Why Perry's Steakhouse Thursday Night Prime Rib Has Diners Lining Up

If you asked a purist how to season a prime rib, they'd probably consider anything outside of salt, pepper, and a touch of garlic to be an insult. After all, this is a premium cut — juicy, tender, with loads of delicious marbling — that shouldn't need any amping up of flavors. But Texas-based chain restaurant Perry's Steakhouse & Grille is clearly happy to break rules, as can be gauged from the fact that they advertise well-done steaks on their logo! And their "twist on the traditional" approach to cooking this beautiful cut seems to have hit the spot, with diners lining up for the Thursday night prime rib.

According to their website, Perry's has "reinvented what prime rib can be," and this experiment put them on our list of 7 restaurant chains with the best prime rib. Their 16-pound rib features notes of pecan wood, is caramelized to perfection, and is served with a truffle merlot demiglace. Served only on Thursdays between 4 and 10 pm, the prime rib has a fan following of its own. A user on TripAdvisor said it was memorable. "Speechless or absolutely delicious are words that come to mind!" they posted. Over on Reddit, a fan recommends planning a trip to Perry's only to sample the prime rib. "It's absolutely worth it to specifically go on Thursday for the prime rib — it is truly amazing," they wrote. 

The reviews were less effusive over on OpenTable, with more than one user complaining that their ribs were oversalted and borderline inedible.

Throwing pecan wood into the barbecue introduces a gentle, sweet, and nutty flavor to the meat. What's even better is that pecan wood's smokiness is fairly well-balanced — not as overpowering as hickory, nor is it as sweet and mild as fruitwoods like maple or cherry. Not only does it allow the prime rib to shine, it also makes room for a wide variety of sides.

Most traditional pairings would start with a rich au jus, made by deglazing the pan in which the rib was cooked with beef stock. Next, where there's a steak, there must be potatoes. You can't go wrong with a portion of creamy mash, but if you want to match the luxury of the prime rib, you could go with a delicious fondant potato (it's a little bit more work, but follow these 11 tips to make perfect fondant potatoes, and you'll find yourself in steak-and-spud heaven).

According to Matthew Kreider, the executive chef of Steak 954, if you're looking for the absolute best side dish pairings for classic prime rib, you need to lean into the classics, including horseradish sauce. The spicy and creamy sauce cuts through the meatiness of the steak, adding layers to the dish without overpowering it. In fact, a good place to try this combo would be Perry's, which serves its caramelized prime rib with a classic homemade horseradish cream.