Hurry! King Crab Combos Are Ending Soon

Black Angus

1350 North Tustin Ave. 

Santa Ana, CA 92705

Your choices for a reasonable steak dinner are shrinking. With the closure of Lone Star Steakhouse earlier this year, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a good steak dinner, without breaking the bank. Yes, there's still Outback and Sizzler, but I haven't been to either of these two chains for a long time now.

I hadn't been to Black Angus either, until late last year. Before that visit, it had probably been about ten years since I had been inside a Black Angus. Part of the reason for this was because the location nearest my house had closed years ago. I ended up being pretty impressed with that visit late last year and had eagerly awaited a chance to return.

That return trip came last week when my sister and I had made plans to meet up for a long overdue happy hour session. This was a sort of homecoming for her, as she used to tend bar at this very Black Angus location in the mid 90's. We both had some pretty good memories in this building, which is situated right across the street from Western Medical Center.

Our happy hour date turned into more of a dinner date when we ran into District Manger for Black Angus, the very personable Jeff Gadberry. He insisted that we try their wildly popular special going on right now, the King Crab Combos. With these combos, you not only get a good amount of crab but also get your choice between a Top Sirloin, Filet Mignon, or their very good Prime Rib. Who are we to resist crab and steak on the same plate?

 We took a seat in their very comfortable lounge, which is accented with some nostalgic pictures of sports stars from yesteryear. The open seating bar area filled up rather nicely during our stay, as people took advantage of the great happy hour deals. Happy hour goes from 3 to 7 Monday through Friday and all day on Tuesday and Sundays. They offer beer, wine, cocktail, and appetizer choices anywhere from $4 to $7 during these times. A great deal where you have a few drinks and two appetizers and still won't spend $20.

We started things off with the Crispy Fried Garlic-Pepper Zucchini ($4). I've always had a soft spot for the zucchini here, which comes with a wonderful housemade cucumber dip. The combination of the very good panko crusted breading and the consistency of the dip goes great together and makes this a winning choice for starting out any visit to Black Angus. Very well done.

Since we were going to be gossiping about some family matters, a couple of cocktails were definitely in order. We tried the Irish Winter ($8.50) and the Tangerine Drop ($8.50). These are both on their featured cocktail menu and are available for a limited time. The Tangerine Drop was a favorite of my sister, as she had two of these during our stay at Black Angus. This more refined take on a lemon drop starts out with Absolut Citron Vodka, then a fresh tangerine and a lemon elixir is added. It's then finished off with a splash of champagne. My sister enjoyed the citrus explosion this provided, and would not hesitate to get this on her next visit. I was a little hesitant when the Irish Water was put in front of me, as I'm not really a big fan of Jameson Irish Whiskey, but it was downplayed in this beverage. This is their Texas tea with a shot of Jameson and a splash of cranberry. Very refreshing and delicious, but be advised, this could sneak up on you if you have too many.

Now the focal point of our experience at Black Angus on this particular evening, the King Crab Combo with a Filet Mignon ($34.99). This was a good amount of food, which I happily tackled earnestly. The three crab legs provided plenty of sweet and fresh meat. I was informed that these crab legs came from the Pacific Ocean, near South America. So maybe these were centolla crab, but I'm not sure. Whatever they were, it ended up being fantastic. My sister, who is not really a fan of crab really enjoyed the tiny bite I gave her. I did not really want to share.  The six-ounce filet was done to a perfect medium rare, and was very tender, while the caramelized shallot and bleu cheese butter added an unneeded, but welcome flavor boost to my steak. With this meal, you also get your choice of two classic sidekicks, and I went with the Mac and Cheese and the Roasted Brussels Sprouts. The mac and cheese was a tad on the runny side, but I liked the breadcrumbs topping this and the creamy cheese covering the elbow-shaped pasta. The brussels sprouts were very good, with some good caramelization included here, which added some sweetness. A very good end to this wonderful meal.

My sister is pretty basic when it comes to her meals, and that held true at Black Angus on this evening. She opted for the Top Sirloin Center Cut ($19.99) with the same shallot and bleu cheese butter I had on my filet.  As is the case with lots of top sirloin steaks, there were a few bites that were a little on the fatty side here, but the majority of this steak was done nicely, and extremely tender for a top sirloin. For her sides, she went with the Grilled Asparagus and the Au Gratin Potatoes. The asparagus was done nicely over the grill, which helped this vegetable pick up some extra flavor. The potatoes tasted almost the same as my mac and cheese, but with a better consistency. Definitely the better choice between the two.

My sister had just ordered her second Tangerine Drop so I could not let her out drink me, so I ordered one of my all-time favorite cocktails, a Montana Mai Thai ($8.50). Drinking this automatically brings to mind a tropical island out in the Pacific. Malibu Coconut Rum, Captain Morgan's, orange and pineapple juices, and a splash of Meyer's Dark Rum as a floater combined to bring a little touch of the South Pacific to Santa Ana. Dessert had to be ordered as well, especially when I heard they had Peanut Butter Cup Pie ($6.50) as their seasonal dessert. Any Resse's fan will get behind this pie. It starts with a peanut butter and graham cracker crust, and is then layered with chocolate ganache, peanut butter mousse, whipped cream, both chocolate and peanut butter drizzles, and finished with a miniature Reese's peanut butter cup. That's a lot of peanut butter, and perfect for a self-professed peanut butter fiend like myself. Make sure to get into Black Angus soon, as this is a limited timed item.

Speaking of limited time things, like I stated earlier, the King Crab Combos are only available for a very limited time now, so if you want to experience them, it would probably be best to get into your nearest Black Angus this week. Fret not if you don't make that deal because a little bird told us that they are going to be having a lamb special coming up next, and a lobster and steak promotion which is one of their most popular of the year. Once again, Black Angus proves that you can still get good steak dinner at a value price, and that's probably why they are sticking around while their competitors are falling by the wayside.

We would like to thank everyone that we encountered during our visit to Black Angus. Our waitress Lindsay could not have been nicer, even if she did stump me on one of the world capitals that I profess to know all of. She made some great recommendations and kept excellent care of us. General Manager Jennifer Sarte was a whole nother story. She and my sister ganged up on me more than I care to remember. Even she could not dampen this visit. Kidding, of course, Jennifer, or am I? Lastly, we would like to thank the graciousness of District Manager Jeff Gadberry, who not only shared his passion for what they do and serve at Black Angus, but he's an equally great man who we enjoyed reconnecting with. We hope our paths cross again soon Jeff.

To find your closest Black Angus, head to their website here: https://www.blackangus.com/

Back to Black Angus

Black Angus Steakhouse

1350 North Tustin Ave.

Santa Ana, CA 92705

People ask me all the time where I'm going to be eating in the next few days. I guess that after doing this blog for seven years, my friends and family now know me as the restaurant guy. When I told people we were going to be eating at Black Angus, more than one person thought they had gone out of business. I think the main reason for this is based on where I work. I work in South OC, and our only Black Angus, in Lake Forest, shuttered about six years ago. After this lunch, I can assure everyone that Black Angus is alive and kicking, and still serving some pretty impressive steaks and other items.

We were recently invited into the Black Angus located on Tustin Avenue, right across from Western Medical Center. This partially hidden spot has been here for years, churning out steaks, seafood, salads, and starters for decades. In fact, my sister got her start bartending in this very location, back in the Square Cow Fun Bar days, which were many years ago. I had some pretty good times coming here when I used to work nearby and took full advantage of their great happy hour specials. Being back here really brought back a flood of memories.

Speaking of specials, they still have some good ones going on. Their coupons in the Sunday circulars are legendary and offer many great deals. Black Angus also still has a killer happy hour, which runs from 3 to 7, Monday through Friday, and goes all day on Tuesdays and Sundays in their re-branded Bulls Eye Bar. Happy hour specials are plentiful here, with many options available in the $4, $5, and $6 price levels, while people with heartier appetites will want to take advantage of their Wagon Wheel Sampler Platter, which is $5 off during this truly happy time for your wallet.

Not much has changed in the dining room of your local Black Angus. They still have the western motif going on here, with some of my favorite booths in any restaurant. The high-backed, southwestern patterned booths offer one of the most private, and comfortable dining experiences out there. A table where you can take a break from your hectic day, and immerse yourself in the aromas of steak wafting through the busy, yet quietly relaxing restaurant.

On this particular afternoon, I brought along my good friend Ozker, who had not been to Black Angus for a good many years. We were greeted by District Manager, Jeff Gadberry, who is a 40-year employee of Black Angus, and a man that knows this company inside and out. His excitement over the food and beverages we were going to be having was infectious. He really got both Ozker and I pumped up for what was in store for us.

Black Angus is really committed to overhauling their beverage program, by introducing cocktails made with seasonal ingredients, that will show new patrons, and long time customers that they are not just living on their storied past, but want to feature fresh and modern cocktails. These two handcrafted drinks are on their new fall menu, which debuted earlier this month. The top picture was my favorite of these two, the Jack's Berry Margarita ($8.75). This is a different spin on your typical margarita. They pair Sauza Blue Reposado tequila, with Jack Daniels, a fresh lime agave mix, a splash of cranberry, and then garnish this with whiskey-spiked cranberries. I really enjoyed this take on a margarita, because it did not feature the sweet and sour feel of humdrum margaritas. The Jack Daniels was front and center, but the tequila and the cranberry helped balance this out a bit. Not being a Jack fan, I was a little less enthusiastic about the straight forward Old Fashioned Jack ($11.25). This was a heavy pour of Jack Daniels, which was joined in the glass by some very flavorful orange-cinnamon bitters, which sweetened up the Jack. I loved the inclusion of the bitters here, which do not get used nearly enough. Glad to see Black Angus rectifying that.

Since we started with two drinks, we definitely needed to balance that out with some food, and out first for us were these Fire-Grilled Fresh Artichokes ($9.99). This would be Ozker's first time having artichokes, and he's now hooked. Usually, artichokes are too much work, for too little of a payout, but these had a lot of the pulpy portion of the pedal included, which was made even better by the sauces served with this. I could not decide which one of these house made sauces I enjoyed better. I alternated evenly between the lemon aioli and the pesto mayo. Really a good starter.

Since we had our first food at Black Angus, I guess it was time for another round of drinks. I felt like we were on vacation. This round of drinks was definitely way more up my alley. Lately, I've been all about Moscow Mules, and at Black Angus, they have different variations on the usual ginger beer, vodka, and lime beverage. I was given the Tennessee Mule ($8.25) to try. Again, I'm no fan of Jack, but this was a nice spin on your typical Moscow Mule, which used lemon instead of lime, substituted Jack for tequila, and then was finished off with Q Ginger Beer. For JD fans, this is sure to be a winner. I also got to sample the Tropical White Sangria ($8.00). White wine, spiced rum, pineapple, mango, and a hint of citrus brought to mind the tropics, and the earlier part of my day melted away, sip by sip.

So I was four drinks in, and had only had artichokes up until this point, so it was definitely time for some more food, and Black Angus delivered with this very solid BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad ($14.99). I'm always a little skeptical about chicken in restaurants because most of the time they overcook it into shoe leather, but that was not the case here. This tender and juicy chicken was joined in this salad with diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, cheese, tortilla strips, chopped greens, ranch dressing, and a drizzle of barbecue sauce. I couldn't get enough of this southwestern inspired salad and took a good deal of it home for dinner later on that night, and it held up perfectly.

Now this is what Black Angus is known for. Also on their fall menu, this Big Ranch 20 Ounce T-Bone ($32.99) will satisfy any meat eater you may know. You get two steaks for the price of one with this, as the New York strip and the filet are framed by the T-bone. Ozker and I could not get enough of this. It came to our table cooked perfectly medium rare, was well marbled, and full of flavor. With this dinner, you get to choose two sides, and we went with the grilled asparagus and the au gratin potatoes. Both of these sides were superbly done. I loved that the asparagus was grilled, and it really absorbed a lot of flavor from the grill. The potatoes had a real comfort food feel to them, and I enjoyed the crunch from the broiled bread crumbs on top of this. Added a nice textural component that went well with the rich and cheesy potatoes underneath.

My steak of choice when I'm in a steak restaurant is the Ribeye ($28.99). This 16-ounce chunk of meat had all the characteristics that I love about this cut of beef. It had some fat running through it, which provided big bursts of flavor, and it was also made even better with the addition of bistro butter, which is offered for a dollar extra and would be well worth it at double the price. For this entree, we got their very satisfying Roasted Brussels Sprouts, which were done nicely in a brown butter, and the homey Mac and Cheese. Ozker would not stop raving about this mac and cheese version and quickly claimed it when we were boxing up our leftovers.

It had been about five minutes since they had brought out a cocktail, so it was definitely time for another one. This was my favorite beverage of the afternoon, the Hand Shaken Mojito ($8.50). At Black Angus they offer four styles of this Cuban cocktail; mango, berry, ginger, and this one, the classic. It had a clean, refreshing tinge to it, and was one of the better versions I have had. Very well done by the bartenders at Black Angus.

Just when I thought we were done, we were presented with this Large Cold Water Atlantic Lobster Tail ($32.99). There's nothing like the audible gasp that you hear when a lobster tail is placed on a table, and Ozker and I could not stifle our excitement over this lobster. It was fork tender, had a slight sweetness to it, and went down like a warm blanket when dunked in the drawn butter. A very impressive end to the entree portion of our meals.

The last item on the Black Angus fall menu is a must for people who love pumpkin everything, and I know there's lots of you out there. This Pumpkin Cheesecake ($6.50) was heralded by Ozker as being one of the best he has ever had. The graham cracker crust is the base for the autumn inspired pumpkin filling. I liked that the pumpkin seasonings were all present, but were not all in your face. Very good, but next time I'm going to have to give their carrot cake a try.

So now you can see that the reports of Black Angus's death were greatly exaggerated. To be honest, I came in here not really expecting too much, but I was pleasantly surprised by our meal, and would not hesitate to return very soon. Black Angus is a great option for people that want to get more value for their money than they would be able to get at one of the high-end steakhouses that serve everything ala carte. Here, the 21-day aged steaks not only includes the beef, but also comes with two side items, and their legendary warm molasses bread as well. They even offer their Campfire Feast, which includes an appetizer and dessert for 2, for less than $30 a person. That won't even get you in the door at those high-end steakhouses. This will definitely not be our last time at Black Angus.

We would like to thank everyone at Black Angus for this fun and delicious afternoon. It was great seeing everyone's passion for this restaurant that has been around for over 50 years, and it's very commendable to see that they are changing with the times, while still keeping lots of things the same. We would personally like to thank District Manager Jeff Gadberry for the wonderful hospitality, and taking the time out of his busy day to share his vision and passion for this iconic brand. We really enjoyed getting to meet you, and getting to know your team at this Santa Ana Black Angus location. We also would like to thank PR guru, Jill Fox at JCutler Media Group for coordinating this visit, and for setting this up. It was great working with you, Jill.

If you would like to find your local Black Angus or would like more information, you should check out their website here: https://www.blackangus.com/