The Perini Ranch Steakhouse, on a working ranch a couple of miles south of Buffalo Gap, has been Tom Perini's project since 1973 and has grown into one of the most respected steak restaurants in Texas. The menu is short and serious — mesquite-grilled tenderloin and rib-eye, charcoal-broiled chicken, jalapeño-bacon-wrapped shrimp, smoked sirloin — with proper sides like green chile hominy and ranch beans.
The setting is a converted ranch building with screened porches and a bar in a separate weathered barn. You can drop in for a beer and barbecue plate, or settle in for a longer dinner with a full table. Reservations are essential at weekends; the restaurant attracts diners from Dallas and Fort Worth, several hours' drive each way.