Restaurants are listed in order of best place for steak first. The order may change over time as I review and/or re-visit restaurants. Restaurants are ranked based on my most recent steak dining experience, or a consensus of local reviews (if I haven't yet dined there). I have eaten at many of these restaurants, but since I've only recently decided to start formal reviews, I haven't reviewed many of them. If I have reviewed a restaurant, it will be noted.
"Chain" restaurants such as Outback Steakhouse have been included as a baseline comparison for price and quality. If a restaurant appears beneath Outback Steakhouse in the list, the restaurant will likely be removed from the list soon, and should not be considered as a place to go for Great Steak.
$ = Baseline, $$ = Moderately Above Baseline, $$$ = Significantly Above Baseline
Menu Description: "All our beef is USDA PRIME, aged for at least 28 days, hand cut and never frozen."
Translation: All USDA Prime.
Cuts offered: Filet, New York Strip, Ribeye ("Delmonico" style, according to the menu)
Pricing: $$$
Menu contains no information regarding the grade of beef they use.
Robert "Wade" Barkman responded to my request for more information in October, 2008; he gave contact information and offered to sit down & talk about The Republic.
Cuts offered: New York Strip, Bone-in Ribeye, Filet Mignon (2 portion choices), T-Bone
Pricing: $$$
According to an e-mail from Chef Joseph A. Kramer III, received October, 2008: Here at Messina Hof we use USDA Choice, Angus steak that is fresh never frozen. It is aged for a minimum of 28 days and is always hand cut. Also we only use Nolan Ryan rib eye which is raised and processed right here in TX.
Cuts offered: Filet Mignon and Ribeye
Note: Chateaubriand also available as a "Dinner for Two"
Pricing: $$$
Per Chef Peter Madden, "Madden's uses a beef product called Sterling Silver. It is upper 2/3rds choice, meaning; Choice grade is broken into 3 categories: lower, middle, and upper. Sterling only takes grades from middle and upper and claim that often times their beef is closer to, if not, prime. The reason for choosing Sterling Silver is that they take the best quality beef for their product before filling other programs. So, they are packaging beef of Certified Angus or other angus or beef programs, they make sure that the best beef goes to Sterling Silver first before filling those other program orders.
The beef is wet aged at least 21 days, never frozen, and we receive it in whole pieces. We cut our own ribeyes and tenderloins (filets). We make ground beef from the scraps and make meatloaf and burgers with it. I used to use Angus products and they are great, but getting them was inconsistent so I made a change and the product is excellent and our guests compliment us frequently on the quality of the meat."
Cuts offered: Ribeye, Filet (3 choices, although the sides seem to be the only difference for two of those, the other is rubbed with chocolate, chile, and coffee).
Pricing: $$
Menu description: "We only use USDA Certified Natural Black Angus Beef"
Note: Menu displays a Harris Ranch All-Natural Certified Premium Beef logo - this logo/brand is non-breed specific per the Harris Ranch site.
Per Tai Lee, Executive Chef: "This is an 'Incorrect Logo' issue." At the time they composed their menu, they were not provided the Certified Black Angus logo, but they do use only Certified Black Angus. Lee also stated that they get authentic Japanese Kobe beef on rare occasions (wow!), and the American version American Wagyu from time to time.
Cuts offered: Prime Filet, Ribeye
Pricing: $$
Web site shows the Certified Angus Beef logo.
awaiting further info, e-mailed 10-09-08
awaiting further info, e-mailed 10-09-08
Cuts offered: House Filet 6 oz, Filet Mignon, Steak au poive (peppercorn encrusted Filet Mignon), Bone-in Ribeye
Menu Description: "We proudly serve USDA Prime Aged Beef."
Translation: All USDA Prime implied, although technically you could proudly serve one cut of Prime and all the rest lower grade. Awaiting further info, submitted message via their web site on 10-09-08
Cuts offered: Porterhouse, New York Strip (2 portion choices), Top Sirloin Chicago Cut, Filet Mignon (2 portion choices), Ribeye (2 portion choices)
Note: Located in the College Station Hilton, this restaurant has a poor local reputation for quality.
Pricing: $$$? (haven't dined here, no prices listed on the on-line menu)
Menu Description: "At Texas Roadhouse, our hearty steaks are cut fresh daily by our in-house meat cutters, who take special care that every steak is tender and lean. Those who know a good steak when they see it can select their own cut from our meat display. We then add our signature blend of seasonings and grill your steak over our gas fired grills, just the way you like it and have it cooked to order over."
Translation: If you order the Sirloin or New York Strip, the beef will be USDA Choice of any of the top three Choice categories. No claims are made for any of the other cuts.
Cuts offered: Sirloin (4 portion choices), Ribeye (3 portion choices), New York Strip (2 portion choices). Filet (2 portion choices)
Menu Description: "Our steaks are USDA 'Choice' beef that's hand-cut and aged just right. Each one gets a generous sprinkling of our special blend of savory spices and is seared over a red hot grill."
Translation: USDA Choice, of any of the top three Choice categories.
Cuts offered: Sirloin (Outback Special, 3 portion choices), Filet (2 portion choices), Ribeye, Bone-in Ribeye, New York Strip, T-Bone
Pricing: $
Menu Description: "We suggest a rib eye as we buy good quality beef and age it to provide you with one of the most tender, juiciest steaks you'll ever eat."
Translation: No claims are made as to the grade of beef used.
awaiting further info, e-mailed 10-09-08
Cuts offered: Ribeye (3 portion choices), T-Bone (2 portion choices)
Pricing: $
(Closed) Eccell Steakhouse
Menu Description: "Eccell Steakhouse proudly serves centercuts of the finest certified and aged Midwestern beef. Only the top 8% of all USDA graded beef qualifies to be served at Eccell Steakhouse. Our steaks are carefully seasoned with kosher salt, black pepper, and our homemade matre d butter."
Per Harlan "Wade" Scott, Director of Operations, Eccell Group, October, 2008: The 'top 8%' refers to the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) brand. [More info on the CAB brand here. CAB consists exclusively of USDA Prime and the top two categories of USDA Choice, and must meet genetic and other requirements.] They offer two USDA Prime steaks on the menu; the others are all Certified Angus Beef. The steaks are wet aged for at least 28 days (wet aging means cutting the steak and sealing it to marinate in its own juices). The steaks are cooked in an 1800-degree infrared broiler.
Cuts offered: Filet Mignon (2 portion choices), Bone-in Filet, Delmonico Ribeye (2 portion choices), Kansas City Strip, Porterhouse, Bone-in Cowboy Ribeye, Bone-in "Frenched" Tomahawk Ribeye (32 oz!), Petite Kansas Strip, USDA Prime Ribeye, USDA Prime New York Strip
Pricing: $$$
(Closed) River Bridge Bar & Grill
Menu Description: "We proudly serve Chairman's Reserve Steaks"
Translation: Chairman's Reserve is a Tyson Foods brand, similar to the Certified Angus Beef brand in that it includes USDA Prime and the top two categories of USDA Choice.
Cuts offered: Sirloin (2 portion choices), Ribeye (2 portion choices), Filet (2 portion choices), T-Bone
Pricing: $$
Sodolak's Beefmasters, Bryan
Famous for their generous portions. When I had the T-Bone, it completely covered the plate.
Menu contains no information regarding the grade of beef they use.
awaiting further info, e-mailed 10-09-08
Longhorn Tavern Steakhouse
Excellent burgers and chicken fried steak. I have not yet had one of their grilled steaks.
Qualifications for inclusion in this list: Restaurant must be billed as a steak house, high quality restaurant which serves steaks, or restaurant which features steaks prominently on the menu, in advertisements, or by word of mouth. Restaurant must be located in the immediate Bryan/College Station area - outlying areas such as Snook, Navasota, or Somerville (sorry, Country Inn fans!) are not being included at this time. If you would like a restaurant considered that is not in the list but otherwise meets the requirements, please contact NateDog at nathan (dot) s (dot) phillips (at) gmail.com
