Our Favorite "Steak Houses"

[eknuds01]

Adamo -

Methinks we need to have an audiophile meeting at Bobby Vann's. I've been wanting to go there for quite some time, too.

Erik

 

[sleepysurf]

I live in Omaha, NE. There are quite a bit of local steak houses that use local corn-fed beef and a lot of them are great. But I'll make a list anyway:

Flat Iron Cafe (Omaha, NE)
More modern American/fusion restaurant but their steaks are very juicy and flavorful. So far they haven't overcooked my orders yet and that doesn't happen often.

Firebird Grill (Omaha, NE)
Best wood fire-grilled prime rib that's done right.

...

We were in Omaha a couple weeks ago for the Berkshire Hathaway meeting. First time we ever went... what a crazy weekend!! We ate at Gorat's, and were right there when Warren Buffett and Bill Gates were leaving! The steaks were so-so, but seeing Warren and Bill up close made it memorable! If we ever go again, we'll definitely try some others on your list!

 

[Bernard]

The Menu:

http://www.bernssteakhouse.com/Portals/2/Documents/BSH Menu.pdf

A very interesting menu. These guys are VERY serious about their steak. I remember seeing on a menu in a wonderful Belgian-run restaurant in Regina, SK, the note, "We cannot guarantee the quality of any meat cooked to order beyond medium". I have never seen this on any other menu (I did not go over Bern's menu in fine detail), but it really does make sense.

 

[Feltran]

I've only been there once, but the best steak I've ever had was a filet from The Country Club restaurant in the Wynn Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. It was well seasoned, and I don't know how they did it but it was a very thick piece of meat that was nicely charred on the outside, and perfectly and evenly cooked throughout.

The restaurant as a whole is pretty nice, but nothing really stood out other than the quality of their steak.

 

[Joey_V]

Keefer's in Chicago. Never been to David Burke's Primehouse though... supposed to be fantastic!

 

[JLasher22443]

Morton’s: Tyson’s Corner, VA: one of my favorites even if it is a chain.
Ruth Chris’s: Arlington, VA: Another great chain.
Firebird Grill: In Durham, NC; Loved the Blue Cheese Fillet, Good Wine also!
Bone Fish Grille: Fredericksburg, VA; Great chain restaurant with excellent fish and great steaks!
My #1 Favorite is The Capital Grille: Washington D.C.; Me and my wife work in DC and love to go there at least once a month. Huge wine selection, great appetizers, wonderful service, and they have the steaks hanging in the window as you come in the front door, how cool is that. I’m not sure if they actually use them but I do know they age their beef there. Never seem to remember to ask the server if they use the ones in the window. If you ever get to the nations capital, definitely give it a try.

 

[Bernard]

I don't know how they did it but it was a very thick piece of meat that was nicely charred on the outside, and perfectly and evenly cooked throughout.

They started it on the grill, then transferred it to the oven to cook through, most likely.

 

[MiTT]

The best steak I've ever had was at a place called "Wolfgang's" (not affiliated with Wolfgang Puck) in New York. There were about a dozen of us at the table and they brought out this single slab of beef for the whole table and we could barely finish it. It was sizzling on the platter as they brought it out and as the waiter would take a slice to serve one of us he would brush the edge against the platter and it would sort of instantly sear the exposed cut! I have no idea what cut of meat it was, and my V.P. at the time picked up the tab, so I have have no idea how astronomical the bill might have been, but it was friggin' AWESOME!

 

[eknuds01]

Morton’s: Tyson’s Corner, VA: one of my favorites even if it is a chain.
Ruth Chris’s: Arlington, VA: Another great chain.
Firebird Grill: In Durham, NC; Loved the Blue Cheese Fillet, Good Wine also!
Bone Fish Grille: Fredericksburg, VA; Great chain restaurant with excellent fish and great steaks!
My #1 Favorite is The Capital Grille: Washington D.C.; Me and my wife work in DC and love to go there at least once a month. Huge wine selection, great appetizers, wonderful service, and they have the steaks hanging in the window as you come in the front door, how cool is that. I’m not sure if they actually use them but I do know they age their beef there. Never seem to remember to ask the server if they use the ones in the window. If you ever get to the nations capital, definitely give it a try.

You like the Capital Grille? I didn't go to the one in DC, but I have been to the one in Philly. I thought it was decent. Maybe the one in DC is a lot better.

 

[Adamo]

Ek- Sounds like a great plan. Bobby Vanns it is! I used to go to the Bobby Vanns in Bridgehampton a lot and love it. They have enormous shrimp for their shrimp ****tail! (huh? I got censored for an appetizer =) )

Mortons is great...always a great place to visit.
I Wasn't as big of a fan of the Capital Grille. Although they do have an extensive wine selection as already mentioned.
If we are staying in DC, The inn at little washington is phenomenal. Pricey, but their executive chef is one of the best.

 

[JLasher22443]

Ek- Sounds like a great plan. Bobby Vanns it is! I used to go to the Bobby Vanns in Bridgehampton a lot and love it. They have enormous shrimp for their shrimp ****tail! (huh? I got censored for an appetizer =) )

Mortons is great...always a great place to visit.
I Wasn't as big of a fan of the Capital Grille. Although they do have an extensive wine selection as already mentioned.
If we are staying in DC, The inn at little washington is phenomenal. Pricey, but their executive chef is one of the best.

That's a heck of a drive from DC to The Inn. I've driven by it a few times on some motorcycle adventures but never stopped went for dinner. Seemed a little to uppity for me and I feel like I would just get that look of discust from people as I walked in. You know, "who is that he doesn't belong here" kind of response. But, maybe I should give it a try, I have heard great things about it.

 

[twich54]

I'm loving the interesting replies / opinions guys !

With respect to Bern's in Tampa, while my NY Strip was top notch and I enjoyed the "tour" after dinner the 'warehouse enviroment' lacked quality ambience, IMO

Another great experience was at a place (forgot the name !) in Halifax, NS where the waiter brought the entire Loin table side, you select the thickness and thus pay for your steak buy weight. I remember the resturant being upstairs, multiple rooms, library type of enviroment.

I also love the tableside preperation of a Ceaser salad, wooden bowl of course, prior to a great steak !

 

[eknuds01]

Ek- Sounds like a great plan. Bobby Vanns it is! I used to go to the Bobby Vanns in Bridgehampton a lot and love it. They have enormous shrimp for their shrimp ****tail! (huh? I got censored for an appetizer =) )

Mortons is great...always a great place to visit.
I Wasn't as big of a fan of the Capital Grille. Although they do have an extensive wine selection as already mentioned.
If we are staying in DC, The inn at little washington is phenomenal. Pricey, but their executive chef is one of the best.

Whoa you do have expensive taste!!! That is arguably the best restaurant on the East Coast!

 

[Bernard]

If we are staying in DC, The inn at little washington is phenomenal. Pricey, but their executive chef is one of the best.

A really great restaurant "in the D.C. area" is L'Auberge Chez Francois. I've been there a couple of times and have had really great meals. It's in Great Falls, so is quite a drive from D.C., but is well worth the detour.

 

[Bernard]

Another great experience was at a place (forgot the name !) in Halifax, NS where the waiter brought the entire Loin table side, you select the thickness and thus pay for your steak buy weight. I remember the resturant being upstairs, multiple rooms, library type of enviroment.

Dave, the environment sounds like the Five Fisherman, a nice restaurant, but it may well not be the one you have in mind, considering the name and that it was steak that you had. One thing I liked about it is the all you can eat mussels (no cost) before the meal. They do a nice lobster.

 

[twich54]

Dave, the environment sounds like the Five Fisherman, a nice restaurant, but it may well not be the one you have in mind, considering the name and that it was steak that you had. One thing I liked about it is the all you can eat mussels (no cost) before the meal. They do a nice lobster.

No Bernard, not that place, if memory serves me right "The Five Fisherman" is located about half way up the hill between the waterfront and the Citadel. The Steak House I'm reffering to was in a rather eclectic neighborhood about a mile from the Train Station.

 

[RUR]

A really great restaurant "in the D.C. area" is L'Auberge Chez Francois. I've been there a couple of times and have had really great meals. It's in Great Falls, so is quite a drive from D.C., but is well worth the detour.

Since we've digressed from the "best steak" theme, I'll chime in with one of my favorite D.C. restaurants: Taberna del Alabardero. World-class spanish, including Paella to die for! Downtown on Q, if memory serves.

 

[jk319]

MMM... My favorite food group is... steak!

In Connecticut, the Griswold Inn. Only when in season, and even then, only Fri-Sun for their Prime Rib. Unbelievable.
http://www.griswoldinn.com/Low_index.htm

The Hobbit. Not a steak house, but the only time I was there the main dish was Filet Mignon stuffed with wild mushrooms. This place is phenomenal, and is a must for restaurant lovers if in the SoCal area. It was about 4-5 years ago I was there, and at the time only $55 for 7 courses, replete with intermission. Does not include wine. Must reserve about 2 months in advance (better chances in the summer when people are more likely to cancel). Style is French Continental.
http://www.hobbitrestaurant.com/page.aspx

In Malaysia, I can't remember the name, it was decade and a half ago. I believe it was the first hotel built in Kuala Lumpur that got converted into a steakhouse. I vividly remember how strong the Carlsberg Dark was, the hump in the middle of the steak from the butter underneath, and wearing a bib which proved necessary at the time, LOL.

I will reference this thread for future travels!

 

[Bernard]

The Angus Barn in Raleigh, N.C. is supposedly quite good. I have not tried it, though.

 

[eknuds01]

Some of my favs!

Charley's Steak House (Orlando, FL)

It's off of I-drive and can be jam packed at times due to the proximity to Universal Studios. But this place isn't to be missed. The atmosphere is very casual. I love the side dishes here! The fish and veal are also quite good. They have a cut of meat which is essentially the fillet of the fillet. Supposedly only two of these pieces are available per steer! The au poivre is awesome.

Three Forks (Austin, TX)

My girlfriend was on business travel and I went down to Texas to pay her a visit. After a long day of sight-seeing and boating (got a baaaaaadddd sunburn) we hit this place up. It's your typical high end steak house on the inside - dim lighting, dark colored/stained wood all over the place, and very attentive service. We really enjoyed our meals to say the least.

Andre's (Naples, FL)

This is a copy of Peter Luger's in Brooklyn. I believe one of the old chefs started his own steak house in Naples and his model was the venerable Peter Luger's in NY. You can only get Porterhouse, but the meat is exceptional. Just like the restaurant it tries to emulate, there aren't any table cloths or fancy furniture. My grandfather used to get steak sandwiches years ago from Peter Luger's, so this place is one of his favorites.

The Prime Rib (Philadelphia, PA)

This is my top choice of the steakhouses I visited. Jackets are required for the fellas after 5 or 7 pm. The decor is very upscale (you'll think you have traveled back in time to your high school prom, but this is even better). The prime rib at the Prime Rib is just amazing. It's a HUGE portion though, so don't eat anything for 2-3 days before visiting this place if you plan on ordering their signature dish.

I went to this place after I graduated from Villanova in 2001. It was a great meal and I'll never forget it because my family was there along with some friends and few professors from the school. We had a great time and I hope I can return there soon someday.

Whoops!

Left out another gem in Arlington, Va. Ray's the Steaks. This is a fantastic little steak house. I've been there 2-3 times now and I hope to go again in late June. The atmosphere is very different vs a traditional steak house, but the food is top notch to say the least!