Just over a 40-minute drive from Downtown Waco sits the small town of Clifton, TX where you will find art, history and shopping. It’s here that you will also find Olaf’s Restaurant & Bar, a steakhouse full of country charm.
Located in Downtown Clifton, Olaf’s is only a block away from antique shops, art galleries and shopping destinations, making it the perfect way to end a day of exploring. Walking in, you are greeted by the classic aesthetic of a steakhouse, but with the rustic flair of a small Texas country town: Black leather booths are lined against a brick wall and crystal chandeliers brighten vibrant paintings of cowboys. Even the menu reflects this marriage of aesthetics by offering a loaded selection of the usual steakhouse favorites accompanied by uniquely crafted recipes that will please any crowd.
The opening appetizers set the tone. The meal began with an order of Crab Cakes, which are plated with a set of three. Each cake has a delightfully crispy coating and is topped with an aioli sauce that brings a punch to the dish.
Possibly my favorite dish of the evening was the Beef Tips Flatbread. All the beef at Olaf’s is directly sourced from 3R Farms in Clifton which raises F1 Wagyu/Angus cross and Black Angus Cattle. The flatbread is layered with steak, caramelized onions, blistered tomatoes, parmesan cheese and basil pesto. The beef tip was a soft cut, its tenderness allowing it to work flawlessly as flatbread topping. Nothing overpowered the dish, not even the pesto — each ingredient worked in tandem to create a harmony of deliciousness. Though it’s listed under appetizers, this could easily be your dish of the evening — sharing is optional.
The House Salad was served next, and it’s another contender for best dish of the evening. This isn’t your basic house salad, it’s a blend of sweet and tangy. Light greens make up the base to let the toppings be showcased. Craisins, toasted pecans and cucumber bring the sweetness while the feta balances with its tangy flavor and the honey mustard dressing brings the best of both to complete the salad.
For the entrees, we sampled the 3R Farms Wagyu Beef Lasagna. Everything but the noodles were made in-house for this dish, resulting in an undeniably high-quality iteration of this classic recipe. The sauce had a kick that heightened the rich, buttery taste of the Wagyu beef. Of course, garlic bread was included, as well as a side salad.
True to its steakhouse roots, the meal reached its crescendo with the 8 oz. Filet served with a Red Wine Demi Sauce. It was served medium rare, the way that Sous Chef Marilyn Abigt enjoys it.
“I’m a steak person all the way. Medium rare,” she emphasized while working the grill in the kitchen. “I’m just a steak lover at heart. If I could eat anything every day, it would be that.”
The accompanying red wine sauce brings enhanced dimension to the steak that was just a as flavorful. The exterior had a nice crust on it, but that wouldn’t stop a fork from slicing right through. The entire dish is a showcase of Abigt’s love for the steak, and one that makes you understand her impulse to indulge daily.
The entrée comes with two sides; for our selection, we had the Green Beans and Baked Potato. The Green Beans were the perfect complement with a subtle flavor to go alongside the vibrant notes of the steak. The Baked Potato, on the other hand, had that distinct steakhouse flavor. Fluffy and creamy, it’s loaded up with cheese, sour cream and bacon. It hit on the nostalgic quality that Olaf’s evoked with their vibe.
Rounding out the meal was a chocolate cake that would send any sweet tooth to heaven. It was chocolate on chocolate on chocolate with fresh raspberries and whipped cream. Indulgence doesn’t do it justice; decadent doesn’t describe it; satisfied is exactly how it left us.
Abigt and Head Chef Cassandra Higgins are dishing up something truly special in Clifton.
“I had never cooked anywhere like this before,” Higgins explained. “This was all new to me, but I love it. It’s exhilarating, it’s exciting.”
For Abigt, it was a way to do something she loved in a place she loved.
“I just love Clifton!” she said. “When I saw that there was an opening here, I was like, ‘I’m gonna take this job.’ And I love Clifton, so that was the main reason why I’m here.”
And you can feel the love of these chefs in every dish at Olaf’s. Each plate came carefully crafted with all the flavor you could want.
“I’ve just always kinda known,” Abigt said. “I started in a kitchen when I was 15, and I never left. I was a chef six times as a kid for Halloween.”
“I honestly love to cook food for people,” said Higgins. “I feel like it’s my love language. It makes me feel good to watch other people like what I create.”
