Del Frisco’s Grille Opens in Woodlands Today
MAY 29, 2015
The patio at the new Del Frisco’s Grille in the Woodlands is a stunner. Seating more than 150 people, the 3,000-square-foot space is perched at the edge of Lake Woodlands with dramatic views of all that the Hughes Landing development has to offer.
But that’s not all, there’s the not so insignificant matter of food and drink. And that’s where Del Frisco’s Grille excels. Opening today, the restaurant (a more casual take on the upscale Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House) is ready to wow the Woodlands with its smart menu and service. This is the second Del Frisco’s Grille in the Houston area; the first, at West Ave on Kirby, opened March 2013 and has been packing them in since.
So how’s the grille different from the luxe steakhouse? While they share the same USDA Prime beef and dedication to good wines and cocktails, the grille offers an informal atmosphere for upscale diner-style fare.
Starters include ahi tuna tacos, jumbo lump crab cake with Cajun lobster sauce, cheesesteak eggrolls, deviled eggs, and four different flatbread pizzas. New to the appetizer menu is house-baked pretzels served with cheddar and grain mustard sauces.
If you’re looking for greens, there’s a chopped Caesar salad; seared tuna salad on chilled noodles with shaved Napa cabbage and a ginger-sesame dressing; steakhouse salad with broiled sliced steak, avocado, bacon, bleu cheese, and deviled egg with lemon-horseradish dressing; iceberg lettuce wedge with bacon, tomato and blue cheese dressing; kale and chicken salad; and a kale and quinoa salad with shaved Brussels sprouts, manchego, sweet corn, jicama and a champagne vinaigrette.
The grille’s burgers are double-patty beauties; and the steaks (filet mignon, New York strip, and ribeye) are served with a loaded potato cake. That’s the turf. As for the surf, the menu features Seared salmon with a Brussels sprout and quinoa salad; sesame-crusted ahi tuna steak with a chilled noodle salad and ponzu sauce; and an elegant sole Francasie with an arugula and crab salad and chive-lemon butter.
Rounding out the menu is meatloaf with hand-mashed potatoes and wild mushrooms; prime beef short rib stroganoff; roasted chicken and mesquite-smoked pork chop.
There’s a lot of clever imagination in the cocktail menu, as evidenced by the Sangria Pop – a Pinot Grigio and schnapps fizzy into which a chunky peach popsicle is sunk. The Dutch Mule is made with Nolet’s gin, ginger beer, fresh mint and ruby red grapefruit. The Tennessee Peach marries Jack Daniel’s, peaches, honey and fresh lime juice. There are more than 250 wines on the list and local beers including brews from Saint Arnold Brewing, Karbach, Southern Star Brewing, No Label Brewing, Lone Pine Brewery and Independence Brewing.
Overseeing the kitchen is chef Brian McNamara, who spent the past nine years as executive chef of Jasper’s on Market Street in the Woodlands. This is the second major restaurant to open at Hughes Landing after Local Pour in March.
Del Frisco’s Grille, 1900 Hughes Landing Blvd., Suite 500, is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 3 to 10 p.m. For more information call 832-623-6168; delfriscosgrille.com.