About 10 years ago I had the pleasure of trying a local steakhouse in Houston called Taste of Texas. The steak I had was the BEST I have ever eaten. I was recently back in Houston and I had the opportunity to go back. I took 3 friends with me so that they could experience the mouth watering steaks for themselves. Let’s just say there was not a lot of conversation at the table when dinner arrived.
This place is a Houston institution. It’s been around since 1977 and is the largest Independently owned restaurant in the state. They serve Certified Angus Beef and to add to the experience, you can actually visit their butcher shop and select the steak you want to eat.
To start your visit off right, you must try their salad bar. It is loaded with fresh ingredients so that you can build the salad exactly how you want – including an assortment of salad dressings to choose from. Do you like cheese? Then you will be pleased to see the Texas size blocks of white and yellow cheddar that you get to slice yourself.
Now for those folks that are not watching their carbs, the restaurant offers 3 types of freshly made breads: Jalapeno corn bread, Asiago cheese roll, classic yeast roll. It is hard to decide on just one, so grab a bread basket and try all 3. If you like butter on your dinner rolls, they offer 2 homemade choices: apple butter & cinnamon apple butter.
For the star of the show, I chose the 6 ounce center cut filet. You can get it bacon wrapped if you want but it is not necessary. I like my steaks medium so that it is still a little juicy when it comes out. The trick that Taste of Texas does is they serve the steaks on a sizzling plate, it helps not only keep the steaks hot, but it finishes them off just right. From a seasoning stand point, you have the option of adding a lemon pepper or you can try the melted garlic herb butter or melted blue cheese butter. My favorite is the garlic herb, it adds a dynamic flavor to the steak that sets it apart from all others I have ever had.
I know that the steaks are the star of the show, but you can’t overlook the supporting cast – the side dishes. They have so many to choose from including: macaroni & cheese, Texas Au Gratin Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts with bacon jam, fresh asparagus with Hollandaise sauce. I went for the Brussels Sprouts, mainly because of the bacon jam. The jam really complemented the bitterness of the Brussels sprouts.
If red meat is not your thing its ok – they have a nice selection of chicken, tuna, salmon, and shrimp to choose from, all of which sound delicious and are cooked with the same love as they do their steaks.
I was lucky to be at the restaurant during the Christmas season, so I was able to see their beautiful decorations.
I was so happy to get back to Taste of Texas and I was thrilled that every bite was exactly how I remembered. I recommend this to anyone heading to Houston. See their full menu at www.tasteoftexas.com
Enjoy!
T
