Where’s the Beef?

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“What a haven is this place on a cold, hard winter’s day, when business perhaps has been bad and the world seems full of Scrooges. How the meat on the grill whistles you a welcome as soon as you open the door and chirps, ‘Try me, only try me! I am the most succulent! I’ll cheer you up!”

-Anonymous

Steakhouses and businessmen…

A classic and expected pairing nowadays, but where and how did that connection get its start? In London, the first chophouses sprang up in the 1600’s serving large cuts of meat referred to as chops. At this time, places like these were mostly dominated by men, so no female company allowed. Years later, the trend caught on in the States, and the first steakhouses appeared around the 1800’s. These locations were designated for men only as well as they often held political events. (Women didn’t get the right to vote until 1920.) Old Homestead Steakhouse opened in 1868, ushering in a new era, adding a bit more finesse to the rough and tough ambiance of already-existing steakhouses. Old Homestead pioneered the concept of the doggy bag and was the first restaurant in the US to serve Wagyu beef. Because prime beef got more expensive over the years, this may account for the upgrades steakhouses have made. As steakhouses continue to offer pricier cuts of beef and increasingly luxurious atmospheres to dine in, having a meal at a steakhouse represents status, affluence, and a position of significance.  

steakhouses

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Looking for recommendations? Below is a list of some of the highest-rated steakhouses across the country, along with some of the characteristics that make them unique. Click on the links to see their websites or to make a reservation. 

Steakhouse

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Pricing Key

$$$$ – under $75

$$$$$ – $75 and up

Key was created by averaging cost of dinner for one person including one appetizer, one entrée, one dessert, and one coffee, plus tax and tip. Alcoholic beverages are not included in these approximations. 

 

Steakhouse

Photo by Emerson Vieira on Unsplash

 

Chicago

Gibson’s Bar & Steakhouse $$$$

Gibson’s Bar & Steakhouse has been in operation since 1989, serving up gigantic portions for the last 32 years. But not only are their portions huge, they are delicious as well. This is owed to the fact that Gibson’s Bar & Steakhouse is the first steakhouse in the US to be granted its own USDA certification program. Servers also educate patrons about cuts of beef before they order to be sure they make the perfect selection. Reviewers rave about the Twice Baked Potato and the slices of cake large enough to feed the entire family!

Photo by Emerson Vieira on Unsplash

 

  • Also offers Carryout Orders & To Go Cocktails
  • Try their Cook at Home Kits

Dallas 

Pappas Bros. Steakhouse $$$$

What makes Pappas Bros. Steakhouse so damn good? Food Network bestowed the restaurant with the honor of a place on their Top 5 Steaks in America list, Wine Spectator gave Pappas Bros. a spot on its Top 5 Restaurant Wine List in Dallas, and Thrillist says Pappas Bros. is one of the 10 Best Steakhouses in Houston. (They have a location there as well.) They serve beef only of the highest quality rating, which is then butchered, and dried in-house, for 28 days, by their own highly skilled butchers. If this isn’t enough to get you to make a reservation, Pappas. Brothers stocks 3,900 unique wines, hailing from all around the world. 

 

  • Also offers Online Ordering, and Curbside Pickup
  • Click the link for special upcoming events like Wine Tastings: Pappas Bros. Events 

Los Angeles 

Gwen $$$$$

If you are a fan of food television, this is your steakhouse stop. Celebrity fine dining chef, Curtis Stone, and his partner-brother, Luke Stone, opened Gwen, named after their grandmother. Their meats are supplied and cured in-house by their European-style butcher shop that is open to the public seven days a week selling top quality meats butchered by top-notch professionals. You can order your meal á la carte or go for the gold and opt for the five- course tasting menu.

 

  • Also offers Curbside Pickup
  • Highly-trained staff at the butcher shop can help you select and make purchases as well as advise you on cooking and serving techniques. 

Bourbon Steak $$$$

Need awards to know a restaurant is worth its salt? Celebrity chef and restauranteur, Michael Mina, has been awarded numerous honors, including a James Beard award, and a Michelin star award, while being featured in national media outlets such as Cigar Aficionado, Food & Wine, and Travel & Leisure, among others. Located within the Marriott Turnberry Isle Resort & Spa, Mina’s famous method of tenderizing and poaching cuts of meat in butter render a meal you can get nowhere else. The duck fat fries have also garnered a fame all their own from patrons who can choose from a wine list that serves over 850 distinct selections. This broad wine list earned Bourbon Steak a Wine Spectator Award in 2008.

 

Hosting a special event? Bourbon Steak has special rooms that can accommodate 14-30 people for private dining.

NYC

Keens Steakhouse $$$$

Are you a history buff? Keens is the place for you. Albert Keen, well-known in the Herald Square Theatre District, opened Keens Steakhouse in 1885. The eatery quickly a celebrity hub. Albert Keen was a collector of churchwarden pipes and the restaurant, while famous for serving prime cuts of beef, also accommodates the largest collection of pipes in the world. Pipes belonging to Babe Ruth, J.P. Morgan, and Teddy Roosevelt, just to name a few, are on display for your viewing pleasure. If you want to LIVE a bit of history, try Keens signature dish, their “Legendary Mutton Chop.” No other restaurant in NYC serves it and it is isn’t even beef, it’s aged lamb. After you eat, see paintings by Alexander Pope, and the playbill Abraham Lincoln held pre-assassination, along with 90,000 other pieces of history memorabilia.  Need a drink?

Keens boats a large collection of single-malt Scotches.

 

  • Offers Takeout & Delivery
  • Try their Cook at Home Kits available for Local Pickup or Nationwide Overnight Delivery

Steakhouse Dinner

Photo by Hanxiao on Unsplash

Rather chef it up at home? Throw some steaks on the grill this summer using these Mail Order Butcher shops.

Omaha Steaks If you want to order from a company that knows what it’s doing, Omaha Steaks has been around for over 100 years.
Box Halal – All meat sold on this site is halal certified. Look for the $10 off coupon.
Pat LaFrieda Meats – The supplier for all the famed NYC eateries. If you love Shake Shack or Minetta Tavern, order from Pat LaFrieda.
Snake River Farms – Wanna be fancypants at home? Snake River Farms offers American Wagyu. It’s quality surpasses even highest USDA standards.
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