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.

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 http://www.longhornsteakhouse.com/Default.asp




20 oz Porterhouse, medium rare.

1.  Price - 24.99.  Steak plus one side and salad.

2.  Look

This is where I first noticed the steak seemed to lack the seasoned crust of the previous encounter’s ribeye.

3.  Cooked to Doneness

This steak was nowhere near the perfectly cooked marvel of the ribeye I earlier had.  For a 20 oz steak, it seemed rather on the thin side, especially for a porterhouse, but it was a large piece of meat.  No doubt about that.  Having said that, I think the doneness was a little north of medium rare.  The steak had very little in the way of juicyness.  The strip side was pink, but a little dry.  And the filet side was tender, as you’d expect from almost any filet, but also lacked a consistent medium rare. 

4.  Taste

This had to be one of the more disappointing aspects.  For a porterhouse steak, this was a weak steak.  Tenderloin and strip, both were sub-par.  It wasn’t horrific, but this is not what you’d expect from a porterhouse, the most expensive steak on Longhorn’s menu.  Perhaps a byproduct of the steak being overdone, but all in all it felt like I was eating a run of the mill steak.

5.  Seasoning

Contrary to the earlier ribeye review, this steak had almost zero seasoning.  I actually had to put salt and pepper on the steak to add something, anything to the experience.  Bonus points for Longhorn for having a pepper mill on the table though, not just a standard shaker.  This steak DID lack for seasoning.  A fine option if you’re using a high quality piece of meat, which you’d normally expect a porterhouse to be, but either I got the runt of the liter or the porterhouses at Longhorn just don’t deserve to be in that category.

6.  Bang for the Buck

I think you can see where this is going.  The most expensive steak on the menu clearly did not live up to being the most expensive steak on the menu.  Compared with the earlier experience, you can go during lunch time(less busy), order a ribeye for 10 bucks cheaper, and get a better steak.  This is one I could see people holding a grudge over.  You just can’t roll out that kind of steak for being the most expensive one on the menu.  I guess I should have seen it coming though.  Other filets were priced around 23 bucks for 7 oz, while the porterhouse has a filet and strip at 20 total oz for only 25 dollars.  Was this a cheap piece of meat masquerading as the King of Steaks?  It certainly felt like it.  My advice, order anything else.  Any other steak and you’ll get a better deal.  So contrary to my initial opinion, maybe your best option isn’t the dinner menu?

-Aaron A. Aaronson



7 oz. Crab Stuffed Filet, Medium Rare


1. Price - $22.79. Steak plus one side & salad. (Signature side: Steakhouse Mac N Cheese & Caesar Salad)

2. Look

Perfecto, en espanol. Popeye, crab, and steak = gorgeous to look at.  (Editor’s Note: I would like to add that the filet was most certainly not “stuffed” more like “topped.” -AAA).

3. Cooked to Doneness

Home run. As with my first trip, the steak was a spot on medium rare. It cut easily and wasn't still mooing. The folks in the back took good care of me.

4. Taste

And here is where my prior experience was overcome. This baby was awesome. It's hard to screw up crabmeat and steak, but the addition of spinach and the cream sauce was well done. The whole thing tasted rich.

5. Seasoning

Winning, anyone? After the disastrous first encounter, I'm happy to report this steak started and finished well. The sauce wasn't too salty, and neither was the steak. It just tasted better than something I could make at home without several attempts, and that's what I expect when I drop 20+ bucks on a meal.

6. Bang for the Buck

As you might wager, I'm a fan of this one. The salad was good, the mac n cheese was still great, and the steak was precisely what it should have been: awesome. It will be a while before I return to Longhorn (other restaurants need a first bid before one gets a third) but I do think it's important to note I am far from averse to a return trip. $22.79 seems about right for what I received, and that's really all you can ask for. I think my first run in may have just been a bad day, and those happen to everyone not named Ruth or Chris.

-Optimus Prime Rib