Where Are The Best Steakhouses In The World?
 

The FlyerTalk members who contributed to the Argentine Beef versus American Beef thread posted some valuable and informative information.

However, where are the best steakhouses in the world, especially in the United States, Japan, Argentina and Canada?

One vote from me would be the original Shula’s Steak House in Miami Lakes, Florida. I have yet to find a filet mignon that could top the one served at Shula’s.

For an excellent Chateaubriand for two, I recommend the Metropolitan Grill in Seattle, Washington. They slice it and finish the preparation at tableside. The sauce (comprised of dry mustard, wine, peppercorns and a few other ingredients) further enhances the flavor of the beef.

Perhaps I have had a spate of bad luck, but I could not find decent beef in the restaurants of Australia, France or New Zealand.

Please recommend the best steakhouse (or restaurant that serves excellent beef) at which you have ever eaten here.

Canarsie
Great question. Having discovered the beef at Lobel's in NYC, http://lobels.com/index_lobels.htm, I have yet to find any steak in any restaurant which is comparable to the steaks I prepare at home. I do not recommend the Wagyu beef as it is too lean. Lobel's dry-aged prime beef is the finest I have ever eaten.

For Argentina, I would nominate Cabana las Lilas. From the steak on your plate, they manage the supply chain all the way back to the cattle breeding -- all the beef comes from their own ranch. Probably the best steaks in the world. Haven't had one since 2000, and I still think about them.

In NYC, I like Peter Luger (porterhouse for 2 tastes almost like argentina), and Sparks (better service, more comfortabel than Pater Luger)

That is interesting. I have been to Peter Luger Steak House in Brooklyn and, while I found the beef to be very tasty, I would not rank it as the best beef I have ever had. They also do not accept any credit cards (except for the Peter Luger card), so if you plan to go there for the first time, bring plenty of cash. They also have a very limited menu.

Avoid Gallagher’s Steak House in New York City at all costs. The beef was tough and tasted of a poorer quality (I have had beef from the local supermarket that was of better quality), the ambiance was noisy and uncomfortable, the service was awful and the food was expensive. The overall experience was so bad that it became one of very few restaurants of which I have patronized where I have left no gratuity.

I ate at Cabana Las Lilas in Sept 2003 and found the place to be highly over-rated.
The sweetbreads and salads were very good but the rump steak was tough and had little taste and my wife's t-bone must have been from a well travelled steer.
They did not have the wine I selected from the list and then tried to convince me the one they brought was my selection
Added to that the meal was spoilt by the waiters incessantly bumping into my chair as they attempted to serve the next table( because of the proximity of table) one or two times I could understand, but six? and with no appologies. I think there are much better steak places in BA and certainly at more reasonable prices. I dined at a number of Puerto Madero places and I can think of at least three I would return to over Cabana Las Lilas.
mike



[This message has been edited by MIKESILV (edited Jan 30, 2004).]

Wow -- that experience at Cabana las Lilas seems unusual. I didn't say it in my earlier post, but I think another reason Cabana is a favorite of so many people is that the service is so good -- maybe Bice in puerto madero comes close.

My knowledge is a few years out of date, but when I was down there, we ate out all the time. Among the other steak places in Puerto Madero, El Mirasol came close, la Caballeriza was just OK. Across the street, Las Nazarenas had very good steaks, but the atmosphere/decor was dated.

A lot of places have gone downhill or closed in BA given their recent troubles (los Anos Locos was another great steakhouse in the Costanera Norte), but I've kept hearing that Cabana las Lilas is still going strong

Surprising though it is, I think SEA has a pretty high concentration of good steak. The Met, The Brooklyn, El Gaucho, Daniel's, plus the chains like Ruth's Cris and Morton's are all good. Fleming's recently closed, and for the money that was my #1 favorite place for business dinners. Then there is Buenos Aires Grill, which IMO is just fabulous (and a favorite FT dinner location). Now that the regulations have changed, they are using Argentinian beef and it is just amazing.

------------------
-alan in sitges, home of the new, improved Si-Re-Do

While there are soo many Parillas (sp?) in Buenos Aires and Cap.Fed. area that serve excellent steaks, one need not go far from their own neighborhod to get good beef.

Here are a few not mentioned by others, which are as good if not better.

Parilla 1880 in San Telmo.
La Cabarazilla (sp?) in Recolleta on crossing of Junin & ??

El Globo on Av. Mayo and Av. 9 Julio.

La Bisteca in Puerto Madero

El Estabalo (sp?) in Centro or is it microcentro.

http://images5.fotki.com/v56/photos/...omadero-vi.jpg


[This message has been edited by akhullar (edited Jan 31, 2004).]

I was not happy with Cabana las Lilas. The place is quite nice, but my steak was nothing special. I may try it again and post it ..

Link to "STEAKS IN BA..."
http://www.sallys-place.com/travel/s...enos_aires.htm

Places I'd eat again:

In Buenos Aires I liked Estillo Campo. It's a chain, with one right down from Cabana Las Lilas in Puerto Madero. But a good introduction to beef in Argentina nonetheless.

In Montevideo one must go to the Puerto Viejo. Absolutely fantastic grouping of parillas. Best steak and overall food I had on my entire trip. I made three trips here for lunch, it was uniformly excellent.

Any Aberdeen Steak House in the UK. http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/wink.gif Either that, or the BBQ in my backyard, with some Bon Ton Alberta Beef!

If you're eating on the most famous of islands, Manhattan, there's only one place to eat steak.
S P A R K S.

Enough said. As a matter of fact, I'll be enjoying a steak at this restautant within the next 30 days. http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdi...orum/smile.gif

My favorite steakhouses were the old Hereford House and Jess & Jim's in Kansas City. Sadly, both of those have gone downhill in a big way over the past 20 years.

Blasphemous as it is, I now rate several non-Kansas City steakhouses ahead of the old greats. Bern's in Tampa was all-around awesome (amazing wine list) and Keefer's in Chicago (a newcomer) does a bone-in ribeye as well as anyone.

I dined at the original Hereford House in Kansas City (before there were other locations, as it has now) about 10 years ago.

Despite favorable reviews, I found nothing special about it.

[This message has been edited by Canarsie (edited Mar 24, 2004).]

Another vote for Sparks in NYC
 

I'll throw in another vote for Spark'undefineds Steak House in NYC.

There's something about the way the great piece of beef is cooked perfectly on the inside (medium rare for me) yet seared to a thin crust ion the outside. It's a melts-in-your-mouth experience. The people watching is first rate too.

Ive been to several Mortons and Ruths Chris and found them okay but nothing special. Ill go with Peter Lugar. The menu is very limited. They have steak for 1, steak for 2, etc. All the same. As for cooking steak at home, I dont buy it unless you have an oven that goes to 900 degrees or whatever like the steakhouses have. Thats how you can have that nice seared outside and how I like it, very, very rare, on the inside.

I would like to try some of the really good places in Argentina. I spent about a week there a few years ago and had some great beef but didnt go to any high end places. We have recently been ordering grass fed beef (like in Argentina) from some places in the States since we wont eat the sort of mass produced beef for safety concerns. The grass fed stuff we have been getting is very flavorful.

My two truly great experiences so far ...

Sparks in NYC.

Bern's in Tampa.

I've been to lots of other places (El Gaucho, Ruth's Chris, Smith & Wollensky, etc.), and while very, very good just not quite the experiences at either Sparks or Bern's.

Look forward to testing the waters at Peter Lugar's, Shula's and anywhere in Argentina. ^

LG's in Palm Desert and Sam and Harry's in DC.

Without any doubt:

The Butcher's Shop at Mercado Village on International Drive in Orlando, Florida!

Terrible website, wonderful steaks!
http://www.thebutchershopsteakhouse.com/

Greetings,
Muerz

The best:

Smuggler's Inn , Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Most disappointing: Charley's , Kissimmee, FL!!

You have to remve the comma at the end of the link for it to work if you are having trouble with it (I removed it in the quoted text, so it worls there)

Gibson's Steakhouse in Chicago is my favorite in the world!

Orlando Steak Houses
 

I heard great reviews about this place, but I must have been there on an off day for them because, while the food and ambiance were good, they were not outstanding. Then again, I have only tried them once, so I guess I am due to try them again.

Also in Orlando, I have dined at both the original Charley’s Steak House as well as the one on International Drive. Like The Butcher Shop Steakhouse, they were both good but not outstanding, but then again, I understand that they are inconsistent.

I have also dined at Shula’s Steak House at Walt Disney World, and while I enjoyed dining there, it still was not as good as the original in Miami Lakes, Florida.

And I never even knew that the original Walt Disney World was in Miami Lakes! :rolleyes:

Oddly enough, the best steak I ever had was in a country where steaks generally should be avoided: Italy.

In the in-house restaurant of the Hotel Ai Gelsi in Codroipo I had a steak Florentine which was a knock out in both terms of size and taste.

Buenos Aires, Argentina. When I am there, my first meal upon arrival and last meal prior to departure are at Cabana las Lilas in the Puerto Madero neighborhood. The restaurant is a quick walk from the Hilton and the place next door which is part of a chain -- La Caballeriza -- is good too and reasonably priced by even Argentine standards. With or without US pricing standards (i.e., before or after a currency freefall), those meals are too delicious to be passed.

I have made it a point to get friends of mine to go with me there for weekend steak trips... and so far no complaints, especially about the lomo (or brochette de lomo) a punto. :)

Walt Disney had a lot at steak when he opened the original Walt Disney World in Miami Lakes in 1947 as an underwater theme park because it was physically located in Miami Lakes. He attended the theme park’s opening day to meat each customer. However, he had to cut his losses when he realized that most customers at that time had a real beef about not being able to afford to rent the scuba gear in order to visit all of the attractions.

This dismal initial failure chopped his ego in half, but he refused to give up on his revolutionary idea of opening a theme park of some kind and set the main course (well, actually the course remained in Florida, not Maine) in the direction of becoming successful. However, he made sure he steered clear of opening any more underwater theme parks from then on in, as he did not want to be embroiled in any more legal battles as a result of any more financial losses.

His consultants insisted that the next theme park should be located underwater as well, to which Disney, quite deep in thought, replied, “...or land...Oh!” The idea hit him at that moment to move the theme park approximately 200 miles north, and that is how that location became known as Orlando to this day.

-------------

As one would guess, the above story is nothing but a lot of bull and difficult to digest.

Now let us please return to the discussion of where are the best steakhouse in the world...

Has anyone tried "Wolfgang's Steakhouse" on #3rd and Park ave in NYC? I understand it just recently opened. There was a small article in the "Newyork" magazine saying that Wolfgang was the Maitre D at Peter Lugars for forty years and retired to open his own steakhouse in Manhattan. I had reservations last week at this restaurant but cancelled them that day due to exhaustion! I'd love to hear about the restaurant if anyone has eaten there yet!

Kobe, Japan


Rediculously expensive prices for a piece of meat that most Americans would consider a "bite" but damn is it good.

Mmmm...

The best steak I've had was the Kansas City strip from Dickie Brennan's steakhouse in New Orleans. The flavor was just amazing, and they cooked it to perfection. I've had a lot of steaks, but this one took the cake. Of course, I haven't had Kobe beef, so that may be better.

Ive had Kobe and liked it a lot. But I didnt have it as steak. Ive been told the flavor is too delicate to serve as a steak and broil or grill. I had it shabu-shabu style at a place on Ginza in Tokyo. Paper thin, dipped in boiling water for a few seconds and then with a really excellent dipping sauce. It was amazing looking meat, incredible marbling but not the steak type experience from something like a porterhouse.

Two favorites:
Chicago: Gibsons
Indy: St. Elmo

Las Vegas
 

the Resturant is called Hugos Cellar it is in the 4 Queens Hotel in old town Vegas. Unbeilevable steak and salad.

One vote for MASTROS in Beverly Hills
 

Though I know there is one in or around Phoenix. Yes, chain, but darn good food, IMHO. Great atmosphere and even better service. The fish, on those off nights where you can't eat steak for like the sixth day in a row, is so good you feel that you're getting two helpings of solid grub.

for those who come to LA and have a wad of cash to spend (think Business ;) ) I will be more than happy to take an FT group (I'd be on my dime, have no fear :p )

My votes
 

Argentina: Cabana Las Lilas was excellent (had the lomo -medium)
Tampa: Bern's Steak House
Kansas City: Plaza III

More for atmosphere/drinks than food: Gibsons, Chicago

The porterhouse steak at Kissimmee Steak Company is very good!

Still looking forward to my first taste of Argentinian beef (maybe this year) but in the meantime would recommend the cattle country of southwest Colorado and the Hamilton Chop House, an independent a few miles north of Durango:

http://www.hamiltonchophouse.com

I Am Headed to Argentina for Some Beef!
 

Thanks in part to this thread and to the Argentine Beef versus American Beef thread, I definitely look forward to my first taste of Argentinian (or is it Argentine?) beef this autumn in Buenos Aires, where it will be springtime...

Indeed... guess I'm still traumatized by the canned/tinned Argentine corned beef that ended up in my sandwiches at one time in my life so I emphasize the tinny part of the name.

United Business class SFO-HKG :eek:

mmmmmmmmm....yummy. :p

Best time is January
 

I think January is the best time to be in Buenos Aires. The city is alive as it is vacation time, warm weather and abundance of good food and beautiful people. :p Expect to see nice steak at a local parrilla and sit out and relax by an outdoor cafe in recolleta, or head to San Telmo, and have peanuts and cold beer. If it is MLK weekend, I might just join you :)