It’s no secret that Texans love a great steak. Delicious cuts of red meat are engraved in the state’s history, and over the years, bars and restaurants have taken advantage of that love to help them out on what would usually be a slower night. Enter: Steak Night.

Few people know the origin of this Houston special, even those who’ve been here a while. When Benjy Mason moved here in 2003, Steak Night was typically something offered by the old-school bars, he says. Carrying on that tradition when he opened Johnny’s Gold Brick was a no-brainer. NettBar co-owner John Caravello, who has been in the industry for 25 years, believes the tradition of Steak Night stuck because, well, it just makes sense in Texas. It’s part of Houston’s culture, and gives people a reason to get out of the house on a day they might otherwise stay in.

Christina Garavaglia, executive director for the Texas Restaurant Association Southeast region, says there’s no historical data that can pinpoint the origin of Steak Night, but if you’re a longtime Houstonian, you probably remember it being a thing from as far back as your memory goes. Like many other promotions, it’s all about appealing to the diner’s desire to have a meal that would usually be considered a luxury, but at a reasonable price point.

“One of the primary reasons that restaurants and bars would participate in something like this is really to promote that sense of value, to raise awareness that they’re offering that deal,” Garavaglia says. “Steak is considered a staple of Texas fare, so providing the opportunity to experience that meal from a value-driven perspective, I think, becomes really important to a variety of restaurants and bars to maintain their customer base.”

She says Steak Night could have possibly stemmed from an economic climate and market that's similar to today’s. When consumers see the prices of beef going up at the store, then an advertisement for a Steak Night tells them they don’t have to cook, it’s suddenly more enticing to spend their hard-earned dollars at a restaurant.

Steaks that help

Many restaurants hold Steak Night earlier in the week, encouraging consumer traffic on a night that would usually have fewer sales. Heights & Co., for instance, holds its on Mondays.

“It offers something to the neighborhood on a night like Monday when a lot of places are closed,” says owner Brian Doke. “As a business, as time progresses, it becomes one of those week-to-week staples that brings extra guests on a night that’s usually one of the calmer evenings.”

Steak Night is a newer offering for Heights & Co., but Doke says as time goes on—especially as patio season nears—they will be ramping it up even more. Heights & Co. has the advantage of having a full kitchen even though at its core it’s a cocktail bar. Steak Nights here offer a rotating selection of meat options and a complimentary old fashioned or martini for $32.

John Avila, co-owner and executive chef of Henderson & Kane, says they like to call it “Sixth Ward’s Steak Night.” For the past 10 years on Monday nights, the restaurant’s manager Jacob Leal has seared the steaks on a flat top, which has earned him many compliments. So much so that the one week a year Leal takes off, the restaurant cancels the Monday special.

And if you like what you eat during your visit, you can purchase your own cut of meat at Henderson & Kane and be given instructions on how to cook it—they’ll even send you off with some seasonings, too, to get you started.

Not all restaurants choose a slower day in the week for Steak Night. Kristen Powell started doing it on Thursdays when she owned Simone on Sunset because, at the time, no one was doing it that day, and she didn’t want to take away from other bars. She even felt like Thursdays were going to become the new Friday, so she ran with it.

Now, at her new spot the Barking Pig, she stays true to her Thursday Steak Night. Powell likes to think hers is different, because the restaurant also cooks other items such as salmon and a butterfly barbecue chicken breast to be inclusive.

Since then, more and more restaurants have started to do their Steak Nights on Thursdays, too. Operating partner Jason Mok says FM Kitchen and Bar does it on Thursday because people are already heading out on the town for some fun ahead of the weekend. He adds that it helps showcase the depth of the establishment’s cooking; if diners like what they have, they’ll be more inclined to visit again. FM Kitchen and Bar’s $24 Steak Night includes a 12-ounce New York strip and a loaded baked potato.

“We take a lot of pride in our food here at FM Kitchen and Bar, and Steak Night is no different,” Mok says. “For us, it gets people in the door, and it gives people an opportunity to get an affordable meal, and not break the bank. It’s why we do it.”

Steak Nights also bring people together. Kerry Pauly, owner of KP’s Kitchen, says his restaurant is huge on specials that build community, which is why he likes to do a Steak Night special for two—it’s not only cheaper, but also allows for sharing among couples or families. Thursday Steak Night at KP’s Bellaire and Memorial locations feature a 16-ounce rib eye served with herb butter, truffle fries, and a green vegetable of the week. 

Steaks that are unique

Of course, in line with Houston’s diversity, some restaurants and bars have decided to put their own unique twist on Steak Night to ensure they stand out from the typical offering. El Venado, a Mexican restaurant on Washington Avenue, prepares a steak made with Mexican flavors to mimic carne asada. And rather than the usual mashed potatoes and salad, it’s served with grilled veggies and the restaurant’s housemade salsa.

Traveler’s Table is also hopping back on the Steak Night bandwagon. Starting September 24, the restaurant will begin what it calls its “global steak-out” on Tuesdays. In keeping with the restaurant’s theme, diners can choose from a variety of different cuisines with $30 offerings such as American rib eye with green bean casserole, French steak frites with pink peppercorn au poivre, Brazilian picanha with roasted chimichurri vegetables, and Japanese-style Wagyu with yakiniku dipping sauce and miso eggplant.

Steak Night has even led to fame in the culinary world for one Houstonian. Joseph Manglicmot, season 11 MasterChef contestant and Meat Mafia partner, says Steak Night is something he’s enjoyed since his college days, starting back in 2005. Years later in 2019, while having a Steak Night meal with a friend who's a bar owner, Manglicmot was told that his steaks are 10 times better than the one they were eating. This comment ultimately led him to start Meat Mafia with some friends.

The group hops around to different bars, typically in the Heights, to cook steaks with an Asian flair, alongside other grilled offerings like Korean barbecue and Filipino barbecue. Everyone involved in Meat Mafia has full-time jobs; this isn’t something they do necessarily for the money, but rather because they enjoy it and it helps out bars that would otherwise not have a busy night.

Steaks now more than ever

And from the derecho in May to Hurricane Beryl in July, and the power outages and damage that followed both, this summer alone has brought a lot of hardship to Houston restaurants. That’s why Robin Wong, chef-owner of Blood Bros. BBQ and LuLoo’s Day & Night, says it’s important now more than ever to support local restaurants by attending their Steak Nights.

Wong says if a restaurant was lucky enough to get a claim on its insurance, it still might only get a third of what it would have made in sales had the storms not happened. And although he understands times are equally as tough for consumers, he notes that Steak Nights across the city are meant to be a way to give Houstonians an affordable yet delicious meal.

“People love a good Steak Night, and a lot of people are doing it well,” Wong says. “So, go support your local bar or restaurant if you’re feeling like a steak—they could use the help right now.”