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Great American Land & Cattle Co.
701 S. Mesa Hills Dr.El Paso, TX
(915) 585-7873
Great American Land & Cattle Company has been around for a number of years serving steaks
that may be comparable to the ones at the more well-known Cattleman's Steakhouse at Indian Cliffs, east
of the city. Great American's claim to fame is probably its signature seasoning that is used on all steaks and
is available for sale to take home. Equally important, though, is the quality of the steaks that makes this
a "destination" restaurant for El Paso, rivaling some of the well-known Mexican restaurants in popularity.
Great American Land & Cattle Company still operates the original restaurant on Alabama Street, as
well as a newer restaurant near Cohen Stadium. Great American Steakburger Steakhouse on
Yarbrough Drive has been open for a number of years, and is the third location of the chain. Several
other locations operate under the same name but with independent ownership, including the one featured
in this review and the restaurant on Interstate 10 in Vinton. Gil's Thrilling Web Site reports that the
Great American Steakhouse
in Albuquerque, another independently owned restaurant that is operated by a family member of the "Land &
Cattle Company" clan, offers Wagyu beef and other items that distinguish it from the original restaurant, yet
it follows the Great American theme in the rest of the menu.
Although I had formed opinions of the Great American food based on numerous experiences at the
other branches, the fact that the independently owned restaurants have the freedom to serve their own
style of food necessitates that this review be based solely on experiences at the Mesa Hills location.
I believe the steaks on Mesa Hills to be as good as at the other locations, if not better, so it is a good
representation of the Great American chain. There is probably not much difference between
any of the Great American restaurants.
I used to look forward to the times I could make the long drive to Fabens to eat at Cattleman's Steakhouse,
and I thought the steaks there had a better flavor of natural beef with little need to add salt or other seasonings.
This was in contrast to the Great American on Alabama Street (near my home) that seemed to add so
much seasoning I could hardly taste the steak. Great American has a famous (and probably patended)
seasoning that is delicious, but the Mesa Hills location is the first one I have tried that did not apply
an excessive amount on the steak. I think this change is probably one that has been made throughout
the Great American chain, and one that probably fits into what the public wants. Nevertheless, one of
the reasons I like the Mesa Hills restaurant is that it is the first Great American I have tried that really
used the proper amount of seasoning.
One of the employees told me the bad news about the Mesa Hills location is that they do not have a
liquor license, although the restaurant has a bar from the days when it was the west side Griggs Restaurant.
Great American does serve beer and wine, but I have always thought ice tea was a more appropriate drink
with this type of food.
Several cuts of steak are served, with a medium sized selection compared to most steak houses.
One feature I like about Great American is that smaller cuts are available. Personally I have to go on a night
I am really hungry to be able to handle one of the small steaks.
New York Strip Steak is one of the cuts that comes in a small version (10 oz.). As may be
evident from the photo, this was a thick steak that had very little in the way of fat. This was the only cut that
the menu described as "USDA Aged Choice Beef." Using some of the well regarded steak restaurants
in Oklahoma as my benchmark, the steak here was slightly gristly, but Great American served a well
cooked steak with just about as much flavor as would be expected. The steak here was also considerably
less expensive than some of the ones in Oklahoma. The key here was the value--this was pretty close to
high end quality served at mid-range prices. The seasoning that in years past (and at the original restaurant)
was the main reason I avoided Great American in favor of the long trek to Cattleman's, now has become a flavor
enhancer instead of a detriment.
Great American has long highlighted their Steakburger, even using this as the theme to the restaurant
on Yarbrough Drive. This is a thick, juicy, ground steak that provides both a smaller and less expensive meal
for those times when customers do not want to order a steak. Great American takes great pride in the quality
of the meat served, and deservedly so. The meat patty was so thick that this really amounted to a steak as
much as a burger. Great American offers a choice of American cheese or Monterey Jack, but I have not
tried the American cheese. I remember thinking that the burger was not cooked quite the way I ordered it,
but I am more particular about burgers than steaks (so perhaps the steaks were not cooked quite right
either, but I did not notice).
I ordered a steakburger with green chile and cheese partly to compare with
the one at Jaxon's, and partly because the green chile cheeseburger has become a highly sought
delicacy along the Rio Grande, with the joy of discovering a good one equal to or greater than the
excitement in experiencing a great enchilada, chile relleno, or carne adovada. The green chile and
cheese were more flavor enhancers than the main point of the burger, and in fact I think this burger would
have been just about as good with mustard, barbecue sauce, or a number of different toppings. The
green chile and cheese were fresh, but somehow I enjoyed the ones used at Jaxon's more (Jaxon's also
includes mushrooms on the Tampico sandwich). The green chile was moderately spicy, and had all the
flavor and characteristics of fresh chile from the Hatch or Mesilla Valley farming regions of southern New
Mexico. Somehow, though, this just did not have the type of flavor that excites me in a green chile
cheeseburger.
In 2008 the Mesa Hills restaurant followed the lead of Great American in Albuquerque by offering
Kobe beef, raised only by approved ranchers following strict guidelines (and hopefully tasting the same
as the Japanese Wagyu beef). I found out the steak only comes in a large size, so I ordered
the less expensive Kobe Steakburger. To me the beef patty tasted very good, but the enjoyment
was probably more in knowing that I was eating the best quality beef (including the guildelines followed to keep
the cattle off of hormones and antibiotics) than in a difference from other good steakburgers I could taste. I
saw a group of people enjoying the Kobe steak, and it looked as if it would be a worthwhile experience. The
size and price of it made it seem that the steak should be shared by at least three or four people.
Great American recommends that the Kobe burger be cooked no more than medium, and also
has guidelines for the steak to provide maximum flavor. I think with beef this good they do not want to
cook all the juice out of it.
The steak fries that came with the burgers were quite good, with Great American's style of seasoning
used for enhanced flavor.
One of the highlights of all the Great American restaurants is the side dishes that come with the steaks
and other main dishes. The pineapple flavored Cole Slaw is probably the one generally considered
to be the best side dish, and I will have to say that it has always been outstanding even when I have been
somewhat disappointed with the main course. The cole slaw has a creamy sauce that the pineapple
accents perfectly. The cabbage was fresh and tender as always, and everything came together so
naturally it made me wonder why other restaurants do not produce their versions with as good a
result as the one here.
Another side dish has the nondescript name Great American Beans that are actually similar
to ranch beans served at other restaurants. Actually I think just about any barbecue joint would be quite
proud serving beans that tasted like the ones at Great American. I could not decide whether I liked the
beans or the cole slaw better, but that has been the dilemma over the years at the other Great American
locations.
The Baked Potato was excellent, but probably not a standout item like the other side dishes.
Although I enjoyed the baked potato, I thought the steak fries (served with the steakburgers) were just
about as good.
The Dinner Roll that came with the meal was as fresh and flavorful as the other items. All of
these side dishes toghether probably equaled the steak as the most enjoyable part of the meal. This is
good news since Great American has quite a few menu choices other than the steaks, so there is plenty
of reason to try it on multiple occasions.
As of the time this review is being written, none of the other Great American locations in El Paso serve
Kobe beef, so this is probably an experiement to see if customers are willing to pay the high prices for
better quality. I was happy with the steaks that were served before, but I did think the Kobe steakburger
was a step up from the normal steakburger. I am sure the steaks are the same.
New York Strip and all the Fixings
Great American Steakburger with Green Chile and Cheese
Steakburger made with Kobe beef
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RESTAURANT DETAILS
RATING: 23
Cuisine: Steaks
Cost: $$$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Additional Locations: 7600 Alabama St.,
9800 Gateway North, 1145 George Dieter Dr., 2220 N. Yarbrough Dr., 600 Valley Chile Rd. (Vinton)
Smoking: No Smoking
Alcohol: Beer and Wine
Most Recent Visit
Apr. 30, 2008
Number of Visits: 3
Best Items
New York Strip, Cole Slaw, Beans
Special Ratings
New York Strip:
Steakburger:
Kobe Steakburger:
Baked Potato:
Cole Slaw:
Beans:
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