TEXAZ Grill
Chicken Fried Steak at TEXAZ Grill
My husband was born and raised in Texas, so it's no surprise that TEXAZ Grill is one of his favorite restaurants. Although I'm from New England, it's one of mine too. A few weeks ago as we drove by, after pointing out how busy my schedule is, Ernesto jokingly asked, "can you put me on your calendar for dinner at TEXAS Grill?" Serendipitously, a week later we received a gift certificate in the mail. How timely!
TEXAZ Grill has been welcoming guests since 1985 with a kitschy setting of colorful Texas memorabilia.
We were seated in a cozy booth and greeted by our friendly waitress Helena. After looking over the drink list which includes Texas spirits and a special Summer Drink menu, I ordered the Gulf Coast with Railean rum (San Leon, Texas), orange and pineapple juice, and a Galliano float and, later, the house sangria with Spanish brandy, red wine, and muddled fruit.
I love the fried okra here - creamy nuggets of okra in a crunchy Creole-spiced shell with a remoulade dipping sauce ($4.50). Another favorite appetizer is the beer-battered jumbo Gulf Shrimp which can be ordered for $3 apiece.
All entrees are served with buttermilk biscuits and rolls, a choice of salad (I like mine with the house mustard vinaigrette) or coleslaw, and a side of mashed potatoes with gravy or TEXAZ fries.
The star of the show here at TEXAZ is the chicken fried steak. What started as a Monday lunch special was so popular, it became the signature menu item. It's easy to see why. TEXAZ's version has all the hallmarks of a perfect chicken fried steak. Order this for dinner, and your plate will be draped by two golden pieces of tenderized top round steak in a seasoned buttermilk and flour batter, smothered in a blanket of peppery milk gravy, and served with skin-on mashed potatoes ($15). Tip: If this portion looks a little daunting, order the Little Tex for $12.25, which comes with one piece instead of two.
TEXAZ's other specialties include chicken-fried chicken, pork chops, fried catfish and steaks with USDA choice aged beef. The juicy prime rib smoked over pecan wood can be ordered as a 28-oz Mulligan cut, or the 23-oz regular cut ($23) as below.
All the desserts are made from family recipes. While bread pudding and pecan pie enticed us from the menu, my husband can never say no to the warm peach cobbler à lamode. On this visit, we also tried calas, and I would order this traditional New Orleans rice dessert again. Think rice pudding transformed into cakey cinnamon and nutmeg-scented dumplings, deep-fried, and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
TEXAZ also offers special Early Evening and Happy Hour menus, and be sure to check the website for nightly specials such as Friday's beer-battered cod.
TEXAZ serves lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch and is open seven days a week, 11 am to 10 pm. It is located at 6003 N 16th St, Phoenix, AZ 85016, phone (602) 248-7827. Don't miss next Wednesday, July 6, when they celebrate National Fried Chicken Day.
I received a complimentary media gift certificate.
