Jim Tharelap, a native of Thailand, has spent two-thirds of his life living in Chicago, where he has owned and operated a successful restaurant for 15 years. Tharelap loves classic American heart-stoppers like Philly cheesesteaks, chilidogs and bacon burgers, and recently decided to bring some of the fare from his US restaurant to Thailand. Enter Texas Steak. The atmosphere of the restaurant is spot on—all rough wood tables and booths, hurricane lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and a healthy dose of decorative coils of rope, saddles and wagon wheels. The music is Hank Williams, Charlie Daniels and John Denver. It even smells authentic—like old leather and black pepper. And the food, while not haute cuisine, is relatively true to its origins and tastes pretty darned good. The current menu is full of American standards including burgers, subs, steak, mozzarella sticks and potato skins, as well as Tex-Mex specialties like burritos and chili. They also have a wine list offering a good selection of reds and whites from Italy, Australia, France and Chile. For starters we recommend the potato skins, loaded with melted cheese, sour cream, bacon and scallions. As for mains, we liked the barbecue items best, particularly the chicken. The honey-dijon sauce was delicious, and the chicken was very moist. The pork ribs were also good, sweet and spicy. The T-bone steak, which like all their steaks is imported US meat, was a bit too tough but was served with delicious mashed potatoes and simple buttered veggies. If you have a sweet tooth, try the homemade pancakes loaded with real maple syrup. The restaurant is still in its infancy, and its owners have plans to add to the menu (more Tex-Mex and maybe seafood) as well as the restaurant itself (including a play area for kids). They will also be introducing live country music on Friday and Saturday nights. Through August 31 Texas Steak is offering discounts of up to 20% during off-peak hours, as well as a smart cowboy hat.
