New Midtown Steakhouse Offers Full Meals For $31 (Second Servings Included) — Houston’s Medium Rare Gets It Right

Most chefs cringe at the thought of a well-done steak. Why? The longer you cook a lean cut of meat, the tenser the muscle fibers become. The result is a slab of dry beef that resembles the texture of shoe leather. Enter the Maillard reaction — a scientific phenomenon that creates a perfect sear. When cooked to medium rare (130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit), a steak develops a browned crust, enticing aroma and complex flavors.

At the aptly named new Houston restaurant dubbed Medium Rare, the only entrée on the menu is steak frites. While servers do ask how you’d like your steak cooked, it’s best to take the hint and order yours medium rare. Co-founded in 2011 by restauranteur Mark Bucher in Washington D.C., this new Houston Medium Rare marks the small chain’s eighth restaurant in the United States. The new location in Midtown takes over the former spot of Artisans, the French restaurant.

Medium Rare itself is perhaps inspired by the well-known Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecote, the Paris-based chain founded in 1959 by French winemaker Paul Gineste de Saurs, Medium Rare offers a streamlined approach. The original Paris restaurant chain is renowned for its steak frites and French desserts, with locations in London, Mexico City, Monaco and New York. Gineste de Saurs’s children — and even former employees — have famously replicated the idea for the restaurant worldwide.

The Medium Rare Experience

Drop in (or reserve a table ahead) at Medium Rare. Your server will escort you to a butcher paper-covered table. When you place your order, your waiter will mark your spot with a red crayon to indicate your preferred level of doneness.

Before the main course arrives, you’ll enjoy a mixed green salad and a basket of warm, crusty bread with a pat of salted butter. The star of the show is the coulotte cut, better known as top sirloin cap, sliced against the grain and served with fresh-cut French fries. Everything is topped with their “secret sauce,” which you can purchase to take home too. (Like at L’Entrecote, the ingredients of Medium Rare’s secret sauce are kept tightly under wraps. But we’re guessing there’s a hint of mustard, a dash of Worcestershire and plenty of butter and cream.)

The prix fixe meal, including second helpings, rings in at $30.95 per person. Cocktails and wine are not included and are offered from a small drinks list.

If you’re dining with a vegan or vegetarian, Medium Rare can accommodate them too. They offer a grilled portobello mushroom topped with a red pepper sauce.

Sweet Endings and Brunch Delights

Desserts are $12 each atMedium Rare and generously portioned. Options include a decadent chocolate layer cake, a delightful key lime pie topped with a billowing cloud of freshly whipped cream and white chocolate accents. There’s also a mighty hot fudge sundae, complete with a festive sparkler.

Brunch lovers will enjoy the $34.95 weekend option with unlimited cocktails and beverages. Signature steak frites remain the centerpiece, but brunch also includes steak and eggs Benedict or 24-hour-soaked French toast.

Medium Rare offers a focused menu with an unforgettable dining experience. Whether for dinner or brunch, this spot guarantees steak perfection every time.

Medium Rare is located at 3201 Louisiana Street. It’s open Mondays through Thursdays from 5 pm to 10 pm, Fridays from 5 pm to 11 pm, Saturdays from 10:30 am to 11 pm and Sundays from 2:30 pm to 10 pm. For more information and reservations, go here.