Austin's Steakhouse: Best In Town
Everything you'd expect to find in this type of restaurant is here -- beef, poultry, seafood, veggies -- it's as all-American as you can get. But pay attention to the "Austin" part of their name and you start to get an idea of the Texas twist they throw into the mix.
Your first clue is the basket of warm bread delivered to your table. Sure, there's a fairly standard dinner roll there, but alongside it are pieces of extremely sweet jalapeno and cheese cornbread. It's not at all what you expect when you bite into it, but you'll find yourself going back to it throughout the meal.
There are a few standard appetizers, like the shrimp cocktail or oysters on the half-shell, but why not start with the savory and sweet fried green tomatoes -- lightly breaded and deep fried -- served with a spicy Cajun remoulade to dip them in. Or perhaps you'd prefer the shrimp, sautéed in a garlic butter sauce and then dipped in cheese and wrapped in bacon.
Under the heading of soups and salads, they have the usual suspects like Caesars and dinner salads, but the interesting twists continue here with a hearty beefsteak tomato and mozzarella salad, Texas black bean and pepper jack soup, or my personal favorite, a Maui onion soup served piping hot with a thick helping of melted cheese. The latter is enhanced with cilantro and is unusually spicy but delicious, with a great kick.
For entrees, they have Alaskan king crab legs, rack of Wisconsin lamb, veal chops, double-thick pork T-bones, swordfish, salmon and other relatively standard fare, plus more of those southern flavors like fried chicken. But you didn't really come here to eat anything other than beef, did you?
They age and cure their meats in a 60-day process, using a marinade of Cajun spices that leaves the cuts flavorful and tender. Then they cook it over mesquite and apple wood for an extra smoky taste.
I can't possibly recommend any dish more highly than the 24-ounce ribeye. They rub it in peppercorns and then pan-sear it in a garlic butter and cilantro sauce. Not only was it cooked perfectly (you wouldn't think medium-well is hard, but from my experience, it has been), but it was without a doubt the most flavorful cut of beef I've ever eaten. I'm getting hungry again just thinking about it.
There are a variety of a la carte side dishes including the aptly named "Colossal Idaho Bakers" (baked potatoes), sweet sautéed onions and more.
In keeping with the Texas theme, portions are enormous. Appetizers easily serve two or more with the salads coming in bowls that barely fit on the table. But in case you haven't adequately gorged yourself by now -- and why not? It's Vegas! -- don't forget the after-dinner menu.
In addition to the after-dinner drinks and cigars (which must be smoked at an exterior bar), there are the desserts. A delicious cheesecake comes with fruit compote; festive carrot cake has a sweet vanilla icing; their bread pudding is served with a brandy caramel sauce; down-home apple pie is served with ice cream; and the "Chocolate Decadence Cake" is actually more fluffy soufflé than cake, but it was chocolate and it was amazing, so who cares what they call it?
The atmosphere is vaguely '60s mod, with exposed stone, colorful glass panels, and the requisite steakhouse copper and mahogany accents. The music (light pop) was a bit loud for my personal preference, but they were doing a live remote for a radio station in the back, so that may have been an aberration. The good news is that despite its proximity to the Texas Station casino there wasn't a hint of slot-machine noise.
Service is truly exceptional -- among the best I've experienced at restaurants of any caliber and cost. They all knew I was there reviewing the place, but I watched them with the other diners, and the staff was just as attentive and friendly. Granted, you may not have the hotel's director of food and beverage stop by your table, but there's a good chance the restaurant manager will come over to say hi.
Prices are reasonable for the amount of food you get and how good it was. Appetizers run $7 to $12, soups and salads $5 to $8, ala carte entrees $17 to $32 (or more for market-price seafood), vegetable sides (hash browns, yams, green beans, asparagus and more) are all $4, and desserts are $6 apiece. A full wine list and bar menu starts at around $4 a glass and goes up from there. A full, very satisfying dinner will probably run you in the $40-per-person range, but it is absolutely worth every penny.
There's a lot of competition for the title of best steakhouse in Las Vegas, but my vote definitely goes for Austin's. It's not a place you should miss.
Texas Station is located north and west of The Strip, about a 10-minute drive depending on traffic. Take the I-15 freeway north to the 95 freeway north and take the first exit -- Rancho Road. Turn right and Texas Station is up about 2 miles on your right. If surface streets are more your style, take Sahara west to Rancho Road (just past the I-15 underpass), turn right, and go about 3 ½ miles to Texas Station.
Grade: A
Austin's Steakhouse
Texas Station
2101 Texas Star Lane (at Rancho)
(702) 631-1000
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