Best Steak: Texas Roadhouse

More than a couple of heads turned a few years back when a young man came into Yuma's Texas Roadhouse and ordered a 72-ounce steak just for himself, recalls Scott Crace, the restaurant's managing partner.

He ate the entire steak, along with two sides, a salad and bread. Crace was so impressed he treated the customer to dessert — which the customer also polished off.

To this day, Crace marvels at the young man's appetite. No one had ever — and no one has since — asked him for a 72-ounce steak.

But when that particular customer ordered one, the restaurant was able to deliver. That's because Crace employs someone 40 hours a week to work in a 32-degree room cutting meat according to customers' specifications.

“Nothing is frozen,” he said. “We get all of our meat in bulk,” all of which is cut in-house.

Crace believes that fresh, hand-cut meat is key in the restaurant's showing in Yuma's Best, the Yuma Sun's annual poll of readers' favorite businesses, services and attractions. The restaurant, located at 594 E. 16th St., was picked by survey participants as serving the area's Best Steak for 2010.

There are a few other ingredients in the steak's success.

“We age steak up to 28 days,” a process that makes the meat more tender, Crace explained. The meat is then seasoned, seared to lock in the juices and finally broiled to the doneness requested by customers.

Depending on the customers' preferences, Texas Roadhouse offers T-bones, sirloin, ribeyes, New York strip and tenderloins, Crace said.

And, he added, the restaurant's menu options also includes value-driven meals such as a 6-ounce sirloin for $7.99, served between the hours of 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays and at lunchtime Saturdays. Indeed, 20 items on the menu are $10 or less, said Crace.

“Especially in these times, it's a good value for your money.”

While it claimed the No. 1 spot in the steak category, Texas Roadhouse is better known for its ribs and other barbecued food, he said, adding that it also offers chicken prepared in a variety of ways, pork, salmon and hamburgers.

But “I take honor in winning the steak category. It means a lot being (recognized) as a steakhouse.”

The Texas Roadhouse chain started in 1993 and today has 300 restaurants around the nation. The Yuma restaurant opened in August 2004.

Hours of operation are 4 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

Phone number is 329-7427. For more information, visit www.texasroadhouse.com/store-sites/restaurant-detail/az-yuma/