Considering its extraordinary size, it’s really no wonder that my home state of Texas is known for a vast number of different cuisines and dishes. Tex-Mex, chili, barbeque, fair food, southwestern, chicken fried steak, Dr. Pepper – the list goes on and on, but there is perhaps no food we Texans love more than steak.
Driving from downtown Dallas to the northern suburb of Plano you will pass over 30 steakhouses, no exaggeration. It’s a lot of red-blooded goodness to chew through, but it can make it difficult to locate the very best. That’s probably why Texas Monthly Magazine did it for us in December of 2007. At the top of their list, and appropriately enough at the top of mine, is Pappas Bros. Steakhouse in Houston and Dallas.
First things first, throw out your décor assumptions. Don’t be expecting stuffed armadillos and prairie dogs in every corner or cacti flanking the front entrance. We’ve got those in Texas, but the best steakhouses let the meat do the talking. Pappas Bros. Steakhouses serves USDA Prime Beef specially-prepared with a method called dry aging. When dry aging, whole steaks are left to ventilate in a dutifully maintained environment for anywhere from 7 to 40 days. The resulting moisture loss creates a complex chew that is simultaneously firm and buttery, and the immense beef flavor is hand-over-fist superior to its “wet aged” cousins.
While the steaks are the star of this show, Pappas Bros. pampers its guests in typical Texas fashion: impeccable wine service, voluminous starches and desserts the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. It’ll cost you. I’ve been with my wife three times and didn’t once make it out for under $200. But once a meal reaches the kind of ethereal divinity that only a Pappas Bros. bone-in rib eye can deliver, no cost is too great.
This is just about as good as food gets!
I’ve got two hotels tonight, since there’s a location in Dallas and Houston, but I figured you were bored of my usual recommendations and thought I would mix it up. These hotels won’t get you the closest, but they will provide a great stay at reasonable prices (and when eating at Pappas, you want to save wherever you can :)
For hotels in Houston, TX, consider the Hilton Garden Inn Houston/Sugar Land.
For Dallas area hotels, consider the Doubletree Club Dallas – Farmers Branch.
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4 Comments
I just wanna say Pappas is the best bbq I’ve tried so far. I am always looking forward to go there when I would like to have good bbq at the best possible price.
Thanks for your comments, Peter. You’re right about Pappas Bar-B-Que, too, and it’s conveniently located right next door to the Steakhouse (in Dallas). In fact, before you get to the Steakhouse you have to wade through a sea of Pappas Restaurants, including Pappadeux, Pappasito’s Cantina, Pappas Bar-B-Que, of course, and maybe even a Pappas Burger. They’re a bit of a Texas institution.
I have been to Pappadeaux’s numerous times and it is one of my favorite seafood restaurants. It’s a little pricey, but it’s delicious and the portions are so huge that you could easily share or take it home and make another meal of it. Looks like I need to try out the steakhouse next. One of my top steakhouses is Bob’s Steak and Chophouse. Have you been? How does the Pappas restaurant compare?
Ah, another Dallasite! Welcome, Michelle.
Bob’s Steak and Chophouse is a venerable institution, but for steaks there really is no comparison to Pappas. Everybody’s taste is different, but for me the two are miles apart. The deep, rich succulence of Pappas’ dry-aged beef just can’t be matched anywhere in the metroplex, maybe not anywhere in Texas. Afterall, Texas Monthly did give them the #1 spot.
Tip: There’s a restaurant in Frisco called TruFire. Really awesome Italian place with a pizza specialty. It’s run by the Bob’s Steak and Chophouse people, which is why I thought of it. I’d actually take TruFire over Bob’s any day of the week.
Thanks again.
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