Been to just about every steak place in Chicago, Hereford House in KC, St. Elmos in Indy and others I can't remember right now, but the best experience was at Berns in Tampa. It was an epic dinner.

Had a great dinner at David Burke's Primehouse in Chicago this week but it cannot hold a candle to Berns...

I ate at Gibson's Steakhouse in Chicago last week and had not only a great meal, but perhaps the best waiter I've ever had. The food and liquour selection as well as wine list are impeccable and the space is nice, though can get a bit crowded. The service, however, sealed the deal. It's amazing when you have a waiter who is able to anticipate your needs and knows exactly when to show up, exactly how much to say and exactly when to leave.

They do a sear on the meats that made my bone in ribeye perfect. And the desserts are huge and come with a steak knife standing up in them as they're designed to be shared.

http://www.gibsonssteakhouse.com/

Yes, you're correct. I mean papa bros. I thought it was strange that papa jons pizza had the same name as a steakhouse!!

I prefer dry aged, personally. I think one steakhouse that is not commonly mentioned for San Francisco is Bobo's. It has some of the best steak I've ever eaten, with their signature dish being a bone-in filet.

The problem with Bobo's is that the ambiance and the sides are not great. They don't have the old "steakhouse feel" that Harris' or House of prime rib (not really a steakhouse), or even Alfred's do. However, if you eat their steak--truly dry aged--it blows away the steaks at most restaurants in the country. It is just delicious dry-aged steak. The sides are not good at all, but we go to a steakhouse for steak, right?

For wet aged, I have found DelFrisco's to be just phenomenal. I went to one in Houston and the one in Vegas, and each time, the meal was just awesome. The flavor and the seasoning were perfect.

I have been to Smith & Wolensky probably 7 to 8 times now for business dinners, and each time, the meat is completely mediocre. I am always underwhelmed by it, and I always find myself thinking that it's just not a good steakhouse. It has absolutely no flavor at all. Even Morton's (which I find quite flavorless) has more flavor than S & W.

The Chicago Chop House is pretty amazing, although very pricey

My vote goes to Manny's. No doubt the best steak I have ever had (bone-in tenderloin). The price is not cheap, but you get what you pay for.


Delta747

S&W has the most expensive dogfood possibly in the world.
I have to go there for dinner on business sometimes and I have to use the spinach and eat it WITH my steak for it to have any flavor at all.
Next time I think I will ask for some aged balsamic to put on my steak (a blasphemous statement for a truly good/great steak!)

For $130 it had better be f'in amazing. I was there and they slip in the "Per Person" in much lighter font next to the $65. It was maybe worth $65, but probably not and certainly not 130.

So how do they justify charging you $130 when you (1 person) order it???

You won't hear any argument from me there...

As far as chains.. a pretty good steak is The Keg..

But, our favorite is Ruth's Chris.. I like to dine their Prime Time.

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A couple weeks ago my wife and I went to see the play "Normal Heart". Through a variety of circumstances we didn't have dinner reservations and looked near the theatre. Frankie and Johnnies was across the street. They couldnt get us a table as a walk in but we were able to eat at the bar. We had "steak for two" classic New York style and it was excellent. Very nice steak, flavorful and tender.

Another find was in STL a couple weeks ago. We went to Prime 1000. I and the grass fed ribeye rather than one of the prime grader steaks and it was great. Very full grass fed flavor but tender for grass fed. A real treat.

It's interesting because Ruth's Chris is on this best survey and also on the worst survey. I've eaten at a fair number of these restaurants all across the country, and I must say that the quality is highly variable. For intance, the one in Baltimore (yes...Baltimore) is just phenomenal. Every time I have eaten there, the steak has just been absolutely delicious. One of the best I've eaten. I have been to the one here in San Francisco, and it is truly, truly disappointing. The steak is mediocre at best, and not tasty at all. One would think given the reputation of the cities that it would be the other way around, but the SF Ruth's Chris is really bad and the one in Baltimore is fantastic. Thus, it may be the high variability of Ruth's Chris, and it's significantly different from city to city.

Maybe a one-off.. as the steaks are impressive from YYC to KOA to OGG..

I've always found the steaks delicious and consistent.. In YYC at the tower, you can have the choice between local grain fed, or US corn fed.. Well if I'm paying the bucks, I'm going to get US corn fed.

From porterhouse, to rib eye, to T-bone.. our favorite steak house to dine..

Cooked in 1500 degree farenheit.. the taste is unique and unmatched in that regard.. plus the atmosphere is top notch.

Andrew's Steak & Seafood inside Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh consistently has great steaks. Of the couple that I've tried, they are the best steakhouse in the city.

For an overall experience.... including serivce, a great wine list, steak, and dessert room.... Berns is the best I have been to and has been good for a long, long time.... Bernie grabbed a lot of wine and a lot of it is still there...