I'd have to say mine is Morton's. Saturday night I ate at a Ruth's Chris, and it did nothing but reinforce my opinion of Morton's. Don't get me wrong the steak was very good as were the accompaniments. I didn't care for the 500 degree plates, as I found that it continued to cook my medium rare steak to medium as I cut it. Morton's also IMO has a better desert menu. III Forks is very good though it only has four locations two of which are in Texas. It is probably number 2 on my list. Del Frisco's sucks as far as I'm concerned. They way over season their meat, to where about all you taste is the seasoning and not the meat. Bob's Steak and Chop House is pretty good though it really isn't national with locations primarily in the Dallas area and only one location outside of Texas. The Brazilian steakhouses are good if you are really hungry and love going to them with a group of guys before or after a game, they are not of the same quality as the dinning establishments listed above with the possible exception of Del Frisco's.

BTW I still contend I can cook a steak as well if not better than any steakhouse. Unfortunately neither me or the wife can make some of the accompaniments that the finer steakhouses offer.

Outback

Fogo de Chao but for the most part I don't do steakhouses.

I'm not a big fan of Outback. I can buy the same quality beef at the local grocery store, and I can do all the sides they offer myself. Basically I can do it better and cheaper myself. The finer establishments I listed above have better beef than I generally have access to, and the side dishes are usually much more complex than I feel comfortable making.

Fogo de Chao is my favorite of the Brazilian steakhouses. I love going there with a group of guys when I'm hungry and just want to pig out. The quality of the meat isn't outstanding like at some of the finer traditional steakhouses. Like I said, I love going their before or after a game with the guys, but it isn't going to be the best steak you've ever had.

Chains rarely serve the best steak in town. With regards to Portland, however, a chain might be it: El Gaucho. Not nationwide, just NW, but it fits the criteria.

When I think of all the top steakhouses I've been to, none have been chain restaurants though. Seattle, Chicago, NYC, Bay Area, Atlanta, Tampa all have great steakhouses. None are part of chains.

Exactly, and that is why I almost never go to them.

That being said, the one I do go to about once or twice a year is Old Homestead. By far my favorite, though 2 locations doesn't really make it a chain.

I cannot recall the last time I went to a chain steakhouse.

I know it doesn't have a great rep here, but I've had great luck at Texas Roadhouse. Pretty good beef, aged on site, hand-cut to order, and priced competitively with the Outbacks of the world. The sides are unremarkable, but the infinite cinnamon butter rolls and in-shell peanuts are appreciated.

Fine dining it ain't (peanut shells are encouraged to be discarded on the floor), but the meat is good, and typically well cooked. If you finish a 32+ oz. steak (and two sides), you get a t-shirt and your picture up on a wall of fame. I have done this twice (32. oz. Ribeye, 38 oz. NY Strip).

Peace
policy

Scotch and Sirloin. Ate at this place in Wichita, Kansas, and had the best prime rib I've ever tasted.

Ditka's

the food is great, not excellent. but the atmosphere is great at the one downtown. the staff is unbelievably friendly and go out of their way to make you happy. also the big man is there most saturday nights eating and signing autographs.

I hear this from almost every guy I know and have probably been guilty of saying it myself. Rarely is this true, however, for two main reasons:

1.) Consistency - I'll typically trust a steakhouse to hit the perfect result over most on a regular basis. Doesn't help that in my backyard, I'm not sending my steak back when I over-cook it.

2.) Cooking heat. This is huge when cooking steak. Most consumer grills / ovens aren't going to produce a great sear simply because we can't get them to that 800-1000 degree mark. I like my steak black and blue and producing that without a very high heat source isn't going to get it there. Instead, you're either over-cooking it or you're getting it blue-rare.

Obviously, I haven't eaten any of your steaks so maybe you hit it right. Just a general observation based on my steak preferences. I think there are often quite a few home cooks who can produce food that rivals that of some decent restaurants. Have yet to see any that rival any high end restaurants, whether steakhouses any other.

Is this a chain? I've eaten at one of them. Chicago, IMO, is the greatest steakhouse city in the country. Once again, however, I think the best are not part of chains. I tend to have lunch and dinner meetings at Keefer's when in town. I've had better steaks on occasion, but Keefer's has always been a solid go-to.

If you live where you can't find a good independent steakhouse, move.

Man, you have to get out more. I won't even state the obvious answer in Chicago (Gibson's). At Ditka's they serve Hidden Valley Ranch on their salads for chrissakes!! Please re-vote.

Chains? Meh.... I like Peter Lugers, two locations, but the one in Brooklyn is better.

I should say that I ate at the Shula's in Orlando and it was amazing, amazing food. 32 oz. Prime Rib, washed down w/a Chimay (red). But the atmosphere was very off-putting to me; a sort of mix of 60s/70s dark stained wood w/white tablecloths and gold fixtures--but then everything is still football. It's like eating at an old art museum, except that all the paintings are of football, and your menu is painted on a football. IMO, either run with the "football" theme all the way to the hilt--all football--or make it an elite steakhouse that happens to be named after a guy who made his fortue in sports.

Peace
policy

No doubt Peter Lugers beats any chain steakhouse I've ever been too, but I still can't buy it as the best steakhouse in the United States. I've only been to the one in Brooklyn though and the last visit was marred by horrible service. Because our company COO loves it (and pays) I've eaten there twice since January and while good, I've had much better steaks in Chicago. In NYC, I think the Strip House is just as good as Peter Luger's, if not better.

+212

Nailed it. I try to eat at S@S every time I'm in Wichita. Classy place, excellent steaks and service.

I also like Kirby's and Saltgrass in your neck of the woods.



Been to 2 Shula's and they were both great.

Like most - my favorite is a local, 1 site business called the Timbermine.

Completely agree. Get the meat at Costco, slap it on the grill with Famous Dave's steak rub on it and eat.

Ditka's isnt even in the top 5 IN CHICAGO . . . what else do you prefer? TGI Fridays?

Smith & Wollensky's on State is my personal favorite . . . but there are several that deserve accolades in Chicago . . .

It depends on how you define chain. Peter Luger's and Papa's Bros. are both very nice (Papa's Bros. wins in my opinion) but I believe there are only a couple of restaurants in each "chain". Del Frisco's is great and their website shows 8 locations across the country so I would think that is more of what you intended. I haven't been to all 8, just the original Dallas and Ft. Worth locations and if the other locales are franchised (I don't know if they are) then there may be dramatic differences in quality.

Still, most large cities can claim excellent independent steakhouses that usually outdo the chains.

The Egg smiles. It knows. And it reaches 800 degrees.

I haven't been there in perhaps 10 years. Best steak I ever had was in Kansas City. Morton's was very good... but I had no clue how much $$$ it would cost! Went into one in Philly with sky and Nsab.... lemmee tell ya, that was NOT in the budget for my overnight Huddler trip to Philly! I nearly got mugged walking around at midnight looking for an ATM after that chow down. I found it a bit pretentious as well... I prefer a more casual atmosphere. I want to relax and have a great steak... and don't need to be waited on hand and foot.

I was waiting for that. What took you so long?

gasp

You're a vegetarian, aren't you





You're kidding I hope-? Costco steaks blow.

I can't remember the last time I went to a steakhouse either, but when I have, I almost always got a very good steak.

I also doubt most can cook a steak better than the better steakhouses (esp as consistently) but we can't admit that

Anyway I vote Ruth Chris, even though it's overpriced. Outback atmosphere/clientele blows but the 1 time I ate there I had a good steak.

I've never been to Topeka but hear it's very good.

I can't afford those places so I'm a big fan of Texas Roadhouse (not the Brown Derby joint)

I'm not a big fan of steakhouses since I cook my own better, but she loves Texas Roadhouse so we eat there when we want a steak out.

My bro-in-law is a franchise owner of Flemings and they aren't bad. They cook a pretty good steak but are twice as expensive as anywhere else. The same people that own Outback own Flemings Steakhouses. Outback steaks are decent for the money and Flemings are better cuts of meat, but not THAT much better.

We usually stick with Texas Roadhouse. They did open a new "Longhorns" the other week. Haven't tried it yet. It looks like a chain.

It is a chain.

And Keggerz on Texas Roadhouse

Flemings and Morton's are decent chains but pricey. Cheaper places, I'd have to go with Texas Roadhouse.

meh--maybe steakhouse chefs/cooks can grill a steak better than me, maybe not.

I buy my steaks from my butcher, not from a grocery/mega market. They are always 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick. I can usually get NY strip for $10-$15 per pound. 4 steaks = (at most) about $60. Salad, home made onion rings, and maybe another side and the meal, for four people, comes in at around $100. Let's not compare the costs of beer/wine in a restaurant vs what I pay in a store.

Given all this, I don't see a time I ever order a steak out again. If I'm going to pay serious coin for a meal, I want something that I don't cook well or can't cook myself.

Texas Roadhouse or Logan's for affordability. Not a whole lot of options for steakhouses in the area though. Neither chain can come even close to the best steak I had a few years ago at <a href="http://www.saltislandrestaurant.com/">Salt Island</a> on International Drive in Orlando. I had a massive 32oz porterhouse that just melted in your mouth.

Steak On A Stone will be opening shortly
co-worker's been to one of the other locations. I am gonna try it out. I'm sure this isn't an original idea so any of you been to one like it?

So you pay, possibly at a premium, to cook your own steak? I'll put it up there with The Melting Pot as places that I don't want to visit if I want others to cook.

Same here. My local butcher (very local - hole in the wall kind of joint) always has something very good behind the counter. Their special is usually a bacon wrapped filet they call a "Las Vegas Steak." They're cut at 12-16 oz and impress the hell out of everyone I've ever cooked one for. Few steak houses can match the tenderness/flavor combo these steaks offer - and I've eaten at a lot of nice places.

The NY strips and ribeyes I get from the same place are also a cut above and are darn hard to screw up - they're just that good. I believe that will a little effort, most anyone can find a jewel of a butcher not too far from home. Good meat is nearly a religion to some people - they hear the call from the meat gods and answer with a lifetime of servitude to USDA Prime.

Besides, I get a tremendous amount of joy for cooking for freinds and family - something I never get no matter how good the restaurant is.

Perhaps not, but I can consistently cook a damn good steak for about 1/10 the price.

? Flemings is owned by Peter Fleming (who also did PF Changs etc). Outback is not owned by him.


Hear ya. I haven't had a steak out in years either, mostly for similar reasons.

Sure it is. Also, Bonefish Grill and Carrabba's is part of it as well. It all merged or some corporate BS a few years back. Yes, the same guy that started PF Changs also started Flemings, but they've since brought in Outback under the same umbrella.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m319...9/ai_n13479725/

Only reason I know this is because my bro-in-law has a company card that gets you $100 free food per outing at the places they own so we flip-flop on special occassions between these places.

Wifes favorite spot - awesome food. Go a few times a year. I heard there was one in seattle, no?

BTW< LawDawg, ever gone to Nells in SEA? awesome....just awesome.

Absolutely. I believe it was started in Seattle. In the area, there is one downtown, in Bellevue, and in Tacoma. I believe the only other one is in Portland.

I haven't tried Nell's. I'll have to put it on my list of places to hit.

yep - the original location (since re-done) is in Seattle on 1st Ave - simply a great night out - fantastic steaks and a kick ass ambiance, atmosphere inside - really cool spot that blows any other steakhouse-vibe out of the water.

Don't know if I'd call it a chain, but is my new favorite in AC.

Around the country, we've always had a fine steak at The Capital Grille.

Also tried Davio's N Italy Steak House in Phila - awesome steak!

Thx for info/correction.

Nice bennie. THEN I'd be hitting the steakhouses.

i don't go to steak houses. they are just not very original to me. last friday in vegas a friend and i (one of darin's friends) went to smith & wollensky and they did a wonderfull job. very happy with the meal, wine and service. still hard for me to justify going.

Quincy's Family Steakhouse. The yeast rolls are out of this world. Unfortunately, they closed all the ones in my area. Anyone know if any are still around?

My local one has it's own butcher and the steaks are great.

You can get pretty good meat at the local Sam's Club here. For great meat you have to go to a real butchershop as Sam's and Cosco just don't carry much in the way of "prime" beef.

Roadhouse rocks for a cheaper night...and the kids love the bread and cinnamon butter and throwing the peanuts on the floor.