Vince Young Steakhouse

You might think a downtown Austin steakhouse started by a famous Texas Longhorns quarterback (and now retired NFL player) would rely more on name recognition and a prime location than on the merits of its steaks alone. And you’d be right, at least partially. Because while Vince Young Steakhouse does offer a pretty nice atmosphere, the occasional Texas twist on classic dishes, and a stellar Happy Hour, a dinner here is ultimately a pretty forgettable experience. 

It feels like Vince Young typed “classic steakhouse menus” into ChatGPT to come up with theirs—it features standards like shrimp cocktails, seared foie gras, and crab cakes executed at about the level of a pretty nice hotel restaurant. Dishes like deep-fried Texas quail show the occasional Southern twist, but the bacon-infused tangerine marmalade it’s served with has a consistency closer to “some pulp” orange juice. The steaks lack any discernible crust but arrive cooked to a proper temperature, so they’re still somewhat enjoyable. Nothing here is outright bad, but you wish it were all just a little bit better. 

Despite all of this, there’s a reason that we keep coming back to Vince Young—it’s home to one of the best Happy Hour deals in the city. From 5-7pm every day that it’s open, Vince Young knocks the price of every item on its bar menu down to just $10, including the wagyu brisket burger served with house-made pickles and a side of fries, or the normally $30 steak frites with chimichurri. It won’t be the best steak you’ve ever had, but at roughly the price of a Big Mac meal, it feels like downright robbery.