When I first came to College Station over a decade ago, I remember everyone complaining that we just didn't' have enough good places to eat. They also complained that what we did have wasn't all the amazing.
Well just over a year ago, one of my long time clients and college friends Wade Barkman moved backed to College Station to try to change that. In 1999, Wade graduated from Texas A&M and moved to New York to attend the Culinary Institute of America. When he finished there, he moved to one of the "food" capitols of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada. There he ran several restaurants including the 808 Steakhouse at Caesar's Palace. When Steve Wynn opened his new hotel, The Wynn, Wade was stolen away to be the general manager at a struggling restaurant called Corsa Cucina. Within weeks, Wade and the head chef gutted everything in the restaurant and rebuilt it into one of the top restaurants in Las Vegas. Tired of being an employee and not an owner, Wade decided to look at how he could change that. His first thought was in his home state of New Mexico, but that proved to be an almost impossibility with the cost of acquiring property, excessive special fees and more. One day it hit him that his alma mater might just be the place to make his mark.
With College Stations relatively inexpensive real estate and a favorable base of his fellow Aggies from Texas A&M, this would turn out to be the right fit for Wade. He and his family poured their heart and soul into finding the right location, creating the perfect environment, developing the right menu, having the perfect wines, and most importantly hiring the best staff they could find. They pulled in luxury home builder, Rob Crowley, to re-work the old Tavern restaurant into a world-class luxury steakhouse. Luck struck when head chef Brian Light came in to town and immediately hit it off with Wade and his brother/partner Nathan. They found an amazing head waiter in life-long resident Todd Newhouse who notably is one of the best and best known waiters in Bryan/College Station.
The public has noticed. Since May of last year, the Republic Steakhouse has been wooing the residents of Bryan/College Station and thousands of visitors. They have become the place to meet friends for drinks at their elaborate copper topped bar. It's also where more and more companies are hosting their company events in their private rooms. But it's not just the locals and visitors who have noticed. National and International Magazines have started noticing. Last year, Southern Living and Texas Monthly both featured the establishment with rave reviews. However, Wade Barkman doesn't settle for "ok". He's a true perfectionist at heart and that is probably why we are friends! He is constantly wondering what they can do better and finally the rewards for doing that are coming in.
Last week, they were informed that AAA, one of the most trusted companies for travel information, would be awarding them a 4-Diamond Award! They are the first restaurant outside of a major city in Texas to receive this award. This is a very prestigious award that few restaurants will ever achieve and they've done it in their first 18 months of operation!
If you haven't tried this amazing restaurant yet, you are missing out. Call and schedule your reservations today at 979-260-4120. They are located in the Chimney Hill Shopping Center on University Drive across Tarrow from the Hilton Hotel. Check them out on the web at http://www.TheRepublic1836.com
As always, if you would like more information on living the luxury lifestyle or buying or selling luxury real estate, please email me at RClayLee@Yahoo.com.
Clay Lee
College Stations #1 Luxury Lifestyle and Real Estate Expert for over a Decade!
3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Bathrooms 
3 Bedrooms, 3 Full, 2 Half Bathrooms 
4 Bedrooms, 4 Bathrooms 
