1836 Steakhouse

Reviews

• Laura R.

  star star star star star 9 September 2026

  I cannot begin to tell you how phenomenal our food was here! We had the Filet Oscar, the Pappercorn Filet, the regular filet, the Republic Sirloin, and the kid's Mac and Cheese. I had the Filet Oscar prepared Black & Blue style, and it was my first time having this! It's a crispy charred outside with a very rare inside. This method is only achieved with a movable grill! Most restaurants do not have this capability! It was amazing! Our server was very attentive and accommodating as well. The only BAD thing I have to say is, we sat close to the kitchen and had to listen to some one, who I can only compare to Gordon Ramsey, yell at the kitchen staff the entire time we were there. It was almost enough to make me give them 4 stars....the food redeemed them!

• Ryan S.

  star star star star star_border 3 September 2026

  I won't start by reminiscing about restaurant previously located here, The Junction. I don't miss those awesome loaves of bread that come out on the mini cutting boards with soft, warm butter, the perfectly buttered shrimp scampi, delicious rice pilaf or awesome salad bar... no I won't do that.
  
  Okay, so 1836...
  
  While you *can* get a steak at Country Inn Steak and Seafood, 1836 is probably the only place I'd pay for a steak - aside from buying it at H-E-B and grilling it yourself.
  
  Anyway, ambiance is an old house. And, yes, it's old. While the attempt to dress it up is appreciated, I'd almost prefer them to just own the vibe and go Western Rustic.
  
  The actual trick with this old house is not the décor, but how broken up all the little rooms are. This made it tricky for our very polite and enthusiastic college-aged server to be attentive to all his tables as they were spread throughout the various dining areas. In spite of that challenge, the service was solid.
  
  We started with drinks. Knowing that I'm about to tackle half of a cow, I always like a good, dry red wine. The waiter recommended Ruta 22, a Malbec which is more of a juicy/fruity wine with light tannins. It's a solid little wine (would run you $8.50) and Total Wine and more. It ran $7 a glass at 1836, which is pretty reasonable for a steakhouse.
  
  My wife actually tried a couple of their mixed drinks: The Sam Houston Sour (used to be $9, now it's $10.50). She thought it was good, fresh and refreshing. She also had the Hot in Huntsville, which I believe is no longer on the menu. Perhaps a seasonal thing, but it's hot AF as I write this review so who knows...
  
  Now, that we're 6 paragraphs in, we'll get to the part you want to hear about, the steaks.
  
  My bride had the Filet Oscar. She thoroughly enjoyed it and I was impressed as well. I will say that those prices are steady creeping up on this bad boy. It used to run you $29, then $33 and now $35. I will concede that this is still a bit less expensive than some of the nicer steakhouses in the Houston area, but not by much.
  
  I had the 16oz ribeye and it was also very good. It might've been a bit fatty for the average restaurant goer, but I like a nice marbled cow.
  
  We also mixed in a baked potato and the bacon mac & cheese (believe these were included at the time, but now seem to have a $1.50 add-on charge compared to other sides.)
  
  [Overall]: I'd conclude that it's a solid dining experience and one you can't find elsewhere in Huntsville. Whether they ask for it or not, when there's nothing like it locally, it's inevitably going to get compared to steakhouses in Houston. Compared to Steak 48, Brenner's on the Bayou, B&B, etc. it's ultimately going to fall a bit short, BUT you can also have a nice steak and a couple of drinks and get out of 1836 for $125 vs. $160 so therein lies an advantage. (Also, sorry Leona loyalists, this steak was better in my opinion.)
  
  Usually when I'm coming to Huntsville it's for my mother's home cooking or some bar food from Humps, but I appreciate what John and team have done here - I think they've successfully filled a niche with a solid little steakhouse!

• Cheri B.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 2 September 2026

  Took my husband there today for Father's Day lunch. Seating was immediate and service was perfect throughout our meal with a very attentive server.
  
  We started with fried green tomatoes which were perfectly seasoned, coated, and fried and served with a spicy ranch drizzle. They were tart, crispy, and had a nice bite at the end.
  
  My husband ordered his favorite steak...rare prime rib with a side of bacon mac and cheese. I ordered the bacon and blue burger with whiskey onion rings. His steak was cooked perfectly as ordered, however, the flavor was lacking. He described it as a middle-of-the-road grade of meat with very little seasoning. His bacon mac and cheese was better this evening when we reheated the leftovers for our dinner. The flavors just hadn't melded enough at the lunch hour but after a few hours in the fridge and then slowly reheated, it was quite tasty.
  
  My burger is the reason behind the two stars...the meat tasted on the verge of spoiling. While at the restaurant, I noticed it had a pungent smell and attributed it to the special grind of beef their menu states they have, so I had a few bites but didn't even eat 1/4 of it. Not to mention, it's such a large serving, I wouldn't have eaten much more anyway. The bread was soft and flavorful and the mound of onion strings and bbq sauce added a nice combination. However, the bacon was stringy and not crispy. All together, it was sorely lacking. When we reheated it for dinner, the smell was then noticeable to my husband and we decided to pitch it.
  
  We both agreed that the sides were better than the entrees and we probably won't return.

• Ryan M.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 30 August 2026

  1836 Steakhouse is the best steakhouse in Huntsville, Texas. It's also the *only* steakhouse in Huntsville, Texas. I could criticize the home of Sam Houston for its lack of trendy $$$$ prime steakhouses -- all lacquered mahogany, white tablecloths, and molecular gastronomy -- but that would be unfair; Huntsville is a college town peppered with taquerias and dives located within walking distance of SHSU. 1836 could settle with being a small-town Texas steakhouse (the type festooned with spurs, longhorn skulls, and other stereotypical Texas bling), but it wants so desperately to compete with its fancy big brothers in neighboring Houston. The overall experience, however, evokes more comparisons to Longhorn or Saltgrass than to Killen's STQ or Mastro's Steakhouse.
  
  The striking exterior -- a repurposed 19th-century Italianate Country Villa homestead -- and the stately (forgive the pun) local Texas artwork promise a world-class experience, but a closer inspection reveals a bit of tackiness. My father and I were seated at a wobbly table, which the hostess corrected by stuffing a napkin under the shortest leg, a makeshift fix I would expect from a greasy spoon, not a place where the "chef's cut" of the evening was a $55 bone-in ribeye. An acrid chemical smell from the nearby cleaning supply closet (door left ajar) permeated the entire dining room. The fresh-baked dinner rolls hit all the right notes (yeasty, buttery, a bit of chew), but the corporate, Sysco-branded butter tabs contradicted our server's assurance of "100% locally sourced ingredients."
  
  Our college-aged server was polite and enthusiastic but out of his element. He exuded confidence when reading from a script ("Chef Eric garnishes all steaks with a white truffle-infused sea salt!") but stumbled and stuttered when asked basic questions. "Are the shrimp sourced from the Gulf Coast?" "I...I believe so, yes..." "Are the steaks broiled or grilled?" "Um...I believe they are grilled." "What wood does the chef use?" "Uh...I think I'll have to check on that, sir." I blame not the server but the management; train your staff well to anticipate questions from annoying, nitpicky bastards like me.  
  
  The much-hyped 24-ounce, bone-in ribeye (the menu's sole prime offering) was a well-marbled slab of beef with plenty of crispy, charred fatty bits along the edges. Much to my consternation, though, the steak was cooked unevenly, with parts (the cap, in particular) veering close to medium-well as opposed to my specified rare. Our server later clarified that Chef Eric McClanahan fires the steaks on a gas grill, which *should have* ensured even heating. On a positive note, I detected none of the overpowering, manufactured aromatic compounds associated with the promised "white truffle oil-infused" sea salt garnish.
  
  If you follow my reviews, then you know I consider onion rings a great litmus test for any restaurant. If the chef can execute a perfect ring -- one with a well-seasoned, shatteringly crisp batter that allows the onions to caramelize -- then the rest of the menu will likely succeed. Alas, the fry cook at 1836 Steakhouse failed my test miserably. The "whiskey" rings that accompanied my steak tasted nothing of fermented grains (Hail Satan for that!), but the thick, spongy batter caused the onions to steam inside their floury sarcophagi, resulting in rings with a mushy, doughy mouthfeel.
  
  The standout of the evening came not in the form of grilled animal protein but in a ramekin of homemade blue cheese dressing. It was everything a blue cheese dressing should be: creamy, chunky, and well balanced with a splash of sherry vinegar. Its excellence rescued what was otherwise a boring side salad topped with plastic, pre-shredded Grana Padano and three thick, overwhelmingly pungent slices of red onion. Pro tip: request extra dressing and douse it on everything.
  
  I should note that I visited 1836 Steakhouse only once, so take my comments with a grain of white truffle-infused sea salt. Most of the reviews on Yelp are positive, so perhaps I fell victim to inflated expectations. If you find yourself in Huntsville, stick with the mom-and-pop diners or drive 77 miles to Houston for a top-tier steakhouse experience.

• Sarah B.

  star star star star star_border 30 August 2026

  Heading home from a Dallas trip, hubby says: let's find a place in Huntsville where we haven't eaten yet.
  
  Yelp! To the rescue!
  
  Great atmosphere both inside and out. We decided to dine 'in the attic' and truly enjoyed the ambiance.  
  
  Following other recommendations, we made sure to enjoy the bread basket (doughy, delicious warm bread balls).
  
  The Caesar salad to kick off the meal- very well dressed and a LARGE portion for a first course. Croutons were the same bread, but seriously crunchy.
  
  On to the main course: ribeye for hubby and portobello ravioli for me. The ravioli was very tasty, but could have been better plated (naked ravioli over top of sauce, come on, really!) Hubby's steak was huge and ON POINT. The flavor was reminiscent of campfire and happy times. It was the winner tonight for sure.
  
  So, lesson learned. Come to the steakhouse for the steak, not the pasta.