By Jan B. Jacobson

    It got its start in 1985 under a different name, but its reputation as an original Texas roadhouse-style steakhouse with great food, service and a relaxing casual atmosphere has remained the same for more than 20 years.

Texaz Grill has flourished as a hometown neighborhood favorite at 16th Street and Bethany Home Road for 14 years. The restaurant operated as Lonestar Steaks for nine years. The current name was picked from more than 2,000 customer entries into a contest.

The eatery was started by Jim Mitchell and Steve Freidkin. Mitchell handled the administration and front of the house while Freidkin took care of the back. Together, the two gentlemen had 75 years of hospitality experience and a long history of steakhouse operations.

(photo by Jan Jacobson).

Mitchell, who hails from upstate New York, was formerly a vice president of Operations for Victoria Station restaurants and for Garcia’s restaurants. He retired from Texaz Grill a year and a half ago, but his longtime partner, Steve Freidkin, continues to serves up lunch and dinner with longhorn-state style.

Freidkin has been in the food business since he was 10 years old. This Dallas-born restaurateur got started working in his parents’ delicatessen in Louisiana. He worked his way up the ranks from dishwasher to prep and grill cook at the Original Steak & Ale in Dallas.  He went from there to Victoria Station in Dallas where he was a kitchen manager for five years and aided the company in opening seven stores in the Pacific Northwest and in Canada.

Freidkin came to Phoenix in 1976 to become chef for the Pointe Tapatio’s Different Pointe of View restaurant. He was there for about three years, briefly owned a seafood café and had a catering business for two years, providing food services backstage to the rock-and-roll set. He didn’t have much formal training but says he gained a great deal of know-how attending Texas A&M’s Beef 101 extension program. Soon after, Freidkin and Mitchell joined forces with their steakhouse concept and the rest is history.

“Over the years, our philosophy has remained the same, to offer quality products at reasonable prices with friendly service,” Freidkin noted.

He said that he has a tremendous repeat business and that the grill is a neighborhood place that also draws customers from as far as Flagstaff. While consumer product prices have been increasing, Freidkin said he is trying to hold to the current menu prices.  

The early menu featured six steaks and chicken. Today, the menu is extensive. At lunchtime, you’ll find steak, burgers, catfish, barbecue brisket, chicken and turkey sandwiches, as well as chef salad and soups. There also are several entrees offered including fried chicken, pork chop and chicken fried steak. These are served with bread and butter, a salad or coleslaw and choice of potato.

Chicken fried steak is the eatery’s most popular dish day and night. In fact, Texaz Grill has served more than 685,000 chicken fried steaks since opening.

    Dinnertime offerings include some of the lunch entrees. Add to these the house special filet, rib eye, New York strip, t-bone, chop steak, chicken and beef kabobs, beer battered shrimp, and Texaz’s juicy specialty smoked prime rib. Texaz Grill prides itself on its steaks, which are cut on the premises from USDA choice aged beef. Extras include sautéed mushrooms and onions, Texaz fried potatoes or mashed potatoes, cole slaw or house salad, homemade chili and jalapeños.

There are daily dinner specials, which you can find online at www.texazgrill.com. Be sure to leave room for the homemade desserts. Pick from bread pudding with whiskey sauce, hill country peach cobbler and pecan pie.  

Restaurant hours are Monday-Thursday, 11a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday 12 to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 4 to 10 p.m. Reservations are suggested for parties of six or more by calling 602-248-STAR.