Walking into a steakhouse always fills me with this quiet anticipation. You know what I mean?
The dim lighting, the hum of conversations mixing with the sizzle from the open kitchen. Honestly, it’s kind of magical. After years working in professional kitchens, I’ve developed some pretty strong opinions about what deserves a spot on my plate when I’m paying steakhouse prices.
Let me be real with you. Not everything on that leather-bound menu is worth your hard-earned money. Some dishes showcase what these places do best, while others? Well, they’re just taking up space.
1. Always Order: Bone-In Ribeye
The ribeye is a favorite among steak enthusiasts with fantastic marbling which melts into the steak as it cooks, adding richness and juiciness, creating a rich, buttery flavor and tender texture. When I’m at a steakhouse, this is my go-to cut nearly every single time. If bold flavor is what you’re after, ribeye wins with its heavy marbling and juicy bite making it a carnivore’s dream. The bone-in version? Even better. That extra fat near the bone renders beautifully and creates these pockets of incredible taste that you simply won’t find in leaner cuts.
2. Always Order: Roasted Bone Marrow
Popular in British cooking, bone marrow is a staple at high-end establishments, and for good reason. The marrow-rich bones are roasted until the meat starts to caramelize and are served with slow-cooked onions and toasted sourdough bread, resulting in an otherworldly dish. The richness is almost obscene in the best possible way. Marrow is high in fat and protein with a subtle, creamy nutty flavor, a hint of sweetness, and is extremely rich, incredible either eaten simply with a sprinkling of sea salt or adding to the umami base of a rich, hearty stew. Think of it as butter’s more sophisticated, slightly dangerous cousin. I always order this as a starter because it sets the tone for an indulgent meal.
3. Always Order: Dry-Aged Steaks
Look, dry-aged beef isn’t for everyone. A chef advises staying away from a dry-aged steak for rookies, just like wine, you want to ease your palate into appreciating new flavors and nuances rather than blowing away the experience. Once you develop a taste for that intensely concentrated, almost funky flavor profile, though, there’s no going back. The aging process breaks down muscle fibers and concentrates the beef’s natural flavors. What you get is this incredibly tender, complex taste that standard steaks just can’t match. It’s worth the premium price tag when a steakhouse does it right.
4. Always Order: Creamed Spinach
Creamed spinach is a classic steakhouse side dish of bright green spinach leaves in a rich, cheesy cream sauce that might be old-school, but it’s so good that it never goes out of style. Creamed spinach makes such a great side dish and elevates the whole meal, it is such a classic steakhouse dish for a reason. Here’s the thing, though. At many chain or corporate steakhouses, creamed spinach often turns into a watery, bland, and overcooked mess, usually held in a steam tray too long, losing that fresh, vibrant flavor and turning mushy. At a quality steakhouse that makes it fresh? Absolutely worth ordering. The contrast between the rich, fatty steak and that velvety, garlicky spinach is perfection.
5. Always Order: Classic Wedge Salad
I know what you’re thinking. A salad? At a steakhouse? Hear me out. While wedge salads have become synonymous with steakhouse dining, they often don’t justify their premium price point, and there’s a time and a place for a basic Caesar salad, but these light-as-air, leafy green dishes might not be worth it at your favorite steakhouse. However, when done properly with crisp iceberg lettuce, thick-cut bacon, tangy blue cheese crumbles, and that creamy dressing, it’s exactly what you need to cut through the richness of everything else. Just make sure the restaurant takes pride in their salads before committing.
6. Always Order: Fresh Oysters
Fresh oysters for the table are essential, especially on the coast, and briny, shimmering oysters are an ideal way to start a meal, with many steakhouses taking pride in their daily mollusk offerings. Starting with oysters before a massive steak might seem counterintuitive, yet that clean, ocean-fresh taste actually prepares your palate beautifully for the meat course ahead. Plus, high-end steakhouses usually have excellent relationships with quality seafood suppliers, especially coastal locations.
7. Never Order: Chicken Dishes
Chicken tends to be overcooked at most restaurants. Why would you risk a dried-out piece of poultry when dining at and paying higher prices for a restaurant that specializes in perfectly cooked red meat? You’re at a steakhouse, which means you’re paying premium prices for their specialty, missing out on what the restaurant does best by ordering something that doesn’t showcase their expertise, so save the chicken for restaurants that specialize in it. It’s really that straightforward. You wouldn’t go to a pizzeria and order sushi, right? Same logic applies here.
8. Never Order: Fish Entrees
If you’re dining at a steakhouse, you’re dining at a place that specializes in steak, with chefs who are pros at cooking red meat, and although they’re probably able to rustle up a decent fish dish, there’s a risk of these being somewhat of an afterthought, because steakhouses typically spend time building relationships with suppliers that provide the best meat, but their relationships with seafood suppliers may not be so robust. Never order fish at a steakhouse, just like with sushi – stick to what the restaurant does best. Save your seafood cravings for an actual seafood restaurant where it’s the star of the show.
9. Never Order: Daily Specials
Some restaurants put together their specials for the day based on what’s about to expire or what they’re trying to get rid of faster. This may be especially likely if the special isn’t printed on any menu and is instead recommended orally by your server, which could be a sign that it’s been hastily put together to work through stock, and this is troublesome in a steakhouse because steak tastes better when it’s fresh. It’s hard to say for sure, but I generally skip the specials board unless I know the restaurant well.
10. Never Order: Lobster Mac and Cheese
Unless you are in a restaurant that offers some type of lobster dish or is passionate about their seafood program, lobster mac and cheese at a steakhouse uses meat brought prefabricated in a sealed bag. Despite seafood and cheese going well together, all those fancy, gussied-up side dish combos should maybe sit this one out, with sides like truffle mac and cheese or lobster mashed potatoes being crafted to catch your eye. These dishes scream “trying too hard” and usually deliver disappointing results for the inflated price.
The truth is, steakhouses excel at what they do best: perfectly cooked beef, simple yet luxurious sides, and an atmosphere designed for celebration. Stick to their strengths, skip the gimmicks, and you’ll walk out satisfied every single time. What’s your steakhouse strategy? Do you play it safe or go rogue with the menu?
