Happy 25th, Bob's

Slice open the numbers behind Texas' most famous steakhouse

This carrot is one of many.

Photo courtesy of Bob's Steak & Chop House

From day one, Bob's Steak & Chop House has been a cut above the rest. Founded in 1993 on Dallas’ Lemmon Avenue, it has since grown into a national destination for diners seeking large cuts of excellent beef prepared without gimmicks. Oh, and half sour pickles, strong martinis, excellent wine list, and that famous glazed carrot.

As the restaurant celebrates its 25th anniversary, let's take a look at just how big of an impact Bob's has had on diners across DFW — Grapevine, Plano, Fort Worth, and two Dallas locations, one in the luxe Omni Dallas Hotel downtown — as well as Austin, The Woodlands, San Antonio, and Edinburg, Texas; California, Arizona, New York, Kentucky, and Tennessee. That's growing from one to 16 locations in under three decades, without ever losing focus on quality.

650,000 lbs. of beef
In 2017 alone, carnivores tore into a massive amount of meat. But it's never just any steak at Bob's, which has kept the same supplier since the beginning. Every ribeye, T-bone, and strip is Prime, which means it's designated in the top 2 percent of all beef. Prime is derived from young beef and has the highest degree of fat marbling, which results in amazing tenderness, juiciness, flavor, and texture. Also included is the famous Prime filet, a cut rarely found in most steakhouses. Not sure how you like your steak? The experts are happy to help you order.

600,000 carrots
It wouldn't be a true Bob's experience without the oversized glazed carrot that's served with each dish. Your choice of potato also accents each entree, but you'd be remiss if you didn't also order a few family-style sides, such as macaroni and cheese, creamed corn, sauteed mushrooms, and fresh asparagus. In 2017, diners ate more than half a million of the iconic carrots.

200,000 loaves of bread
At the start of every meal at Bob's, take a moment to close your eyes and inhale the scent of freshly baked bread when it hits the table. It's tempting to fill up on — and clearly plenty of diners indulged in 2017 — but just remember all that has yet to arrive. Don’t worry, they have to-go bags for you.

2,460 five-gallon pails of half sour pickles
Providing a tangy pre-meal counterpart to the sweetness of the bread are the pickles. A sturdy jar adorns each table, and plucking a pickle or two from it is a delightful way to prime your taste buds for the flavors to come. Almost three full truckloads arrived at Bob's locations in 2017, and with an average count of 90 pickles per pail that equals 221,400 (or almost a quarter of a million!) pickles for the year.

700 employees
A large part of why Bob's has flourished over the years is its exceptional service. Employees take pride in serving the best, and that's evident in how they welcome diners and see to their every need. From the moment the valet greets you in the parking lot to when the host bids you goodnight, the personalized service has cemented Bob's as the steakhouse of choice for many.

Keep in mind that these impressive stats will only continue to grow, especially with your help. So when's your next visit to Bob's?

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SIP SIP

4 Austin-inspired cocktail recipes to whisk you away from the Texas heat this summer

Photo courtesy of Aba

Aba's Rhubarb Rose and Gin Tonic is the perfect summer cocktail.

Now that summer weather has arrived in Austin, we can tell you’re thirsting for some new drinks to try. And with World Gin Day coming up on June 10, we’re sharing a few recipes from local Austin restaurants (and Austin’s favorite Topo Chico!) we hope you’ll enjoy.

The following recipes feature some of our favorite ingredients or mixers we’re loving at the moment. Whether your drink of choice is a cocktail or mocktail, we’ve gathered four bright and bubbly beverages to help whisk you away from the Texas heat. And if you prefer to drink them rather than make them, three of these lovely libations can be found on the seasonal summer menus at their respective restaurant.

Aba’s Rhubarb Rose Gin and Tonic
This cocktail was created by Senior Beverage Manager Thomas Mizuno-Moore.

Ingredients:
½ oz lime juice
¼ oz honey syrup
½ oz Fruitful Mixology rhubarb liqueur
¾ oz Brockmans Gin
¾ oz Hendrick’s Flora Adora
2 oz tonic water
Rosebud tea, for garnish

Directions:

Combine lime juice, honey syrup, Fruitful Mixology rhubarb liqueur, Brockmans Gin and Hendrick’s Flora Adora in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake until cold.
Add tonic water to the shaker, then strain over fresh ice in a double old fashioned glass.
Garnish with rosebud tea and enjoy!

Blueberry Sparkler Mocktail by Topo Chico Because everyone needs a good go-to mocktail recipe in their life.Photo courtesy of Topo Chico

Blueberry Sparkler Mocktail by Topo Chico
This beverage might not be gin-themed, but it does make a great refreshing mocktail. If you don’t have Topo Chico Sabores on hand, you can substitute it with sparkling water.

Ingredients:
1 Blueberry Topo Chico Sabores
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ cup water
½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
Lemon slices and additional blueberries, for garnish

Blueberry Syrup Directions:

In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries are soft and the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the blueberry mixture to cool for about 10 minutes.
Once cooled, use a fine-mesh strainer to strain the blueberry mixture into a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids and set the blueberry syrup aside.

Mocktail Directions:

In a cocktail shaker, combine 1 ounce of the blueberry syrup, and lemon juice. Fill the shaker with ice and shake well until chilled, about 15-20 seconds.
Fill a glass with ice and strain the mixture into the glass. Top off the glass with Blueberry Topo Chico Sabores (or sparkling water) and give it a gentle stir to mix.
Garnish with lemon slices and additional blueberries, if desired. Enjoy your refreshing Blueberry Sparkler!

Tillie's seasonal summer cocktail This colorful cocktail is a lively take on a gin martini.Photo courtesy of Tillie's at Camp Lucy

Empress Gin Martini by Tillie’s at Camp Lucy
This martini recipe was developed by Paolo Lazarich, the mixologist for Abbey Row Restaurant at The Old Bell Hotel in the United Kingdom. Fun fact: Camp Lucy owners Kim and White Hanks also own The Old Bell Hotel, which is rumored to be England’s oldest hotel.

Ingredients:
3 oz Empress 1908 Gin
1 oz dry vermouth
Splash of lemon juice
Lemon and rosemary for garnish

Directions:

Add the Empress 1908 Gin, dry vermouth, and lemon juice to a glass and stir gently.
Garnish with a lemon wedge and a sprig of rosemary. Enjoy.

$\u200bSummertime Spritz by Dean's Italian Steakhouse$ There's nothing like a summer spritz.Photo courtesy of Dean's Italian Steakhouse

Summertime Spritz by Dean's Italian Steakhouse
This recipe is geared toward a mixologist who enjoys the little details that make a cocktail so unique, such as making their own oleo saccharum or curating the perfect flower as a garnish.

Ingredients:
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz strawberry oleo saccharum
¼ oz Aperol
¼ oz Giffard Abricot
1.5 oz Zephyr Gin
2 oz Brut champagne
1 each cocktail flower

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except Brut champagne into a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously, about 15-20 seconds.
Fill a wine glass with ice and add the Brut. Fine strain the cocktail into the glass.
Garnish with the cocktail flower

restaurants cocktails recipes austin summer