ALC Steaks

"ALC is a small-town Texas steakhouse hiding in a quiet strip mall near 12th and Lamar. Around the dining room, there are old guitars and Longhorn skulls perched on walls, and carved wooden cowboys standing guard outside of the smaller, semi-private rooms. The meals are old-school and relaxed, with a pretty standard menu of steaks and chops that arrive with grill marks that look like they were drawn on with a ruler and a Sharpie. The best part is you don’t need to make a reservation days or weeks in advance like at many of the other steakhouses in Austin." - nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs

"Don’t be fooled by the baby strip mall location. This restaurant has been grilling steaks with a Southwestern twist for over 30 years. Though the name might’ve changed (it was formerly known as Austin Land & Cattle Co.), the casual vibes sure haven’t. Pass by the guitars on the walls and stroll across the saltillo tile floors to the dining room, where meats come to the table in all shapes and sizes. There are rib-eyes, New York strips, T-bones, tomahawks, porterhouses, and filet mignons, with a slew of topping and sauce options." - Darcie Duttweiler

"Sometimes, you just want to celebrate your birthday with a giant steak and a martini. And sometimes you want to do that without planning a reservation three months in advance, or without going to a place where you have to share a whole bunch of small plates. ALC is unstuffy, unpretentious, and great for groups—there’s even a few larger rooms in the back if you want a more private space. But perhaps most importantly, they make a killer steak that serves as the perfect entree after a round of escargot and grilled Buffalo lamb chops." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion

"ALC feels like a classic steakhouse you’d expect to find in small-town Texas, complete with guitars hanging from the walls and carved wooden cowboys and horses scattered about the dining room. Just head to a quiet strip mall near 12th and Lamar—boots and hat optional. It’s old-school and relaxed, with a pretty standard menu of steaks and chops that arrive with picture-perfect grill marks that look like they were drawn on with a ruler and a Sharpie. The best part is you don’t need to make a reservation days or weeks in advance like many of the other steakhouses in Austin." - nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs

"Enough is enough. Sometimes you don’t want to make a reservation months in advance, and you really don’t want your table covered in multiple forgettable small plates. You just want a giant steak and a martini for dinner. ALC is unstuffy and unpretentious—it feels like a classic steakhouse you’d expect to find in a film about a bunch of bankers on Wall Street. Most importantly, you can get a great ribeye here that serves as the perfect entrée after a round of escargot and grilled buffalo lamb chops. " - nicolai mccrary