Sometimes, you just crave a thick, juicy slab of steak to carve into. Or, if you’re not the one craving steak, you need a spot that will please the whole family. Here are some of America’s finest steakhouse chains, from familiar names to some newer players worth trying.
1. The Bazaar/Bazaar Meats
When it comes to steak, Chef José Andrés knows his way with all the world’s best cuts of meat. Whether you’re in Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, or Las Vegas, you will be treated to perhaps the greatest edible show on earth.
The restaurants themselves are incredibly inventive and beautiful to dine in. And, of course, the food is to die for: The Washugyu and Wagyu are out of this world, but don’t pass on the astounding selection of Spanish jamóns (or dry-cured ham) and the paella-style seafood pasta.
2. Peter Luger
Peter Luger is a pretty limited chain—they only have two New York restaurants, a Tokyo restaurant, and a new Las Vegas steakhouse—but that makes them much more special. At all their locations, you can feel the “old school” spirit while feasting on top-notch USDA Prime steaks that are still hand-selected by Peter Luger’s in-house experts.
3. Bavette’s
Whether in Las Vegas or Chicago, you will be highly impressed by Bavette’s fun and fanciful offerings. Of course, you will find great cuts of filet mignon, ribeye, and New York strip, but their seafood and chicken selections are just as great.
4. Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse
In 2002, Landry’s founder Tilman J. Fertitta launched Vic and Anthony’s in Houston after touring the nation’s finest steakhouses with his father, Vic. The only steakhouse brand to be built entirely from the ground up by Landry’s, these steakhouses continue to impress with their commitment to serving high-quality cuts of meat with all the finest fixings.
You will find plenty of superb wagyu and USDA Prime steaks here, but you should also take note of their extensive seafood offerings, such as their shrimp scampi and roasted salmon. You can now find Vic and Anthony’s in Atlantic City, Lake Charles (Louisiana), Houston, and Las Vegas.
5. Smith and Wollensky
With eight locations across the U.S. and restaurants in London and Taipei, Smith and Wollensky feels less like a chain and more like your hometown’s nicest restaurant. They go out of their way to source their beef from top-tier suppliers, such as Double R Ranch and Snake River Farms. Come for the porterhouse and various filets, but don’t miss their other excellent dishes, including their famous split pea soup and impressive shellfish towers.
6. Del Frisco’s
Don’t come to any of Del Frisco’s 17 locations expecting cheap cuts of meat. Rather, they specialize in the most elite meats, such as Japanese A5 wagyu and multiple New York strip steaks. That said, you can occasionally score deals on lunch and weekend prix-fixe specials.
7. Mastro’s
Since launching in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1999, Mastro’s has become a steakhouse to “see and be seen.” But beyond the high-society social scene, they serve great grub. If it’s red meat you want, they have it all, from True A5 Kobe beef to Snake River Farms American Wagyu. On top of steaks, there is an extensive seafood menu (including sushi) and numerous veggie options, such as their marvelous mushroom and truffle gnocchi.
8. Shula’s Steakhouse
While we understand the urge to roll your eyes over a restaurant with a celebrity’s name attached to it, this steakhouse was backed by the late NFL legend Don Shula and has a winning track record to match its namesake. They only serve Black Angus beef at all their locations, plus they offer veggie sides like asparagus spears, broccoli crowns, and creamed spinach that don’t taste like afterthoughts.
9. The Palm
Though The Palm is now a Landry’s joint with some 30 locations across the U.S. and a restaurant in Mexico City, each restaurant still feels like an intimate private club. In addition, each restaurant serves only USDA Prime steaks that have been aged a minimum of 35 days. When you come to The Palm, rest assured that you’ll get your money’s worth of prime meat.
10. Fleming’s
Now, we’re getting into the much larger chains. With about 70 steakhouses nationwide, Outback’s more decidedly upscale sibling (both owned by Bloomin’ Brands) somehow manages to feel less “corporate” by adding special touches like showcasing each location’s head chef and letting them add specialty dishes to the menu.
11. Morton’s
Another Landry’s chain, but we have to give them credit for taking good care of Morton’s reputation and for continuing to source their USDA Prime steaks from the same supplier they’ve used since their early days in Chicago. Morton’s is definitely a place worth going for ribeye, but they also serve good filet mignon. Beyond steaks, they offer solid lamb, pork, and seafood options.
12. Ruth’s Chris
It’s wild to think that this chain’s story began with Ruth Fertel rescuing the Chris Steakhouse in New Orleans in 1965. Yet, in the nearly six decades since, Ruth’s Chris has grown into a restaurant empire with over 100 locations across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. They continue to serve steaks on 500-degree plates with sizzling butter, and they continue to taste good.
13. Wolfgang’s
No, this is not another Wolfgang Puck chain. Wolfgang’s was actually founded by Wolfgang Zweiner, who served as Peter Luger’s (see above) head waiter in Brooklyn for 40 years. Needless to say, Zweiner knows his way around good meat. All Wolfgang’s steaks are USDA Prime and aged in-house, and the porterhouse may be their biggest breakout star.
14. The Capital Grille
Since 1990, The Capital Grille has been known for serving fine steaks and wines. Curated by expert sommelier Brian Philips, The Capital Grille’s wine list extends to over 350 bottles of great wines from around the world. This is also a fantastic place to splurge on seafood (their seafood platter includes a one-pound lobster!).
15. Houston’s
Houston’s is another small chain with only 11 restaurants nationwide, and they really like to go the distance to make each steakhouse feel unique and locally relevant. While every location proudly serves USDA Prime cuts of beef, look out for fascinating twists on the usual steakhouse fare, such as ribeyes with Hawaiian-style pineapple sauce, tabbouleh, and grilled artichokes.
Houston’s is also a great steakhouse to take pescatarians and vegetarians so they won’t feel left out.
16. Fogo de Chão
Unlimited meat, tableside carvings, and a massive salad bar to load up on anything and everything that’s not red meat? That’s Fogo de Chão for you. This is definitely the place to go when you want to fill up on Picanha sirloin steak, wildly tender filet mignon, flavorful legs of lamb, and many more meaty options. Just keep in mind that as long as the green sign is up at your table, your server will keep serving you more meat.
17. Ocean Prime
With 20 locations nationwide, Ocean Prime is large enough to be a more recognizable name-brand steakhouse yet small enough to focus on maintaining great quality food and ambiance at every location.
As the name implies, this may be the best steakhouse to take seafood lovers, as Ocean Prime has everything from specialty sushi rolls to larger dishes like blackened snapper with corn spoon bread and Swiss chard or lobster linguine with roasted tomato butter.
18. STK
STK is one of those steakhouses that feels like it’s all about the social scene, but the food is a major reason diners keep coming back for more. They source all their beef from select Midwestern farms and only select Angus USDA Choice and USDA Prime cuts of beef.
With locations in prime destinations like Las Vegas, Nashville, Orlando, and San Diego domestically, as well as international restaurants in Dubai, Ibiza, and Los Cabos, this is a great option for a special vacation meal.