I told you earlier this week that Longhorn Steakhouse was open on Franklin Avenue and I also told you I had penciled in dining there and specifically taking down their rib eye.
Done and done as Cory and I met there for lunch on Tuesday.
I don't normally "review" food here on the One More Bite blog. But I've become quite fond of the rib eye steak in recent years. I suppose I've bumped it ahead of the straight ahead filet in my steak pecking order. During a recent conversation about my favorite band, the Drive-By Truckers, I described them as being like a rib eye steak as they have quite a bit of grizzle and fat on them, they're rough around the edges, perhaps even sloppy, but all of that is worth it for the flavor.
In the last week, I've had three rib eye steaks (I've also had quite a few bananas, so stop judging me). The first was at my mom's birthday party last Wednesday at a place called 1890 in Granbury. Then, on Thursday in San Antonio, I ordered El Tampiqueña at a fantastic place called Mi Tierra Cafe. It included a rib eye. So my 11-ounce rib eye at Longhorn was No. 3 in a week.
It was also the third best.
It wasn't bad. It just wasn't as good as the previous two. The one at 1890 in Granbury was cooked perfectly and it was a thick enough cut that it was suitably pink and even a little red in the middle. The one at Mi Tierra wasn't as thick of a cut, but it was perfectly tender and tasty (it helped that it came with a chicken enchilada with salsa verde, I'll admit).
The 11-ounce lunch rib eye at Longhorn was very well seasoned, perhaps the best of the bunch. But it was not pink in the middle at all and, perhaps as a result, kind of chewy and a little dry. Perhaps it would have been more fair of me to judge Longhorn on the 23-ounce Outlaw Rib Eye. But if I start getting into the $24 territory for an entree at lunch, I might as well jump up a level in steakhouse.
Because, let's be honest, if you go to a chain steakhouse, you need to calibrate your expectations. Through that lens, Longhorn Steakhouse is a serviceable lunch spot. The decor and ambiance are very comfortable. It's actually ideal for an upscale business lunch.
Other than that, it's a brand new restaurant that is still settling into itself with new staff and everything. i guess what I'm saying is, if you go there this week or in the next couple of weeks, don't judge them too harshly.
One more bite: Cory had mac n' cheese and I can see myself picking that up for lunch one of these days.
