The Souvenir Menu: Houston’s, not your ordinary chain
Update: It was recently announced that Houston’s will be renamed Bartlett’s. Franchisee Tim Bartlett’s contract with Hillstone Restaurant Group is up this year and it will now be independently owned.
Restaurant snobs will invariable bristle at even the thought of a chain restaurant; but the words “chain restaurant” no longer guarantees frozen cookie cutter food and a plastic environment.
Today, you can find outposts of some of the finest restaurants in the country in different cities. Houston’s, on the corner of Anderson Lane and Burnet Road in North Austin is an exception to this trend, having been as good as an independent restaurant can be for 24 years now. Though locally owned, Houston’s is a part of the Hillstone Restaurant Group out of Los Angeles. The company fosters locally and individually owned restaurants which in many cities have become local favorites.
The restaurant interior is a traditional combination of wood and brick, and the bar even has actual gas lighting. The staff is friendly and very efficient.
Over the years, Houston’s has been voted best salad and best veggie burger on many local surveys and, for a traditional steak house, that’s a pretty good trick.
My personal favorite and recurring experience at Houston’s is as follows: start with the grilled artichokes (paired with Chardonnay) or smoked salmon appetizer (with Sauvignon Blanc), and follow with the slow-cooked pork ribs with a baked potato and coleslaw (with Pinot Noir). If, by some miracle you still have room, order the five-nut brownie topped with vanilla ice cream.
The nutty flavored “frost-kissed” artichokes are steamed, then cut in half, basted with a bit of oil and seasoning, and grilled for a little char/smoke flavor. These are served with melted butter and may spoil you from ever having them the traditional way again.
Houston’s smokes their salmon in-house most days and serves it with a tarragon tartar sauce, capers, diced red onion, and toast points. The salmon is so good that I had them prepare a couple of pounds for a party once and not a bit was left over.
Once billed as fork and knife ribs, the slabs are slow oven-cooked, then finished on a wood grill. The meat is so tender and moist that it falls away from the bone, and the smoky grill flavor will leave you craving these ribs as comfort food.
Houston’s carries a couple of Pinot Noir wines by the glass, but if the MacMurray Ranch is available, I have always had good luck with bottles of this Sonoma Coast wine.
Though most nights you will find a birthday celebration or two at the restaurant, Houston’s has become an easy choice for good food any day.
By Richard Arebalo Photos by Vicky GarzaLeave a Reply
