Houston White Co.
Prior to 2017, the only Rehoboth Beach restaurant that could be referred to as a ‘true’ steakhouse was 1776 Steakhouse, a local tradition for decades. Enter the ownership team from La Fable to create Houston White Co., a high-end, white tablecloth traditional steakhouse offering a full a la carte chophouse menu including USDA cuts in various sizes, fish, and seafood, all at downtown steakhouse prices. The restaurant, occupying the owner’s former Bramble & Brine location, presents a 1920s ambience (harkening back to the namesake’s 1900s lumber mill tradition), with imported music to match, but the prices surely are not from that era; instead, Houston White Co. has among the highest steak prices in Delmarva, so being good is less than an accomplishment than a contractual obligation – is it worth the visit? Generally, yes, because the prime cuts are well-marbled and cooked to near perfection, and the appetizers please, except Oysters Rockefeller need more than spinach thrown on top as they emerge from the oven. The wine list is surprisingly sparse, but mixed cocktails are adventurous, though priced in the same vein as the cuts of beef. The owners seemingly sought to import New York’s Keen Chophouse as a model (though no mutton is available), and Houston White Co. almost obliges as an authentic steakhouse in look, approach, menu, swagger, and taste, but also in cost. Service is efficient and friendly, and desserts, to the extent you can stomach them after such a carnivorous meal, are generous and quite good. The dining room is quaint, and your evening is never rushed, allowing Houston White & Co. to serve as a destination for a special family meal, expense account entertaining, or a good place to cozy-up on date night while trying to impress with a carnivore-loving menu even if it presents an omnivore’s dilemma.
