The steak was good but that's about it. The salad bar was not well kept and I wish I hadn't gotten up at all for it. My mash potatoes were okay. Had fried jalapeños and pickles which were a nice snack but nothing spectacular. read more

In the 1970s, there were two steak houses in Lowake, Texas which is unusual because Lowake is nothing more than a wide spot in the road. The other one has been closed for years now but it had a dirt runway across the road and light planes were welcome to land and eat. I never drove thru that part of Texas back then but I did land there every so often and enjoyed a nice meal. So I never went to the sole surviving Lowake Steak house down the road about a mile that is still there and has been since 1951. Unfortunately, there is nowhere to land in Lowake anymore and it is not on the way to anywhere so I never went back to Lowake until last week. I was driving from Abilene to Fredericksburg and decided to detour thru Lowake to check out the Lowake Steak House. I'm glad I did. The Lowake Steakhouse is a typical rural Texas restaurant, basic decor with a small bar, but a place where you feel right at home when you walk in. Ruth's Chris it is not so if that is what you're looking for keep driving. But if you want a good steak with all the trimmings, and a cold beer, you won't be disappointed. I ordered a cold Lone Star to start and the KC steak FOR ONE. The salad bar was stocked very well with the usual salad fixings. When the steak was served I had to confirm with the waitress that the order was for one person and she just smiled and said, enjoy your meal. The amount of steak was unbelievable! There were four huge pieces stacked on the plate each over 1" thick and cooked perfectly as was the baked potato. It was all I could do to eat one piece and took the rest home and made 4 more meals out of the leftover steak. If you are ever in the vicinity of Lowake, about 25 miles NE of San Angelo off the road to Ballinger, at meal time, do yourself a favor and stop for an excellent tasting steak. They have other menu items as well if you are not that hungry. read more

Best steak I've had in Texas so far. Soooo fresh it will make you never want to eat at a chain again. Had the ribeye and it was cheap for the huge steak I got. I will be visiting frequently before I leave. Cannot recommend enough! read more

Ugh. The hype for this place? Huge. The letdown? Just as huge. Food was mediocre at best. Hubs got the KC for 1 & yes, it was a lot of meat & it was cooked right. Was it the best steak he ever had? Not by a long shot. Maybe it's in the top 2 he has had in Tom Green County, but we aren't from here so to be the best steak ever was a tall order. A lot of reviews said the management has changed over the years and so has the quality of the food. That makes sense because I have a hard time believing the hype would have started based on what we experienced. I ordered a BLT & the bacon was good, but nothing special. Coconut cream pie was just OK. 3 people in our group ended up getting sick to their stomach that later that same night. Coincidence??? Now that I have been there I can cross that off my list. I won't be returning. read more

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After many years of hearing about how wonderful the Lowake Steakhouse was, we went out of our way to try it on the way home from central Texas. The salad bar was fine and the jalapeño ranch dressing was very good. We ordered KC with baked potatoes (had to pay extra for the salad bar). Potatoes were ok - did not have real butter, only margarine. Rolls appeared to come out of a package and were cold and not very good. Steak was cooked correctly (medium) but was tough and a horrible disappointment. I will not go out of my way again to eat here. read more

Seems to be getting worse & worse. Not ordering the ribeye again, first time it was delicious,(Med-rare), 2nd time not so much. Fried pork chop was good. Salad bar dirty/messy. Bathrooms are terrible. If their restrooms are bad what must the kitchen be like. Whenever we've gone in, there is a big guy on his phone (not on a call). Doesn't help the staff when needed that we could tell. Waitstaff friendly & helpful. read more

Came here once during a vacation in Texas. I was excited to try the famous Texas sized steaks. Only to be extremely disappointed by the steaks dryness and lack of flavor. Our server was also extremely rude the entire meal. i do not recommend. read more

The building and dining room need serious updating, but the atmosphere matches the quality of food. I would have to say that my husbands medium steak was the largest I've seen in my life! It was literally the size of his face or bigger. The fries were nasty, mashed potatoes were instant, or just very horrible/ watery. Salad bar was Round Table Pizza quality and had the basics. Although the steaks were large, they were not the best. As you keep eating they do get better. However, my husband and I were both very sick for the next 24 hours and threw away our leftovers; they made the whole place stink and didn't seem worth the risk. The experience was worth the $70.00, but we will never go there again. The staff was very kind and was probably the most pleasant part of our dinner date. read more

Lowake Steak House - The largest steak I've ever seen... Kind of looks like leather. - Steakhouses Near Me - Rowena, Texas

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I have been dying to try this place. Drove from Midland, and was not disappointed. They seriously serve the biggest steaks I have ever seen, very flavorful and need no additional seasoning. We will definitely make a day trip here again, and next time we will be trying the onion rings. read more

Susanna P. from Manhattan, NY. I am sure the waitress was being Texas friendly, being from NYC you probably aren't used to people being friendly. Used to eat here many years ago when I lived in Abilene, TX. read more

The steak was good and plentiful but it's really a 3.5 star review. We didn't have anything that would make us go out of our way to return.

Not much to choose from but there is steak build your own hamburger fish steak fingers and appetizers as well as a kids menu with grilled cheese and mini corn dogs there is Adult beverages to choose from too A little more on the expensive side service is OK and if you're looking for the real experience make sure you sit in the bar area. There's also a salad bar which you cannot access right now but they do give you a bowl of salad ranch cheese carrots and tomatoes and onions. read more

Huge ribeye, and delicious. We also ordered onion rings like everyone talks about in the reviews... They were ok, the batter needs flavoring, especially salt. They were very crunchy though so that's good. The steak came overcooked for a medium rare steak, and the waitress would have taken it back but I said no I'll eat it. It was still really juicy, but also needed some salt and pepper., Which I added. The mashed potatoes with brown gravy were on point, very flavorful . Great service from the waitress and an overall good experience. read more

Lowake Steak House - Steakhouses Near Me - Rowena, Texas

Great garlic taste on the steaks - steak order for two is really enough food for four.

I have been hearing about Lowake for a long time and decided to come with my parents to try it out.. not worth the 30 minute drive at all. This place is so over rated. Chicken Fried steak had no flavor, even worse, the gravy didn't either. (How do you have flavorless gravy at a steak house). Salad bar looks kinda big until you get up by it only to realize it's only the basic lettuce and tomatoes just double containers of it. Hand cut fries were overcooked. And I had better tea at a mexican restaurant a few days ago. Highly disappointed. Service was okay. Nothing to get mad about or brag about. read more

Sad to say that The Lowake Steakhouse seems to be a sinking ship. The past 3-5 yrs the friendly hospitality and Great food (the reason Lowake became FAMOUS) has become a thing of the past. The old buildings and dirt parking lots with pot holes the size of a car were never a issue due to the GREAT AWESOME FABULOUS Food and Friendly Service you received. We went to the new location last week. Well... it's Big, has fancy western decor, bathroom is clean. BUT that's NOT what Lowake is FAMOUS for. The service was nearly nonexistent. Steak was a very poor cut of beef. The onion rings have totally changed.. Different batter and NO flavor. The cheese burger was child size and NO seasoning. Way over priced... The New Building is nice, but until the friendly Hospitality and quality/quantity of food has been restored.. It doesn't deserve the name LOWAKE STEAKHOUSE.. read more

Loved this place as a kid. Best part of going hunting was always finishing the day at Lowake Steak House. Over a decade later I took my wife. The KC's were good, a little over done for the temperature we ordered but still have great flavor and the service could have been a little better. Everything was actually just the same as it has always been. I would give it 4 stars but every single one of my friends said that they have been highly disappointed when going back. I still would recommend Lowake to anyone though, if only for the experience. read more

Lowake Steak House - Steakhouses Near Me - Rowena, Texas

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. I busted my butt to get here before the place closed last time I was there. As far as Daniel's review of a tough steak, my bet guess is that he ordered a medium to medium-well done steak. The steak is expensive, but enormous! I know I usually have at least 3 meals from one ribeye. The only thing I do miss from last time I was there is their jalapeno steak sauce. Apparently the company that made the sauce went out of business. Oh well, everything else was Fab and I can't wait to go back to TX and eat here again. read more

Lowake Steak House - Steakhouses Near Me - Rowena, Texas

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Step back into Texas, circa 1965-77 or so. In a "vinyl chair, Formica tabletop, neon signs on the wall" very good kind of way. The steaks are choice or prime, cooked exactly right, and though the onion rings were a little too bready on a recent visit, the great service and seriously (ridiculously sized) amazing steaks keep us coming to this little ghost of Texas-past. The ice cold Shiner on tap is just a bonus. read more

Lowake Steak House - Petrfectly cooked bone in ribeye, old school baked potato and remaining tower of the fried pickle and onion ring appetizer. - Steakhouses Near Me - Rowena, Texas

Thought the KC was delicious although they lost one star for the bathroom. read more

Lowake Steak House - KC for 4 - Steakhouses Near Me - Rowena, Texas

I'm giving this 5 stars based on the location. There is no way you can get a better steak anywhere near San Angelo. I had a large T-bone (approx 26-28 oz) which was $29, includes a side and a salad. I ordered it rare and it was actually cooked rare! I would request extra seasoning next time, but that is an issue of taste. I felt it needed a tad more salt. The quality of the steak, however, was top-notch. The baked potato I had as a side dish was cooked all the way through, very good. The salad bar, however was a bit lacking. It is one free trip to the salad bar with your steak, so no big deal. It had about half the options you might see at a Ruby Tuesday salad bar, for reference. We also had some fried spicy pickles, which were fine. Had we waited longer before ordering though, we would have gotten the onion rings. We saw them delivered to other tables, and they are gigantic. They are literally piled in a cone-shaped mountain. I would definitely try these next time! Come here for the steaks. Great prices compared to other steak houses that produce similar steaks, and expertly cooked. read more

Lowake Steak House - Large Tbone - Steakhouses Near Me - Rowena, Texas

I was in San Angelo for 30 days of training, Lowake was the best part of the whole 30 day trip. My only regret is that I didn't come here earlier in my trip. Like all the other reviews say there is not a lot on decor, however the steaks are huge and cooked to perfection. This place is well worth the 25-35 min ride from San Angelo. read more

Lowake Steak House - LOWAKE Steakhouse since 1951! - Steakhouses Near Me - Rowena, Texas

I have heard a lot of great things about this restaurant over the years but I have not been impressed any of the couple of times that I have eaten there. One good way, in Texas, to tell if a restaurant is good, is to have the chicken fried steak. Unfortunately, while the chicken fried steak looked awesome when it came out, as soon I cut into it, I was disappointed. The steak inside the breading was like a shriveled up piece of shoe leather. The breading was not attached to the meat at all and was greasy. The steaks might be ok, but since they are all over $20, I haven't ever tried them. My wife says that they used to be better, but they have gone downhill over the last 10 years or so. I would avoid the drive and go to one of the local places instead. read more

This is our favorite place for KC. New location huge plus, been there more time at new location. Steaks awesome, onion rings awesome. Staff and service great. We go 3-4 times a year due to its location and always leave saying that was the best meal yet. Keeps getting better and better every time we go. This has to be best kept secret in Texas. I have eaten hundreds of places and this place is top notch. Beer, Steak and Onion Rings. Texas Holy Trinity. Best KC in Texas. We even take the juice form the steak plate home its so good, serious. Eating their with family makes you feel like the salt of the earth, working man treating his family for all their hard work. Love to see the famer bring in their family's, everyone smiling, laughing and enjoying their treat. Thanks Lowake for all your hard work in servicing your community. read more

Best steak in the area, went for the second time today and still wonderful. Salad bar good, steak better and finish it off with some banana pudding. Nom Nom. read more

Lowake Steak House - Nom Nom. - Steakhouses Near Me - Rowena, Texas

I was really looking forward to returning to Lowake after moving back into the area. When we entered I immediately noticed that they had remodeled and everything looked so nice. We were led to our table and sat by the kitchen and a small but extremely vocal group even though there were plenty of other tables in the room. I guess I have never understood why we must be cramped together. But still, I was in high hopes of a delicious meal. I looked around the room and could not believe the amount of trash on the floor. Tables were piled high with dirty dishes. For a lack of better words the room was trashy. The group we had to sit next to let their teenagers burp for fun. Again, I was ready for a Lowake meal. My husband had not been so I wanted him to splurge on a ribeye - his most favorite steak. $34.00. Not the least expensive steak on the menu, but not the most either. I ordered the chicken fried steak. It's what I do. When the food came out, my husbands face lit up only to quickly diminish into a look of disgust. He said it had no flavor, was rubbery, and "gross." I thought, this can't be right. Maybe he is sick? It's Lowake for crying out loud. I took a bite of his ribeye to see for myself. Yelp community, it was horrible. It had to have been a bad cut of meat. Absolutely terrible. Mine was no gourmet either. Bland chicken fried steak. Possibly cooked in old grease. Bland mashed potatoes. And green beans out of a can. So, Lowake remodeled their restaurant, but something terrible has happened in the kitchen. Oh and those guests sitting next to us? Well mom got mad at the kids and yelled at them nonstop. Yelled. Loudly. The waitress was nice. The sign on the door pleading for help should have been a sign to run away. Perhaps it's our society not wanting to work that is causing so many problems. I don't know. But I do know I'll never convince my husband to go to Lowake again. read more

The medium sirloin was HUGE! It was the size of my plate, literally! Salad bar was pretty good. Only "complaint" was too much garlic in my mashed potatoes...but they were still edible. Not too crowded on a Sunday at dinner time, so we had a nice peaceful dinner. Definitely worth the money for that steak! read more

After all the hype I heard about this place, we went there for dinner. HORRIBLE! I ordered vinegar and oil for my salad and the oil was actually rancid! I told the waitress and she went back and got another bottle from the salad bar which was also rancid. She just put the bottle I had right back on the counter!! Unbelievable read more

I love the history behind Lowake Steak House. I love the old building with the screen door. I fondly remember the sign that warns hunters to make sure their kill-of-the-day in their pick-up beds are cat proof during dove season. I love the way the hardwood floors sound as people shuffle in and out. I have ALWAYS loved the feel of the place and am stoked that it's 'found' itself again and serving up the best KC around. It's a hole-in-the-wall, for sure. But a delightful hole-in-the-wall. The salad bar reminds me of salad bars of yesteryear. Iceburg lettuce, pea salad drowning in mayo, pickled beets, pickled okra . . .nothing fancy. But good. And ALWAYS go for the onion rings over the fries and steer clear of the mashed potatoes. We also enjoy seeing familiar faces and end up inviting others to sit with us or they invite us to sit with them. Patsy Cline on the jukebox. (Ok, well, not sure if they even have a jukebox but in my head they do.) Feels like home. read more

This place is excellent when it comes to steak and ONLY steak. Absolutely the best steak I have ever eaten in a restaurant. The steak was very well seasoned and perfectly cooked. However, the rest of the menu leaves a lot to be desired. The menu isn't very diverse and the sides are mediocre tasting at best. Also, there are virtually NO COVID precautions taken whatsoever! The place was packed and not one person wore a mask. read more

Apparently the address in Yelp is wrong... I called, and they said they are in Rowena at 12143 US-67, Rowena, TX 76875. I'll try to update the review once I finally find it! ===== I did find it, and I'm glad I had called first. They are not in Lowake any more, and the address I posted above is correct. There are also still some old road signs advertising the old location, so trust your directions and ignore the signs. The onion ring appetizer was pretty good. Then had the 32oz Porterhouse... it was enough for two. The strip side was fairly tough and lack much taste, but the tenderloin side was amazing, tender, moist, and delicious. The baked potato was good, and the salad bar is simple but thorough... try the jalapeño ranch! The beer glasses are kept in a freezer, so the draft beer comes out icy cold! After eating, I saw one of their burgers at the next table, and it was huge, so I'll have to come try one. The service I had in the bar area at a high-top was generally attentive and good. ===== I returned again to try the burger during lunch, and I allowed myself to be talked into trying the hamburger club sandwich, which is basically what you would imagine. It was good, but I wish I had stuck with a classic cheeseburger, and I recommend doing so. The fries are hand-cut and are excellent! The service I had at the bar left much to be desired... the waitress (not the bartender) was unable to offer a description of the hamburger club sandwich at first, until I pressed her for more info and pulled it out of her, and in general I felt that she could not have cared less that I was there at all, and I had to ask for any and every thing I needed throughout my meal... there was no initiative displayed on her part to make my visit a good experience. ===== All in all, this is a place that I think needs to be on your must-try list because it's definitely worth trying. However, value of food for your dollar will keep this place from ever being 5 ***** . Overall, I give it 3 *** ... but with consistently better service and attention to the customer this place could get 4 **** . read more

This place is living on what used to be. I arrived on Saturday with much anticipation.. steaks were warm table was greasy salad had sat out to long. You can tell how a restaurant is run by simply going in the restroom. Not good!! I dare anyone to go in there. read more

I lived in Abilene in the 80's through the mid 90's. Phil owned it and you could not beat it. KC for 2 was our standard. A platter full of KC which lasted all week. The onion rings were the entire friggin basket fried up to perfection and never a seat unless you came early. Not even a parking place. Moved to Florida in 1996 and then back to San Angelo in 2011. Went to Lowake first thing. Not the same. Phil no longer owns it and even the jukebox was gone. WHY??? Don't bother anymore, but if you were fortunate to go in the day, revel in the memories. read more

I had seen reviews on Yelp and was very leary about coming here. I'm glad we came in tonight. Was pleased with my shrimp and my husband said his steak was among the top he has had in a long time. It was tender and cooked just the way he likes it. The meal was reasonably priced. We will certainly make it a point to come back or visit them at their new place, coming soon. read more

Ordered fried catfish recently. Took it home and it was fish strips not their usual catfish filets that they have had in the past. We tried eating the fish strips but they were dry and had a texture that was like paper. Neither of us could eat this. After 20 years of eating at Lowake, that was the last time. Quality of food has deteriorated dramatically. read more

I'd heard stories about Lowake Steak House since I'd arrived in San Angelo, but heard that it was somewhat off the beaten path. One adventurous Friday I decided to plug in the closest address my GPS could find and set off to attempt to find it. Well, the stories are definitely true; Lowake Steakhouse, located in the tiny farming community of Lowake, is definitely out in the middle of nowhere. But it's worth the 45 minute trip from San Angelo. As you walk in, you'll notice that the restaurant is definitely not heavy on atmosphere. The front lobby is a wood affair, selling Lowake tshirts. There's a pitifully small salad bar and 1950s style tables and chairs. But it's not the decor you come here for, it's the massive, cheap portions of food. I ordered a ribeye and my boyfriend got the sirloin; both came with salad bar, Texas toast, and your choice in vegetable. I got a baked potato, and he got french fries. When the food came out, my eyes almost bugged out. All the food came on a huge oval platter, and the steaks were practically hanging off of them. I had mine medium rare and he had his medium, and they were rubbed with the garlic salt that seems to be popular with steak houses in this area (Zentner's Daughter). While my ribeye had quite a bit of fat in it, it was extremely tender and flavorful, and my boyfriend said the same about his sirloin. Lowake prides themselves on cutting their own beef. We both ended up taking our steaks home with us, and each got about 2-3 meals off of them. Our total bill, minus tip, was only about $50. Much cheaper than most steak places in town. While Lowake still can't compare to my favorite steak house (Sullivan's in Austin...the only steak I've ever had that I didn't want to put A1 on it), it's a great local option! read more

I haven't eaten at Lowake since the late 1970s. I remember that staggering moment when they delivered my hamburger. I had a reputation for eating two hamburgers anywhere they served hamburgers. After plowing through half of this burger and slipping into a food coma, I took the other half home with me. When you walked into the old steakhouse, the walls were dirty yellow from smoke and grease and the ceiling and walls were covered with business cards. I ate lunch there once when there were two tornados out in the adjacent field. The waitress walked up and said, "Excuse me gentlemen, did you know there are two tornados outside?" My friend whom we called 'Pop' said, "Well, that'll be fine, can we go ahead and place our order." The waitress took our order and we continued to monitor the tornados. KC steak for two would easily feed four. And everything they offered was great. I know people in San Antonio, Waco and Austin who would fly in to eat at the famous Lowake Steak House. God knows how many times it's burned down. Glad to see it's still around. read more

I have nothing good to say about this place. Yah, the portions are huge, but at about $25 a plate, they're no real bargain either. My steak was tough and over-seasoned. The salad bar was really plain. The fries were limp. read more

My wife and I decided to travel the hour to get here from Abilene just to get out of the house one night. I'm a huge fan of out of the way places and this is definately out of the way. I had read some reviews about this place here in Yelp a few months prior to going (Which is how I found out about the establishment). I should have paid more attention to the portion descriptions because when my steak was placed in front of me I couldn't believe it. The piece of meat was massive. It wasn't the best steak I've ever had but it was really good. The service was excellent and they were fairly busy. I'm pretty sure we got there at the tail end of the dinner rush. The salad bar and sides were decent. I can't complain about the cost due to the amount of food we got. Is it a place I'm going to go to every weekend, no, but it's worth the trip every now and then. Overall, it was a fun experience and we will return. read more

I give it 5 stars, not because it was the best steak I have ever had but because it was cooked perfect and lightly seasoned with Huge portions! I had the KC Steak medium rare. It was closer to medium than rare but, for me, perfect. Red center but the juice was more clear than red. Onion rings are also huge portions. The fish is also very good. It was what I expected from a little Texas Hole in the wall. We will go back. read more