We whet your appetite for Austin’s in Mentor with visit to sister spot

Visit to Mayfield eatery suggests Mentor diners are in for a treat when sister restaurant opens

For almost as long as I can remember, there’s been a steak restaurant on Wilson Mills Road near the Interstate 271 exit in Mayfield Village. Until recently, however, I’d never visited Austin’s Smokin’ Steakhouse.

Shortly after learning that there were plans for a location in Mentor, closer to my home, I received an invitation to dinner at the flagship, so I jumped at the chance. It seemed like a sign.

The original, by the way, has NOT been there “forever.” It’s been there since 1994, I learned. It was a Northeast Ohio steakhouse before the fancier, trendier steakhouses moved into places such as Beachwood and downtown Cleveland. It was founded by Dan Campbell, whose family has been in the restaurant business for a century or so. The Campbells hail from Texas, where wood-fired meats seem to be a specialty.

The Mayfield Village spot feels like a walk back in time when you enter, in sort of an accessibleretro way. Most of the seating is along the perimeter, booths upholstered in green leather that no one would do today. The floor is covered in low-pile carpet, and the tables are solid wooden blocks. There is no pretentiousness, no nod toward the wide-open, “industrial chic” trends of today. It’s the steakhouse of your youth. It’s dimly lit, inviting in an old-school, traditional way.

The menu is also mostly traditional, too, although with some flourishes you

might not expect from just any old-school steakhouse. You can go cowboy, but you can also get modern takes on some sea-faring dishes.

We shared some appetizers that included blackened ahi tuna ($10.99), “black and blue” scallops ($12.99) and chicken wings ($12.99). They’re dishes you could call “inventive,” if not only for the simple fact that most steakhouse fare is landbased and potato-focused.

My favorite of the three was the tuna, and, I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a tuna snob. It’s a tricky dish, and I appreciated that it was cooked perfectly, seared right just inside of the crust but not turning the color in the interior toward gray. I didn’t try the wasabi it came with, as the seasoned crust was enough for me to enjoy. I’d say it’s as good a tuna dish as I’ve had in Ohio.

Honestly, I wanted a little bit more from the scallops, which were billed as “large” but not something I’d call large. Dusted in Cajun

seasoning and topped with blue cheese, they were above-average as scallop dishes go, taste-wise, but just weren’t that substantive. They’re a delicious appetizer but could be more. They, too, were cooked to perfection.

The wings were solid. I go to quite a few, uh, lesser places because I know they have great wings, mostly fried, and these were close. If they weren’t fried, I could barely tell. Maybe they were, but if not, the level of crispiness rivaled that of fried wings. And although I’m not a huge fan of barbecue sauce on wings, the barbecue sauce here was topnotch, a tangy-sweet melody with just a hint of a spicy kick. It’s not the kind of sauce you serve by accident.

And that brings up another point: The homemade-ish details, like the barbecue sauce, are so carefully done at Austin’s.

We shared a Caesar salad ($7.99) that had the best Caesar salad dressing I’ve ever had — and I don’t really even like Caesar salads. The house dressing that came with my wife’s dinner salad was amazing. They’re the kind of things that a place that’s been open for a quarter of century can (and should) separate itself with, and Austin’s does. If you’re some kind of Caesar salad aficionado, you have to try theirs.

“Steakhouse,” is in the name, so trying the steak is a must. We elected the Dan’s ribeye ($28.99), which is billed on the menu as

“heavy marbled.”

I’d argue it wasn’t that heavily marbled. It was well-seasoned and cooked to the medium we ordered, but it just wasn’t that great a cut of beef, like maybe not one you’d pick out at the market to cook at home. It was certainly thinner than one I’d pick to cook at home. It wasn’t bad by any means, but it makes you realize that the $50 steaks you order at the fancier places are $50 for a reason. It was a fair value at $30.

Our steak came with a side of garlic-butter broccoli that was out of this world, a better side than you can get at places with $50 steaks. Again, the attention to detail was striking,

What struck me, also, is that you can go to places with more expensive steaks and not get the kind of service we enjoyed at Austin’s. I hate to throw around words such as “impeccable,” but it’s been a long time since I’ve been treated so well at a restaurant. That you can get white-glove service at a

place without white-tablecloth pretense is rare.

It’s anyone’s guess whether the Mentor location will be successful for Austin’s. But the formula of great service, better-than-average food and a keen attention to detail would seem to be things that will easily translate. Lake County should be welcoming.

What struck me, also, is that you can go to places with more expensive steaks and not get the kind of service we enjoyed at Austin’s.

Dan’s ribeye is one of the steak options at Austin’s Smokin’ Steakhouse.

PHOTOS BY MARK KOESTNER — THE NEWS-HERALD The blackened ahi tuna appetizer was a highlight of a recent visit to Austin’s Smokin’ Steakhouse.