I’m going to toss in a vote for a small chain in Illinois. Alexander’s Steakhouse had maybe 5 locations: Champaign, Peoria, Springfield, Naperville, and maybe someplace else.
The interesting thing about this place was that you could cook your own steaks. Yeah, I thought that was weird when I first heard about. Why the hell would I want to go out to eat and cook my own meal? But when I tried it, it was great! And the experience was quite fun. They also had a chef who would cook it for you if you preferred, but cooking up your own steak while down some beers was great.
I ended up bartending at the one in Champaign for a couple of years. If I was the first bartender relieved for the evening, I would often toss a 16 oz. filet on the grill closest to the bar and let it slow cook. And I mean sloooow cook. I would place it well off the heat and let it cook for 30-40 minutes, and it would still come out medium rare and juicy. I would down a couple of large beers while it cooked, precede it with a salad, and eat it with some garlic toast and a loaded spud. Damn those things were good. And the one in Champaign had some great cuts of meat to choose from. I’ve never been to any of the other sites, so I can’t comment directly on them.
Without question, Wolf Lodge Steak House in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
I’ve eaten steaks all over the U.S., and no one even comes close. Top it off with the biggest baked potato you’ve ever had, and it’s heaven on a plate.
Their guest book is testament to their greatness, with people from all over the world signing it, in way or another, with thanks for the best steak they’ve ever had.
They also serve a mean (I’m told, never got up the nerve to try them) Rocky Mountain Oyster plate.
Look, if you expect anyone to take you seriously you can’t post stuff like that.
Legitimate New York steak places include (in order of my favorites):
Angelo & Maxi
Sparks
Peter Luger
Ben Bensons
and you got your Smith & Wollensky’s, Mortons, Ruth’s Chris places that are pretty good.
Daniels in Seattle is really good.
There is this place called Gregory’s in Allentown, PA that has a 96 oz steak (like that movie) as well as an 120 oz steak. I don’t know about best but it’s certainly the biggest.
I enjoy steaks from Ruths Criss and a few local steak houses. But, if you want to know the best way to order your steak, ask for it to be done, “Pittsburg” - black and sizzling on the outside, red on the inside. Scrumptious! You can even modify your order (i.e. Pittsburg-medium, Pittsburg-medium-rare etc.)
I’ve found that nearly all restaurant servers are familiar with this term, but not many other people. Do any of you order your steaks done “Pittsburg”?
I would’ve posted this exact same thought if you hadn’t done it first. I can’t speak for any other area, but here in Bellevue, WA, that is exactly the case.
Hey, be careful, nobody will take you seriously if you agree with statements like that.
It’s possible that the Ruth’s Chris here sucks and is better in other places. I haven’t tried other locations, but based on my experience I don’t plan to either.
I was disappointed with Ruth’s Chris the one time I went there. And I’ve never felt Morton’s lives up to its hype, except their cheeseburgers are really good. (There’s one in my building, so I’ve been there more than a little.)
The best steak I ever had in the D.C. area was at Mike’s American Grill in Springfield and the other restaurants owned by the same folks. However, since I don’t live near one of them anymore I haven’t been in several years. I heard the place changed ownership some time ago and the one time I’ve been back since that happened, it wasn’t nearly as good. But that was only one steak, and everybody can have an off night.
Honestly, I’d rather go to Outback than Ruth’s Chris. Maybe not Morton’s, but without a doubt every steak I’ve had at Outback has been better than the one steak I had at Ruth’s Chris.
Another great place, if it’s still there, is the Diamond Grille in Akron, Ohio. My dad and I used to go there for lunch. The thing to get was the open-face steak sandwich, which was a filet sitting on top of a piece of bread. Wonderful.
I’ve had the 3 best Filet Mignons of my life there (in New York). I’ve never been to Peter Luger’s or Sparks, but if their steaks are better, I will die of heart disease at a young age.
Outback is good for a mid-priced chain restaurant but can’t compete with the serious upscale steak houses. I did once have an outstanding steak at Outback, the first time I went, but it must have been a lucky fluke because I’ve never had one that good there since.
Interesting, I don’t know where you can get the quality of meat that the big steakhouses can get. It’s hard/impossible to get USDA Prime at the grocery store or butcher.
That seems to be a common occurence for restaurants. I remember when Burger King was a luxury burger you could only get at the Oxford Street restaurant in UK.
I’m glad someone mentioned Pitsburg style, I wasn’t sure what the name for the high heat quick cook charred on outside, rare inside steak was.
Does anyone know good places for Pitsburg style steak near San Francisco?
For international, you just must go to South Africa. I have experienced heavan on a plate there. They take their meat seriously! A common, normal, let’s-go-to-lunch-for-a-quick-bite restaurant has a meat locker that you can go up to and say “I want a cut off of that, make it 2 inches thick, and if it doesn’t MOO! when I cut into it, I’m going to return it for another.” Ever have aged beef so tender you can push your finger through it? I have.
And the amazing part? I paid $15 for that meal, with a bottle of Pinotage to round off the blood on the palette(sp?).
In Prague, go to U Bile Kravy for some excellent Charolais beef. When in town, call me to join ya! Expensive by my standards, but still only $20 for a good meal.
I have been getting into Steak Tartar lately. I don’t know how it is prepared elsewhere, but here they take fresh sirloin, scrape it (some food processor it, but that is nasty because the color turns yucky brown), then serve it with deep fried bread and garlic cloves. The plate has the beef in the middle, with a saucer of egg yolk, some spices on the side, ketchup and mustard. You mix the beef with your selection of spices and the raw yolk (or not), then take the garlic clove and scrape it onto the fried bread, then smear the beef mixture on the bread and eat. Fuckin’ A wonderful I tell ya.
