Steiner Ranch and Steakhouse -- Austin, Texas

Last night, once the meeting we were working on was over, Mike told me we were having dinner with Dave (his work partner) and a few of the guys from the crew. We were following them, and had no idea where we were going. This was a good thing, because we had no preconceived ideas about what we would eat. We drove down pitch black roads down twists and turns wondering what in the world we were doing. But out of the dark rose Steiner Ranch Steakhouse. The steak house is perched on a hill that overlooks part of the hill country. It is a large stone building with upscale ranch decor. They have a beautiful patio with a bar and a live band was playing, but since it was a little windy we chose to sit inside. We were all starving and as foodies, we were all excited to start our meal. We begin with an appetizer of calamari that is not on the menu, and Buffalo Quail legs which is on the menu. Now, for those of you who are not familiar with quail, their legs are not large, but the flavor was fabulous. The legs were a combination of sweet and spicy. It was a mild spice and they were served with a bleu cheese dressing. The calamari was tender and the breading was crispy-- all good on that front. 

Now, I know we were at a steakhouse, but we recently purchased a large side of beef for our family, so with a freezer full of beef at home I decided to go in a different direction. For my entree I ordered the Lamb Chop which was served with a mushroom-demi glaze. Mike waivered between the bone-in Ribeye and the Chicken Fried Elk, but really, how often do you see chicken fried elk on the menu? With me hoping out loud that he would order the elk, he ordered it. Now, all of us ordered a different entree, and there were 6 of us at the table. Also ordered was the Mahi Mahi, the bone-in Ribeye, pan seared Scallops, and the Filet Mignon. What is so significant about that you ask??? Well, everyone shared!! I love getting to taste a little bit of everything. My lamb was fabulous. The slightly sweet sauce completely complemented the perfectly cooked tender lamb. The scallops were absolutely fantastic, the steaks tender and flavorful, but my favorite of all was the elk. It was served with gravy and the elk was tender, the breading crispy, and it was perfectly seasoned. The vegetable we all were served was fresh green beans cooked with onions and bacon- so yummy. So I would have to say Steiner Ranch and Steakhouse receives two thumbs up. If you're looking for an upscale steakhouse, you can't go wrong with Steiner.