Copeland's

We decided to go on over to Copeland’s.  It had been on our list for a while, but we kept passing it up.  No idea why.  So we fixed that and went for lunch.  It should be noted, their lunch steak offerings are the exact same as the dinner menu steaks.  That’s a huge plus in my book.  All restaurants should operate like that.

If you read the menu, Copeland’s says about their steaks “At Copeland’s, we use only the finest hand-selected, USDA approved, 100% corn-fed Midwestern beef that has been naturally aged 28 days – ensuring a perfectly flavorful steak each and every time.”  Well that certainly sounds good to me.

Copeland’s of New Orleans
3920 Ambassador Caffery.  Lafayette, LA.  70503.
http://www.copelandsofneworleans.com/

Walk On's

So Lafayette got a Walk On’s.  And then UL goes out and has a decent season.  Coincidence?  Maybe.  But I do wonder why Walk On’s is so far away from campus.  I know real estate prices in Lafayette can’t be cheap, but they appear to do great business anyway.

Back on track, I noticed Walk On’s has a steak on the menu.  Only one steak to be precise.  So why not give it a try?


Walk On’s
2336 Kaliste Saloom Road
Lafayette, LA 70508
http://www.walk-ons.com/

Don's Seafood Hut

It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Don’s.  I had one steak here a couple years back that, in my mind, is the epitome of bland steaks.  I don’t know whose idea it was to just take a filet and throw it on the grill with no seasoning or anything and hope for the best, but I hope that person isn’t working there tonight.

Almost everyone I’ve talked to has a similar opinion about Don’s steaks.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard any rave reviews.  But they are called, “Don’s Seafood Hut.”  And I do like their seafood gumbo.  Now going back to my old mantra, if you’re gonna have steak on the menu, it might as well be a good steak.  Otherwise, don’t serve steak.

4903 Johnston Street.  Lafayetta, LA.  70503.
http://donsseafoodonline.com/lafayette/

Texas Roadhouse

I’ve been to Texas Roadhouse a number of times since it was built in Lafayette.  One thing I’ve always noticed, it’s always packed.  Lunch time, closing time, almost all the other times in between.  We even showed up at 11:15 when they open at 11, and it was already hosting a sizeable crowd.  So you know they must be doing something right.

5620 Johnston Street.  Lafayette, LA 70503
www.texasroadhouse.com

LA Seafood House

I had never heard of LA Seafood House until they did a burger contest that I decided to participate in.  That was a while back and I hadn’t had the chance to visit again, until now.  It’s a ways down Ridge Road, actually into Duscon, but they always seem to be busy.  The specialty seems to be seafood and local favorites, but they also do a Brazilian grill some nights of the week(which we will be back for later).  For now, we tackle the two steaks off the menu.  Also of note, this is the first truly local and non-chain restaurant we're reviewing!  Something we hope to do a lot more of.

1917 Ridge Road.   Duson, LA 70529
http://www.laseafoodhouse.com/

Zea Rotisserie Grill

More commonly referred to as "Zea's."  I’ve always known Zea’s to be popular, and it’s not hard to see why.  All of my meals at Zea’s have been tasty and reasonably priced.  Being located right behind The Grand makes for a great dinner/movie combination, so I imagine that's good for both businesses.  Judging from the almost an hour wait to get a table, a lot of people have had similar experiences.  Zea’s also has one of the few menus where I have to put legitimate effort into figuring out what to order.  At least this time that wasn’t a problem.

235 Doucet Road
http://www.zearestaurants.com/site.php

Chili's

Oh Chili’s.  Chances are you’ve been to Chili’s.  Everyone has been to Chili’s.  And almost every time I’ve been to Chili’s, I’ve been unimpressed.  Yet I still keep going back?  If nothing else, that’s an impressive business model.  I’ve had steak at Chili’s in the past.  They used to have a Cajun spiced ribeye and it was less than impressive.  So I was almost relieved to see it wasn’t on the menu anymore.  So maybe there’s been a steak revolution at Chili’s?

1734 West Pinhook
http://www.chilis.com/EN/Pages/home.aspx

Longhorn Steakhouse II

So after my first forray into Longhorn, I was pretty impressed.  Our first trip was during lunch, so we decided to give the dinner menu a try.  The dinner menu features a larger selection of steaks, as it will with pretty much any restaurant that has a lunch vs. dinner menu.  Though it may not be a tactic I support, slashing your menu for the lunchtime hour, I know there are several theories that say why it’s a good idea.  I just want some steak.  And if you’re like me, your best bet is gonna be on the dinner menu.

4248 Ambassador Caffery
 http://www.longhornsteakhouse.com/Default.asp

Longhorn Steakhouse

This was my first time going to Longhorn since it opened, so I truly had zero inkling what to expect.  Call me uninformed, but I don’t believe I had even heard of the Longhorn chain before they started building in Lafayette.  So we decided to have a lunch there and give it a go.

4248 Ambassador Caffery
http://www.longhornsteakhouse.com/menu/default.asp

Outback Steakhouse

Outback is another restaurant I haven’t been to in a while.  Initially I was a little surprised to see business just as kicking as I remember.  Newer steakhouses have opened in Lafayette in the recent years, so it was time to give an old standby a visit.

1600 West Pinkhook
http://www.outback.com/index.aspx

Olive Garden

I haven’t been to Olive Garden in years, but when I was around 10 or 12, I went as much as my parents allowed.  How could you say no to never-ending breaksticks?  Also as a kid, your idea of Italian food is probably limited to pizza, so Olive Garden was like a brave new world.  People may feel the need to pile on Olive Garden for their commercials and representation of Italian food, but judging by the lunch business it does, they feed the masses effectively.  I think it’d be different if they didn’t trumpet the “authentic, Italian food” and try have such goofus, terribly acted, family-having-fun commercials.  But listen, I’m not here to judge you, Olive Garden.  Just your steak.

5743 Johnston Street
http://www.olivegarden.com/

A Miniature Guide to Steak

So let’s say you’re a steak novice and you want to try a steak.  The first step is deciding what cut of steak to order.  Here’s a list of steaks you’ll commonly see on restaurant menus and a little explanation about each one.

Filet, Filet Mignon, Chateaubriand

The filet comes from the tenderloin section of the steer.  Hailing from an area called the “tenderloin” you’d be correct in assuming it’s very tender.  Filet will be the most tender and least fatty of all the steak offerings.  Though this doesn’t  translate into superior flavor.

The size of a filet is usually between 6 to 8 oz.  Except for the Chateaubriand, which is usually just a larger section of tenderloin cut into a portion for two.  So combined with being relatively lean and a small portion, this is often the choice of the more calorie conscious steak eaters.  Though its lack of fat is what decreases the flavor and moisture of this cut.

Since the tenderloin is so lean and lacking an overpowering flavor, you’ll often see the option of bacon-wrapped or bleu cheese crumbles/sauce to be added as an addition to your filet, along with various other butters or sauces..  Feel free to experiment.

It should also be added that, by weight, filet will usually be the most expensive cut of steak you can order off a menu.

An Explanation of Our Judging System

I devised this grading system to judge steaks by.  I consider it to be impartial while highlighting what someone most expects out of a good steak eating experience.

Price

Everything costs money.  Steak costs the most money.  And even though steak is one of the more pricier options on restaurant menus, it’s one of the least profitable items offered by the restaurant.  So that price that you see can go a long way towards informing you whether you’re getting a good deal on a good steak, or overpaying and being gouged by a restaurant putting out a mediocre cut for a higher price to pad their profit margins.

Look

It’s often said you eat with your eyes first.  Why else would some restaurants put these beautifully staged photos inside their menus of the options they offer?  So when that plate plops down on the table and you finally lay your eyes on what you’ve been waiting for, that’s supposed to be a memorable experience.  If the steak doesn’t look very good, chances are it doesn’t taste very good.