Ripoffs at high end steak houses

[TallBill]

Daniel's Broiler in the Seattle area (Bellevue, WA) is a cut above 😉 Ruth's Chris.

I can enjoy a $10 broiled steak at home, but a $50 steak is several levels above it.

Damn i was just up there for a weekend. I'm an hour or so south, will have to check it out.

When I worked in Chicago I went to a high end steak house almost weekly.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

Even though the OP is bitter sounding I must agree with his sentiment. I'll ask the question again:

"I don't know if I could even taste the difference between an aged beef and a non-aged beef. Is the taste dramatically affected?"

Is it worth the 5x the price asking rate? I mean, I can get a pretty fucking good steak $25 at a local place. I doubt a $150 steak from Ruth's Chris would taste 6x as good. Not to mention the stuffy, up tight atmosphere. I've been to some pretty upscale places, and have to say if I would those prices it wouldn't be for a steak, but for something unique and interesting.

To semi, answer your question, yes. When I had steak at Cut I had a 21 day aged steak and the gf had a 35 day I think. The cuts were different but when I tried hers there was more 'rich/deeper' flavor from her piece and it's not just the difference in taste between cuts because I've had plenty of both and it's something more than that.

Mine was a bone in rib eye and I think her was a NY Strip. Both were really good but there was a definitely a taste difference when I tried it.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

i've been to the original captial grille in providence, and the second in boston - both were excellent. every bite of everything was perfection. as with most things, i do expect some drop-off as they continue to open new stores.

peter luger is regarded across the northeast as a toilet. from the food to the staff to the management, avoid at all costs.

 

[davmat787]

Daniel's Broiler in the Seattle area (Bellevue, WA) is a cut above 😉 Ruth's Chris.

I can enjoy a $10 broiled steak at home, but a $50 steak is several levels above it.

Agreed. Been to Ruth Chris in Seattle a couple times, and Daniel's countless times (thank you corporate card) and always preferred Daniels over Ruth's Chris.

At home, it is hard to beat the price/value of Costco's Top Sirloin or Filet's.

 

[mikeford]

I only eat high end steak when some company is paying for my meals, the rest of the time I am fine with Lonestar.

 

[Jeeebus]

Usually just prefer Costco ribeyes. Have thought about attempting to dry age at home, but really too lazy for that.

Truthfully, I've been enjoying chimichurri skirt steak more than any other cut of beef recently. The stuff they sell at a local Italian market is about as tender as it gets. Have tried the Costco skirt steak, and it's absolutely no comparison. Which is odd, because I usually love Costco steaks.

 

[jaedaliu]

There are diminishing returns when you spend more and more money on something, its some economic law. When you go from low grade to mid grade you get your money's worth but when you go from mid grade to fancy grade its really just a sham.

TastesLikeChicken gave the best response. "Is it good value?" Is a surprisingly personal decision.

I've been getting my beef grass fed, dry aged, organic from the farmer (he needs to send the cows to a slaughterhouse, though.) Costs a pretty penny, but the flavor is quite different.

 

[destrekor]

If you want a premium steakhouse experience, come to Toledo and the Hollywood Casino.
The Final Cut is an American Steakhouse at the casino, and it's the only Four Star (as rated by Forbes Travel) restaurant in the OH-MI-IN region. It's also an extremely rare steakhouse to get that designation.

I haven't been there yet, or any high-end restaurant or steak house, due to a price that quickly approaches $100/head if you even look at anything other than a main course.

But I've spent twice that at a casino, so I do plan on making a trip to gamble some, then capping the night with what should be the best steak I've ever had.


But I have a feeling issues as noted by the OP are the very reason why it's rare for a steak house to get high honors by the best travel guides.

 

[kn51]

If you want a premium steakhouse experience, come to Toledo and the Hollywood Casino.
The Final Cut is an American Steakhouse at the casino, and it's the only Four Star (as rated by Forbes Travel) restaurant in the OH-MI-IN region. It's also an extremely rare steakhouse to get that designation.

Thanks for the tip...funny thing a few weeks ago we were deciding between Hollywood and FireKeepers. Ended up at FireKeepers.

 

[Genx87]

Heh I prefer to cook my own steaks. But that is because I am too cheap to go to a high end steak place. So for my price range I rarely eat steak in a restaurant. Although the one place I will order steak at is an Italian place in St. Paul called LaGrolla. They have a Ribeye that melts in your mouth. Otherwise my choice of steak places are outback, texas road house, crap like that.

Edit: Also another vote for Costco Ribeyes. Pretty good cuts of meat for a good price.

 

[acheron]

Best chain steakhouse I've been to is Capital Grille (been to a couple in the DC area).

Agreed Smith & Wollensky in DC was disappointing, though I didn't eat there "for real" (was a company party with fixed menu), so I wasn't sure if it was just because of that.

Craftsteak in Vegas was good though (IMO) overpriced.

Place in DC called Bourbon Steak that I've heard is good, keep wanting to try there but haven't gotten to it yet.

 

[drbrock]

I like whole foods dry aged beef. Way more expensive than Costco Prime but they are worth it. I personally only get it for special occasions but they are awesome.

As far as heat goes my weber with a sear station goes up to around 900-1000 degrees. Not as awesome as the IR 1600 degrees but it gets the job done. I agree with some of the other posts that in most cases I prefer cooking at home. I have eaten in tons of fine steakhouses through my corporate card and only a few have ever impressed me. Have yet to try capital grille(heard the kona steak was good) but will do so in the next few weeks. Amex just sent me a 50 gift card and might as well give it a shot.

 

[NetWareHead]

Cooking technique is only half of it - I mean let's be real, which one of us AT gangsters have IR grills that go up to 1600'?

You use a charcoal chimney with a grate on top to get those kinds of temps. Fire it up as your normally would when starting a charcoal grill. When the flames are shooting out the top of it, slap on a grate, let it get hot and then put a steak on. BEST and cheapest searing device I have ever used and with the extra bonus of charcoal flavor! Pick up the weber chimney at home depot for less than $20 and try it.

 

[NetWareHead]

I think outback was the place where the ribeye didn't have a ribeye cap 🙁

What? Thats bullshit. Seriously thats the reason why I order a ribeye. That delicate fatty cap is my favorite part and the defining part of a ribeye steak. I'd send a steak back if a restaurant served me a ribeye without the cap.

 

[DrPizza]

I really wish I had a store near me that regularly had prime cuts; generally, my only choice is choice. No Costco for me. 🙁

Not quite pertinent to this thread, but I'm still disappointed from a dinner I had this weekend. Son's birthday - we decided to go to take him out to a restaurant that would be between his house & our house (to cut 45 minutes out of the time to travel back to home.) Went to Chili's. I got a cheese steak sandwich. Well, no, I got a cheese gristle sandwich. It was horrible.

 

[sdifox]

I really wish I had a store near me that regularly had prime cuts; generally, my only choice is choice. No Costco for me. 🙁

Not quite pertinent to this thread, but I'm still disappointed from a dinner I had this weekend. Son's birthday - we decided to go to take him out to a restaurant that would be between his house & our house (to cut 45 minutes out of the time to travel back to home.) Went to Chili's. I got a cheese steak sandwich. Well, no, I got a cheese gristle sandwich. It was horrible.

Time to raise your own beef cattle :awe:

 

[Daverino]

Sounds like someone had a bad meal at Peter Luger's and decided to get bitter on his blog.

 

[dank69]

Wats the best catsup to put on a really good steak?

 

[Markbnj]

Sounds like someone had a bad meal at Peter Luger's and decided to get bitter on his blog.

A lot of people don't realize that the rude staff at Peter Luger's is part of the schtick. Has been from the beginning. I've never eaten there so I can't comment on the quality of the food. I like their "steakhouse sauce," though. My wife picks it up at the market. Good with pork and poultry. I've heard other people complain that Luger's is overpriced. I'll still give it a shot some day when the opportunity arises. The place is kind of an historical monument.

 

[BudAshes]

I really wish I had a store near me that regularly had prime cuts; generally, my only choice is choice. No Costco for me. 🙁

Not quite pertinent to this thread, but I'm still disappointed from a dinner I had this weekend. Son's birthday - we decided to go to take him out to a restaurant that would be between his house & our house (to cut 45 minutes out of the time to travel back to home.) Went to Chili's. I got a cheese steak sandwich. Well, no, I got a cheese gristle sandwich. It was horrible.

Getting anything other than appetizers at chili's is a recipe for disaster.

 

[Vdubchaos]

before WW2 steak used to be the worst/cheapest kind of meat "scraps" and no body wanted it.....so they made it into the most "desirable" meat.

Brilliant

Only in America

 

[BurnItDwn]

Meh, I can get a kick ass awesome steak at home. I do love a good prime rib, but, I'm not gonna slow cook that mofo at home.

 

[Markbnj]

before WW2 steak used to be the worst/cheapest kind of meat "scraps" and no body wanted it.....so they made it into the most "desirable" meat.

Brilliant

Only in America

What? Source please. There was probably a preference for roasts if you get back to the early 20th century and prior, but I question whether steak was ever considered "scraps" that nobody wanted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beefsteak_Club

Edit: and what do you mean 'made it into the most "desirable" meat?' When _wasn't_ steak the best part of a steer after the tenderloin? Roasts were more affordable, and could feed more people, but prior to WWII only relatively well-off people even got roast on a regular basis. The lower classes were much more likely to be eating grain and the occasional welcome bit of poultry or pork. Beef was a luxury. Who were these people you think were turning up their noses at it?

 

[NetWareHead]

before WW2 steak used to be the worst/cheapest kind of meat "scraps" and no body wanted it.....so they made it into the most "desirable" meat.

Brilliant

Only in America

What do you mean by "steak"? Beef was always regarded as an expensive meat and most of what you consider steaks were always expensive (sirloin, filet mignon, rib etc...) if you are talking about oxtail, hanger steak, flat iron, skirt steak etc... those have been on the cheap side but as people like them more and more is what makes them expensive.

I have heard this for lobsters. In New England, lobsters were caught and fed to the prison population. Initially regarded as ocean rats/insects. now they command a high price

 

[Tencntraze]

My son got food poison from them years ago.

I got sick last time I ate there too