javabytes

I prefer grilling steaks myself, but Wildfire is excellent when I feel like going out. Best ribeye I've found in the $35-40 price range.

Andrea Waters

I like Wildfire too, especially the chopped salad. It's one of those places about which I always forget. I think it's the kind of out of the way in Chicago that makes me forget about it.

If anyone is a fan of Fleming's and lives in Illinois (a few other states are eligible too),be sure to join Dine Rewards. There's no cost to join and they send coupons via your account. You can use these coupons at Fleming's and the other Bloomin' Brands restaurants.

Here's the link:

https://www.dine-rewards.com/

Ceres

I have always been a fan of Flemmings, especially, the happy hour menu. I will put Gibson's Oak brook or Capital grille ahead of it but, like a few others here I will now track down DF on Oak Street, after the reviews it has been getting here. Not crazy about Gibson's on Rush.

I grill a good steak too but its not always easy to get restaurant prime meat.

I have a gift card from Allen Brothers that I have yet to use. Anyone here have an opinion to offer on them?

Thanks

dchristiva

I am a fan and have always been happy to receive gift cards for use there. That said, I can get Prime beef at my local Whole Foods, so I haven't shopped at Allen Bros. in a long, long time. But I don't think you can go wrong with any thing you order there.

Ceres

Thanks ill give that a try. I can get prime at Costco but the quality does not compare with steak houses it seems.

Boraxo

Those thick Costco tenderloins grilled on my BBQ often surpass so-called filet mignons from non-steakhouse restaurants. However it is hard to top most of the establishments recommended here.

javabytes

Hard to compete with good dry aged beef as far as flavor and tenderness goes. If you're trying to truly rival some of the best steaks you've eaten in a restaurant, Costco probably shouldn't be where you buy your steaks. I say this as someone who grills lots of more-than-decent steaks from Costco... they're perfectly fine, but not extraordinary.

mcheng

Del Fresico's here in Chicago. Love the Wagyu longbone steak

trach500

For a national chain with several locations, Capital Grille is probably my favorite. The bone in kona crusted filet with shallot butter is amazing.

Ceres

Yes they are way more than decent at Costco. I buy a lot of meat there and it's very competitively priced.

And your right it's hard to beat dry aged beef. The only think I've had a couple times that was close, I friend who owned a restaurant would occasionally order be a pony of prime ribeye from his supplier and his chef would cut it for me three fingers thick .... It was close, But it was way too expensive to do more than once a year, so I quit doing that as some of the loins didn't beat Costco standards by much and were a lot more money

jologolf212

2 more "chains" to consider.

BLT Steak
Strip House

milepig

Ate at the Palm in Philadelphia last night. Pretty lame.

The really bad part was the service. Our first server had no clue whatsoever - came to ask the table about drinks, the first person said "I'd just like some water" and he DISAPPEARED, returning with water for everyone. Before the rest of us could give him our orders he disappeared again. Later he sort of came back and someone said "could I have a wine list" (which, of course, should have been on the table from the beginning) and he brought it but again immediately disappeared before we had a chance to stop him for actual drink orders.

Finally, someone else came over and we were able to successfully order drinks. Then the appetizers came before our pre-dinner drinks, then the bottle of wine came before the drinks. Everything just off.

And, the prices on the wines are beyond belief. I dine out alot, order wines in many places. These wines were at least twice the price in other places, putting them at about 8 times retail in some cases. Unacceptable.

The food? I'd forgotten before I left the restaurant.

xSTRIKEx6864

Morton's and Ruth's Chris pretty much tie for me when it comes to steakhouses.

Delta Hog

1. Ruth's Chris
2. Capital Grille
3. Morton's


37. Fleming
38. Smith & Wollensky

Sweet Willie

+1masses also support McDonald's, Red Lobster, etc.I'm going to guess "lacks culture" was not the correct term the poster you quoted was looking for. I'd say the poster was attempting to describe a more a vanilla or unimaginative/unadventurous diner, but this isn't just a symptom of the suburbs, most diners are not adventurous.

For example, having worked for a major food manufacturer, it would kill me when the National Restaurant Show was in town & my associates would choose a steakhouse over all the other amazing dining options in Chicago, are you kidding me!!??? We are in the food business & the spot being chosen for dinner is not a cutting edge place for new flavors/products/presentation.

So as stated, a steakhouse is vanilla/chocolate, it pleases most because it isn't offensive, a steakhouse serves items that most diners are familiar with which is very important to a lot of diners.

I'll enjoy a steakhouse dinner a couple times per year, usually business dinners, and if I have to provide a vote for a National steakhouse chain, I'll vote for Flemings.