After starting my tour last week with a long-standing institution, I thought it would be a good change of pace to try something new this week. Technically, Mesquite Chophouse (located downtown at 88 Union Ave,) isn’t new. It opened in 2007 in the former space of Sleep Out Louie’s, immediately suffering the ire of that bars many regular patrons. It was going to be tough winning over those customers, but in addition to those bitter over the loss of their favorite watering hole, most of the more level headed downtowners I’ve met haven’t had a lot of great things to say about it. Combine that with a fairly scathing review in the Commercial Appeal in December 2007, and the steakhouse seemed to be off to a fairly rocky start.
Two years later, the steakhouse is undergoing a reboot of sorts, bringing in new chef and partner Michael Patrick (who cut his teeth at McEwen’s,) and culinary director Mac Edwards. We had heard some very good things about Patrick’s tenure at other restaurants around town and thought it was a good time to evaluate the “new” Mesquite Chophouse.
Chorizo Stuffed Deviled Eggs with Spicy Aioli
To begin with, the atmosphere at the Chophouse was quite nice. It evoked a feeling of classic steakhouse elegance with its marble bar and dark wood design, but the lighter paint schemes and golden accents helped brighten the space and successfully avoided the stuffy atmosphere you sometimes associate with high-end steakhouses. Another thing that helps bring life into the space is the open kitchen, which adds kinetic energy in addition to the sensory pleasures of smelling the food as its being cooked, seeing it as it is being thrown on the wood fired grill, and hearing the commotion of a busy kitchen.
We began our meal with two appetizers: bacon wrapped shrimp and deviled eggs with chorizo and spicy aioli. The shrimp were succulent and grilled to perfection, tender and slightly crisp. The deviled eggs were excellent as well – tender and creamy, the spiciness of the chorizo being balanced by the creaminess of the aioli and egg yolks. For entrees, the stars here are of course the steaks. I chose the filet, stuffed with Maytag bleu cheese.
8 oz Filet stuffed with Maytag Bleu Cheese
The steak was cooked exactly to my specifications, the texture was extraordinary and the pungent flavor of the blue cheese was perfectly balanced by the beefy steak and sweet/savory beurre rouge (“red butter”) sauce. The rack of lamb was, again, cooked exactly as requested and was exceptionally tender and flavorful. The last entrée at our table was a dinner salad consisting of baby spinach tossed with spiced pecans, chopped egg, and Maytag bleu cheese crumbles, then topped with grilled granny smith apples and chicken breast and drizzled with warm honey bacon dressing. The combination of ingredients was wonderful, although the chicken was just slightly overdone, and the dressing was at times a little overpowering.
The menu is divided between steaks/chops, “things other than steak”, entrée sized salads, and sandwiches. Typical of high end steakhouses, side items are served a la carte (however, things other than steak are accompanied by sides). The sides, cleverly listed as “things you want at a steakhouse”, include twelve choices, ranging from lemon butter broccoli crowns to roasted garlic mashed potatoes. They are billed as being big enough to share, but in our experience this wasn’t universally true. The macaroni and cheese was extraordinary, some of the best I’ve ever had, and came on a large platter, almost the size of an entrée.
Michael's Macaroni and Cheese
The scalloped potatoes and creamed spinach, however, were not much bigger than a traditional individual side dish. That said, they were both quite delicious and my taste buds were enjoying themselves so much I didn’t mind. The menu is expensive, but not obscenely so. Steaks range from $22-$45 and other entrees were slightly cheaper with sandwiches around $15 and “things other than steak” going for between $20 and $30. While on the high side for most diners, the cost to quality ratio was right on. You definitely get what you pay for at the Mesquite Chophouse.
Chef Patrick apologized for the chicken in the salad and treated us to a piece of warm flourless chocolate cake topped with blueberries. It was decadent, rich, and moist – an excellent way to end the night. Service was what you would expect in a place of this caliber – friendly and efficient but not great. There was a considerable wait after ordering our first bottle of wine, but other than that things were smooth. Speaking of wine, the list was extensive and well picked. As you would expect at a steakhouse, it had a wide selection of bold reds, but it had some other options as well. According to their website, they do both wine dinners and beer dinners, pairing a variety of drinks with several courses, on a monthly basis.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
I walked away very impressed with Mesquite Chophouse. I can’t compare it to operations under the former chef, but what was on display during my visit was excellent. There was obviously a high standard for quality and a very watchful eye in the kitchen. The menu offerings weren’t particularly surprising or innovative, but you don’t usually come to a steakhouse for experimental cuisine. What you get is a refined, modern take on the classic steakhouse. Virtually everything served at our table was not just good, but exceptionally delicious. If you’re looking for a new place to try this weekend, I highly recommend the downtown Mesquite Chophouse. 4/5 stars.
Since things can vary so much in the restaurant biz from night to night and dish to dish, I’ve put together a handy review of different internet opinion forums to give a bigger picture for the curious diner. The number of online reviews available were limited – so I’m looking for feedback in the comments. If you’ve been to Mesquite Chophouse, what did you think?
Urban Spoon reviews: 42 votes – 69% like it
Yelp reviews: 1 review – 3/5 stars
Open Table reviews: 27 reviews – 4/5 stars average
Mesquite Chophouse website – www.mesquitechophouse.com
Mesquite Chophouse blog – details on wine/beer dinners and other upcoming events
