Eat Like a Cowboy

Texas Land & Cattle has replaced Sullivan’s Steakhouse at Branson Landing. Can it do steaks just as well without breaking the bank?

 

Next to the choreographed flame-and-water extravaganza at the center of Branson Landing is a new steakhouse that tastefully brings a little of the southwest United States to southwest Missourians’ palates. It’s Texas Land & Cattle, a chain that serves up not-cheap but not-expensive steaks in an environment that seems to pride itself as much on quality beef as it does on its naming devices. (The menu is full of ranch-Texas-cowboy lingo.)

I had been to this spot once before, back when it was occupied by Sullivan’s Steakhouse. That 1940s-style steakhouse had a humidor and cigar bar, and it cost a pretty penny to dine there. The steaks were ultra-expensive, in this reviewer’s opinion. If you had ever dined at Sullivan’s, be prepared for lower prices and a change of scenery inside Texas Land & Cattle. Gone is the cigar bar; the walls were knocked down and the floor plan opened up, so you can see out onto the large patio and Lake Taneycomo. Gone are the cherry-stained wood details. In their place are black leather booths and the long horns of long horn cattle on the walls.

I ate at Texas Land & Cattle on a Thursday night this summer. After the trip to Branson from Springfield, my date and I were hungry and ready for something delicious. The atmosphere is casual. Our server joked with us while bringing out a steaming hot Texas-sized loaf of crusty white bread for a starter.

We wanted an appetizer in addition to buttered bread, so we ordered the shrimp and avocado cocktail ($7.99). It’s a cold mixture of shrimp and avocado chunks combined into a mild salsa, and it’s served in a martini glass with crispy tortilla chips for dipping. The dip was hearty, so it was tough to get a scoop of the chunky avocado and shrimp without busting the chip. I found myself rooting around the tomato salsa, which was kind of bland, to nab the pieces of avocado. It was a tasty appetizer, but it could have benefited from a little more zing.

The menu brags of a smoked sirloin as Texas Land & Cattle’s signature dish, and that’s what my dining buddy ordered. He ordered it in the 8-ounce size ($13.99) and cooked to medium temperature, and the server warned him that because of the smoking process, the steak is much redder than what you’d normally see. To be sure that it was exactly what he wanted, the server offered to bring him a sample. The generous sample was big enough for both of us to have a few bites each. And bright red though it was (not shocking to me; it’s smoked, after all), the steak was incredibly tender and perfectly cooked to temperature, with a mildly spicy peppercorn crust. The smoked sirloin was far and away the tastiest thing we ate that night. He liked the sample and went ahead and ordered it with some garlic mashed potatoes, which were also delicious. There’s not much to say about them; they are what you would expect delicious garlic mashed potatoes to be: smooth, creamy, buttery, delightful.

I ordered the Cowgirl Ribeye ($17.99). At 12 ounces, it was a smaller portion than the Cattleman’s Ribeye and the enormous Range Boss Ribeye. The mesquite-grilled steak was well-marbled and so tender it melted in my mouth. I opted to order it with a cabernet peppercorn sauce, which was just rich enough to pump up the flavor, but not so overpowering that the steak got lost in it. And that steak was huge; I barely put a dent in it. Maybe it was my eyes, but it looked like more than 12 ounces to me.

Each steak came with a house or spicy Caesar salad, as well as one “side saddle,” (that’s Texas Land & Cattle speak for side dish). I tried the spicy Caesar salad. It had a flavor that popped and fairly spicy croutons, but it wasn’t so hot it burned my lips. It was just right. For my side, I ordered the spinach. It was the only thing we ate that day that I don’t recommend. It was well-made—in that it was just wilted and not overcooked—but it was absolutely flavorless. It tasted like it hadn’t been seasoned at all, not even with a pinch of salt.

Although steaks are the main event at Texas Land & Cattle, there were many things on the menu that didn’t involve red meat. As a matter of fact, there were more poultry and fish dishes than I had thought there’d be. And a few of them were somewhat unexpected, such as a quail entrée.
 

We didn’t get drinks, but I know exactly what I would have gone for if we had. The Branding Iron margaritas for $8.95 are just the kind I like: nothing but tequila, lime juice and Grand Marnier (or Cointreau). No sour mix or extra sweet stuff.
 

Although Texas Land & Cattle is an upscale restaurant with a not-exactly-cheap menu, it is heads and tails above the restaurant space’s former occupant on the affordability scale. And on the themed menu that doesn’t veer too far into Texas territory (yeah, there are dishes called Rattlesnake Pasta and Silver Spur Filet, but the cheesiness quotient remains under-control), there’s something for just about any type of taste bud. I think it will feel a little more at home on the Landing than Sullivan’s had been.