December 11th marks the opening of LongHorn Steakhouse, its first location in Arizona. LongHorn prides themselves on their wide variety of fresh, never frozen, steak cuts that are hand seasoned and grilled to perfection by a Certified LongHorn Grill Master.
I recently had the opportunity to attend a pre-opening dinner and my MidWest heart delighted at the prospect. Having grown up in the heart of FarmLand in Illinois, I have a soft spot for a tender and velvety steak accompanied by buttery smooth potatoes.
I grabbed my buddy and we were on our way. We were seated with two hilarious and friendly ladies, Kara of Arizona Thrifty Mom and her sister Keli. These ladies were a joy to dine with and I was happy to share a meal as well as a few laughs with them as well as my go-to-gal for dinner, Amanda.
We were immediately greeted at the door by the excited staff and then whisked off to our table that was in a great spot for later when we would enjoy a special performance by country crooner David Nail, whose big voice serenaded diners during dessert.
We began our dinner with some specialty cocktails. I enjoyed a White Peach Sangria and Amanda ordered a Black & Blue Margarita. My drink brought back memories of savoring the syrup from a can of cling peaches at my Grandma’s house long ago, but with the slightest hint and warmth of alcohol. So good!
Crazy delicious White Peach Sangria
Our appetizers arrived quickly and with great anticipation. We got to share the Grilled White Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms: Grilled mushroom caps stuffed with cheddar and herbs. Served over a creamy blend of four melted cheeses as well as the Wild West Shrimp: – crispy, hand-battered shrimp with spicy cherry peppers, garlic butter and housemade ranch dressing. The mushrooms had a light layer of crisp cheese on top which held in a glorious and creamy pool of cheese. The shrimp was delightful with the breading staying intact and that lovely level of heat that was not too overpowering but a welcome and delicious surprise.
Wild West Shrimp
Next we moved on to a sampler plate of LongHorn’s most popular entrees. This was comprised of Flo’s Filet, LongHorn Salmon and Parmesan Crusted Chicken. While the filet was tender and perfectly prepared and the salmon was flaky and moist the dish that surprised me the most was the chicken. The seasoning that went into that Parmesan crust left me with an upset stomach, but only because I was so enamored by it I wasn’t paying attention to my bite count and before I knew it, it had all but disappeared from my plate. I will definitely be returning for this dish…again and again! The mashed potatoes and asparagus that were served family style as an accompaniment were perfectly prepared as well.
Dinner trio
While our waistbands may have gotten a little tight, we could not pass up the gorgeous desserts that our server, Suesanna, brought our way. The LongHorn Dessert Sampler featured their Chocolate Stampede, Caramel Apple Goldrush and Mountain Top Cheesecake. Don’t hate me, but I’m not a huge chocolate fan. That being said, I did have a bite of the Chocolate Stampede and can tell you that if you crave that rich, sweet flavor this dish will not disappoint. The Caramel Apple Goldrush was my top pick comprised of fresh baked pie crust packed with sweet, juicy Fuji apples and made-in-house Maker’s Mark® bourbon-caramel sauce. This caramel was as sweet as you would expect with the slight tartness of the apples and the ice cream cutting through it just enough to not make you feel as if your teeth were going to fall out! This too, is on the list of re-orders!
Dessert Sampling
With attentive service, a warm and cozy space as well as comforting menu offerings and a great venue for musical performances, if you’re looking for a great East Valley steakhouse, be sure to head out to LongHorn. There’s something there for everyone and you won’t be disappointed!
Make sure you check out LongHorn Steakhouse’s FaceBook page for a chance to win steak dinners for a year! Imagine, enjoying a different steak a month!
*This meal was provided to us complimentary as a part of a media invitation. However, this has no effect on our opinions and comments regarding our experience. View our Disclosure Policy for further explanation.