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OT: My Top 10 List of Steakhouses

R

rutgersal

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Jun 7, 2001
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1 - Wolfgangs, NYC
2 - Mastros, Los Angeles
3 - Berns, Tampa Bay
4 - Peter Lugars, Brooklyn
5 - Capital Grille, Paramus, NJ
6 - Bobby Flay Steakhouse, Borgata, Atlantic City, NJ
7 - Sparks, NYC
8 - Del Friscos, NYC
9- Smith and Wollensky, NYC
10 - Ruths Chris, NYC
 
No Old Homestead in NYC?

I love Ruth's Chris and CG but just can't put a chain on the list. What makes RC NYC better then Ruth's Chris in Timbuckto?

Love Berns in Tampa!
 
yesrutgers01 said:
No Old Homestead in NYC?

I love Ruth's Chris and CG but just can't put a chain on the list. What makes RC NYC better then Ruth's Chris in Timbuckto?

Love Berns in Tampa!
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What does your list look like?

Haven't been to Old Homestead, but hope to go sometime soon. CG is consistently excellent, so I don't mind putting them on there. Ruth's Chris is pretty much the same everywhere, but I listed NYC as I've been to that location more times than anywhere else.
 
Capital Grill in DC was almost magically good. Didn't know there was one in NJ and my wallet will suffer now that I know. The night we were there, the main guy from Duck Dynasty, whatever his name is, was there as well. Which made my youngest son and I feel better as we three were the only people there wearing jeans. Saw a few conservative and liberal politicians eating happily together while laughing about all the little people who actually believe the ridiculous partisan crap they spout to get elected.

Peter Lugars thoroughly underwhelmed me, but that might have been due more to over-hype as it wasn't bad - just wasn't outstanding in any way I could detect. Mortons in Denver was actually surprisingly good.

I've been to a couple Ruth's Chris and found them to be the Honda Accord of steakhouses.

I will have to try out the others before my doctor makes good on his threat to knock all my teeth out in an effort to get me to stop eating food that will kill me. Steak through a straw doesn't really appeal to me.
 
best steakhouse was some place i ran into out in the middle of nowhere oaklahoma.. was somewhere a half an hour east of some road along lake Eufala
 
Al, can't say mine would be much different. Too many good steaks to remember which were the best. Lol Berns does stand out to me.
Capital Grill IS very good but just hard to take one and say it was better then another. I almost never get steak out anymore.
 
I'd add Gibsons in Chicago ! Also Sparks brings back so many memories of going to the big closed circuit boxing fights at Radio City Hall in the 70s to watch Ali, Frazier , Norton, Leonard, Hagler, Hearns etc and always eat at Sparks right before the fight. Always a big celebrity turnout there pre fight.

The Bacon app at Lugars is pretty special lol.
 
Keene's should be on that list. Friends and I have been doing a quarterly trip to different steakhouses for some time, and we all were happy to see that Keene's, even though it's been there forever, was still one of the tastiest. Try the mutton.
 
I'm a vegetarian these days, but back in the day I was a big steak fan.....Peter Lugers is #1 for me. Never got the allure with Ruth Chris. Sparks was big time overrated IMO. There was a place in Boca called something Prime that was awesome. And I know I will get killed for this, but a pittsburgh style Outback Steakhouse filet still makes my mouth water.
 
willisneverrana43 said:
Keene's should be on that list. Friends and I have been doing a quarterly trip to different steakhouses for some time, and we all were happy to see that Keene's, even though it's been there forever, was still one of the tastiest. Try the mutton.
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Keene's should totally be on the list.

I have to say I feel so ahead of the curve on the Old Homestead. I went there for the first time back in 1981 after nursing school graduation.
 
rutgersal said:
1 - Wolfgangs, NYC
2 - Mastros, Los Angeles
3 - Berns, Tampa Bay
4 - Peter Lugars, Brooklyn
5 - Capital Grille, Paramus, NJ
6 - Bobby Flay Steakhouse, Borgata, Atlantic City, NJ
7 - Sparks, NYC
8 - Del Friscos, NYC
9- Smith and Wollensky, NYC
10 - Ruths Chris, NYC
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In my experience the chain restaurants like Capital Grille and Ruth Chris are inconsistent but if I had to pick 1 it would be The Palm.

Al if you haven't been to Old Homestead give it a shot, Im pretty confident it will make your list.
 
There was an absurdly good steakhouse in Toronto that we went to after the bowl game. Harbor 15 or something like that. The steaks were massive bone in cuts.
 
Old Homestead in AC is unquestionably better than the one in NYC. Good call on Wolfgang's being #1.
 
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On my list I have Rules in London's Covent Garden area in the #4 or #5 area. It is the oldest restaurant in London as it opened in 1798. I have had outstanding sirloins there as well as fantastic lamb.

http://www.rules.co.uk/

I fully agree with willis that Keens needs to be on any Top Ten list. and I would also add Rutgers own Mario Batali's CarneVino in Vegas

And for those that may not know, Wolfgangs of NYC has opened a location in Somerville, NJ.
I had a great steak there recently.
 
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1. Del Friscos
2. Wolfgangs
3. Sparks
4. Peter Luger

Are my top 4, in that order, in NYC.

Outside NYC the best I have ever been to is the New York Grill at the Park Hyatt Tokyo.
 
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I agree Keene's needs to be high on the list. Wolfgangs in Somerville is outstanding. I met Wolfgang himself the last time I ate there. He was the head waiter at Peter Lugar for many may years. He has about eight locations but I would definitely not categorize it as a chain like Ruth Chris or Capital Grille. Wolfgang is obviously personally involved in making certain that the locations are consistently great.
 
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ShiningKnight said:
I agree Keene's needs to be high on the list. Wolfgangs in Somerville is outstanding. I met Wolfgang himself the last time I ate there. He was the head waiter at Peter Lugar for many may years. He has about eight locations but I would definitely not categorize it as a chain like Ruth Chris or Capital Grille. Wolfgang is obviously personally involved in making certain that the locations consistently great.
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And this is why it's a bit unfair to call Luger's overrated. I'm not sure if they were actually first, but they definitely popularized Steak for X and thick cut bacon in NYC which Wolfgang and others eventually adopted and tried to improve upon.
 
Of the places being mentioned the most, I've only been to Sparks. Fantastic is the word that comes to mind.

Off the beaten path the best steak I ever had was at New York Prime in downtown Myrtle Beach many years ago.
 
Abro1975 said:
I'd add Gibsons in Chicago ! Also Sparks brings back so many memories of going to the big closed circuit boxing fights at Radio City Hall in the 70s to watch Ali, Frazier , Norton, Leonard, Hagler, Hearns etc and always eat at Sparks right before the fight. Always a big celebrity turnout there pre fight.

The Bacon app at Lugars is pretty special lol.
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LOVE Gibsons! Was there about a decade ago and would go again and again.
 
willisneverrana43 said:
Keene's should be on that list. Friends and I have been doing a quarterly trip to different steakhouses for some time, and we all were happy to see that Keene's, even though it's been there forever, was still one of the tastiest. Try the mutton.
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MrsScrew said:
Keene's should totally be on the list.
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RAA-1 said:
I fully agree with willis that Keens needs to be on any Top Ten list.
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ShiningKnight said:
I agree Keene's needs to be high on the list.
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Yep, put this down as another vote for Keene's. Every time I've been there the meal has been excellent. And their scotch list ain't too shabby either!
 
I'm a huge fan of Morton's. It's high quality and you know what you are going to getting anywhere in the country. But the best meal I ever had was at T-Bones at Red Rock Caynon Resort in Vegas/Summerlin. The steak and king crab legs still haunt me! Loved it so much we went back a second time and it was just a amazing.
 
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STK in the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. Obviously the scene isn't everyone's cup of tea. But all these places have pretty similar steaks, appetizers and wine lists. To argue that the porterhouse at Sparks is significantly better than the one at Capital Grille is the definition of First World Problems. But instead of an environment which is 95% men. STK basically 50/50 and the girls are all dressed to the nines, music is playing, models are everywhere and people are laughing instead of talking mainly about business.

I will take that over a private room in a NY steakhouse any day of the week.
 
Never been to Wolfgangs, I need to try that. But I agree with most here, and I do like Lugars as well, guess I am not as much a connoisseur as most here.

On a side note, went to Tiff's in Rockaway Townsquare for a burger this weekend, shocked how good it was, better than 5 Guys (which I think is overrated). Also Nutella shake is to die for.
 
Great steakhouses in the Richmond VA area:

1. Shula's
2. Hondo's
3. Olde Bookbinder's
 
I have three to add and one is a chain.....

1. The Palm - Puerto Rico
2. Harry Caray's Steakhouse - Chicago
3. Jordan's Steakhouse - NYC
 
NJ_CO_RU said:
STK in the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. Obviously the scene isn't everyone's cup of tea. But all these places have pretty similar steaks, appetizers and wine lists. To argue that the porterhouse at Sparks is significantly better than the one at Capital Grille is the definition of First World Problems. But instead of an environment which is 95% men. STK basically 50/50 and the girls are all dressed to the nines, music is playing, models are everywhere and people are laughing instead of talking mainly about business.

I will take that over a private room in a NY steakhouse any day of the week.
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If you are going for ambiance/girls STK meatpacking is also a great spot. The rooftop during the summer can be a scene.

After the top 4 or 5 places in NYC the rest are basically the same to me in terms of the meat. STK is just as good as all the rest outside the top 5.
 
I don't even eat steak, but Mastros in Beverly Hills is outstanding for its seafood. I can't imagine the steak not being its equal.

When there, the seafood tower is a must, both in excellence in taste and presentation.
 
Caliknight said:
I don't even eat steak, but Mastros in Beverly Hills is outstanding for its seafood. I can't imagine the steak not being its equal.

When there, the seafood tower is a must, both in excellence in taste and presentation.
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Why don't you eat steak? Is liberal-ville making you soft? :)
 
Upstream said:
So does that make Wolfgangs a chain, and mean they should be removed from this list like other chains?
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Capital Grille has 51 locations Ruth Chris 136. I don't see how you would consider Wolfgang's a chain with only 2 locations. It is significantly more difficult to maintain consistency with 51 locations unless you cook and freeze everything in a central distributor. Otherwise you will most likely have a different experience in every location.
 
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