Beef House (hereinafter referred to as "this place") is a classic. It's been around since the early 50's, and it would seem that many of the regular clientele have been coming to Beef House since then! And that's not without several good reasons.
My good friend Ples and I first hit this place a couple of months ago after our regular Friday night skate over at White Rock Skate Center. We were looking for a good substitute for our usual post-skate IHOP haunt, which is a bit farther away in Richardson. He had a vague recollection of some 24/7/365 place in Garland and we started checking Google.
The rest is history.
The first time we walked into this place, the regulars sitting at other tables started talking to us and asking us about ourselves. We immediately felt like we were in a very unique situation and had made a bunch of new friends just by virtue of our having discovered this place.
We got pretty lucky our first time, too, considering that Havan, our waitress, was there late at night only as a fluke. She is usually there only during days. The level of service and the friendly attitude of this lady are unparalleled at just about any other restaurant I have ever populated. If you have a favorite sister who thinks you are the best sibling in the world, that's what it was like having her as our waitress. Another huge point in favor!
Coming in the front door, we saw a sign for the "Manager's Special". $9.99 for a steak and two sides. I knew that I'd be getting the Manager's Special that night. You have a choice of rib eye, T-bone or New York strip. I am a consummate rib eye man, so that's what I ordered. RARE! My two sides were hash browns and a side salad.
They don't do fountain drinks here. You get sodie pop by the can. Or you get water, iced tea, coffee or hot chocolate... standard diner fare. So I typically get tea for the free refillability factor. That's important after a hard roller skate, because I am always very thirsty and can completely chug whatever it is I'm drinking for the next two hours.
Then there are rolls, cornbread or biscuits for your bread.
The food is great and never frozen, and in many cases is made from scratch. Yet another point.
An internet-based jukebox sits in one corner and plays anything from 70's classic rock hits to country. The specials of the day are displayed on large signs over the back counter. The place is decorated with a hodgepodge of items that have been collecting over the decades.
One thing you really need to know about this place... it's smoker friendly!! Now, I'm not a smoker; never have been. Do I enjoy the fact that you can go to Dallas restaurants and bars and not have to gag all night, and then come out smelling like hell? YES! BUT... at the same time, I am a freedom-minded individual. I believe in the right of businesses to determine whether they will allow smoking or not. If you don't like smoking, then you don't go to that business, right? Fair enough!
So Beef House takes you back in time to when this was the rule. It's usually not too smoky in here, and even if it is, I'm willing to tolerate it because I'm not a big wuss! Ples IS a smoker, so he can enjoy having a smoke with his meal at this place while everywhere else he is treated like a pariah. Score another point for liberty!
By the way, they DO have a non-smoking section as required by law in Garland. That section consists of one tiny table and a pair of chairs in the entrance airlock! While it's very comical, it satisfies their legal requirement, and yet another sign on the door declares this to be the case. Just another unique aspect of this place.
In summing up, I've been to Beef House at least a dozen times since discovering it. I always get the same order. We have met about 5 different waitresses and know them by name. I was there with my good friend and choir director JoyfulUnit one day. Havan was our waitress. JU had a broken wrist and thus was immobilized by a partial arm cast. Havan actually cut up her steak and fed it to her! It was the most hilarious thing I've ever seen. I don't think I have seen that anywhere else. I have pictures of this which you can see here. Ever since then, I have referred to Havan as the Mom of Waitresses. She really loves what she does and she loves the customers.
Everyone at Beef House loves being there. Usually, there's loud laughter and conversation going on at many of the tables, so you can cut loose and really be yourself there, even if you are obnoxious. :-)
When we walk in, we shout out a hello to everyone, and when we walk out, we shout out a goodbye. The shouts are returned in both cases because everyone is so friendly.
Now, don't get me wrong, this place doesn't get 5 stars because it's swanky. It's for a great many other reasons that make it special. You are free to disagree, but I love Beef House! read more