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Published on November 08, 2024
Washington D.C.'s Famed Medium Rare Steakhouse Set to Spice Up Houston's Midtown with Simple, Affordable FareSource: Google Street View

The steakhouse scene in Houston is about to get a fresh addition with Washington, D.C.’s Medium Rare ready to fire up the grill in Midtown. Bringing its no-nonsense approach to the steak frites experience, Medium Rare sticks to a remarkably straightforward menu: for $31, diners tuck into seared culotte steak with the restaurant's signature secret sauce, complete with a side of fresh-cut fries, a mixed greens salad, and some bread. The deal comes with a second helping at no extra charge. Plus, there's an option for the non-carnivores—a portobello mushroom dish doused in red-pepper sauce, as reported by Eater Houston.

Setting itself apart from the high-end steakhouses cropping up in the city, Medium Rare, as the Houston Chronicle notes, hinge on the concept of affordability and simplicity. Breaking away from trends of premium wagyu and showy presentations, the eatery's owners Mark Bucher and Tom Gregg promises a quality cut, the culotte, which falls under top sirloin category, at a price that belies its flavor. This formula has proven successful, evidenced by the brand's expansion to now eight locations, including a recent opening in New York City and New Orleans.

The prowess of Medium Rare doesn't end at the main course. Dessert options like chocolate and carrot cakes, Key lime pie, apple pies, and a classic hot fudge sundae sweeten the deal at $12 each. Their carefully curated drinks menu keeps it equally uncluttered, featuring a selection of beer, wine, and six cocktails that promise to complement the meal without overshadowing the star—the steak, according to Eater Houston.

And for those looking for a weekend indulgence, the restaurant is turning up the charm with a brunch offering. For $35, guests can enjoy steak frites alongside unlimited cocktails, coffee, juice, and soda. The brunch menu, which also includes the 24-hour-soaked French toast, steak breakfast sandwiches, steak and eggs, and a twist on eggs Benedict, hopes to draw the foodies of Houston who are always on the lookout for a hearty start to their day. The Houston outpost marks the chain's second entry into Texas, following a successful launch in Dallas just a few months prior. Bucher told the Houston Chronicle, "We’ve had our eyes on Texas because it’s the new cultural food capital of the U.S. But you have to be on your game in Texas because there are a lot of options."

Located at the Mix shopping center in the space formerly occupied by Artisans, the 3,400-square-foot Houston location seats up to 86 diners inside and about 20 outside. With an ambience that has been described as lively yet unpretentious, the eatery seeks to establish itself as a go-to spot, aspiring to be "like a well-worn pair of Levi’s," as Bucher put it in his statement to the Houston Chronicle. The differences in dining styles have not gone unnoticed by Bucher, who observed that while patrons in New York and D.C. tend to polish off their meals in the restaurant, Texans often take home their seconds. Medium Rare is set to fire up its grills in Houston starting November 18, with additional locations planned for Boston and Philadelphia in early 2025.