EatDrinkMadison.com presents the first published review on the new LongHorn Steakhouse, from guest blogger Kaitlyn Herzog:

On Saturday, April 3, I enjoyed a free dinner at LongHorn Steakhouse on “Friends and Family” night, an invitation-only event in which you could eat as much as you wanted as the restaurant did a pre-opening trial run.

The inviting hosts, as well as James Otto’s “Groovy, Little Summer Song,” made us instantly feel welcome. The warm, open atmosphere has a huge southern feel. A quaint bar, with a pair of flat-screens, is adorned with a giant “Longhorn” mounted in the center. 

The entire restaurant is complete with warm oranges, yellows and browns, with subdued lighting, finished with unique Texas trinkets and “Today’s Country” being played on the XM Radio. Six beers on tap, a homemade Margarita list and shelled peanuts were around the bar. After a brief wait for a seat, we were introduced to a Pomegranate and Original Margarita. Both were tasty and at $8 each, they had a mixing tin filled with your “free refills!” Great deal.
 
The stipulation for the night was anything on the menu was yours. Glad I didn’t eat much all day!  After extensive browsing, my dining companions and I narrowed it down to the 7-oz filet with cedar-planked, char-grilled shrimp, as well as the 22-oz porterhouse. Our entrees came with two sides and a side salad to start. Upon suggestion, the bartender let us know the Chipotle ranch was her favorite dressing- as well as mine!

The steaks arrived with various servers (they don’t believe in trays – I secretly love that). Ordered medium-rare, my filet was the perfect size. With eight-skewered shrimp garnishing the edge of the plate, it looked like I had dived into something I couldn’t get out of! Steamed asparagus added some color to the plate and the sautéed mushrooms and onions were well seasoned and caramelized to perfection!  The shrimp were dusted with a slightly spicy seasoning and paired with an amazing garlic drawn butter. 

The porterhouse went over well, too.  Prepared medium-rare, there’s nothing like pounding down a filet and a New York strip in one sitting. My companion handled it perfectly. He tried the sweet potato with cinnamon and butter for his side. I could’ve just eaten that for dinner! Delicious.

I was perfectly full, but we also had dessert to conquer. So, after a vodka-soda, and a Michigan State loss, we attempted to mow down the Caramel Apple Crisp. Cinnamon apples, baked in a pastry shell, topped with vanilla bean ice cream and a heavy dose of caramel. The vanilla bean ice cream made the dish! The whole thing was unnecessary, yet incredibly scrumptious.

Overall, the vibe, food, drinks, music and staff were great! I’m always appreciative of a great steak, and I can say I’ve tried just about every steakhouse in the Madison area. This one could be right up there with Tornado Room and Smoky’s!  Not only would I go back for the food, but even for after-work cocktails, a Brewer game and some good tunes.