Taste of Texas

"A Texas-themed steakhouse in Houston that supports the rebranding to Texas strip." - Brittany Britto Garley

"If you're looking for a steak with Texas history, Taste Of Texas is the only spot to go. The place is filled to its barn roof with Texas memorabilia and actual antique weapons. And not only does their prime rib taste great, but it goes nicely with a trip to the all-you-can-eat salad bar flanked by giant slabs of cheese. Come here for birthdays and whenever those out-of-town friends need reminding that Texas is the best damn state in the union." - gianni greene, chelsea thomas, julie takahashi

"If you are looking for a great steak with a side of Texas history, Taste Of Texas is the only spot to go. Filled to the cavernous barn roof brim with Texas memorabilia, photos, and actual antique weapons, Taste Of Texas serves a classic steakhouse menu. Not only do the steaks, including a tender prime rib, taste fantastic, but this spot also offers an all-you-can-eat salad bar with fresh bread and giant slabs of cheese. Great for birthdays, for letting your kids roam around and look at old photos, and for those out-of-town friends who need to know why Texas is the best damn state in the union. While you think of the Alamo, remember Taste Of Texas." - gianni greene, chelsea thomas, julie takahashi

"As one of the country’s highest-volume steakhouses, this beloved Houston restaurant is a reliable choice for steaks, plus all of the delicious sides, salads, and desserts to go along with ‘em. Bone-in cowboy rib-eye, porterhouse, and tomahawk steaks are on offer, ranging from $40 to $80." - Brittany Britto Garley

"Taste Of Texas should probably greet folks at the visitors’ center. Filled with more certified Texas memorabilia than steaks in the butcher case, this steakhouse is the perfect backdrop for a celebratory dinner—or as a yeehaw archive for when the spaceships arrive. Eating here is a lot like dining inside a museum diorama given how many framed plaques, antique guns, various saddles, and actual doors from the Alamo are hung up around the barn-like dining room. If Sam Houston was at Taste of Texas, he’d appreciate the well-seared steak and extra bread rolls, but even he would be a bit freaked out. photo credit: Quit Nguyen photo credit: Quit Nguyen photo credit: Quit Nguyen photo credit: Quit Nguyen And while the Memorial-area restaurant has the usual steakhouse suspects, including massive sides, the food is as relentlessly Texan as the space. Cut into some bacon-wrapped quail while admiring worn leather chaps. Throw back a couple of Eagle Rare pours and stare at a photo of some long-dead general. Dining here might even qualify as a 7th-grade Texas History exam. And yes, the steak here is great—It’s a steakhouse in Texas—especially the prime rib, available in a 24oz cut that resembles a couch cushion made of meat. photo credit: Quit Nguyen photo credit: Quit Nguyen photo credit: Quit Nguyen photo credit: Quit Nguyen But a tour through the restaurant’s salad bar really makes the experience special, because this one has more salad options than one sneeze-guard-protected buffet should reasonably offer. Grab baskets of jalapeño cornbread, throw a few sundried tomatoes on some spinach, or slice cheese straight from a giant block. If it’s your first time at Taste Of Texas, an intrepid server will lead you through the salad bar like it’s a prize in the Price is Right Showcase Showdown. Forget a kid in a candy shop, you’re an adult in a salad bar, and you’re putting bacon bits on everything. This is the kind of place where you can order a boozy milkshake in a giant glass cowboy boot, and where you get a free dessert and a commemorative photo on your birthday. Taste Of Texas combines theater, history, an expansive custom framing budget, and taking a photo mid-roller coaster drop into a dinner experience. If you enjoy theme parties or miss going to Chuck E Cheese every birthday, roll up to Taste Of Texas, and make sure to get a reservation first. Food Rundown photo credit: Quit Nguyen Salad Bar Hidden behind yet another wall of memorabilia lies the salad bar. And yeah, salad exists here, But most folks are jostling for fresh asiago cheese rolls, cowboy caviar, and seeing how much fresh cheddar they can slice from the giant cheese block before someone gives them the side eye. photo credit: Quit Nguyen Steaks Every steak at Taste Of Texas is prime Angus, wet aged for a minimum of 40 days, and gets presented on a sizzling cast iron plate in the shape of a cow. The steaks is grilled—not seared—with each one hit with a little garlic butter. photo credit: Quit Nguyen Dessert When dessert-selection time arrives, a server will bring over a giant tray of fake dessert molds. Maybe, somewhere, the desserts are listed on a menu, but choosing from the display is part of the fun. Even though the boozy cowboy milkshake does seem thrilling, nothing feels more Texan than the pecan pie and ice cream. Especially when Blue Bell makes the cinnamon-flavored ice cream just for Taste Of Texas." - Chelsea Thomas