Elite Event: Tacky Sweater & Dinner Party at LongHorn Steakhouse

These Longhorn events have definitely been some of my favorite this year! This was the second one I’ve attended, and it was cool that the menu was a little different, so I was able to sample different things. The food is great, the atmosphere is fun, and the servers are seriously on par.
Appetizers were Wild West Shrimp, Spicy Wings and Corn Fritters. The Spicy Wings were new, and covered in this amazing sriracha glaze with scallions. I’m not even a fan of wings (too little meat for my taste), but the sauce was soooo good on these. The Wild West Shrimp was delicious, and the Corn Fritters are excellent too. The shrimp was probably my favorite again. There’s just something about that that makes my mouth water.
The Winter Brie salad was… interesting. Not necessarily my kind of thing, with raisins and watercress, and a sweetish raspberry vinaigrette. But the brie. Oh, the brie. Fried cheese is my new favorite thing. It’s pretty much one of the most magical things I’ve ever eaten.
For the side dish, I tried the mac and cheese with bacon. It was good, but I think the noodles were a bit large for a cheese dish. I’m of the opinion that they should be smaller, so that the cheese can fill up every nook and cranny. Bacon was a delicious addition, though. As for the meat, I got the Lobster Champagne Filet. Now, I honestly thought it was some kind of lobster dish. But, not exactly. It proved to be chunks of lobster meat… On a filet. Ahhh the filet. Perfection, with or without that magical steak sauce. Last time, I got the 18 oz and it proved to be faaaar too fatty and chewy for my taste. I prefer a leaner cut of meat, with a tender center that I don’t have to spit out chunks of fat I accidentally get in my mouth. Bigger is not always better. And the filet was simply delicious and wonderful, and everything I wanted, in that respect.
There was an additional game, a White Elephant game. And before we even started I knew I would get something awesome, that someone would immediately take away. Why, you ask? Because I have no luck whatsoever. It’s not that I have bad luck, I just don’t ever win anything. No free dinners, no stinkin’ BINGO, nothing at carnivals or fairs, and not much in life, either. The last time I won something tangible? I was 8 and I won a stuffed Tasmanian devil. I really liked the White Elephant gift idea, and I thought it was a fun way to get everyone in the holiday spirit. I wouldn’t have minded bringing my own gift, though.
All in all, a really great event. I beat my last Longhorn event by taking home 5 boxes, instead of 4. Hey, my tummy is just small, okay? I look forward to hopefully attending many more Elite events in the future and enjoying lots of food and friendly company. :)

Much love and gradtitude to Vanessa, Lisa, and their team. They exceeded and defined the meaning of customer service! The staff went above and beyong my expectations and I am assuming my fellow Unilocalers as well. Well enough gushing about the fantastic people at Longhorn… onto the review.
Just a FYI:
I’ve been to the pricey steakhouse and Longhorn… there isn’t a difference in taste, only in price. So don’t skimp Longhorn to overspend on the other places.
We were spoiled with abundance of food, we started off with Longhorn’s House Made chicken wings with their Siracha sauce (not very spicy), Wild West Shrimp (crispy and not a lot of breading) and my all time favorite, their corn fritters (fried sweet corn).
Next is their delicious Winter Brie Salad, a mix green, with mandarin oranges, with fried brie, fried dry cherries, and tossed with a blackberry dressing. Another of my favorite.
The main course is their wonderfu selection of 6 choices, 3 different protein (chicken, beef, and pork). ChauPha N. and I were torn between the 8 oz file topped with lobster or the 18 oz Ribeye… well my always go to is and always Ribeye… medium rare please!
Which by the way, came out still moist and so deliciously seasoned…
Lastly was our desserts… we didn’t get one but two! Chocolate Stampede and their New Bourbon Pecan Tart.
I did not care too much for the Chocolate Stampeded, I am not a huge chocolate fan and I felt that it was overly killed with chocolate. BUT their Pecan tart was heavenly with a side of their vanilla bean ice cream… HEAVEN!
Ben G along with Longhorn Steakhouse surprised us with a White Elephant Game… it was a lot of fun! Poor Randy had his presents stolen twice and I stole a gift from Lauren… thanks for the knife set! :)
Lots of laughter and new friendships forge… I love each and every Unilocal even this year and what I love most is the way I meet new Unilocalers each and every time.
Thank you to Ben, JJ, and Lil G for this fantastic event! Looking forward to Unilocalmas!

The Longhorn events never disappoint. Thus was my second (first was int he summer). I was pleased to see that the manager from the Buckhead location also attended with this event. The managers and staff were awesome and seemed equally excited about hosting the event as we were about trying all the yummy food.
For apps we had the Wild West Shrimp, Spicy Wings and Corn Fritters. I hear the shrimp was the crowd favorite, but I’m allergic, so I preferred the corn fritters. The wings were great too, but theres something about a fritter. Any fritter, really.
Next we had the Winter Brie Salad, and, ooooh man, it was awesome. I think it might’ve been my favorite dish of the evening. Which is funny when talking about a steak place, but the same happened during the summer event at the Buckhead location (salad was my favorite). Go figure.
For my entrée, I had the Rosemary and Cabernet filet, a twist on the Flo’s Filet, with the mushroom risotto. It did not disappoint. They are serious when they tell you that it can be cut with a fork. No joke.
Btween the entrée and dessert coarse, Ben arranged a white elephant gift exchange. What a fun thing to add to an already exciting event. Everyone got ingot he spirit. Poor Randy had pretty much every gift he grabbed stolen. I was lucky enough to snag (steal) the grilling set. Yippee. Other Longhorn-​provided goodies included they signature spices and a knife set for the lucky folks that grabbed (stole) those during the gift exchange. They also threw in some stellar coupons and a did a phot contest where the winners received gift cards. Nice touch.
Huge thanks to Ben for hosting this and a big shout out to all the Longhorn staff that treat us like family. You guys rock.
And thanks to Colleen for making the trip north from Orlando to join us. It’s always a pleasure having you at the events.
SYOY

Holiday festivities, delicious food & great company — all in all, an amazing night! This was a relatively small event, and I love getting to meet new people. The group around me was so much fun, and it was wonderful sharing a meal with them (shout outs to Gerald E, Candace M, Claudia A, Mick, & Lynn)!
Now to the food… I’m a Longhorn newbie (I’m not usually a fan of chain restaurants), and I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious everything was that I ate. The winter Brie salad was out of this world! For my entrée, I had the champagne lobster and filet — YUM! The steak was cooked to perfection, and it was all delicious!
After the entrees, we had a white elephant gift exchange, and the gifts ranged from cool Unilocal swag to sharp Longhorn knives. It’s was a great time stealing and having a good olé time with my fellow elites. Thanks to the Unilocal crew, as well as all of the fun Longhorn staff for a great night! I’m sure I’ll be trying Longhorn again in the near future!

I had a total blast, the service was excellent and the food was delightful.
I never really expected to learn so much about LongHorn… They are a sister company of Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze and Eddy V. They have a long standing history of experience and have learned how to please and appeal to consumers. Totally awesome marketing and great company!
My love for social media won me a gift card and we played the most hilarious game of White Elephant Gifts, I have ever participated in. Ben is super awesome!
The food… Oh man… The food! There was shrimp, the most delicious corn fritters, chicken wings, brie salad, my choice: The Champagne Lobster steak, pecan pie, and chocolate mousse cake. Total food coma from super delicious food!
What an awesome holiday event!

The staff did a fantastic job hosting another amazing Elite event. I loved the energy that our hosts brought, and you could see their genuine enthusiasm. The food was great as well as the company.
I loved the Housemade Spicy Wings. It carried a tangy flavor and just enough spice to not be too spicy but still flavorful. The Wild West Shrimp went really great with the dipping sauce. And the brie salad came in a very large portion. It could almost have been a meal itself if they threw on a few chunks of meat. I was surprised how much I liked it with the tangerine and brie combination.
I, of course, had to try the 18 oz Outlaw Ribeye, and it did not disappoint. The juices in the meat tasted great. And even more amazing was the rosemary sauce they created tableside for us. I’m not usually a steak sauce type person anymore, but I couldn’t get enough of it. I even had to take some home with me to eat with my leftovers, and it still tasted great after reheating. I got the steak with a side of Parmesan Mushroom Risotto, and I was very happy with the combination.
And finally, don’t even get me started on the Chocolate Stampede. Wow, just amazing. Although I was already stuffed from all the food, I couldn’t resist indulging in the chocolate cake a la mode. What a great finishing touch to an excellent meal. Bravo!

I really need to attend more Elite events. I really enjoyed meeting so many people that I usually only get to see online. Thank you for organizing such a fun outing! And thank you, Longhorn, for an excellent evening! Staff bent over backwards to make sure we were happy. Vanessa and Lisa (managers) were clearly experts in the business, and knew the menu and the Darden corporate culture inside and out. We got quite the education! But they knew quite a bit about food in general, too. Our servers were also top-​notch. Personable. Friendly. And funny. They know how to take care of their guests. I was surprised to learn they know some of their guests on a first-​name basis. That (to me) always says good things about a restaurant.
People sometimes ask me about my preferred steak places. I’m always met with some surprise when I say «Longhorn.» I’m telling you, forget the super expensive places. Dollar for dollar, I’d put Longhorn up with those «exclusive» joints everyone seems to revere.
This longhorn was very comfortable. Maybe even cozy. Dark and intimate. Add a bottle of wine and a fireplace, and it becomes downright romantic. Ben, thank you for the romance!
For this event, there was SO much food! A variety of apps hit the table: The smoked chicken wings were good, but not terribly spicy. The sweet corn fritters seem to be something of a comfort-​food crowd-​pleaser. But the Wild West Shrimp were the clear winners. All of these items were good, but the shrimp had us going back for more. Perfect little shrimp that were perfectly breaded, and you didn’t even need the accompanying sauce.
Now, don’t judge me, but the Salad course may have been my favorite thing of that evening. I know, I know. I’m at a steak place, and I’m praising the salad. Go figure. But I’m telling you, the Winter Brie Salad will make you very happy. Field greens tossed in a blackberry-​vinaigrette with warm brie bites, dried cherries, red onion and mandarin oranges. Perfection. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.
But yes, it’s Longhorn. So let there be steak! I had a steak that would have made Fred Flintstone envious: The Outlaw Ribeye. This eighteen-​ounce monster was mine. MINE! And I ate it! (Well, not all of it. Part of it became breakfast and lunch the next day. Dude, that was a lot of food!) But while we were there, staff provided a table-​made steak sauce that was a perfect addition to the ribeye. (And it came with a chili paste. These people know the way to my heart.)
Before dessert, we got to enjoy a small, white elephant gift exchange with goodie bags Ben, et al, had put together for us. I scored a sweet pair of Unilocal wayfarer sunglasses. And the bonus gift-​cards and coupons was a nice touch. Thanks again, Longhorn!
Dessert followed this. Chocolate Stampede and a Bourbon Pecan Tart. I only had a forkful of each. I think the Pecan Tart was my favorite. I really wanted to go all cookie-​monster on it and make it disappear.
I’ll be looking forward to my next Unilocal Elite event, and I hope to see you there!

Woohoo! Unilocal and the holidays is definitely one of my favorite combinations!
I hadn’t ever been to a Longhorns before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The restaurant was super cozy (partly thanks to Ben’s IPad fireplace) and I was excited to find our group of Unilocalers seated right in the middle. Ben and JJ made me feel at home right away and showed me to my seat right next to fellow Elites. I got seated next to Colleen aka «Ben’s boss» and her friend Jackie. I got to pick her brain about all the inner workings of Unilocal and had a great time discussing Ryan Reynolds and Justin Timberlake sightings. Also made some new friends (Hey there! Dee Dee, Laura, and Henry!). As awkward as it initially was coming to these events by myself, I’m starting to dig these Elite only smaller events. Definitely a great way to link up and meet fellow Unilocalers.
The Longhorn managers, Vanessa and Lisa, as well as the rest of the Longhorns staff were amazing. They were so funny and professional. Can’t wait to see them again at the holiday party tomorrow!
As expected, no Unilocal event is complete without an enormous amount of food. We dined like kings through an assortment of appetizers, a hearty main course and two decadent desserts. I’m going to let my pictures speak for themselves. Highlights for me were the Western shrimp, my Champagne Lobster Filet and the ridiculous chocolate cake.
One surprise bonus for this event was the White Elephant gift exchange that Ben and JJ organized. We all about died laughing as several of the more highly sought after items such as knife sets and spices were stolen. All in all, no one was injured during the making of this event.

It was a very Merry Longhorn tacky Christmas dinner!
We started out with the Wild West Shrimp, oh yes! They had a slight kick to the (jalapenos) and the best ranch sauce I’ve had in a while. Next came the house made Spicy Wings, not my favorite but Longhorn isn’t known for wings either. The sweet corn fritters came next, think corn pudding in a ball accompanied with the perfect horseradish sauce.
Just when I though the appetite opening meals were done, they rolled out the Winter Brie Salad. Oh Jesus, I died and went to the best salad ever. The croutons were really breaded and fried brie on top of greens with a vinaigrette and some mandarin oranges. Whoever thought of this great combination deserves a medal.
Next came my steak education. I learned about the different cuts and meats Longhorn offers. Of course my 4ft 10 self opted for the 18oz outlaw sirloin. It had the perfect blend of seasonings and tender meat. We were also given a table side steak sauce that is prepared before your very eyes in a sizzling bowl. This normally comes with the porterhouse steak for 2 but you can order it at any time for $ 2. It’s the secret steak sauce recipe with garlic, onions and seasonings whipped into a sizzling bowl. My side item was the steakhouse mac and cheese (with bacon). I must say, Longhorn knows their Mac and Cheese, it was creamy, cheesy and delicious.
For dessert we had the chocolate stampede with vanilla ice cream. This dessert is basically a moist chocolate cake, with chocolate mouse and chocolate shavings. A stampede of flavors alright. My favorite of the night was the Bourbon Pecan Tart. A warm pecan dessert with everything you expect in a pecan pie only better. As my table neighbor said «they could have served me this first and I would have been happy.»
We had surprise gift cards given out and even a white elephant gift exchange (yay I got Unilocal not cards). LIke all Unilocal events, this one had no shortage of friendly folks and smiling faces. Of course I made new friends and extended my «Yelp Family».

I have always had a special spot for long horn since I have tried their house made sauce whenever we order the porterhouse for 2… so for this event to be taken place at longhorn… I was hopeful for this addicting sauce to be present. And I wasn’t disappointed! But let’s start from the beginning.
We started off this tacky Christmas dinner event with some house made wings (it smells amazing and super spicy… but it wasn’t spicy really, Mild at best), wild west shrimp (perfectly fried and not overly bready… delicious!) And the sweet corn fritters. I have had the corn fritters before… but tonight… the corn fritters were exteremly good. One bite and it’s just like I have went to corn fritters heaven. Yummy!
Next on the menu is the winter brie salad. I loved the BlackBerry vinaigrette sauce! It was a great combination of greens, mandarine oranges and the fried croutons brie was amazing! One bite and I was blown away! Best salad thus far.
After the salad… we were faced with the first world problem of having to choose between getting a 18oz rib eye or the filet with champagne sauce and lobster tails on top. Me and Tiffany N. Kept looking at each each other contemplating between the two for a good couple of minutes. But I finally made up my mind and went with the 18oz rib eye. That’s what my heart and stomach finally agreed on and I went for it! And boy was it good. It was the perfect medium steak… every bite was juicy and melt in my mouth. Oh! Oh! The house made sauce was also provided and was mixed by Lisa at our table right for us! It was aaahmazing! My night was made :)
But then more happiness came our way! We were gifted with Unilocal white elephant game! It was a blast! :)
After all the fun and games and delicious foods, we ended our night with amazing desserts. Long Horn chocolate stampeded and their new bourbon pecan tart. Both was awesome! I will come back and get those in the future!
Overall…it was a great, more than I could have asked for dinner. I can’t keep thanking Ben, JJ nd the rest of the Unilocal team for putting such amazing event together for us! Thank you guys so much! And also a huge thanks to the Long horn team for having us! From Lisa to Vanessa and everyone that took care of us that night! You guys were awesome and cant wait to be back! =}

This was my 1^st Unilocal Elite/​trying Longhorns: D Was stoked for it + 10 mins from my office.
Major props to Ben, JJ, and the Longhorn staff. I had a great time — awesome service, food, and environment! :)
I am thoroughly pleased with the event + Longhorn. The history of Longhorn as well as steak lessons/​tips were pretty cool to hear about. I can tell the staff brought their A Game to the dinner. I will be back to this Longhorns especially! Oh and of course Buckhead for Vanessa’s shop, haha.
Food —
Everything was perfect. I could probably write a pretty good essay on the food buuuut, to save folks some time, I’ll post my pictures haha. Below are just some of my favorites.(I loved all the apps, the main course+ side, and desserts; figure I post a little haha)
My Ribeye was delicious. Nom nom. One of the best I’ve had. Can tell it was cooked fairly well! I tried to finish it at dinner… but man, it’s 18 oz. That thing was huge. Luckily, the Longhorn staff had To Go boxes ready for us folks who need help with food! Oh — and their steak sauce was very tasty/​had an enticing smell. Yum.
Oh. and one of my favorites was the Corn Fritters. Yummmmm. I thought they were hush puppies, nope — had corn. I would for sure get these again whenever I come back. Hands down one of the best apps I’ve had.
Not to mention the desserts were the bomb dot com. Nom nom. I love pecan pie + chocolate cake + ice cream. Dangerous trio for me haha.
Plus I got my 1^st Unilocal mug! YAY! I’ve been eyeing one for awhile. Looking forward to seeing the folks at Longhorn again! :)

I now love Longhorn. You spoil me… you! Truthfully truthfully, I never checked for this place. None of them. They just were not on my radar. Now they are! How could I not support la familia? Yes, we are family now, rather you like it or not. Random thought, I need to get a tacky, ugly Christmas Sweater for occassions like this. I will have to check some random thrift store. I like the fact that they constantly try new things here. Each time, there has been a new item, a new recipe, a trial… of sorts. I have been one of the guinea pigs. Fortunately, I have liked everything, some better than others.
They now have chicken wings. Crispy and «spicy» but they were mild to most of us. The corn fritters were a hit. The white cream sauce that comes with them only enhances the goodness. The Brie Salad was fresh and flavorful. It came with triangle shaped, puffy croutons. I put those to the side to save for later because they were so good. I had to save space for 18 oz Outlaw Steak.
Vanessa, The Buckhead Store Mgr, tried her best to convince us to to try the new Filet with Champange Sauce topped with Lobster. She almost had me, but I stuck to one of the reasons I came, The Outlaw. Kate M and I worked out a share system. You get the filet, I will get the Outlaw and let’s split it. Deal? Done and done. That filet was off the charts! So tender and juicy. It was only well done, just pink enough. The Outlaw of course was amazing! Dessert ends the course with the staple chocolate mousse and a pecan tart with ice cream. I do not favor chocolate but the tart was great.
HISTORY:
This location is the newest of them all, for now. Vanessa informed us that Longhorn is apart of the Darden Restaurant Group. Other chains involved are Seasons 52, Olive Garden, Capital Grille, and a few others. Longhorn has been around for 30 years. They started in Waycross, GA and are currently as far west as Nevada. California is where they will be breaking ground next. The chain started with waitresses dancing on bars and taking orders. Okay, maybe not dancing in short shorts, cowboy boats and halter tops with ponytails how I pictured it but the vision was so clear as she was explaining it. Even the peanut shells scattered on the floor. They have come a long way since then and with the stellar service they provide, they will go alot furthur. I feel the love from you Longhorn and I am giving love back!
FYI: We played a good game of White Elephant and everybody won! Randy T got raided though. I was the other winner of the gift card for my social media posts. The Longhorn Managers even treated us to a $ 10 credit on our return visit to the restaurant. Great job Ben and JJ!

Plentiful food, lots of laughter, and gifts!
Pretty much sums up this Unilocal Elite event.
I was quite impressed by Longhorn. I have to say I totally came for the steak cooking tips, and was pleasantly surprised that Longhorn has stepped their game up.
As usual I love these elite only events because they are intimate. But this event was cool because Ben’s boss was in town, who btw is a riot, and I learned some things about Unilocal I didn’t know previously. And I won a Longhorn Seasoning set in the Unilocal White Elephant Gift Exchange.
Yup, I’m satisfied.