Old San Francisco Steak House

8709 N. I-35, 835-9200

Lunch: Monday-Friday, 11am-2pm; Dinner: Monday-Thursday, 5-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 5-11pm; Sunday, noon-8pm

Family fun is the main event at this kitschy restaurant that evokes the gay Nineties (the 1890s, that is). The entry way is chock-full of period artifacts on display, the walls of the dining room are appropriately decked with dark wood wainscoting, the carpet is red, the lights are dim. The tables groan under the weight of the giant blocks of Swiss and cheddar cheese served as complimentary amuse bouches before the meal. And then there is the girl in the swing. That’s right, folks, like something straight of an old burlesque show, the girl in the swing flies and twirls in breathtaking acts of playground daredevilry while the piano player merrily accompanies her with a tune. This is one steak house where you’ll want to bring the kids. And the steaks aren’t bad, either. A 16 oz. rib eye runs about $24 and is served with a baked potato and seasonal vegetables – usually green beans or sautéed green and yellow squash. The meat is cooked just right and is delightfully tender. Recent modernizations to the typically safe surf ‘n’ turf menu include Soy-Glazed Salmon ($19) and Caribbean-inspired snapper ($23). Appetizers remain fairly typical. Shrimp cocktail ($9), Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms ($7.50), and oysters on the half-shell are the highlights.

This article appears in January 14 • 2005.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

Rachel Feit is an archaeologist by trade who worked her way through college in kitchens in Chicago and Austin before discovering that dishing up words was more satisfying that dishing up meals. She has been writing about food and restaurants for The Austin Chronicle for more than a decade, but still loves to cook.