After being out of work for several months, my talented, successful hubby found a terrific job in Alpharetta that he loves! Yep, he has many other skills besides the amazing photos he takes for me. Hooray for a non soul-sucking commute! To celebrate, we decided to have dinner with some friends at Pampas Steakhouse, an Argentinean steakhouse in Johns Creek, not too far from his new office. It was fitting, as Pampas is not for those on a budget.
The upscale steakhouse was packed on the Thursday when we visited. The groups mostly were business dinners – with the likes of Siemens, Microsoft and other major players in the area, Pampas picked a very strategic location for their steakhouse.
As you’d expect, there were dark woods and impeccably dressed servers throughout Pampas. There’s also a wood burning oven and kitchen that can be seen through glass from the dining room. On this particular evening there was live music too.
We chose two starters, the Peruvian Ceviche, with shrimp and Orange Roughy, plus the Pampas Tower, which includes a mix of Empanadas, sausage and grilled provolone. Although the seafood in the ceviche was quality, the acidity of the lime juice way overpowered the seafood, unfortunately.
As for the Pampas tower, it is designed for two but Pampas will expand it to suit your party, which is good to know. I thought the Empanadas were pretty forgettable. Sure, fried dough with cheese and meat is indulgent, but it didn’t seem very flavorful or special. The sausage, on the other hand, was rather delicious as was the grilled provolone. This was Argentine Provolone cheese, Prosciutto di Parma, tomatoes and roasted red peppers. In retrospect, I wish we would have only ordered this latter appetizer and saved more room for the main course.
We didn’t try cocktails, but did decide to share a bottle of wine, as Pampas has a Sommelier on staff to make recommendations. Since we were at an Argentinean steakhouse, I thought it only fitting to get a Malbec. The middle of the range Malbec the sommelier recommended ($64), even after being decanted, was nothing special.
Before you choose your entree, servers come around with a tray of uncooked steaks, to show diners the different cuts of steak and the various sizes and marbling. Nice touch. There are many tempting options – the 12 oz NY Strip?, the 14 oz Ribeye?, or an 18 oz Kansas City Strip? In the end, I went with the Ribeye and had no regrets.
Pampas Mixed Grill
The Tuna and Seabass pictured above, which I sampled both of, were fabulous as well. They practically melted in your mouth. The Pampas Mixed Grill (pictured above), a trio of sausage, lamb chop and Ribeye cap offers a good meat selection for those that can’t commit to one particular cut.
Like most steakhouses, you must order sides separately. The basil fried corn caught the attention of all of us, and lived up to our expectations. The Gnocchi did not. It was served in a kind of blue cheese sauce which totally detracted from it for me. Although the Mixed Grill diner in our party seemed to be pretty taken with it.
Pampas Steakhouse definitely is good for the businesses in the area that might not want to drive too far to host a dinner. They also have plenty of private rooms as well. My recommendation when not on the company dime? Order a glass of Cab or Merlot and one of their perfectly prepared steaks. Enjoy.
Pampas Steakhouse
10970 State Bridge Rd
Johns Creek, GA 30022
