Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille River Oaks
Local chain’s new flagship restaurant is first location inside the Loop
THE CONCEPT
A gleaming new two-story River Oaks steakhouse from Perry’s, which started in 1979 as a family butcher shop and deli in southeast Houston. It is the chain’s 15th location spread across four states and its first inside the Loop.
THE SPACE
In the former California Pizza Kitchen space within the River Oaks Shopping Center, the 12,000-square-foot build-out has a 150-seat signature Bar 79 on the ground floor and a second-story dining room that can accommodate 275, including three private dining rooms. The grand spaces are tricked out with chandeliers, tufted booths and a warm color scheme.
THE FOOD
Perry’s traditional steakhouse menu begins with shrimp cocktail, steak tartare, seafood towers, crab cakes and tempura lobster tails, segueing to an abundant lineup of steaks and chops. Specialty dishes include Filet Perry (a fist of beef wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon and topped with jumbo lump crabmeat), table side carved chateaubriand, Symphony Kabob (beef tenderloin, lobster and shrimp suspended like acrobatic proteins from a hanging metal rod) and the showstopping, seven-finger pork chop, neatly sliced tableside. Expect the restaurant to be mobbed on Fridays, when a lunch-cut portion of the pork chop is offered for $14.95.
THE DRINKS
The lavish Bar 79 aims to become a new River Oaks canteen with its weekday “social hour” and live music Thursdays through Saturdays. On the cocktail menu: the Bourbon Bloom (Woodford Reserve Bourbon, elderflower liqueur, lemon, mint and fresh blackberries), The Strait Paloma (George Strait’s Codigo 1530 tequila with blood orange and grapefruit juice) and the Perry’s Hog-Hattan (Redemption Rye and vermouth in a brown sugar-and-barbecue-sauce-rimmed martini glass topped with a skewer of pork chop bites and Luxardo cherries). Plenty of powerhouse wine, including 30 prestige vintages (1979-2008) of Chateau Mouton Rothschild exclusively at the River Oaks location.
THE WORD
“We’ve come a long way from our butcher-shop beginnings,” founder and owner Chris Perry said. “I am proud to bring the best of Perry’s to the heart of Houston.”
THE DETAILS
1997 W. Gray, 346-2938400; perryssteakhouse.com. Open 4-10 p.m. MondaysThursdays & Saturdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays, 4-9 p.m. Sundays.