Final Four Houston Dining Guide & Steak Bracketology
Maybe Vegas and New York and possibly Chicago can rival the number and quality of steakhouses, but Houston may be in a class of its own.
Our Sweet 16 and Your Decide the Final Four
Even restaurants not necessarily known for steaks have offerings that will put most towns with cattle fare to shame. We bring you The Sweet 16: Brenner’s on the Bayou, Capital Grille, Del Frisco’s, Fleming’s, Morton’s Downtown, Mo’s – A Place for Steaks, Nelore Churrascaria, Palm Restaurant, Pappa Bros. Steakhouse, Ruth’s Chris, Shula’s, Smith & Wollensky, Sullivan’s, III Forks, Tony’s and Vic Anthony’s.
Strip House: 1200 McKinney (Downtown). This downtown hotspot has the coolest interior of all the steakhouses in the dance. The vintage ambience, complemented by 1920’s Studio Manasse photographs, along with their A-list steak, will truly make your mouth water.
Brenner’s on the Bayou: One Birdsall St. (off Memorial between Shepherd & Wescott). This steakhouse has two locations but the Bayou spot has a bar to rival any views anywhere. Located at the site of the original Rainbow Lodge overlooking the bayou, you can enjoy their Prime Filet with Crinch German Potatoes and one of their signature drinks to soak in the view at the Cold Bar.
Captial Grille: 5365 Westheimer (next to the Galleria). Famous for their dry aged beef, their Filet Oscar and Del Monico Steak, this place will leave you satisfied – in a luxurious setting. A side of lobster mac and cheese is a must.
Del Frisco’s: 5061 Westheimer (at the Galleria). Don’t be intimidated by their height and you will be ok. This extravagant two-story monument is a tribute to the saying, ‘everything is bigger and better in Texas.’ General Manager Arthur Mooradian, Chef Steve Huang and Tracey Hendrix run a disciplined team.
Fleming’s: 2405 W. Alabama (Upper Kirby). Small, quaint River Oaks steakhouse, not to be underestimated by its size, offers a great patio dining area led by Chef James Cole. Their Peppercorn New York Strip or Porcia Rubbed Filet will have you on your feet with applause.
Morton’s Downtown: 1001 McKinney St (Downtown near the Pavilions). There are two Morton’s in Houston, but we recommend the downtown location for its proximity to everything going on with the Pavilions, House of Blues and Lucky Strikes Bowling. Bone-In Ribeye remains their specialty, but they also offer a seafood platter that includes oysters, shrimp and king crab.
Mo’s – A Place for Steaks: 1801 Post Oak Blvd. (near the Galleria). Their backcourt (or patio) is almost as good as Brenner’s. Enjoy the sweet potatoes with Mimi’s Cream Cheese with the McAlpine Steak, which is a ribeye with crusted horseradish sauce.
Nelore Churrascaria: 4412 Montrose Blvd. (Museum District). Maybe the biggest surprise to the dance – not to the residents of the Museum District – this cool Brazilian-style restaurant will not be a true steakhouse, but you will get all the succulent filet and sirloin you can handle served tableside.
Palm Restaurant: 6100 Westheimer (west of the Galleria). A perennial contender, at the same location since 1978, this spot also housed the original Sonny Looks. Experience counts, and in addition to the filet, Palm has outstanding lobster to afford some surf and turf.
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse: 5839 Westheimer (by the Galleria). This second generation family run steakhouse is a Houston favorite. In addition to the filet and the porterhouse, they feature over 2,300 wines and a tremendous assortment of rare single malt scotches.
Ruth’s Chris: 6213 Richmond (just west of the Galleria). This New Orleans chain is one of the original Houston steakhouses imported from NOLA. Enjoy the Cowboy Ribeye if you are man enough, and save room for the bread pudding with whiskey sauce.
Shula’s: 1200 Louisiana (Downtown inside Hyatt Regency). How could we leave out one of the all-time great coaches? Nevermind, that’s football. Only hotel restaurant to make the dance. Great bar for drinks before or after dinner in the spinning Spindletop.
Smith & Wollensky: 4007 Westheimer (Highland Village). This steakhouse and bar features everything from prime rib to cigars – what more could you want? They also have great happy hour appetizers and wines by the glass.
Sullivan’s: 4608 Westheimer (just east of the Galleria). A fast-breaking, hard-charging partying place also surprises and does the dance. Plenty of fun and live music, but consistently outstanding food as well. Seared Ahi Tuna appetizer is our favorite player.
III Forks: 1201 San Jacinto (downtown in the Houston Pavilions). One of the sleepers to make it to the Sweet 16, their prime rib is spectacular, as is their wine display (1500 bottles) and private rooms (definitely check out the Poker Room).
Tony’s: 3755 Richmond (Upper Kirby). It’s no surprise that the venerable Tony Vallone, one of the most experienced coaches in the game, has lead his team to the Final Four with new young talent that produces a bone-in prime ribeye and Kobe Filet that Houstonians have come to love, but now they have added a Kobe Philly Cheesesteak. Bon Appetit!
Strip House: 1200 McKinney (Downtown). This downtown hotspot has the coolest interior of all the steakhouses in the dance. The vintage ambiance, complemented by 1920’s Studio Manasse photographs, along with their A-list steak, will truly make your mouth water.
Your team may have been left out of the dance, but we did the best we could and, frankly, could not eat anymore. Now we’re ready for some college hoops to come to town! Send thoughts to intownmagazine@gmail.com.