“GET Happier” says an ad for On The Bone steakhouse. Indeed. The diners I saw when I visited this establishment were definitely enjoying themselves, and my friend and I happily joined in.

   Located at the Doubletree Hotel on Route 1 South, the restaurant keeps long hours and has a wide range of options on its dinner menu, running the gamut from high-end steaks to casual sandwiches and burgers. This is necessary to satisfy the needs of hotel guests, but in this economy I have to think that many others come for the wide price range and something-for-everybody menu.

   While the restaurant opened in summer 2008, they were closed down that fall by major water damage from rainstorms. For months they operated with a reduced menu out of a conference room in the hotel proper. But they reopened this spring, and now seem to be humming along just fine.

   The dining room was nearly full during my visit, and the adjacent bar area with plasma TVs mounted on the wall (the volume thankfully low), also saw a steady stream of patrons.

   Table settings here are casual – no tablecloths, but cloth napkins, with proper wineglasses for the Cline Syrah we enjoyed with our meals ($8 glass). The wine list is short, with plenty of reds for steak lovers, many in the $30-$40 range. Our greeting and service was enthusiastic; the spunky staff seemed genuinely glad to be there, especially our waiter, Jason.

   My interest in On the Bone was sparked by their promotion of meats cooked on the bone, and which are often grass fed and naturally raised – some of my favorite things. On The Bone offers not just the typical rib eye cut on the bone, but New York strip and filet mignon, too.

   But first, a hot sourdough baguette was brought to our table, in a paper bag with a cutting board and serrated knife for that DIY touch. Cute, albeit messy.

   For starters, we ordered the Super Lump Crabcake ($14) and a classic wedge (of iceberg) salad ($3 with steaks and chops, $5 otherwise). The crabcake was actually three small ones, chockablock with crabmeat and very little else. It was drizzled with spicy chipotle aiöli, and served with cusabi broccoli slaw. Cusabi is a combination of cool cucumber and hot wasabi that chefs mix with ranch dressing or other ingredients to dress salads and as a dipping sauce. Who knew?

   The salad was just what it should be, a large wedge of iceberg lettuce with cubes of tomato and crispy bacon-like pancetta, and Roquefort dressing.

   We went “whole hog” for red meat with our entrées, ordering the 14-ounce wet-aged bone-in New York Strip ($35, hormone and antibiotic free) and a half rack of Saint Louis style pork ribs ($14) with chipotle BBQ sauce. Our steak came with a huge knife so we could carve it up to share, and extra plates were supplied for our sharing throughout our meal.

   The steak was quite good, although my friend noticed that it was cool in the center. But since we’d ordered it rare, I expected that. I could order medium-rare to be assured of meat that is warmed all the way through, but I don’t like to run the risk of even slightly overdone strip steak, as it then gets so firm. My friend also noted a bit of gristle, but again, I think that comes with the territory on some cuts, especially with grass-fed meat. Filet mignon is more likely to be “like butter,” but there is then, to me, a trade-off in flavor.

   The ribs were a surprise hit, rich and meaty, the delicious sauce somewhat spicy and not too sweet. I wished I had more room for those, but the one I took home was just as good the next night, as was the steak.

   Here’s another great thing about On The Bone – you don’t have to break the bank to buy side dishes. Our entrées came with fresh green beans flecked with sweet red pepper and our choice of starch, mashed potatoes. Steaks and ribs are also garnished with a “colossal onion ring,” but just to be sure, we couldn’t resist adding a side order of those, from a list of sides (all a mere $3.50) that includes various potato preparations, mushrooms, wild rice, spinach, asparagus, macaroni ham and cheese, etc. The onion rings were excellent.

   Steaks also come with a trio of three sauces, Béarnaise, Maytag blue cheese, and glace de viande. We tried these, but we both found them strangely devoid of flavor. Maybe by then our taste buds were overworked, but we felt the same way about the dessert we shared, the only one currently made in-house (more are coming I was told), chocolate flan ($8). The chocolate, under its mantle of caramel, looked rich and dark, but lacked chocolate flavor. My friend’s espresso ($4) got high praise from her.

   Overall, On the Bone is a good place to give in to that steakhouse urge next time you are overcome. But I can see returning here for non-steak entrées, too. Herb roasted free-range chicken ($15), baked scrod with mashies ($17), and a pot-roast sandwich with caramelized onions ($11), are already beckoning.

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