George West Steak House

 
Texas Steak House 

After a year plus of being Covid-Cautious, Don and I got back on the road and opened ourselves up to inside dining adventures.

A year ago, I would have cringed at the thought of dining in small town American diners, before every U.S. citizen was vaccinated. Well that day is never coming. Don and I were vaccinated in March and back to exploring by May. We spotted this steak house in the town of George West. So Texan!

George West

​There's not much to see in the George West, the town that I want badly to call West George. There are fewer than 2,500 people and very few of them were out and about. I did spot a few painted cowboys (and animals) on some boarded up buildings.

We learned about the town from the owner of our hotel, in Port Aransas. We had a fun time gabbing with Mr. Hoskins and hearing about his youth, growing up on a ranch near George West. 

​Busy Place

It was lunch time when we passed through town. We spotted this fine establishment, across form the court house. 

We figured it was a good sign that there were so many trucks parked in front. We pulled over and headed in.

Steaks and Deer

Don and I stood out a bit, when we walked in wearing our masks. Maybe we looked like stubborn city folks, who insist on wearing masks, even after Governor Abbott says we don't have to. 

Or probably we looked like nervous travelers, who wanted an isolated table. The hostess seated us in the far back, next to a display case holding snake skins and a window that opened to the kitchen. It was an odd place to be seated,  but I was happy with my view. It was ideal for a little people watching. 

Menu and Bread

The plastic menu amused me, with its wooden appearance. It reminded me that the steak house is known for Legendary Mesquite Steaks. 

When our young and chatty server brought the menus, she also brought a basket of rolls. I asked what was in the container. It looked like pate or tuna salad. Surely not. "Oh, that's our very own cinnamon butter, made daily!" Oh my! The combo was heavenly! The sweet butter melted on the warm squishy roll, like a bakery treat. That's really all I needed for lunch!

Chicken Fried Steak

Our server was so enthused, she could have sold us a car. I had planned on a sandwich, but she talked me into the chicken fried steak. "Would you like us to  to carry the cream gravy over to your mashed potatoes?" She asked.

"Well... sure."  I later found a 49-cent charge for that privilege, but that's fine. The meal was pretty tasty. Crispy on the outside and moist meat on the inside. The potatoes were yummy with bits of skin, the way I like. And the dinner salad was a step above diner salads. Crunchy sweet croutons.

Gigantic Onion Rings

Don ordered a cheeseburger and our energized waitress asked if he'd like fried onion rings with that. Don answered sure, with the same whatever you say voice, I used about gravy. A $2.99 charge was added to the bill, but that's okay. 

Those rings were monster-sized, but they weren't dripping with oil like some. They were dangerously hot and the onion was surprisingly juicy-sweet. So filling that we could have split just one. That's lots of onion focus, but the burger was just as good. It tasted like a summertime burger, grilled up in the backyard!

Furry Friends

We watched a few customers come and go, during our stay. A couple of mask wearing policemen, a young mom with a baby and quite a few men who looked like they might have come into town, from a nearby ranch. 

There were just about as many furry friends mounted on the wall, as there were people seated for lunch. I admired the cowboy art and western decor. I wonder how long these longhorns and deer have been looking down on diners in this restaurant?

Heading Out

This wasn't a huge dining adventure, but it came with some nice surprises.

The food wasn't gourmet, but it seemed pretty top notch. Especially for a small town. We headed through town and I spotted a fine sign that added a little exclamation point at the end of our dining adventure. George West has  a snazzy sign and a snazzy steak house!