Friday, March 27, 2015

UNCLE BUCK'S BREWERY & STEAKHOUSE - DALLAS, TEXAS

So Big Daddy and I are in Texas! And in Texas they say things come BIG. So we were anticipating meals either big in portion or big in flavor.

We found a new favorite in Uncle Buck's Brewery & Steakhouse owned by Bass Pro Shop. This place is definitely a man's place. It’s a full working brewery and steak production facility. And it's huge! From the soaring vaulted ceilings to the massive beer vats, it's got the lock on that BIG factor. They can seat 180 in their upstairs bar which features a huge-screen TV, four 50” flat screen TV’s, and full menu service. Downstairs in the main dining room they have enough room for you and 399 of your closest friends for lunch or dinner.

Uncle Buck’s menu features things like hand-cut buffalo steaks, Cajun rib-eyes, Uncle Buck burgers, smokehouse ribs, alligator, scrumptious salads, and succulent soups made in-house.

Since arriving in Texas we've eaten here twice. That in and of itself should tell you what Big Daddy thinks about the place! I mean really, he ate, then rolled next door to the Bass Pro Shop to shop. It was man cave heaven. 


The first time we dined there Big Daddy ordered the Country Fried Steak. As the menu said it was tenderized steak, battered and fried, topped with white country gravy and served with whipped red skinned potatoes and a fresh vegetable. The portion was substantial and the meat so tender that he could actually cut it with a fork like it was butter. The potatoes were creamy and nicely flavored and the string beans had just the right amount of bite. Once again I was left wishing I'd ordered what he'd ordered because his plate looked better than my plate. And my plate didn't look bad.

I ordered the Catfish Platter which included two cornmeal breaded catfish fillets served with fries and coleslaw. The catfish was good and the cornmeal batter was perfection but I had more fries than fish. But the coleslaw was exceptional and since I'm not a fan of coleslaw that was saying a lot. 

The second time we ate here we were supposed to switch it up. Big Daddy ordered the Chopped Steak but the same potatoes and string beans. They were still as good the second time around and the ten ounce chopped sirloin steak with a peppercorn sauce was really good. There was a hint of Worcestershire  sauce in the meat that gave it a little punch that he really liked. 

I went big this time and ordered the Trophy Burger. It was two fresh burgers piled high with American cheese, smoked bacon and crisp fried onions. This time I substituted their onion rings for the fries. This was a BIG sandwich but one of the best burgers I've eaten in a very long time. The meat was flavorful and tender and the onion rings were absolute perfection. Thick cut they were served with this chipotle ranch sauce that I really want to find a bottle of to take home. 

Now the staff was exceptional; attentive and polite, but they were slow as molasses. I don't get the impression that this is a place you want to eat at if you're in a hurry! And I heard from another diner that they don't serve bottled water which was an issue for her since the tap water tasted of chlorine if you didn't add lemon.

Overall, the food at Uncle Buck's was good and both meals left us immensely satisfied. We will eat here again before we leave Texas because Big Daddy is insisting on trying one of their infamous steaks. Supposedly, their USDA® Choice cuts are perfectly aged for a minimum of 21 days to enhance their flavor. I can honestly say that it's good we don't have an Uncle Buck's back home because they would definitely be one of our favorite go to spots when neither of us felt like cooking. No fried chicken but they easily get a few stars from us.