Favorite Chain Steak Houses

[DFWJC]

The best steak I have EVER had was at a Longhorn steak house in New Jersey. It is odd that I have never had such a good steak in Texas even at a Longhorn steak house.

Have you eaten at....
Nick and Sams?
Al Biernat's?
Three Forks?
Perry's?
Morton's

Come on. You're telling me a steak at Longhorn in Jersey was better than the best in Texas?
Or did you mean the best chain restaurant steak and that you just haven't eaten at the better places in Texas.
That would be fair

 

[CouchCoach]

Actually, I'm a big fan of Ruth Chris Steakhouses. Out of probably 30+ visits, I've only had one that wasn't up to par.

I've had far less success at Del Frisco's Double Eagle steakhouse.

It's been years and years since I have been there, but Bob's Steak and Chop House in Dallas was good too.

Since I bought a Sous Vide, I cook most of my own steaks at home. You can't cook a perfect steak over open flame, Sous Vide cooks them to perfection every time. Finally, the food is far cheaper, and not paying $25-$30 for a good glass of wine to go with it.

BOSS.

Yep, my last visit to Double Eagle was about 10 years ago I sent food back, I told the waiter the steak still had trap marks on it.

The Ruth's on the Parkway has never disappointed and is responsible for all of those other high enders like Smith & Wollensky's, Sullivan's and Three Forks. Back in the day, Ruth's was basically alone out there until the managers of other restaurants did their drive by's and counted cars on Tuesday nights, usually a low night. The count was staggering and turnover was even more impressive. That's when the others began to flock in.

Worst steak award goes to Bob's and when I sent it back, the chef and manager came out to our table of 6 and said the entire meal was on the house and could not apologize enough. The chef said normally they would comp just the bad meal but he had never seen such a horrible piece of meat and had no idea how that got cooked and served but he would deal with it. I think someone in the kitchen was unhappy with their job and about to get that fixed..

 

[DFWJC]

Yep, my last visit to Double Eagle was about 10 years ago I sent food back, I told the waiter the steak still had trap marks on it.

The Ruth's on the Parkway has never disappointed and is responsible for all of those other high enders like Smith & Wollensky's, Sullivan's and Three Forks. Back in the day, Ruth's was basically alone out there until the managers of other restaurants did their drive by's and counted cars on Tuesday nights, usually a low night. The count was staggering and turnover was even more impressive. That's when the others began to flock in.

Worst steak award goes to Bob's and when I sent it back, the chef and manager came out to our table of 6 and said the entire meal was on the house and could not apologize enough. The chef said normally they would comp just the bad meal but he had never seen such a horrible piece of meat and had no idea how that got cooked and served but he would deal with it. I think someone in the kitchen was unhappy with their job and about to get that fixed..

Worst steak at Bob's? wow
Must've been a bad day.
I've had some truly incredible steaks there.
Bet they really were embarrassed.

 

[CouchCoach]

Have you eaten at....
Nick and Sams?
Al Biernat's?
Three Forks?
Perry's?
Morton's

Come on. You're telling me a steak at Longhorn in Jersey was better the best in Texas?
Or did you mean the best chain restaurant steak

I haven't eaten at Perry's but the others are all good and Biernat's was the 90's Cowboys hangout.

I am a steak guy but when my wife wanted beef, we usually hit Lawry's for the prime rib. I used to hate going there because of how they dressed their waitresses, they sold all of those old funky uniforms to the producers of A Handmaid's Tale. I always thought they were burning witches back in the kitchen for fuel but that prime rib was mighty fine.

 

[DFWJC]

I haven't eaten at Perry's but the others are all good and Biernat's was the 90's Cowboys hangout.

I am a steak guy but when my wife wanted beef, we usually hit Lawry's for the prime rib. I used to hate going there because of how they dressed their waitresses, they sold all of those old funky uniforms to the producers of A Handmaid's Tale. I always thought they were burning witches back in the kitchen for fuel but that prime rib was mighty fine.

Lawry's does do a serious Prime Rib!

 

[CouchCoach]

Worst steak at Bob's? wow
Must've been a bad day.
I've had had truly incredible steaks there.
Bet they really were embarrassed.

And that's the reason they comp'd the entire meal. I am pretty sure that was done on purpose by whoever cooked that whatever it was and we were all surprised that our waiter didn't see that and stop it from coming out. When I called him back to take it back, he just stood there in shock. It was like someone took all of the cuttings, the crap, and tried to build a steak out of it. They bent over backwards to fix it and I'd go back in a minute.

 

[Tabascocat]

Anyone remember Old San Francisco Steakhouse? It was probable my favorite place to go as a kid, that and Texas Tumbleweed or The Branding Iron.

 

[CouchCoach]

My wife and I stopped frequenting the steak houses when the churrascaria's like Texas de Brazil and Fogo de Chao came into Dallas. The combination of those salad bars and all those cuts of meat beat the steakhouses out in a vote most of the time.

 

[CouchCoach]

Anyone remember Old San Francisco Steakhouse? It was probable my favorite place to go as a kid, that and Texas Tumbleweed or The Branding Iron.

Yeah and what was that place that would cut your tie off if you wore one? Was that Tumbleweed?

 

[CouchCoach]

Lawry's does do a serious Prime Rib!

Yep, I could come a lot closer to duplicating a high end steak than their prime rib. I dig salads a lot and that Spinning Salad Bowl was great as well.

 

[Tabascocat]

Yeah and what was that place that would cut your tie off if you wore one? Was that Tumbleweed?

No idea, I was too young to wear a tie and find out

 

[DFWJC]

Anyone remember Old San Francisco Steakhouse? It was probable my favorite place to go as a kid, that and Texas Tumbleweed or The Branding Iron.

Wasn't that the place that had girls on a swing overhead?

 

[JIMMYBUFFETT]

Anyone remember Old San Francisco Steakhouse? It was probable my favorite place to go as a kid, that and Texas Tumbleweed or The Branding Iron.

Oh yeah, used to go there as a kid and ride the swing over the bar. Lots of fun.

Morton's would probably get my vote for steak houses right behind JIMMYBUFFETT's house.

 

[Tabascocat]

Wasn't that the place that had girls on a swing overhead?

Yup, I will never forget my old grandpa get on it and almost kill himself

 

[CouchCoach]

I bought Fillet Mignon for the 1st time ever the other day at Albertsons 2 steaks that weighed less than 3 pounds all totaled. Cooked them myself on high in a skillet in butter Worcestershire garlic onion powder and black pepper and a lil Cajun seasoning 2 1/2 minuets on both sides best damn steak I have ever had anywhere. Did not need a knife to cut it

I prefer the texture of a ribeye but the filet is my second choice but I've got to do them like you did to get a lot of flavor into it. On the healthy scale for meat filet is number one and brisket is dead last but when I am in a meat mood, the healthy scale for meat isn't a consideration. In fact, I found out who wrote it and I prank call them when I'm cooking my unhealthy meat.

 

[DFWJC]

I prefer the texture of a ribeye but the filet is my second choice but I've got to do them like you did to get a lot of flavor into it. On the healthy scale for meat filet is number one and brisket is dead last but when I am in a meat mood, the healthy scale for meat isn't a consideration. In fact, I found out who wrote it and I prank call them when I'm cooking my unhealthy meat.

Bone-in Rib Eye is usually my choice

 

[SlammedZero]

I didn't realize you lived in Boise. Love that city, lived there for 3 years in Eagle.

Small world!!! Yeah, this place is going crazy right now. The secret got out. Boise has been on every top 10 list you can think of and the Californians are coming up here in the droves. The irony being that all these people are going to drive out the qualities that make this city great right now. Oh well, what can you do? Anyways, that is funny. Eagle is a nice place. That is where all the money lives.

 

[CouchCoach]

Bone-in Rib Eye is usually my choice

Yeah and a Cowboy Tomahawk is about as decadent as it gets. Costco went to these just recently from just the Cowboy cuts and if you put it in your frig for at least 4 days, uncovered, it helps to partially age it.

Central market usually has them but they're a lot more expensive but they are aged for at least 14 days.

If you want prime, I highly recommend the bone-in's from Chicago Steaks or KC Steaks. Butcher told me those are closer to restaurant quality than the prime in the case at Central Market.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I had a pretty good prime rib and lobster tail dinner at a restaurant called "U.S.S Chowder Pot III" last weekend in New Haven, CT. It didn't come off as a really nice restaurant, but it got rave reviews. It was quite good even if the ambiance wasn't quite what you expect from a great restaurant. I give it a thumbs up.

@Runwildboys ever been there?

 

[CouchCoach]

Small world!!! Yeah, this place is going crazy right now. The secret got out. Boise has been on every top 10 list you can think of and the Californians are coming up here in the droves. The irony being that all these people are going to drive out the qualities that make this city great right now. Oh well, what can you do? Anyways, that is funny. Eagle is a nice place. That is where all the money lives.

It was getting "Californicated" when we moved out there in 93 but we fell in love with it and that was the 3rd job opportunity I had been offered to move there so I figured we needed to go. Loved Peter Schotts and Milford's for seafood and Table Rock is still about as good craft beer as I've had. Our favorite places though were BB Strands and Ducks. But we had to leave room for a chorizo from a street vendor on Main after hitting the bars. Nothing like coming out to your car the next morning to be greeted by the smell of chorizo and onions. Boise downtown at that time was a kick in the pants with the high school and college kids cruising. I knew it couldn't stay the same but that was really cool.

But the coolest part was when we first went there looking for houses and our realtor picked us up at the airport. It was around noon and as we're driving through downtown and crossing over the river, I look over and there's this guy in a shirt and tie with his pant legs rolled up fly fishing for trout and I asked our guy if the realtors pay him to do that. It was something out of a Rockwell painting.