McBride’s Steakhouse is a restaurant that has a different story, depending on who tells it. There are two restaurants in town, Maplewood and Downtown. The way that I hear it, the restaurants are owned by the same family but have distinct management styles and flavors. Like I said, that is just how I heard it. I decided to give the restaurant on Maplewood a try since it was close to my house. I arrived 30 minutes after the restaurant opened and it was about a third full. There was not a wait, but if there were, seating was available.
The restaurant had a very Texas feel. There were pictures of cowboys on the wall and saddles hanging from the rafters.
Stuffed animals adorned the walls as well. We were sat immediately and presented menus.
There was a five minute wait before a waitress came to take our order. When she finally came to the table, she did not greet us. The first words out of her mouth were, ‘do you know what you want to drink’? I ordered a Michelob Ultra and water. The drinks were served in less than three minutes.
A few minutes later the entree order was taken. McBride’s has an early bird menu that includes filet mignon, ribeye, sirloin, BBQ ribs, and a few other items. I decided to order the ribs and smoked sausage.
Warm bread was brought five minutes later. It was served with garlic butter. Both the bread and garlic butter were delicious.
The mains arrived 25 minutes later. The onion ring atop my meal was cold and the gravy on the mashed potatoes was too salty. I held out hope for the ribs and the sausage, but both were a disappointment as well. The ribs were overcooked and bland. The smoked sausage had a consistency as if were boiled and then thrown on the grill for char marks.
I did not finish my meal. The lack of flavor was enough to do it. I supposed that I could have asked for some kind of sauce, but why should I have needed it?
The salmon and baked potatoe was ok. My son seemed to enjoy it,
Final Word
McBride’s is a nice restaurant in Wichita Falls, but it is not for me. The highlight of my meal was the bread and garlic butter. The rest of the food was too bland for me. I would visit again, but with tempered expectations. By that, I mean that I would order chicken tenders and beer…that is it.
