7 Steakhouse Chains With The Best Quality Meat In America – Eat This Not That

Steakhouses are places of luxury and decadence; of dignified business meals and golden anniversaries, of lavish celebrations and buttoned parties. Of course, it can also be more casual affairs with families and friends gathered around platters of meat.

Whether they consist of dozens of locations or just a few in major markets, steakhouse chains are as essential to American dining as apple pie, summertime hot dogs and regional barbecue. But in addition to the varied menus and types of cuisine, what separates one steakhouse from another is the quality of its meat, as well as the way it obtains, ages and prepares it, which can make all the difference. difference in providing a good quality dining experience. at large.

From a Brazilian staple to a “dinner ambience,” here are seven steakhouse chains offering the best quality steaks in America.

And don’t miss 5 fast-growing restaurant chains that customers are flocking to.

Amid a nationwide comeback, one of America’s biggest steakhouse chains owes at least part of its recent revival to the quality of its steaks. Ruth’s Chris champions the idea of ​​simplicity, serving its meat on a plate sizzling at 500 degrees with nothing more than salt, pepper and a sprinkle of parsley. It’s a philosophy that works well when the products are as high-end as their USDA Prime cuts, rigorously sourced from reputable suppliers, and held to high standards.

“The steakhouse prides itself on its selection of the finest cuts of USA Prime beef that are cooked to perfection using its beloved broiling method and served on a 500-degree sizzling plate to maintain that ‘last bite too’ philosophy. good as the first, “says a spokesperson.

“Ruth’s Chris USDA Prime cuts are sourced from nationally recognized premium beef purveyors that are premium, well-marbled and hand-selected, grass- and corn-fed, from the Midwest.”

From bone-in tenderloins and rib eye to T-bones and porterhouses, meat comes from cows that start out on a grass-fed diet before transitioning to a corn-fed diet, to achieve specific flavor and quality, while adhering to USDA guidelines for grading, quality, testing, and ethical sourcing. It’s a standard that founder Ruth Fertel would be proud of.

“The restaurant chain’s founder, Ruth, has chosen only the finest cuts served with warm hospitality and good times, and they proudly continue to do the same,” a spokesperson said.

Fogo de Chao may be an American steakhouse, but it takes its Brazilian influences to heart. Namely, at the heart of its meat sourcing philosophy is the ethos of “Respeito Pela Comida”, a Portuguese phrase that speaks to the Brazilian gaucho way of nurturing, harvesting and sourcing food with respect – for the farmers, for animals and for customers who value quality meat.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

For its list of 21-day-aged steaks, all sourced from the United States, the restaurant makes a concerted effort to partner with suppliers whose beliefs and ethics match their own. This includes the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare, a guideline put in place by the Farm Animal Welfare Committee for sustainable sourcing and animal health, both mental and physical. This means that all the beef served at Fogo de Chao comes from cows that live happily and healthily in wide open spaces, free from hunger, thirst, discomfort, pain or distress.

When it comes to meat sourcing, the chain is so vocal about these principles that it requires all suppliers to provide animal welfare statements, third-party compliance audit results and certifications. of durability. In 2019, Fogo de Chao became the first steakhouse chain in America to use HerdXan agri-tech company that tracks and traces the meat it sources.

When a steak is so good you put your name on it and mark it, you know it has to be something special. This is the case at Shula’s Steakhouse, the Florida chain founded by NFL coach Don Shula. His bar for a good steak was so high that he set a new set of national standards for his restaurants with the SHULA CUT®. This is an exclusive, premium Black Angus steak sourced from Graham Angus Farms in Georgia, then aged, cut and trimmed to exacting parameters.

Very few steaks in the United States meet the standards to become a SHULA CUT (less than 1%, depending on the steakhouse), hence the demanding sourcing strategy. In fact, Shula’s is so committed to sourcing premium meat that members of the steakhouse’s management team help oversee farm operations, showing that they don’t just talk, but walk too. .

In order to meet their menu needs, going beyond the standards set by the USDA for premium beef, steaks must meet several scientific specifications to ensure consistency, flavor, marbling, maturity, tenderness, leanness and appearance. Whether it’s savoring a 24-ounce porterhouse, a 16-ounce strip, or a buttery filet mignon, any savvy steak lover can tell the difference.

Any steakhouse transparent enough to sell fresh cuts of premium beef directly to customers is clearly proud of its product. STK, the increasingly popular chain known for its sexy decor and self-proclaimed “Dining Vibe,” has become the latest steakhouse to start shipping steaks directly to customers as part of its new STK meat market end of 2021.

Not only does this provide opportunities for a much broader consumer base (i.e. customers who don’t live in one of the 13 US cities where the restaurants are located), but it shows that they don’t have nothing to hide and the quality of their meat speaks for itself.

The chain sources exclusively Midwestern beef, either USDA Choice or USDA Prime Angus, the former having followed a corn-fed diet that adds marbling, richness and tenderness. All steaks, with the exception of a few dry-aged options, are wet-aged for a minimum of 30 days.

Whether you’re cooking your own STK steak at home or dining on an 8-ounce flat iron or a 16-ounce cowgirl rib eye (maybe even browned with lobster butter) at one of their locations, the quality and care given to the meat, at every stage, is palpable.

Like Shula’s, Smith & Wollensky is another steakhouse chain that goes the extra mile not only to meet rigorous sourcing standards, but also to partner with beef farms. More recently, the chain announced a partnership with family-owned Double R Ranch in Washington, taking their standards of sustainability and consistency to the next level through a single source for their premium meats.

With its wide open spaces (70,000 acres, to be exact) and mild climate (which favors renewable livestock feeds like alfalfa, hay and potato, plus vitamins and minerals from a nutritionist professional), Pacific Northwest Farm is an ideal source for cattle raised with care and compassion.

“I believe Double R Ranch is the finest premium beef available, hand-selected to include only the highest levels of marbling on the USDA grading scale,” the executive chef said. by Smith & Wollensky, Matthew King. “We have strengthened our commitment to the tradition of ranching with like-minded associates and supporting sustainable farming practices. At Double R Ranch, sustainability, total quality, animal welfare and social responsibility are a way of life, and we’re thrilled to share their story, seasoned to perfection, through our kitchen at Smith & Wollensky.”

The chain offers Double R Ranch USDA steaks and signature tenderloins, which are aged in-house for an additional 28 days for optimal flavor and texture.

Seafood may be headlining at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, but don’t sleep on the meat at this surf and turf mecca. With locations in Chicago, Las Vegas and Washington, DC, this chic mini-chain exclusively sells premium ingredients, whether from the sea or land.

“It is paramount, first and foremost, to build strong relationships with our suppliers,” says Chef-Partner Justin Diglia of Restaurant Fundamentals. “They are the ones we rely on to consistently source the highest quality beef and butcher it to our specifications. When the meat arrives at the restaurant, we have a highly trained receiver who weighs and inspects each steak to ensure “It’s up to Joe’s Standards. And finally, our kitchen team tests the steaks weekly to make sure the flavor profiles are up to par.

All beef comes from the Midwest, where the climate makes it a mediocre cut of meat. “Our harsh winters and abundance of natural resources produce some of the best beef in the world,” adds the chef. “All of our beef is finished in corn which gives a depth of flavor and a nutty finish.”

Menu options run the gamut from dry-aged burger patty and a 16-ounce strip of New York to bone-in rib eye and a filet mignon surf & turf with king crab, asparagus, and bearnaise sauce.

With locations in Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Charlotte, Steak 48 is a small but mighty burgeoning steakhouse chain with a reputation built on quality. Owned by the same people who founded the legendary Mastro’s Steakhouse, each Steak 48 location has an on-site butcher shop, with trained butchers who custom cut 28-day wet-aged steaks from Kansas City strips. with bones to new grass-fed foods. York Bands. When ready, they hit the grill at 1,800 degrees and are served with sautéed blue cheese, crab cakes and foie gras.

Before it gets spoiled, however, it starts at the source: Most of the meat for restaurants comes from farms in Michigan and Wisconsin, plus extra-special premium Wagyu from Mishima Reservea Washington company that raises a herd of Japanese-origin Kuroge Washu bulls bred with American cows.