Why You Need To Dine At Austin's Vince Young Steakhouse
"I've been meaning to try that place." "Oh man, let me know how it is!" "I've always wanted to go there." "I've seen the commercials and wondered about it." Just some of the comments I heard when I talked to friends about my upcoming visit to Vince Young Steakhouse. I was pretty excited when they invited me to dine as a guest and knew that it should be a great experience.
Upon arriving in downtown Austin, we walked into the restaurant, and were immediately impressed. This place seemed ideal to meet up for a date or a business meeting. We were seated in a private booth that gave my wife and me the sense of being the only ones there, though we could see others around the restaurant.
Now, we had heard mixed opinions on the actual food here, but oddly enough they were all from secondhand accounts. I wanted to know: is this the best steak you can get in Austin? Is the food on par with all the other top places? Is it just the name of a UT folk hero, or was this place going to deliver food that would have us coming back and recommending it to others? It was time to see.
We ordered a charcuterie board and a pork belly appetizer. The board was good, but not great, and while the choices were solid, there was nothing that blew me away. The pork belly, paired with spicy plum chutney, pickled carrots and radish, was both beautiful and flavorful. The contrast of the richness of the pork balanced by the sweet, vinegar and crunch of the rest of the dish made it delightful. I was impressed by the dish's balance of textures and complex flavors. Next, we had the signature grilled Caesar salad and both my wife and I enjoyed it.
For the entrée round we both ordered steak. My wife selected the filet mignon and for myself I ordered the dry aged prime grade tomahawk ribeye. I will tell you, this is where the meal took us to another realm of existence. When you have the rare opportunity to enjoy a steak that is sourced right, aged right, and cooked right, then there is almost no way to fully express the joy that it can bring you.
I now have a steak by which all my future steaks will be measured. "It's good, but is it Vince Young Dry Aged Tomahawk Ribeye good?" I couldn't finish the entire 34 ounce steak in once sitting, so unfortunately I had to eat it again for lunch the next day (please note my sarcasm).
Seriously this steak's greatness is to be shouted from the rooftops. Have a friend in town to impress? Take them here and order it for them. The mere size and presentation of it will elicit smiles and fond memories, but once it's actually eaten the smiles will be tempered by sheer joyous enjoyment. I took a moment to reach over and try my wife's filet. No lie, I reached over with my fork and cut off a bite. Literally cut her steak with a fork. We also enjoyed a delicious mac n cheese, which easily makes top top in my life, and creamed spinach to top it all off.
Everything about this experience was all we had anticipated and more. Don't take the word of someone who hasn't been there, and don't believe what a friend of a friend said. This place is the perfect place to impress a date. Have a business lunch or dinner where you need the client to know you mean business? Look no further. Stop wondering and try this place! That is unless you're just not into the whole superb food in a wonderful atmosphere thing.