Buffalo Gap Steakhouse & Cantina, Granbury

When customers step into Buffalo Gap Steakhouse & Cantina, they step into the past—or, at least, a reasonable facsimile. The Tex-Mex grill's airy interiors recall rustic frontier homes and tax offices with accents such as adobe-style walls, timber-framed doors, and hanging textiles and hides. This space fills with the sound of live music on Saturday nights, and always promises the aromas of blackened tilapia and ample steaks fresh from the grill.

Inside the kitchen, the chef focuses on hearty house specials, including chicken-fried steaks, fried-fish dinners, and grilled half chickens smothered with lemon and garlic sauce. One of the restaurant's biggest draws, however, is the beef: grilled reserve Angus rib eye, center-cut sirloin, and aged tenderloin steaks. On Friday and Saturday nights, the chef also prepares a special garlic and herb-crusted Angus Prime rib steak for regular diners, a privilege once reserved for the customer who could guess the cow's favorite color.