Longhorn Steakhouse, Pittsburgh, PA
Longhorn Steakhouse
I’m not a huge fan of chain-restaurants. I usually prefer small, privately owned establishments because they often have their own personalities, and more importantly creative, non-corporate food. That being said, we decided to go to Longhorn Steakhouse for the most important reason of all- we had a gift card.
Saturday at the Waterfront… it’s important to arrive early (regardless of your restaurant choice) because every eating establishment is always packed. 5PM should suffice- we would avoid the dinner rush (Morty Seinfeld would have been proud, RIP) and get served promptly. No such luck.
Longhorn’s was overflowing with hungry patrons; apparently everyone was in the mood for steak.
“Your wait time is between is 60 to 80 minutes,” the hostess said.
Seriously?
“Maybe we can eat at the bar,” my dinner mate suggested.
Longhorn Bar
I was so hungry it didn’t matter.
Within a few minutes we found some seats, and handed that vibrating-thing back to the hostess (which confused her to no end).
We were immediately served some super salty peanuts, and handed dinner menus. The nuts were warm and salty; we really enjoyed prying them open and tossing the shells on the floor- which is ok to do at Longhorn’s.
Bar Peanuts
Peanuts and Salad
I don’t eat steak very often, so when I do, I go all-out. I opted for the 18 ounce bone-in Delmonico ($22.99) with extra veg (no carbs please) and a dinner salad with bleu cheese. My dinner companion got the 7 ounce filet ($18.99) with a loaded baked potato.
Our salads arrived within five minutes, and were your standard steak-house bowl of greens, onions, and chopped cucumbers. The lettuce was clean and fresh, and the dressing was creamy and tasty. No complaints here.
Our steaks came soon after, and looked good. One big plus of this particular steakhouse is that they use a real grill. The meat came seared with grill marks, and smelled delicious. I took a bite, and was happy to see that my steak was cooked medium, and more importantly, seasoned. The veggies weren’t mushy and overcooked either. The filet was equally good. Even though it was ordered well-done (cringe) it was juicy, flavorful and tender.
Even though the bartender was our server, he was attentive and personable.
Bone-In Ribeye
Filet Mignon
Longhorn Steakhouse is a good, basic steakhouse. If you’re looking for some good grub that is reasonably priced, this is a good choice; just make sure to get there before 5PM if you’re going during the weekend.
Chef Chuck Kerber
Cooksandeats.com
chuck@cooksandeats.com
“The nuts were warm and salty; we really enjoyed prying them open and tossing the shells on the floor- which is ok to do at Longhorn’s.”
I was thinking that you weren’t supposed to throw shells on the floor at Longhorn Steakhouse. It’s a steakhouse…not a “roadhouse.”
so I emailed Longhorn to satisfy my curiosity. Their response, “In response to your inquiry, peanut shells are not to be thrown on our floors. Sincerely, Chris, Longhorn Steakhouse Guest Relations”
oops
I’ve never been a fan of most of the chains either, but find that Longhorn and Outback Steakhouse both do admirable jobs. Ordering steak at medium priced restaurants frequently leaves me dissapointed, usually because of poor quality meat or over cooking. At least the chains have a formula that keeps it consistant. Maybe the thing that I dispise about these chains (the corporate formula) is actually the thing that I like….huh.
Also, the peanut shell story made me chuckle a bit!