Crystal Wise
I’m not sure what an overdose on beef might look or feel like, or if such a thing is even possible. It was a few years ago when I learned one could overdose on water and surmised one could probably overdose on anything. I bring up this possibility — of indulging in steak to the point of ill effects — because I’m about to complete a meaty marathon, of sorts: to eat at all eight places that serve steak within the Fort Worth Stockyards. That’s right, eight beef-filled meals at eight different steakhouses. And, to make this a true test of endurance, I elected to do it all within one week.
When one roams Exchange Avenue, flashy neon signs do their darndest to promote one of two things: Western wear and steaks. With every turn of your head, your eyes will land on a spot that serves the greatest meal known to man because, in the Stockyards, beef is inescapable. I can’t tell you which city holds the distinction for most steakhouses within a square mile, but with the Stockyards possessing no less than eight, I challenge Guinness World Records to make a proclamation that Fort Worth holds such a record.
As I’ve recently been asserting, if you wanna gamble, you go to Vegas. If you want a Broadway show, you go to Broadway. But if steak is your vice, you come to the Stockyards.
And, with that in mind, I had the bright idea of eating at every single one and report back on my experiences. Meat sweats and hemochromatosis aside, I was determined to complete the mission.
To grade each steakhouse, I first had to come up with a system. I decided I would judge each place based on six different criteria: whether it was cooked according to my requested medium-rare, quality of the steak, the overall flavor of the steak, the restaurant’s ambiance, the side potato, and a cup of whatever soup it offered.
Keep in mind: No steakhouse in the Fort Worth Stockyards is bad. In fact, they’re all excellent. And they’re all excellent in their own distinct ways. It’s difficult to compare a four-course meal at Lonesome Dove with a lunchtime rib-eye at Star Café, but that’s exactly what I’m attempting to do in my humorous gluttony of red meat. As is the case when any judging, whether for real or for fun, occurs, to each their own. Just remember to finish your sides.
97 West
Since we’re doing this in alphabetical order, I have no choice but to start at the top (numerals always take precedence over the alphabet, in case you were wondering). While this list is not meant to rank the restaurants I visited this past week, I will admit that 97 West was, despite a close race, my personal favorite.
Located in the lobby of Hotel Drover — a place that’s transformed into a hangout for locals and tourists alike — 97 West has quickly become one of the city’s flagship restaurants. And for good reason. The interior, carefully curated by local stalwart designer, Sally Brumbaugh, is a tasteful Western chic, and the menu offers a perfect combination of out-of-the-box exotic offerings (antelope, pheasant) and dependable classics (New York strip chicken-fried steak, rack of ribs). And, naturally, the restaurant sells six separate cuts of prime-grade beef — from tomahawks to prime rib.
You might call me out for being cliché, but cutting into the lunchtime filet was akin to slicing through butter. Is it the most tender steak I’ve ever had? Perhaps. Maybe. I think so, yes. The flavor, like the medium-rare temperature I’d ordered, was on point. To add to the restaurant’s appeal, the prices are also a surprise. Considering the restaurant’s buttoned-up presentation, its cuts aren’t any more expensive than what you would find at Riscky’s or H3 Ranch.
Cooked right? Yeah
Quality of beef: Out of 5 — 5
Overall steak: Out of 5 — 5
Ambiance: Out of 5 — 4
Potato: Out of 5 — 4
Soup: Out of 5 — 4 (creamy spiced cauliflower)
Price point: $$$
Do: Fingerling potato crisps (also known as potato chips to the layman)
Don’t: Sit at the center bar. They weren’t well versed on the lunch menu, and it’s just not the best way to experience the restaurant.
Award: Best in show
200 Mule Alley
97westkitchenandbar.com
The Brand Room
West on Exchange Avenue — like, on-the-edge-of-the-Stockyards west — rests one of the most elusive restaurants in Fort Worth. Like an inverted speakeasy, the Brand Room feels like a bar that secretly doubles as a great steakhouse. Open only Thursday through Saturday after 5 p.m., the Brand Room is a spot for regulars. And, really, its business model targets those who frequent the place. The bar/restaurant rents lockers to members of its “club” that the renters fill with bottles of their favorite booze. The Brand Room, for all intents and purposes, serves as a cozy spot for these renters to relax, eat, watch tv, and shoot the breeze while indulging in their favorite libations.
If you come for dinner, its menu — given verbally by the bartender or waitress — typically has three to four items and is served after 7 p.m., so don’t come early. And among the offerings is always a tenderloin and a rib-eye. I ordered the rib-eye, and I was awakened as to how this spot has regulars. Its food is incredibly tasty. The steak was cooked to perfection, and the side of mashed potatoes was of the silky-smooth variation that practically melted in your mouth. I don’t wanna let the cat out of the bag, but this is one of the best spots in the Stockyards. They might’ve just found a new regular.
Cooked right? Yeah
Quality of beef: Out of 5 — 4
Overall steak: Out of 5 — 4
Ambiance: Out of 5 — 4
Potato: Out of 5 — 5
Soup: Out of 5 — N/A
Price point: $$$$
Do: Jam on your biscuits, which come with your meal
Don’t: Look up. The hundreds of cast-iron brands hanging from the ceiling — while no doubt secure — managed to make me slightly uncomfortable.
Award: Hidden (very hidden) gem
212 W. Exchange Ave.
Cattlemen’s Steak House
When I first kicked off this assignment, chowing down on my first of what would be many steaks, no less than three people asked if I’d tried Cattlemen’s. Lonesome Dove, 97 West, and even H3 Ranch got little attention. Why? Because Cattlemen’s is the most well-known steakhouse in Fort Worth, and there’s nothing any other steakhouse can do about that. Like the large sign out front says, Cattlemen’s is world famous. But is it deserving? It’s hard to argue against it.
Compared to the other spots on this list, Cattlemen’s serves a decent steak that’s a little on the smoky side for my taste. It came cooked correctly and was flavorful if slightly gritty. Of course, compared to other steak places across the globe, it’s a damn five-star restaurant as far as I’m concerned. The interior is dated, with the chairs and tables seemingly stuck in 1978, but that’s half the restaurant’s charm. Regardless, there are clearly others who see the potential and marketability of the well-known joint. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram recently reported that a financier behind some of Taylor Sheridan’s biggest projects (“Yellowstone,” “1883”) purchased the historic steakhouse. What this means for the future of Cattlemen’s menu and indoor décor, we can’t say. But one thing is for sure: It ain’t going anywhere.
Cooked right? Yeah
Quality of beef: Out of 5 — 3
Overall steak: Out of 5 — 3
Ambiance: Out of 5 — 3
Potato: Out of 5 — 4
Soup: Out of 5 — 3 (a heavily salted baked potato soup)
Price point: $$$
Do: Texas toothpicks
Don’t: Eat in the dining room. Their bar is one of the city’s best.
Award: The OG. The most recognizable
2458 N. Main St.
cattlemenssteakhouse.com
H3 Ranch
As Fort Worth homers, it was slightly disappointing to learn that H3 Ranch is technically named after three brothers (Hunter being the last name) from Nebraska. But we assume descendants have ties to the area and choose not to hold their cornhusker origins against them. Located on the busy corner of Exchange Avenue and N. Main Street, the building occupied by H3 Ranch might be Fort Worth’s single greatest piece of prime real estate. And the horseshoe-shaped neon sign has become iconic.
When I arrived, I sat right behind the backside of a bison. This is not an idiom. I literally sat behind a giant taxidermized bison that shoots out of the wall in their adjacent bar called Booger Red’s. H3 plays up the Western vibe more than any restaurant in Fort Worth but does so in a way that’s not overly clownish. It feels organic and authentic. It feels like a place where Butch Cassidy or Jim Courtright could feel right at home.
Its menu opens with a vague “Voted Best Steakhouse” message, something common among most of the steakhouses in the area. Who the authority on best steaks might be, I don’t know, but they seem to have decided all Stockyard steakhouses are deserving. H3 famously offers a hickory wood-grilled steak. As mentioned before, smoky steaks aren’t my favorite despite it being a preferred method of cooking among this batch of restaurants. The steak itself came out overcooked (medium), but the flavor kept me engaged. The bartender even commented how much I must’ve liked it given how quickly it disappeared. I suppose the pairing with the scrumptious skillet potatoes made the whole meal more than passable.
Cooked right? Nah
Quality of beef: Out of 5 — 3
Overall steak (seasoning, flavor, etc.): Out of 5 — 3
Ambiance: Out of 5 — 5
Potato: Out of 5 — 5
Soup: Out of 5 — 3 (Wife of Kit Carson [aka tortilla] soup)
Price point: $$$
Do: Skillet potatoes
Don’t: Straddle the saddle at the bar. Again, this is not an expression. Literally, don’t sit on the saddles that double for stools behind the bar. It’s weird.
Award: Best interior
109 E. Exchange Ave.
h3ranch.com
Crystal Wise
Lonesome Dove
Tim Love’s flagship restaurant (it’s still his flagship, right?) is also one of the city’s go-to spots for fine dining. If one is looking for a candlelit dinner with mood lighting, a quaint atmosphere, and incredible food, I wouldn’t hesitate to point them in the direction of Lonesome Dove — so long as neither is vegetarian.
I wouldn’t classify Lonesome Dove as a standard steakhouse — or a standard anything, for that matter. It’s more of a meat house — a place where you can have your selection of cuts from a plethora of warm- and cold-blooded critters. For the adventurous palate, this spot is a gold mine.
But, we’re here to try one type of meat and one type of meat only (I can’t, unfortunately, call myself an expert on wild game): beef. And, concerning beef, the steaks are pretty darn good. The restaurant currently offers three variations: a roasted garlic-stuffed tenderloin, chicken-fried steak, and a Wagyu tomahawk rib-eye. I tried my hand at the tenderloin, and the flavor, enhanced by a black garlic and gorgonzola spread, made each slice a bite to look forward to. My sole complaint: The steak was a tad tough and chewy, but the taste more than forgave its lack of tenderness.
Cooked right? Yeah
Quality of beef: Out of 5 — 5
Overall steak: Out of 5 — 4
Ambiance: Out of 5 — 5
Potato: Out of 5 — 3
Soup: Out of 5 — 5 (best dang chili I’ve ever had)
Price point: $$$$$
Do: Date night. I don’t think there’s a better spot in town for a romantic evening.
Don’t: Get the mashed potatoes. Considering the adventurous nature of the menu, the starch portion of the meal was a little ho-hum.
Award: Menu that makes you wanna try everything
2406 N. Main St.
lonesomedovebistro.com
Provender Hall
Out of all the restaurants featured, Provender Hall is the oddball. It’s a great joint that serves steak, so its inclusion is no doubt deserved, but it deviates from the other restaurants on this list in very obvious ways. First, while it’s a very Fort Worthy (if I may use that as an adjective) spot, it doesn’t indulge in the cowboy/western chic quite like the others. Its vibe is clean, minimalist, and slightly boho. And, aside from Lonesome Dove, it’s the only other restaurant on this list that doesn’t advertise itself as a steakhouse. It’s a new-age comfort food spot with a diverse and delicious menu that offers new takes on old staples like fried green tomatoes and the now ubiquitous shrimp and grits.
But we’re here for steak, and only steak. They only offer one cut of meat that complies with our standards: the daily butcher’s cut, which, today, is a New York strip. And it was a solid cut of beef cooked exactly as ordered. The taste was substantially less smoky than the steaks offered by the likes of Cattlemen’s and H3 Ranch, which, for my palate, was preferred. My only qualm: the fries were okay. Wanna get a better side? Go with the cheese grits.
Cooked right? Yeah
Quality of beef: Out of 5 — 5
Overall steak: Out of 5 — 4
Ambiance: Out of 5 — 3
Potato: Out of 5 — 4
Soup: Out of 5 — 5 (chicken and andouille sausage gumbo that’s incredible)
Price point: $$$$
Do: Cheese grits
Don’t: Fill up on their amazing appetizers, even though it’s very tempting
Award: Best beards. Seriously, all of their male servers had impressive facial hair.
122 E. Exchange Ave., Ste. 110
provenderhall.com
Riscky’s Steakhouse
Riscky’s, strangely enough, has long been a guilty pleasure of mine. It was the first steakhouse I tried in the Stockyards, so I’ve placed in my tried-and-true category of local fare. I’ll admit that I still haven’t tried the world-famous calf fries, but the appetizer remains on my bucket list of things to try; perhaps my concern is that I’ll like them.
Despite the brand dabbling in barbecue and burgers throughout the city, I think tender and juicy steaks might be its greatest accomplishment.
Located between Love Shack and Provender Hall, smack dab in the middle of the Stockyards’ hubbub, Riscky’s might get more foot traffic than any restaurant in the city. Unless they’re busy and taking names outside, you’ll have to walk pass the bar to see the hostess, but I’d recommend snagging the first seat you find at the bar rather than trailing off to one of the rooms — yeah, I’m not the biggest fan of their décor.
The steak itself is a giant 14 ounces, juicy, and rarely ever not cooked to perfection. It’s what my dad would call a down-and-dirty steak — nothing fancy and no tricks applied to its seasoning or cooking method, but it’s delicious, nonetheless.
Cooked right? Yeah
Quality of beef: Out of 5 — 3
Overall steak (seasoning, flavor, etc.): Out of 5 — 4
Ambiance: Out of 5 — 3
Potato: Out of 5 — 4
Soup: Out of 5 — 5 (kapusta)
Price point: $$$
Do: The kapusta soup. If you’ve got a “sour tooth,” you’ll thank me.
Don’t: Order the lunch rib-eye. As my colleague, John, told me, “It tastes like a $5.99 strip club steak.”
Award: Under-the-radar tasty
120 E. Exchange Ave.
risckys.com
Star Café
The people at Star Café, a small(ish) diner on the western side of Exchange Avenue, do a damn good job of making you feel at home. Between its friendly, almost maternal-like service; no frills dining room with a tin ceiling; and a pay-at-the-register-type vibe, you can almost meditate in the restaurant’s quaintness. Heck, even its steak tastes like something I would cook at home. And if you conduct a Google search of the joint, you’ll notice that its website also shows a great deal of simplicity: It’s been coming soon for a few years now.
Not open on Mondays or Tuesdays, I dropped in for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon and was the only patron in sight. For a small space, its menu has plenty of sandwich, burger, and steak options, and my finger landed on the 12-ounce rib-eye. There’s little doubt in mind that the delivered steak was closer to 16 than 12 ounces, but I wouldn’t dare complain. The steak was a bit rare for my taste, but I argue it’s better than overcooking my meal. Sometimes, you just want a steak and a potato, you know? Just a place to check all the boxes and get a little protein in your system. This spot checks those quintessential boxes.
Cooked right? Kinda
Quality of beef: Out of 5 — 3
Overall steak: Out of 5 — 3
Ambiance: Out of 5 — 4
Potato: Out of 5 — 3
Soup: Out of 5 — 3 (your good ol’ basic bowl of chili)
Price point: $$
Do: Raise the percent you choose to tip
Don’t: Come here with a full stomach … their portions are mighty.
Award: Quality servers who call you “honey”
111 W. Exchange Ave.
starcafefortworth.com
