Austin Land & Cattle Co.

Bone-In Ribeye at Austin Land & Cattle Co. (Photo By John Anderson)

Austin Land & Cattle Co.

Sunday-Thursday, 5-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 5-11pm

ALCC has a welcoming and warm decor, with very professional service. The menu has options for all types of appetites, but we went for the meat. A Caesar salad ($6.25) preceded the steak: crisp greens, light croutons, thick slices of Parmesan, and a lightly applied assertive dressing that had the right amount of anchovy.

Our rib eye ($25.95/14 oz.) was cut from the chuck end of the roll, and cooked as ordered (medium rare). The chuck-end cut meant that there was a core of fat in the center of the steak, a cut better relegated to a steak intended for longer cooking than MR. The flavor was rich and luxurious with some aging. The accompanying thickly cut steak fries were fantastic: fluffy interiors with a clean, crispy exterior, reminiscent of a perfect, pudgy pomme frite. The veggie of the day was a mix of sweet carrot julienne and baby spinach leaves, sautéed in olive oil with garlic.

The chopped steak ($16.95/16 oz.) was superlative. Cooked MR (as ordered), it had an outstanding aged flavor. It came topped with a well-balanced mushroom, onion, and red wine sauce – a nice complement. With this entrée, we chose the mashed potatoes with garlic, which were creamy, lumpy, and garlicious. These guys have a way with spuds! The bread rolls were straight from the oven, yeasty and superb; the sweet butter was at room temperature and easily spread.

ALCC offers quality and value. The prices aren't quite to stratospheric levels, but the steaks are right on. We will return for seconds.