Let's Talk Houston Steaks

A business associate came to town from far away last week. He wanted local non-chain food for dinner. And steak, he wanted steak. We took him to Churrasco’s on Shepherd/Westheimer and he ordered their signature churrasco steak - WELL DONE!

I’m mainly super polite, so I didn’t comment of course. But at the end of the meal, I asked him how his steak was and he said it was excellent. Before I could stop myself, the words “even well done?” popped out. He had the good grace to look a little sheepish, but then explained that years ago, he got food poisoning and now he makes sure all his food is fully cooked. Sigh.

So anyways, this thread is really just to get that off my chest. But since we’re on it, the filet topped with truffle butter at Brenner’s on the Katy Freeway is my favorite. The butter is nearly as big as the steak. This is from some celebratory dinner a few years ago.

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Last June on my birthday, I had the 44 Farms 20 ounce ribeye, medium rare, and added foie gras butter and black truffles from New Zealand.
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And once I had this bitty filet with marrow bone. They have this at Pappas Steakhouse also.

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And looky there! It’s almost June again.

I also love Churrasco’s, where I order the Puntas with Jalapena sauce (beef tips with a mild white cream sauce and the occasional mild jalapeno slice). Same at Amazon Grill on Kirby.

Where do you steak? I sorta miss the old Hofbrau Steakhouse where you could get steak and salad for a reasonable price. I think that’s about all they had.

I love the Relais de l’Entrecôte concept, there is one in NYC. Steak, frites and salad is all they serve, and the mustardy sauce is a mystery they are not sharing. We need one of those here.

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The redder the better for me, having said that I had a medium prime rib at Salt Grass not long ago. I was craving prime rib and armed with a gift card I called ahead and asked if they had rare/medium rare and was told yes.

When we got there fifteen minutes later it was no, medium and up. They brought out a 20 oz. chunk for my inspection and I went for it. It wasn’t what I was hoping for but it was tasty especially when smothered in au jus.

Houston steaks are at home when MY HEB has prime meat on sale which usually means strips although they had rib eyes a couple of weeks ago, but I’m preferring strips lately.

The last two restaurant steaks we had were in San Antonio at Ruth’s Chris five years ago and Little Rhein ten years ago.

Ruth’s Chris has its detractors but I’ve never had a bad steak there.

The steak at Little Rhein was fine and the outdoor terrace on the River Walk in late October is probably the best view on the river.

A major turn-off was the waiter with his can I start you with an eight dollar bottle of water or a hundred dollar bottle of wine like we’re on an expense account.

I’ve met most of you people in our happy little group and do we look like the expense account type?

There’s always chicken fried steak…maybe a different thread.

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I’ve been watching some Houston threads and I think this will be a winner. What’s the preferred cut down there? Feel free to check out our NJ steak thread. It’s cool to see different region topics.

Keep those pics coming :slight_smile:

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I’m a major lurker on the Big Ole NJ steak thread and may have contributed a time or two.

Standard stuff in no particular order rib-eyes, strips, porterhouse, and filet.

The carne asada at higher end Tex-Mex El Tiempo as is anything with fresh lump blue crab such as quesadillas, nachos, and enchiladas in marisco cram sauce.

The menu seems expensive but an app and entrée easily feeds two.

http://eltiempocantina.com/menu/undefined

Nice! We get the crabs done up here…believe it or not. Our season isn’t going to be as long but they get big up here and feed up when it’s warm.

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I can’t open that link. I am not sure if it is me or the link. Fyi

We take the shells, dead man, and legs to pulverize. We use that for bait and seine for spearing. The spearing are then used for tuna chum. Nothing goes to waste

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Is that “cream” or “clam”?

Or is that just some new thing all the kids are doing?

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Cream, my spell check failed me but I want to try that cram.

When we are visiting Houston we always end up at Fogo de Chao out on Westheimer, but then I have family from Porto Allegre. Lunch is a better deal price wise, and the salad bar is awesome (but don’t fill up on that, big mistake).

Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse
8250 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77063
(713) 978-6500
https://g.co/kgs/X2m6jh

We’ve also been to Pappas Bros downtown, which was good but really stuffy. The kind of place where you imagine oil deals are going down.

Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
1200 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77010
(713) 658-1995
https://g.co/kgs/ePwQ8C

I liked Taste of Texas better, similar in price to Pappas but a lot less formal and really good steak. It also feels like you’re in Texas and not somewhere else.

Taste of Texas
10505 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX 77024
(713) 932-6901
https://g.co/kgs/Pft5de

Finally, out in Kemah (does that still count as Houston? My family seems to think so) I really like T-Bone Tom’s. Not in the same league as the above three places, but the steaks we’re deelishus and prices reasonable. They also have outdoor seating and sometimes a band.

T-Bone Tom’s
707 TX-146, Kemah, TX 77565
(281) 334-2133
https://g.co/kgs/HScmcj

Finally, one thing that really amazes me about Houston is how much driving is involved in going to restaurants.

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You get used to that! Many locals disdain Taste of Texas as a tourist location, but it’s been owned for decades by a local family and we like it. By the way, I hope Edd Hendee is still doing well after that little lane crash.

In my business, we get a lot of visitors from NY/Boston/Europe and they all want steaks, although I’m not sure why They are no better and no different that what they get at home, maybe it’s just the history of cattle ranching in Texas. Anyway, I usually suggest local seafood or Tex-Mex for local flavors.

In the past couple of years, B&B Butchers has exploded on the Houston scene. They have a rooftop dining area with a fantastic view and is a favorite location for many visitors.

Last December, the B&B folks bought a 35 year old Italian restaurant on Memorial Drive in West Houston and will slowly add to/change the menu so as not to upset the regulars. Carmelo’s

Last year, several new steak places opened in what I thought was a saturated market: Killen’s STQ, Roka Akor, Doris Metropolitan, and Mastro’s, and coming soon, Guard and Grace.

BTW, here in the final days of Barbara Bush, the elder Bush’s favorite Houston steak is apparently a The Palm. They are also seen having pizza regularly at Fuzzy’s on Antoine.

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When I go here, it’s not the salad bar I fill up on but those cheesy rolls. They amaze me.

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Do they still do the Christmas light thing? It is a little kitchy.

I thought the steaks were good though.

I hear you, but for some reason my sisters don’t approve of the Tex Mex for graduation dinners.

I can’t put this on spell check, cram is a real, actual, legitimate, actual, real word.

I failed proof reading and I hate that, but somehow I think it’s your fault, dobs.

owned for decades by a local family and we like it. By the way, I hope Edd Hendee is still doing well after that little lane crash.

One former reviewer/hack Robb Walsh was not so fond of Taste of Texas.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/1462493/posts

I see what you did their.

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Their or there? Ha ha!

I’ll admit I didn’t expect you to catch it quite so quickly. :wink:

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Kemah counts as Houston dining as does Galveston just please don’t go to the Kemah Boardwalk.

The Wifeacita and I have driven 70-140 miles for good fried chicken.

“One former reviewer/hack Robb Walsh was not so fond of Taste of Texas.”

I like Robb, but no one ever accused him of being neutral.

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