven days a week: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

Prices: Fair and reasonable, with good-sized portions

Credit cards: Yes

Handicapped accessible: Yes

Outdoor seating: Yes