Wife and I went out with another couple last night. I've been to one of their grilles but never one of their Double Eagle steakhouses. Wine was good, the dessert was awesome, but my bone-in prime ribeye was very blah. Never been more disappointed in a steak that I can remember. I don't think they put any seasoning on it whatsoever and it just seemed dry (no juices) for medium rare. The service was also painfully slow.

Just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience. I've had much better experiences at Bob's, Silver Fox, and Ruth's Chris.

I've eaten at the Del Friscos in The Woodlands twice and have been disappointed both times. It's certainly over priced for what you get.

Alright, so I had my wife's leftovers (boneless prime ribeye) for lunch, and her steak was seasoned and cooked properly. I guess I was a bit unlucky with mine. I think they forgot to season it, and then it rested too long before being brought to the table (slow service). For $60+/steak, I'd expect better consistency. Oh well.

That's disappointing. I've always found Del Frisco's to be the best in town and the only steakhouse I've ever been to where I don't have to order it rare to get it medium rare.

I can't speak for that location, but the one in Vegas might have made me the best steak I've ever had. But even chains of that level can vary from location to location. I've had great meals at a Morton's or two, and those that don't justify the price. The meal I had at the Del Frisco's in Vegas is enough for me to give them a shot anywhere I might travel to.

Never had a bad meal at the one in Denver.

I ended up sending an $80 steak back at a really upscale steakhouse a few months back (I almost never send anything back). $80 dry aged and it was as bland as possible with a horrible texture. I could take an $8 steak from any grocery store and make it way better than the one I had.

Paying for the service is a huge part of those steakhouses. There's no way that steak is WORTH $60. The service is very nice however. It's a $25-$30 steak in terms of actual value invested including chef, server and dishwashers time.

I've learned how to cook my own steakhouse quality steaks at home and just don't set foot in a "high end" steak house now a days unless it's for someone else's special event. Birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

Did one last night:



Yes my wife is like a 6 year old and likes me to cut up her steak for her. Utterly inept with a knife... She uses one of those slap chop things to make her trinity for Gumbo... Once it's all cut up though, my god the woman can cook...

Under the circumstances, I chose not to send it back. On most other nights, I would have. Sounds like it was an uncommon mistake, but I probably won't go back. I can pay the same $ and get a better experience at many other places, or as above, I can cook my own.

phideaux_2003 said:

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Paying for the service is a huge part of those steakhouses. There's no way that steak is WORTH $60. The service is very nice however. It's a $25-$30 steak in terms of actual value invested including chef, server and dishwashers time.

I've learned how to cook my own steakhouse quality steaks at home and just don't set foot in a "high end" steak house now a days unless it's for someone else's special event. Birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

Did one last night:



Yes my wife is like a 6 year old and likes me to cut up her steak for her. Utterly inept with a knife... She uses one of those slap chop things to make her trinity for Gumbo... Once it's all cut up though, my god the woman can cook...

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That looks and I'm sure tastes really good... I can make a great steak too.

But what I lack that I'm sure you lack too is the infrastructure at my house to dry age a steak properly and a broiler that reaches close to 4 figure degrees F. You are paying for that as much as the cut of beef at a steakhouse.

Any high end place, the service better be exquisite to go with it.

Is that a roach in your wine glass?

That sucks when ya go to a nice steak place and they don't quite deliver. I've found the major steak chains to be fairly solid and consistent.

That said - count me in on the steak at home approach for the most part - H-E-B Prime 1 cut of Ribeye or Filet and done (plus a nice bottle of wine at way less than a restaurant would charge).

On the other hand - I was in NYC last week and had a business dinner at a place called Butter (first time going there). Had a tomahawk steak there that blew me away with its flavor.



Been awhile since I had a steak that good.

Dammit. Now i want a steak.

ATM9000 said:

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That looks and I'm sure tastes really good... I can make a great steak too.

But what I lack that I'm sure you lack too is the infrastructure at my house to dry age a steak properly and a broiler that reaches close to 4 figure degrees F. You are paying for that as much as the cut of beef at a steakhouse.

Any high end place, the service better be exquisite to go with it.

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Perhaps not the blazing hot griddle but you can get good dry aged steak. HEB does a great job.

Many HEB's have great meat. Whole Foods as well.

A good steakhouse has better meat.

From a purely utilitarian standpoint, it makes more sense to cook at home, but it's not going to be the same experience as a great steakhouse like Pappas Bros.

Diggity said:

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Many HEB's have great meat. Whole Foods as well.

A good steakhouse has better meat.

From a purely utilitarian standpoint, it makes more sense to cook at home, but it's not going to be the same experience as a great steakhouse like Pappas Bros.

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The meat isn't better usually.

What's better is the butchering and fat trimming done pre-grill, and the cooking equipment that by and large cooks both hotter than most can achieve with their grills or cast iron pans and ovens at home... the hot broil above ensures you don't get fat drips that flare a fire and gives you incinsistency on your cook.

Like I said before, that steak looks delicious and I too can make a great steak on the grill or cast iron.

But when I do I usually (not all the time) just buy choice meat because I don't have the tools to really bore out the differentiation of the taste of prime meat. High end steakhouses do though.

Diggity said:

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Many HEB's have great meat. Whole Foods as well.

A good steakhouse has better meat.

From a purely utilitarian standpoint, it makes more sense to cook at home, but it's not going to be the same experience as a great steakhouse like Pappas Bros.

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The experience is what you're paying for. The meat might be marginally better but you can buy A-5 Waygu online or even at H-E-B or fine meats purveyors in Houston pretty easily. I've done it. But as you say the experience of service at a fine steakhouse is awesome.

I think the Double Eagle's vary a lot by the location. I have gotten to know and drink a bit with the head chef at the Plano Legacy West location and he has that one running on point (but I could be bias).

But speaking of Del Frisco's, Dee Lincoln has now opened a new steakhouse in Frisco called Dee Lincoln Prime and I am a big fan of the atmosphere and the sushi as starters.

phideaux_2003 said:

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Paying for the service is a huge part of those steakhouses. There's no way that steak is WORTH $60. The service is very nice however. It's a $25-$30 steak in terms of actual value invested including chef, server and dishwashers time.

I've learned how to cook my own steakhouse quality steaks at home and just don't set foot in a "high end" steak house now a days unless it's for someone else's special event. Birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

Did one last night:



Yes my wife is like a 6 year old and likes me to cut up her steak for her. Utterly inept with a knife... She uses one of those slap chop things to make her trinity for Gumbo... Once it's all cut up though, my god the woman can cook...

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Overcooked! ;-)

Seriously, looks good, although I prefer my steak to the rare side of medium--rare and my wife to the medium side... Makes it hard cook a singe steak for us (and neither if us can eat a full steak...) But hey, at least she's better than my communistic a$$ grabbing in-laws who insist on well done. I don't invite them over for anything that requires cooking to temp. I don't have the patience... ;-)

But on the OP... never been to the one if Ft Worthless... have been to Vegas twice...

We bought a $3000 dining certificate at an auction several years ago (proceeds to Rider Relief Fund) and went during the PBR Finals. Private dining room, party of 12... We had it ALL. And I mean ALL. Two of the big seafood appetizers, steaks and seafood with all the sides, dessert... Hell, I even ordered a $400 bottle of wine... And we still had to buy 4 bottles of wine to go to use the full certificate.

Everything we had was top notch and we were all stuffed! (I had the smallest filet they had and didn't finish it!)
Funniest thing of the night was a drunken Ross Coleman popping in... we gave him a king crab leg which he proceeding to walk around the room with like Trayveon carrying the pimp cane!

wadd96 said:

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[Overcooked! ;-)

Seriously, looks good, although I prefer my steak to the rare side of medium--rare and my wife to the medium side... Makes it hard cook a singe steak for us (and neither if us can eat a full steak...) But hey, at least she's better than my communistic a$$ grabbing in-laws who insist on well done. I don't invite them over for anything that requires cooking to temp. I don't have the patience... ;-)

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This is what those stupid immersion circulators are for. One of the wonders of Sous Vide is being able to cook everyone's steaks exactly as they'd like them.

NColoradoAG said:

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wadd96 said:

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[Overcooked! ;-)

Seriously, looks good, although I prefer my steak to the rare side of medium--rare and my wife to the medium side... Makes it hard cook a singe steak for us (and neither if us can eat a full steak...) But hey, at least she's better than my communistic a$$ grabbing in-laws who insist on well done. I don't invite them over for anything that requires cooking to temp. I don't have the patience... ;-)

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This is what those stupid immersion circulators are for. One of the wonders of Sous Vide is being able to cook everyone's steaks exactly as they'd like them.

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I have one of those... In fact, I'll probably use it to cook a steak after we win Saturday!

wadd96 said:

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NColoradoAG said:

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wadd96 said:

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[Overcooked! ;-)

Seriously, looks good, although I prefer my steak to the rare side of medium--rare and my wife to the medium side... Makes it hard cook a singe steak for us (and neither if us can eat a full steak...) But hey, at least she's better than my communistic a$$ grabbing in-laws who insist on well done. I don't invite them over for anything that requires cooking to temp. I don't have the patience... ;-)

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This is what those stupid immersion circulators are for. One of the wonders of Sous Vide is being able to cook everyone's steaks exactly as they'd like them.

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I have one of those... In fact, I'll probably use it to cook a steak after we win Saturday!

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Excellent! I have the same setup with my wife. I cook my steak to rare, pull it from the water bath, and then turn up the temp for about 10 minutes to bring hers up to medium.

So, I used to at at all of the different Pappa's restaurants when I lived n Houston years ago (including the steakhouse), and they were good but not fantastic. Are they on par with Bob's? Bob's has never disappointed.

Not a single person going to point out the lack of resting for that "steakhouse quality steak" ?

Bob's never fared very well in Houston. They tried twice and closed both times. I've always preferred Pappas Bros but they're both good.

Never tried Bob's in Houston, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the ones up here.

High end "chain" steakhouses are hit-or-miss. The original Bob's on Lemmon is great. I had the single worst steakhouse meal ever at Bob's on Amelia Island. Fleming's at the Domain in Austin is always spot-on; others I have tried vary. Del Frisco's Double Eagle locations are generally good.

The best steakhouses I have had in the past year or so have been non-chains: Press in St. Helena, and Kayne Prime in Nashville, and B &B Butcher in Houston (yeah, I know they have a location in Fort Worth now).

Agree with you Grapevine. Been going to Bob's since it opened as "Bob and Del's" on Lemmon. Never been to a location other than that one. Don't care what anyone sez, i just like it for the familiarity and it's been pretty consistent.

The Pappas Bros on NW HWY is awesome though. I'm a convert.

Austintm said:

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B &B Butcher in Houston (yeah, I know they have a location in Fort Worth now).

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I came here to post this. The lady and I went to the B&B in Fort Worth a few weeks ago and had the best steak of our life (dry aged wagyu ribeye). Their bacon is amazing too.

I haven't been to a steakhouse where I've had to pay in probably 5 years. I can get my cast iron pan ripping hot with my 200,000 btu burner, and do all of the butter/thyme/garlic basting. Plus, I can drink good wines for 1/3 the price and have better sides (really, there's only so many ways to do a wedge salad, potato gratin, and broccoli). But I get why people are into it.
I went to The Republic in CS in August with a bunch of clients, and we went nuts. Thankfully, we didn't get a call when the expense report was submitted.