Shula's Steak House

I was very fortunate to get to finally try Shula's steakhouse! On a Thursday after work of all times! It really was a fantastic way to end the day! There were six of us at dinner and it was pretty stinking awesome.

We started dinner with appetizers. We decided we couldn't decide, and got the sampler for six. This included blackened beef tenderloin tips, crab cakes, and the signature barbecued shrimp. The shrimp were stuffed with basil, wrapped in applewood smoked bacon, and then basted and broiled in barbeque sauce. The three salads people got were the wedge, the classic caesar, and the beefsteak tomato with gorgonzola. I wish I had tried the french onion soup while everyone else had salad, but didn't think about it. Perhaps next time!

Then, it was on to the main attraction - the MEAT! Several of us got the special, Steak Mary Anne, which was two filet medallions with peppercorn sauce. There were also a filet mignon, porterhouse, and NY strip scattered around the table. Everything was cooked perfectly and absolutely delicious. Sides were huge and decadent. We had double baked potatoes, lobster mashed potatoes, crab mac and cheese, steak fries, and broccoli with hollandaise.

Of course, we had to also get desert, but I was very grateful we were able to share these. We got a chocolate lava cake and a creme brulee. I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but that was my first ever creme brulee! I am definitely a fan!

The thing that was my LEAST favorite about the whole evening was the menu! Not the selections, but the actual way everything was presented. The various steaks are printed on the side of a football, which seems more like a gimmick for a different kind of place. I assumed they would also be printed on a menu somewhere, but I was mistaken. The presentation of all the steaks on a tray was nice, but the server was talking so quickly and there wasn't anything to look at to keep up with the different cuts so it kind of felt like a test after he left - "wait, what size was that again?" "which one was that?" The rest of the dinner menu was printed rather small in a menu booklet that was 1 page food and 4 pages alcoholic beverages!

It was fantastic, and I'm hopeful I will get to go again, but I'm not going to count on it happening anytime soon!