Taste of Texas ★9.5

Taste of Texas: a Steakhouse That Doubles as a Museum

Few restaurants anywhere can serve you a ribeye within sight of the actual sacristy doors of the Alamo. Taste of Texas can — this family-run institution in west Houston has spent nearly five decades braiding Certified Angus Beef, museum-grade Texana and old-school hospitality into one of the state’s most beloved dining rooms.

The Story

Edd and Nina Hendee opened the restaurant in 1977 after turning down a corporate transfer that would have taken them out of Texas, then spent years working off the debt a young steakhouse accrues. It paid off: in 1984 Taste of Texas became the first restaurant in the state to serve Certified Angus Beef, and the Hendees never stopped collecting history — rare Sam Houston documents, Texas Ranger firearms, the Alamo chapel’s interior sacristy doors. Nina still leads complimentary history tours for Texas fourth graders, hundreds of thousands of whom have come through since 1985.

What to Order

Pick your steak in person at the butcher counter — the boneless strip and the ribeye cut by the ounce are the house calls — and let the kitchen finish it with the signature seasoning and herb-garlic butter. The salad bar that accompanies entrées is a Houston legend in its own right, stocked with jalapeño cornbread and warm cheese bread worth rationing carefully. Bacon-wrapped quail nods to the hunting-lodge side of Texas, and desserts arrive sized for the whole table.

The Space

Think grand Texas lodge: stone and timber, fireplaces, and display cases of artifacts that turn the walk to your table into a history lesson. It is big, busy and warm — service runs on first names, and iced-tea refills land before you think to ask.

Who It’s For

Multi-generational family dinners, anniversary steaks, out-of-state visitors who need Texas explained in a single evening, and history buffs who like their archives served medium-rare.

Good to Know

Do I need a reservation? Strongly recommended — weekend evenings fill days ahead, though lunch is gentler.

Can I really see the Alamo doors? Yes — the interior sacristy doors from the Alamo chapel are displayed on site alongside a serious Texana collection; browsing is welcome.

Is the salad bar included? With most entrées, yes — and it is meal-sized, so pace yourself before the steak arrives.

Is it kid-friendly? Warmly so — this is a family restaurant at heart, and children get a living history museum thrown in free.

Is there a dress code? No — boots, blazers and ball caps share the room comfortably; come as Texan as you like.

Opening hours