Morrow Steak keeps an unremarkable profile from the street. That changes the moment you walk in.
Part of the South Market District development, it’s the most upscale offering from local restaurateur Larry Morrow. Like all of his concepts, this one goes heavy on the vibe.
The decor and style is layered and baroque with different colors and textures, emanating a hip elegance. The restaurant is a magnet for celebrities when events are in town, and any old day it seems people’s heads are on pivots during their meals checking for who might be walking in next.
This restaurant is also very expensive, even by the standard of steakhouses, with your $21 gumbo, $72 lamb chops and, at the peak, the $195 flaming tomahawk steak. There are more modest approaches to this menu, but clearly this is a place to go big.
Unless, that is, you get here for happy hour, which has the same style, the same ambience and very generous prices. I’ve been on the hunt for good restaurant happy hour deals this summer, and this one was impressive on its own merit, and in contrast to the regular menu.
Happy hour at Morrow Steak
The food menu has seven or so items running from a burger ($15) to a sushi roll ($15), because, yes, this is a steakhouse with sushi.
What caught my eye though was the steak frites for $18. This was a happy hour item? That’s normally a full-fledged restaurant dish, and typically twice the price.
What arrived was everything you could hope for in a steak for less than $20. It was a decent cut of meat, cooked properly to spec (we went rare). It was dripping with herb-garlic butter, and served with a generous pile of fries that were substantially thick, but also very crisp and crinkly-crunchy under a dusting of salt.
Happy hour cocktails are $10, and the a half-price house wine I tried was just $5, and perfectly fine for that price.
If the look and style of Morrow Steak has intrigued you, here’s an easy introductory offer to get a taste at happy hour, and a very fulfilling early dinner…