You walk into a steakhouse with the best of intentions. The leather booths, the dim lighting, the smell of sizzling beef in the air. It feels like a special occasion just sitting down. So you open the menu, and suddenly everything looks incredible.
But here’s the thing: not everything on that menu deserves your money. Chefs who work in these kitchens – or dine in them regularly – have very strong, very specific opinions about what to skip. The answers might genuinely surprise you. Let’s dive in.
1. The Wedge Salad
It looks dramatic on the plate. A thick wedge of iceberg lettuce, a shower of bacon bits, blue cheese dressing pooling at the base. Honestly, I get the appeal. It screams “classic steakhouse” in the best possible way.
Restaurants often charge extra for certain items simply because of presentation, trendiness, or the atmosphere, and the wedge salad is a perfect example of all three combined. Think about it: iceberg lettuce costs almost nothing. The entire dish takes about two minutes to assemble, with zero cooking required.
Chef Dennis Littley reminds diners that “while there’s nothing inherently wrong with ordering a salad, you’re likely paying a premium for something that isn’t the restaurant’s specialty.” Diners in 2025 and 2026 are increasingly unwilling to pay steakhouse prices for something that requires zero cooking skill. Save those dollars for a side that actually took effort.
2. The Loaded Baked Potato
A steak and a loaded baked potato sounds like the ultimate American dinner pairing. The problem is, the reality rarely matches the fantasy. Chefs who know what they’re talking about say this side is almost always a letdown.
Chef Kyle Taylor, Founder and Chef at HE COOKS, doesn’t recommend it. “Most steakhouse baked potatoes end up dry and under seasoned, then they just drown the thing in generic sour cream and that pre-shredded cheese from a bag,” he explains. “You’re honestly better off spending those calories on something the kitchen actually puts some thought into.”
Sides at steakhouses are notoriously overpriced. Although mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, and vegetables are very cheap to prepare, they can cost ten to fifteen dollars each on the menu. The steak is already pricey, but the sides push the total much higher. For a baked potato that was likely just shoved into an oven hours ago, that’s a tough sell.
3. Pasta Dishes
You’ll find pasta on almost every major steakhouse menu these days. Alfredo, lobster mac, creamy fettuccine. It’s there partly to give non-meat eaters an option, and partly to pad the check. Chefs, however, are unanimously unimpressed.
Chef Jeremy Sharpe, Executive Chef at Premier Residences of Chevy Chase, says “when dining at a steakhouse, pasta is often a misstep. Dishes made with alfredo sauce pasta or deep-fried macaroni and cheese bites, while trendy at chain restaurants, simply don’t pair well with a high-quality steak.”
Pasta is not where a steakhouse shines. Most pasta dishes are tossed on the menu to offer something for non-meat eaters, and they are usually made from pre-cooked components. The sauces are heavy, the noodles overdone, and the flavors mismatched with the steakhouse vibe. Save pasta for an Italian restaurant. Honestly, that advice could not be more straightforward.
4. Lobster Mac and Cheese
This one feels fancy. It’s positioned on menus as an upgrade, a luxury side, the kind of thing you order when you want to feel indulgent. But chefs warn the gap between expectation and reality is wide here.
Executive Chef Samuel-Drake Jones of Hudson VU in NYC warns against lobster mac and cheese, explaining that “unless you are in a restaurant that offers some type of lobster dish or is passionate about their seafood program, the lobster meat was brought prefabricated in a sealed bag.” Furthermore, because lobster is so expensive, “chefs and owners are less likely to throw this item out and will hold on to it longer, potentially past its time of peak deliciousness.”
For this same reason, your lobster mac probably came fresh out of the freezer. That’s a sobering thought when you’re staring at a fifteen dollar upcharge on an already expensive meal. The steakhouse kitchen excels at fire and protein, not chasing down fresh lobster tail suppliers.
5. Grilled Fish
There’s a simple rule in dining that most chefs live by: order what the restaurant is actually built to do. You wouldn’t go to a sushi bar and order a burger. The same logic applies to fish at a steakhouse.
Executive chef Jeremy Shigekane of 100 Sails and Bar at the Prince Waikiki Hotel in Honolulu says: “Never order fish at a steakhouse. Just like with sushi, I believe in sticking to what the restaurant does best.”
If you’re dining at a steakhouse, you’re dining at a place that specializes in steak, with the chefs who work there likely being pros at cooking red meat. Although they’re probably able to rustle up a decent fish dish, there’s a risk of these being somewhat of an afterthought. Steakhouses typically spend a good amount of time building relationships with suppliers that provide the best meat, but their relationships with seafood suppliers may not be so robust, leading to an inferior product.
6. Well-Done Steak
I know, I know. This might feel obvious. Yet it bears repeating because so many people still order it this way, and chefs still wince every time. The numbers are interesting too. According to Longhorn Steakhouse, about 12 percent of customers ask for their steak to be cooked well done.
Chef Dennis Littley, classically trained chef and owner of AskChefDennis.com, explains that well-done steak equals subpar flavor. “Cooking a steak to well-done robs it of its natural juices and flavors, leaving you with a tough, dry piece of meat,” he says.
Executive chef Eric Mickle of Salt and Fin at Harrah’s Resort Southern California warns: “Never order a Wagyu or American-style Wagyu cut well-done. The fat content is what makes a Wagyu a Wagyu, and by overcooking that piece of beef, you are just rendering all of that beautiful, flavorful fat out.” The more you pay for a cut, the more you lose by overcooking it. It really is that simple.
7. Chicken Breast
Why would you order chicken at a steakhouse? It’s a fair question, and chefs ask it all the time. Yet chicken dishes, especially stuffed or pan-roasted chicken breast, appear on nearly every major steakhouse menu. They are almost always a mistake.
One chef explains: “I want the flavor and richness of dark meat. Also, why would I risk a dried-out piece of poultry when I’m dining at – and paying higher prices for – a restaurant that specializes in perfectly cooked red meat?”
Fried or baked chicken may not reach the quality standards that steakhouses uphold, with their specialized focus on premium meat dishes. The chefs at these establishments often excel in grilling or roasting meats, honing their skills to perfection in these areas. Frying chicken, on the other hand, requires specific techniques to ensure it is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Steakhouse kitchens may have different expertise or equipment for frying chicken compared to a restaurant dedicated to this dish. You deserve better for that price tag.
8. Mozzarella Sticks and Fried Appetizers
Walking into a steakhouse and opening with a plate of mozzarella sticks feels like showing up to a Ferrari dealership and asking to see their bicycle selection. Yet these fried starters cling to menus, especially at chain steakhouses, and the truth about them is quietly horrifying.
Michelin-trained Chef Julian Boudreaux advises diners to order something else if mozzarella sticks appear on a steakhouse menu. “Mozzarella sticks are a quick no,” he says. “There is no way they can execute them to the level they need to be done. The mozzarella sticks will be frozen.”
The Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Onion is one of the worst steakhouse options for your health, weighing in at 1,620 calories, 126 grams of fat, 41 grams of saturated fat, and 4,140 milligrams of sodium. This starter has about half the calories you need in an entire day, and packs in about two and a half times the amount of sodium you should consume all day long. Order that before your steak, and the evening is effectively over before it begins.
9. French Onion Soup
French onion soup sounds like a cozy, classic way to kick off a steakhouse dinner. Warm broth, gooey melted cheese, caramelized onions. In theory, perfect. In practice, at most steakhouses, the result is surprisingly disappointing.
When done right, French onion soup is a delightful dish that is savory, rich and full of flavor, but Chef Sean Telo of Hank and Artie’s in Portland says most steakhouses don’t do it justice. “Let’s be honest – most steakhouses treat French onion soup like an afterthought,” he says. “You’re getting a bowl of sodium-laden broth, a soggy mess of onions that have been sitting in a steam bath all day, and a rubbery blanket of cheese that’s more about theatrics than flavor. If it’s not done right, it’s a gut bomb that’ll ruin your appetite before the steak even hits the table.”
It’s hard to say for sure whether every steakhouse is guilty of this, but the pattern is consistent enough that chefs bring it up time and again. A soup that ruins your appetite for the main event is the last thing you need at these prices. Data from the Consumer Price Index shows beef prices jumped by 14.7% in 2025 over 2024, a much higher increase than the 3.1% rise in overall food costs. When steak costs this much, every appetizer decision matters.
10. The Cheesecake
You’ve made it through the meal. The steak was perfect. Now the dessert menu arrives, and there it is: cheesecake. It’s on virtually every steakhouse menu in the country. Chefs find it baffling that it still sells so well.
Chef Adonis Ouano Icalina is direct about it: “It’s just so overdone. Every restaurant has it, and it’s always the same. Dense, dry, and just boring. Unless we’re talking about a really unique twist on the classic, like a goat cheese cheesecake or something, then no, I wouldn’t waste my calories on it.”
The same chef recommends something far more memorable instead: “Give me a great crème brûlée or a decadent chocolate cake any day.” That’s advice worth following. A steakhouse crème brûlée or a warm chocolate lava cake is almost always made with more care and intention than a dense, standard cheesecake that has been sitting in a refrigerator since Tuesday.
