Taste of Texas
JB's parents flew in to visit & see the kids' football/cheer game this weekend; we went to dinner Saturday night at Taste of Texas...and it completely lived up to the hype! Native people love this place; it's a high-quality steakhouse + Texas history museum in one! They have so many artifacts (check them out!) that they even offer school tours & Saturday morning history talks. :-D That definitely fosters a more family-friendly atmosphere, rather than romantic ambience. There aren't many high-end steakhouses where you can feel just as comfortable bringing your children as you would business executives. (*Note: expect a looooong wait, unless you are there early! We arrived for dinner before 5:30 & were luckily seated immediately. At 7 PM, the wait was over an hour & a half. Very standard, although they do have free popcorn, chips, & soft drinks in the waiting area.)
Our dinner was fantastic! Their salad bar is legendary. (In fact, that's what both kids had as their main meal; we adults had it come with our steaks.) It has more than just veggies - pasta & bean salads, large slices of fruit, tiny fresh mozzarella balls/halved cherry tomatoes/basil chiffonade = my fave!, gargantuan blocks of cheese for you to shave off as much as you want, salad toppings like freshly crumbled bacon & candied almond slivers, and oh - the fresh breads! Yeast loaves, parmesan buns, & jalapeño cornbread:
All of their steaks are "Certified Angus®", and if you'd like, (we did ;-)) you can choose your own steak cuts back in the kitchen:
After you select your steak, they tag it (see the metal tag still in below), so when it arrives tableside, you know it's the same one you chose.
JB's cowboy (24 oz. "bone-in" ribeye) steak bathed in garlic herb butter:
I had a 6 oz. center cut filet mignon = perfect, (and rare, just like I like it!) I also need to take a second to mention my side: I got the mac & cheese, which isn't even on the menu (secret dishes are the BEST!) at the suggestion of our server. It may have been the best mac & cheese I've ever had in.my.life...and I'm a connoisseur. It wasn't just bland béchamel, nor was it overly tangy w/ too much sharp cheese; it was a perfect marriage of sauce & cheese, creaminess & crunch (courtesy of the tiny-toasted-breadcrumb topping). It was served in the individual dish in which it was baked...and I can't wait for more. I might go for lunch one day & get the salad bar + mac & cheese! [Danger: this place is located one block away from where I teach Zumba! :-D]
We went ALL OUT Saturday and did NOT skip dessert. The kids had ice cream served in a baked sugar (almost praline?) bowl, and the adults had Taste of Texas's famous Cinnamon Slammer (also not on the menu, but *everyone* knows. ;-)) It's an adult milkshake served in a glass boot mug that you get to keep! (Well, they bring you a clean one at the end. :-)) The alcohol content is low (I'm a total lightweight these days, & I never felt a thing) but it tastes delicious: blended cinnamon ice cream, white crème de cacao, Frangelico (hazelnut), etc., topped with homemade whipped cream. I've been waiting for a year to try this boot!!! (JB got to eat there a couple times last fall with work, and the kids LOVE the two boot glasses he has brought home. Now that we'll have four total, they are so excited for us to all use them together. :-P)
Our dinner was fantastic! Their salad bar is legendary. (In fact, that's what both kids had as their main meal; we adults had it come with our steaks.) It has more than just veggies - pasta & bean salads, large slices of fruit, tiny fresh mozzarella balls/halved cherry tomatoes/basil chiffonade = my fave!, gargantuan blocks of cheese for you to shave off as much as you want, salad toppings like freshly crumbled bacon & candied almond slivers, and oh - the fresh breads! Yeast loaves, parmesan buns, & jalapeño cornbread:
All of their steaks are "Certified Angus®", and if you'd like, (we did ;-)) you can choose your own steak cuts back in the kitchen:
After you select your steak, they tag it (see the metal tag still in below), so when it arrives tableside, you know it's the same one you chose.
JB's cowboy (24 oz. "bone-in" ribeye) steak bathed in garlic herb butter:
I had a 6 oz. center cut filet mignon = perfect, (and rare, just like I like it!) I also need to take a second to mention my side: I got the mac & cheese, which isn't even on the menu (secret dishes are the BEST!) at the suggestion of our server. It may have been the best mac & cheese I've ever had in.my.life...and I'm a connoisseur. It wasn't just bland béchamel, nor was it overly tangy w/ too much sharp cheese; it was a perfect marriage of sauce & cheese, creaminess & crunch (courtesy of the tiny-toasted-breadcrumb topping). It was served in the individual dish in which it was baked...and I can't wait for more. I might go for lunch one day & get the salad bar + mac & cheese! [Danger: this place is located one block away from where I teach Zumba! :-D]
We went ALL OUT Saturday and did NOT skip dessert. The kids had ice cream served in a baked sugar (almost praline?) bowl, and the adults had Taste of Texas's famous Cinnamon Slammer (also not on the menu, but *everyone* knows. ;-)) It's an adult milkshake served in a glass boot mug that you get to keep! (Well, they bring you a clean one at the end. :-)) The alcohol content is low (I'm a total lightweight these days, & I never felt a thing) but it tastes delicious: blended cinnamon ice cream, white crème de cacao, Frangelico (hazelnut), etc., topped with homemade whipped cream. I've been waiting for a year to try this boot!!! (JB got to eat there a couple times last fall with work, and the kids LOVE the two boot glasses he has brought home. Now that we'll have four total, they are so excited for us to all use them together. :-P)
So, I just ate breakfast, but you made me hungry talking about this restaurant! The food sounds so delicious!!
ReplyDeleteI feel obligated to buy a plane ticket to go down there, just to eat at this restaurant with you guys. :)
ReplyDeleteCome on down, y'all!!! :-D
ReplyDelete