Classic Cuts, Exemplary Experience

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Diners who walk into Pappas Bros. Steakhouse on Restaurant Row — a 3-mile stretch off I-35E that is home to more than 100 eateries — can immediately feel a mood switch once they open the door. The bustle of outside falls to the elegant yet homey restaurant before them.

With white table cloths, dark wood-paneled walls and both expensive bottles of wine and family photos lining the interior, it’s easy to feel a part of the energy that makes up the premier steakhouse. And that inviting nature has been a part of the fabric that has built this family-owned fine dining destination into a steakhouse staple — not only in the Metroplex but also in the country.

Pappas Restaurants, Inc. opened its first concept in 1976 with a goal of building on its family’s history in the industry. Harris and Chris Pappas drew inspiration from their grandfather, H.D. Pappas, who left Greece in 1897 to come to America and pursue his culinary dreams.

H.D. opened restaurants throughout Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas, creating a legacy of quality and service that ran through his family. So when Harris and Chris came together to carry out and grow that family legacy, they knew they wanted to have that same dedication to customer experience. 

That’s tangible even while just taking in the ambiance at Dallas’ Pappas Bros. Steakhouse. With friendly yet knowledgeable staff buzzing around the restaurant, sizzling steaks consistently coming out of the kitchen and local families celebrating special occasions, it’s easy to feel swept away with all of the excitement that awaits.

“We want to provide a worry-free dining experience, one that leads you through the evening. And of course, prepared to be blown away by the in-house dry-aged beef,” Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Dallas general manager Rick Turner says.

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Before evaluating the list of impressive cuts, which recently landed Pappas Bros. at No. 4 on “The Daily Meal’s” list of “America’s 50 Best Steakhouses,” take a moment to browse through the wine list. With more than 3,500 selections stretching from bold imported reds to domestic bottles, including some from Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, New York and Virginia, there’s bound to be an option worth trying. Need guidance? Pappas Bros. has several trained sommeliers on staff ready to recommend the glass to match your preferences.

“Our wine list has been an evolution over the past 25 years,” Turner says. “It’s been our dedication to quality and to a wine program that’s incomparable to others that’s driven our ambition to grow the wine program. As interest in wine in America has grown, we have grown with it.”

After choosing your drink of choice, explore the kitchen’s selections by starting out with a few delicious appetizers. The lobster deviled eggs speak to the comfort and luxury available throughout the menu. While the chilled seafood tower with oysters, shrimp, Maine lobster and stone crab claws act as an extravagant yet elegant introduction into any meal.

But don’t fill up before getting to the main act. Pappas Bros. offers corn-fed, USDA prime steaks, each of which comes in fresh and ready to be cut by the restaurant’s in-house butchers.

“We buy directly from the processor, and it is officially in our control — from four to seven days after harvest all the way to serving it on the plate,” Turner says. “Unlike many other steakhouses, there is no middleman in the process. When it comes to our door, we control the process from there on out.”

Part of that process is the steakhouse’s in-house dry aging. Each cut is placed in a humidity-controlled freezer for at least 28 days to ensure the final product is both juicy and nutty. Turner says that attention to detail and commitment to excellence helps Pappas Bros. stand out from others in the area.

“We didn’t invent it, but as one of the classic steakhouses in America, dry aging had to be an integral part of our concept,” Turner says.

With sides like au gratin potatoes, roasted wild mushrooms and creamed spinach, it’ll be hard to save room for dessert, but you should. Whether you go with one of the steakhouse’s dessert and dessert wine pairings, like the creme brulee with a rare Muscat out of Australia, or commit to the pecan pie served with praline ice cream, each sweet acts as a sign off to a noteworthy night out.