Perini Ranch Steakhouse • 1983

When Tom Perini converted a hay barn into a roadside steakhouse on his family's working ranch in tiny Buffalo Gap, he turned mesquite smoke and cowboy hospitality into a destination that drew the James Beard Foundation's America's Classics Award in 2014. Certified Angus Beef ribeyes and strips crackle over live mesquite fire, while green chile hominy—creamy, smoky, and studded with heat—has become as famous as the steaks. Come for the 22-ounce bone-in ribeye served in a weathered barn where boots and jeans outnumber ties, and stay for bread pudding with Maker's Mark whiskey sauce.