30 Highland Xing South East Ellijay, GA 30540
(706) 515-0050
It was a weeklong trip to Georgia. We went to get a little “away time” and to help Cousin Bill finish some chore at his mountain cabin. It is located in rural and mountainous north-west Georgia near some historic Civil War battlefields. There was a sink to install and a pesky problem with the wiring in a three-way stairway light circuit. After the bugs had been ironed out there was some time to walk the dogs along Shakerag Creek and enjoy the night sky; brilliant when not overwhelmed by the lights of the city. A full moon crossed the late evening sky and the telescope was able to depict the rough, irregular outline of lunar mountains on the curved edge of the moon. Deer and black bear were seen in the area. It was all very awe-inspiring, relaxing and an enjoyable break from routine.
During the week we ate simple fare. No need to stock the pantry with food items to lure critters big and small into the cabin when it is closed for the season. By the week’s end we were ready for something more suitable for ravenous carnivores. Known from previous visits, Bill led us to the Longhorn Steakhouse in Ellijay, the small town closest to his mountain cabin retreat. The Longhorn Steakhouse is part of a chain of 354 restaurants located across 33 states. The original Longhorn opened in 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia. Not doing well at first, a quirk of weather, a snowstorm that stranded hundreds of motorists, allowed the fledgling restaurant to garner customers with the offer of $1 drinks. More successes followed and the chain has grown considerably since. If you are interested in more history of the Longhorn Steakhouse, Wikipedia has an excellent article. Sporting a western theme, the steakhouse is decorated with paintings and western-cowboy memorabilia.
We were walk-in customers and we had a short wait in the adequate waiting area, about five minutes before a table was available. There is also a lounge if you desire. We were led to a booth that is roomy and comfortable. As I mentioned the ambiance is set by the western themed decorations but it is hampered by being woefully under lit. It is just plain dark. (I apologize ahead of time for the poor quality of the photos as I don’t use flash in the restaurants.) I had left my reading glasses back at the cabin. As a result I was unable to read the menu. It looked like a bunch of smudges on the paper under the pictures. I had to wait until my wife had made her selection and borrow her glasses to see what wonders the menu held in store.
Known for their steaks and fine meat cuts, their signature dish is Flo’s Filet. However, we chose other delectable’s from the menu. The wife chose a Prime Rib ((Slow-roasted USDA Choice prime rib served au jus and horseradish sauce. While available 12-oz $19.79 16-oz $22.49) I chose a new menu item, Fire-Grilled Flat Iron Steak (A marinated 8-oz Flat Iron steak with the hearty flavor of a sirloin. $12.99) The steaks and prime rib are served with a choice of side, salad and “unlimited freshly-baked Honey Wheat bread.” Additional sides are available at $2.69 to $3.99. Also offered are “Great Steak Additions” ranging from lobster tail ($9.29) to sautéed mushrooms ($3.49). I chose the sautéed mushrooms.
The wife’s prime rib was a large luscious center-cut that needed a platter. It was cooked as ordered to medium-rare. With the baked potato and the bread it was much more than she could finish and the left-over carried home in a doggie bag provided a tasty lunch the next day.
The meals were preceded by a salad; a nice bowl of mixed greens, shredded carrots and croutons. Adequate dressing was provided and with the hot buttered bread made a nice introduction to the meal. I ordered the “loaded” baked potato with butter, sour cream and chives. It had all that and they didn’t skimp. There was still a lot of butter and cream in the last bites of the potato. I also appreciated that the potato skins were oven baked and not steamed in a wrapping of aluminum foil. The slightly crispy skin is so good when cut up with the last bits of potato. The steak was a nice large piece of meat, nicely grilled and cooked to order, medium with a warm pink center. The meat was tender cutting easily with a knife, easy to chew and had a very good flavor. By the end of the meal, unfortunately, there was nothing left to take home for tomorrow’s lunch. The additional side order of sautéed mushrooms were served in a large ramekin. It was a nice large serving of button mushrooms, nicely butter fried. I ladled them on the potato and steak but they would have been just as good had I ate them as a vegetable side dish.
The ambient noise level was low and casual conversation across the table was easy and contributed greatly to the enjoyment of the evening. I noticed that they Longhorn does feature live entertainment. Considering the size of the dining room, entertainment sessions would make for a very loud environment. If you prefer casual conversation to raucous live music I suggest you check their entertainment schedule. We were fortunate to arrive in a quiet moment.
From our arrival to our departure, the staff were all amiable, courteous and very efficient. The initial greeting by the hostess, the server at our table, they all made us feel quite at home. It is a very well run organization. The food was good, had good presentation, the staff performed excellently. For our dinner, I have compliments and no complaints save one; turn up the lights a bit, please.
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