Cool River, a famed steakhouses in the Las Colinas/Irving area, recently debuted a new menu. So if you haven’t been in for a while, now is the time to check out the next great chapter of Cool River! Notable Dallas chef Kent Rathbun helped designed the new menu, along with Cool River’s Executive Chef Fernando Rodriguez, so you know it’s bound to be awesome.

Photo credit: Open Table

The theme of the menu is hill county and Texas bites. From tasty starters to juicy cuts of meats and delicious desserts, the new menu is an impressive take for this renown steakhouse. Check out the new menu here.

Pictured below are two starters to whet your appetite while at Cool River. First, you have an irresistible Shrimp Cocktail in a homemade Tito’s vodka sauce. Below that is the Ahi Tuna Tartar with a creamy avocado sauce and crispy wonton chips. I’m a huge fan of seafood, so both options were equally amazing and shareable for the table.

No matter what entree you may get, a salad is always a classic side to order along with it. (Add chicken or salmon on the salads for an extra charge and make it a full meal if you desire!) I sampled the Cool River Salad, which is anything but ordinary. This salad comes with sweet slices of Granny Smith apples, Danish bleu cheese, candied pecan and maple vinaigrette. Pair it with a white wine if that’s your style. I’d also recommend the Texas Pecan Crispy Chicken Salad (not pictured) with applewood smoked bacon and a honey-mustard vinaigrette.

Enjoy the sweet tastes of the Ginger Soy Smoked Chicken. I liked the Asian yet Texan influences on this plate. (Grilled broccoli and chunks of potato come on the side.)

Cool River of course is known for its steaks and chops. This Hickory Smoked Prime Rib is no exception when it comes to these offerings. Here we have a tender and flavorful 16-oz rib with baby carrots, asparagus and raw horse radish. It pairs nicely with a red wine.

There’s no shortage of decadent desserts at Cool River. Whether you’re having a craving for something sweet or fruity, the restaurant offers an array of after-dinner bites to satisfy your taste buds. Choose from Carrot Cake, a warm Texas Pecan Bread Pudding, Amaretto Creme Brulee, the Cool River 5-Layer Chocolate Cake and a Mason Jar Chocolate Cheesecake. It was so hard to decide what to order, so the chef presented us with a sampling!

Don’t miss the happy hour specials at Cool River. Yes, this steakhouse has great deals for your post-work hangouts, like $5 drinks and $5 select plates.

Cool River is located at 1045 Hidden Ridge, Irving, TX 75038.

(Disclaimer: My menu tasting was complimentary, and all opinions are my own.)