The Smokehouse at the Doubletree Hotel in Abilene--A new edition to Abilene upscale dining

The Smokehouse is the restaurant inside the new Doubletree hotel in Abilene which opened in late July. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week. For my birthday, my date and I had dinner there in late August. 

Hummingbird cake

Chocolate cake

Previously, when the hotel first opened some friends and I stopped in for dessert in the lounge outside the restaurant called the Cattleman's Exchange. All three desserts were delectable and very large for the price which was $10 or less. Each of us took about half of our portion home with us. In addition, the lounge also serves bar food. I highly recommend stopping in for a sweet treat. I understand they have their own pastry chef. The server also told us that the restaurant employs a chef that moved to the area from New York City.

 The ambiance of the restaurant is modern with a western touch. Inside there are booths but most of the seating is tables for two or four individuals. For a date, ask for a booth. 

Chocolate chip skillet cookie

Our reservation for dinner was early so the restaurant was not crowded at all. More people came in as it got closer to 7pm. Once we were seated the server came promptly and asked for our drink orders. Upon returning with our drinks, he told us about the specials for the evening. We decided to try the appetizer for the night which was fried bread and butter pickle spears. I tend to prefer dill pickles but these were quite sour for bread and butter pickles so they had a bite to them and a slight spicy flavor. They were served with a barbeque aioli dipping sauce. I found the batter to be on the heavy side. In the future, I want to try the fried green tomatoes which are on the regular appetizer menu.

Restaurant interior

For dinner, I had the brisket plate and my companion ordered the filet cooked medium rare. Sides for the steaks can be ordered separately but the price on the menu is for the steak only. The sides that came with the brisket were pureed potatoes and broccolini. The brisket was topped with fried onion strings and a gravy. The steak was a little over $50 and the brisket plate was about $18. The website for the restaurant does not list prices but expect the meal to be on the expensive side for Abilene. Since it was a celebration we were prepared for the cost.

The steak was cooked nicely and had a good color and flavor. He said it was a little different than most "Texas" style steaks. The brisket was on the fatty side for me, but many people like that. It did indeed have a strong smoky taste (as one would expect from a place called the Smokehouse). I enjoyed the sides very much but found the gravy on the meat to have a shade of a sour taste but perhaps that was leftover on my tastebuds from the strong fried pickle appetizer. The portion was generous and I could not finish the dish.

Service throughout the meal was attentive and professional. The server was able to answer any questions we had or if he could not he found someone else who had the answer. We were pleased with the training that had obviously been done with the waitstaff before opening for business.

Sliced brisket plate

The next time I go, I will go for lunch since the price points on the lunch menu are lower and there is a greater variety of choices. The dinner menu is not large but they take pride in what they serve. You can tell that this is a chef-driven place

For most locals, dinner at the Smokehouse will be a special occasion splurge, much like Copper Creek or Perini's in Buffalo Gap. The Smokehouse has a more contemporary look inside, less rustic and Texan than either of those but still with a nod to locality in the artwork on the walls. A couple could easily spend over $100 on dinner, if you both had steaks, not counting sides, appetizers, desserts, or alcoholic beverages, so be prepared.

Filet

You can make reservations on OpenTable on the app or online. Currently, the website for the hotel does not have the menu or the prices available to check before you go. 

The Smokehouse

https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/abidtdt-doubletree-abilene-downtown-convention-center/dining/

Doubletree Hotel

500 Cypress St.

Abilene TX 79601

(325) 999-1878

Hours

The Smokehouse

Monday-Sunday 7am-10pm

Cattleman's Exchange Lounge

Monday-Sunday 11am-12am



 

Settles Grill--Big Spring Fine Dining

The Settles Grill is in the beautifully restored Hotel Settles in Big Spring, Texas. It was our chosen spot for Thanksgiving in 2016. We also stayed overnight in the hotel (see Trip Advisor for my review of the hotel--excellent place). It was great to take a break from cooking a holiday meal and head out of town for a couples trip. We had two meals in the grill and both were quite tasty.

The customer service in the grill was outstanding. We had a fantastic server who took care of everything we needed. The manager on duty was also accommodating and checked on us more than once. Our reservations were for 2pm and the restaurant was about half-full at that time. The decor was dark wood and blue accents with historic pictures on the wall.

For an appetizer we ordered the Avocado Fundido ($10) which was Queso Fresco, chorizo, black beans and tortilla chips. We dug into it before I could get a picture. Delicious and a generous portion as well.

Turkey tenderloin with fried Brussls sprouts and garlic mashed potatoes

The holiday special we chose was the apricot pecan stuffed turkey breast medallions ($16) even though there were several other choices ranging from steak to fish. We were such traditionalists! There were a variety of sides to choose from such as green chile cornbread dressing, garlic mashed potatoes, cheese grits, fried Brussels sprouts with almonds, lemon butter broccoli, or pan-fried kale.

My sides were the Brussels sprouts, which I loved, and the garlic mashed potatoes. The hubby had the green chili dressing and mashed potatoes. Roasting the sprouts really brought out their flavor. I wished for a bigger serving. The bechamal sauce on the turkey was excellent. Turkey does tend to get dry and the addition of the sauce helped it a lot. There was also had a little bit of homemade cranberry sauce to complement the turkey. There was more meat on the plate than I could eat. Compliments to the chef!

Pumpkin cheesecake

For dessert we had pumpkin cheesecake with brandy whipped cream and a little citrus sugar cookie ($7). I really liked the little sugar cookie and the whipped cream. The cheesecake had a pumpkin spice flavor but with a little overcooked.

We did go back later in the evening for another meal. My husband ordered trout and I had a salad. He loved the trout. Much too "fishy" tasting for me but he raved about it.

I recommend making a reservation for holidays or special events. We will return.

P.S. On the way out of Big Spring, we had to go to Taco Villa. My husband grew up in Andrews, Texas, so if there is a Taco Villa where we travel it is a mandatory stop even for breakfast. The one in Big Spring it the closest one to Abilene if you are interested.

 

Settles Grill

200 E 3rd St, Big Spring, TX 79720

(432) 267-7500

http://hotelsettles.com/dining/settles-grill