LongHorn will hook you

When joining friends for dinner at the “Texas steakhouse” on Shackleford Road in west Little Rock, be sure to specify which one.

Are you meeting at Texas Roadhouse - the Kentucky-based chain that has operated in Shackleford Crossings shopping center since 2009?

Or are you meeting at LongHorn Steakhouse - the Florida-based chain that just opened in Shackleford Crossings this month?

(And if you’re meeting at the Lone Star Steakhouse - a Texas-themed eatery actually based in Texas - you won’t be eating. That chain, on a corner of North Shackleford and Rodney Parham roads, recently closed.)

This west Little Rock steakhouse showdown seems not unlike the one that went down in North Little Rock when Texas Roadhouse moved right across the highway from Roadhouse Grill in 2006. Roadhouse Grill closed and was Roadhouse Roadkill by 2007.

So what distinguishes LongHorn, which also has locations in Jonesboro and Fort Smith, from its country-themed, cattle-cooking competition?

LongHorn is serene and sophisticated, as much as a place with taxidermy decor and a dessert called Chocolate Stampede (darn tootin’, we ate it; well, we attempted to) can be. There are no gimmicks like line dancing or peanuts. There’s just solid food and attentive service (a quick shout out to Russell, our excellent, experienced server with the Texas-sized personality).

We lucked out, enduring no waits for cushioned booths (call-ahead seating during peak times is advised) in the lodge-chic dining room. And we experienced no serious kitchen or service snafus, aside from inventory issues (for example, twice we ordered the Steakhouse Mac & Cheese “signature” side, and twice they were out) we trust will be ironed out.

Appetizers might not be entirely necessary, as the restaurant presents complimentary baskets of honey wheat bread and butter (nowhere near as yummy as Texas Roadhouse’s yeasty rolls and cinnamon honey butter) and many meals come with a side, a salad or both.

Still, some starters are worth checking out. Like the warm, creamy LongHorn Shrimp & Lobster Dip ($8.99) with large clumps of shellfish amid the mozzarella, parmesan and asiago cheese mixture. But it deserves a better dipper - perhaps baguette rounds - than tricolor tortilla chips.

The salted tortilla chips worked better with the warm Spinach Dip ($5.99), a blend of spinach, artichoke, provolone … and salt. It was almost too salty for me, a confessed halophile.

The Firecracker Chicken Wraps ($7.99) - grilled chicken and cheese in a tortilla with an avocado-lime dipping sauce - weren’t all that fiery or remarkable (reminding us of game-day chow we might heat from the grocer’s freezer), but they were plated with fresh lettuce, tomato, herbs and flourish.

LongHorn’s menu is long on steaks, which range from $11.99 for a 6-ounce Renegade Sirloin (when they’re in stock; they were out one visit) up to $39.99 for a Porterhouse for 2. Several steaks are available in multiple sizes and all can be upgraded with additions, including a steak sauce prepared tableside ($1.99), a parmesan or blue cheese crusted topping ($1) and everything from grilled onions and mushrooms to grilled shrimp and lobstertails ($2.99-$9.49).

Weighing in at a buttery 18 ounces, an agreeably marbled medium-rare Outlaw Ribeye ($22.49) was outrageous in size and flavor.

While we craved the components of a White Cheddar & Bacon Stuffed Filet ($20.49, 7 ounces) - featuring all that and herbed gravy - the combination overwhelmed. Too much of a good thing? We probably would have preferred the basic Flo’s Filet ($18.99 for 7 ounces, $21.99 for 9 ounces).

No slouch is LongHorn’s sirloin, which we had as part of the Sirloin & Redrock Grilled Shrimp (normally $16.49, but they were out and we upgraded to an 8-ounce steak, $18.49). It was respectably tender and juicy for a reasonably priced cut and accompanied by two generous skewers of buttery grilled shrimp and a side of inconsistently cooked, clumpy rice.

Beyond steaks, the dinner menu features seafood, chicken, pork chops and sandwiches as well as just-right meaty and messy Baby Back Ribs ($15.49 half rack, $19.49 full rack).

Entrees generally come with a salad (choice of mixed green or Caesar, but they were out of Caesar dressing one visit) and a side, like potatoes (mashed, sweet, loaded baked or seasoned and fried), green beans and rice. A standout was the Sweet Potato Bites - think tater tots, but sweeter and yet still salty. Genius.

While many of LongHorn’s dinner items are available at lunch with lower prices, the midday menu features salads, sandwiches, burgers and combinations.

Topped with grilled zucchini and a sun-dried tomato spread as well as cheese, the Grilled Fontina Chicken sandwich ($7.99) sounded extraordinary. But slightly bitter zucchini and undetectable spread aside, it still tasted ordinary. It, like all sandwiches, is served with seasoned fries.

The Black & Bleu burger ($9.79) is crafted with a seven-pepper seasoning, according to the menu, and a good amount of salt, according to my friend who ordered the hearty half-pound burger with blue cheese on a brioche bun, served with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion and seasoned fries.

As for desserts, we recommend the Caramel Apple Goldrush ($6.99), which is Texas-themed chain speak for apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream and a bourbon caramel sauce. It was extra crusty and extra good.

And then there’s the aptly named Chocolate Stampede ($7.99) - two hulking hunks of rich chocolate layer cake with two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream and whipped cream.

Eat one - heck, share one - and you’re sure to feel stampeded.

LongHorn Steakhouse

Address: 2628 S. Shackleford Road, Little Rock

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday

Cuisine: Steaks, seafood, chicken, ribs, sandwiches

Credit cards: AE, D, MC, V

Alcoholic beverages: Full bar

Reservations: Call-ahead seating only

Wheelchair accessible: Yes

Carryout: Yes

(501) 219-6809

longhornsteakhouse.com