Chain Restaurants To Visit If You’re Looking For High-Quality Steak

Steakhouses are as deeply American as cowboys and the Wild West. Dating back to 1868 when the Old Homestead Steakhouse opened for business in New York City’s Meatpacking District, steakhouses have remained an important cornerstone of American dining culture. Today, there are literally thousands of steakhouses across the country, including popular chain restaurants that offer both familiarity and culinary consistency.

Just like other restaurant chains, steakhouses vary greatly in how they source and prepare their beef. Some offer lower quality cuts at affordable prices while others serve exceptional, premium quality meat from some of the most reputable farms in the U.S. The difference usually comes down to elements such as the grade of meat, the aging process, the seasoning blend, and the technique used by the chefs.

Ready to find out which chain restaurants specialize in high-quality steaks and which ones you might want to steer clear of? Keep reading.

Having opened its doors in New York in 1926, The Palm has contributed to shaping the American steakhouse experience. Offering classic Italian-American cuisine, the restaurant quickly became a gathering ground for journalists and artists. During the war years, The Palm distinguished itself by offering prime beef despite its scarcity.

Today, The Palm continues to serve top quality cuts at 17 locations in the U.S. More specifically, the restaurant specializes in USDA Prime beef. The meat is sourced from well-fed young cattle and characterized by abundant marbling.

Whether it’s The Palm’s Prime Porterhouse, Prime New York Strip, or Prime Ribeye Steak, most customers have praised the high quality of the dishes. For instance, one Tripadvisor reviewer says that they have never been disappointed with The Palm’s steaks, adding, “Always great to go [to a] classic NYC steakhouse and get what you want. [The] steak is always perfect.” An OpenTable user agrees, saying, “If you want a fabulous steak at a great steakhouse with wonderful service, The Palm is the place.”

The number of Applebee’s locations has grown exponentially since the restaurant opened in Decatur, Georgia in 1980. In fact, the American grill restaurant now boasts around 1,650 locations in 14 countries. However, while Applebee’s is more affordable than many of the steakhouse chains in the U.S., this is also reflected in the quality of its steaks. The chain serves USDA Select beef, the lowest grade of beef that ranks below USDA Prime and USDA Choice. This means that the restaurant’s cuts feature minimal marbling, and thus are less juicy and flavorful than most other restaurant steaks. Moreover, in 2021, the Natural Resources Defense Council gave Applebee’s an F for its efforts to move away from antibiotic-free meat.

Applebee’s serves top sirloin and ribeye dishes, all grilled to your liking. However, the fact that the cuts are supposed to be prepared to order doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be served what you requested. One Tripadvisor reviewer says that their steak was horrible, elaborating, “My steak was so rubbery, raw, and I could not cut it with my steak knife. They took it back to cook it more but that did nothing as the piece was a full 8oz slab of fat.” A Yelp user also wasn’t impressed with their meal, explaining, “Rock hard steak. […] The culinary skill is beyond horrible. The chef who did my steak needs to go back to school. Zero star for me. I will spend my money elsewhere.”

Ruth’s Chris would never have existed had its founder, Ruth Fertel, not taken a chance, mortgaging her home for $22,000 to buy Chris Steak House in 1965. When the original location burned to the ground in 1976, the entrepreneur added her own name to the business, thus creating the first Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

Today, Ruth’s Chris serves a range of custom-aged Midwestern USDA Prime steaks. Each cut of beef at the restaurant is broiled at an ultra-high 1,800 F. Once grilled to the patron’s liking, the steak is served with a dollop of butter on a sizzling 500 F plate to ensure that it stays at the right temperature throughout the meal.

Though Ruth’s Chris is not the cheapest steakhouse, according to many patrons, you get what you pay for. A case in point is one Reddit member who says, “I’ve always been impressed with Ruth’s Chris. The quality of beef is good, the service has always been great, [and the] sides are amazing. It’s my favorite ‘chain’ steakhouse for special occasions.” Similarly, one Tripadvisor reviewer calls the chain’s steaks “melt in your mouth deliciousness,” adding, “Hands down, the most amazing steak we have ever had. We ordered the cowboy ribeye to share […] — and it did not disappoint.”

Known for its budget-friendly steaks, all-you-can-eat buffet, and family-friendly atmosphere, the Sirloin Stockade has been in business since 1966. Aside from the buffet, Sirloin Stockade serves a range of à la carte dishes, including steaks such as sirloin, ribeye, filet mignon, New York strip, and T-bone. According to a 2020 Sirloin Stockade Facebook post, the restaurant uses USDA Choice beef, which falls somewhere between USDA Prime and USDA Select in quality.

There is little doubt that the Sirloin Stockade has seen better days, now operating just eight locations in five states, and the quality of its steaks may be one of the reasons for this decline. One Yelp reviewer calls the chain’s steak “especially bad,” elaborating, “It’s stringy and mushy. For the price and the quality of food, it’s definitely not worth it.” A Tripadvisor user concurs, saying, “Ordered steak medium. That was a joke. About 5 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. No flavor at all and overcooked.”

At Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, steaks are serious business. The chain serves expertly-prepared USDA Prime cuts, the top grade of beef known for its superior marbling and juicy texture. The beef is sourced from family-run Midwestern farms and either wet- or dry-aged for at least 21 days to enhance its tenderness and flavor. The steaks are then seasoned with freshly cracked pepper and kosher salt before being charbroiled at 1600  F. Finally, the cuts are served on 350 F plates to make sure they remain warm throughout the meal.

Aside from its classic steak choices, Fleming’s also serves Japanese A5 Wagyu strips on a sizzling stone, served with miso glaze, grated horseradish, and black lava salt. Japanese A5 Wagyu is the highest grade of Wagyu beef, known for its exceptional marbling, and buttery texture. Fleming’s also offers Certified Angus Beef ribeye, which meets 10 stringent quality specifications, which are only found in three out of 10 cattle. All the selected cuts come from cattle fed a completely vegetarian diet and free from antibiotics and hormones.

Outback Steakhouse is an Australian-themed restaurant that has very little to do with Australian food. After all, there is nothing Australian about “Bloomin’ Onions,” “Kookaburra Wings,” and “Alice Springs Chicken.” While the chain’s steaks also come with Aussified names like Victoria’s Filet Mignon and Outback Center-Cut Sirloin, there is nothing specifically Down Under about them.

Outback Steakhouse doesn’t disclose the exact grade of beef it uses on the menu, but it’s likely USDA Choice. Falling between USDA Prime and USDA Select, it has decent marbling and flavor. As such, at least on paper, the chain’s steaks seem to strike a decent balance between affordability and quality.

Despite their promising description, the cuts have left diners underwhelmed. This is highlighted by one Reddit reviewer who says, “I can’t believe they have the audacity to put the word steakhouse in their name.” A Yelp reviewer states that they were also disappointed with their meal, noting, “My husband ordered steak medium well and it came out charred. They took his steak back and brought [one] out that might have been medium rare.”

Fogo de Chão is a Brazilian steakhouse famous for its churrascaria-style dining — a prix-fixe menu where the meat is served table-side from massive skewers by a team of roaming gauchos. While the Fogo de Chão menu doesn’t specify the grade of its beef, Fogo de Chão Fort Lauderdale General Manager Wanderson Oliveira recently told Mashed that the chain only serves cuts classified USDA Choice or higher.

The beef lineup on Fogo de Chão’s set menu includes picanha, or the restaurant’s signature sirloin, ribeye, filet mignon, and Brazilian bottom sirloin called fraldinha. All the cuts are lightly seasoned and cooked over an open flame, which gives them a distinct smoky char. Fogo de Chão’s full Churrasco experience comes with an all-you-can-eat Market Table & Feijoada Bar.

Aside from its prix-fixe menu, Fogo de Chão also offers an à la carte menu with tantalizing, shareable steak dishes. These include Dry-Aged Tomahawk Ancho Ribeye, dry-aged for 42 days, as well as Wagyu Ancho Ribeye, Wagyu Porterhouse, and Wagyu New York Strip.

Logan’s Roadhouse never recovered after it filed for bankruptcy and closed over 260 locations in 2020. Today, the casual dining chain is down to around 130 restaurants, most of them in the Southeast and Midwest of the country. Logan’s Roadhouse uses USDA Choice beef, which falls between USDA Premium and USDA Select. To infuse them with flavor, the cuts are grilled on an open fire fueled by mesquite wood.

Despite the appealing menu descriptions, many reviewers claim that Logan’s Roadhouse’s steaks don’t live up to the restaurant’s promises. Pascale Mondesir, who reviewed the chain for Business Insider, says that their meal didn’t feel like good value compared to those offered by other steakhouses, partly due to the small size of the steak. In addition, some reviewers have complained about the meat’s quality, with one Tripadvisor user saying, “We ordered a 6oz Sirloin steak that was basically all fat and gristle.” Another Tripadvisor reviewer agrees, noting, “My grandma also got a filet and the steak was so tough she could not even chew it.”

Founded in 1993, Texas Roadhouse quickly built a loyal customer base, expanding to over 670 locations across the U.S. in just three decades. A large part of this popularity can be attributed to Texas Roadhouse’s mouth-watering steaks. From classics like the New York Strip and Bone-in Ribeye to more unique offerings such as Roadkill, all the beef served at Texas Roadhouse has been graded USDA Choice, the next highest quality of beef after USDA Prime.

What sets Texas Roadhouse steaks apart from other casual dining options isn’t just their quality — it’s the way they’re prepared. Every steak is cut by hand in-house, something that Cyril Reyes, the director of operations at Texas Roadhouse, says is very important. “Machine-cut meat loses some of its moisture due to friction. Less friction means juicier steaks,” he told MarketScreener in an interview. After they are seasoned with the chain’s house blend, the cuts are seared on a flat top for one minute per side to develop a flavorful crust. They are then transferred to a gas grill to create the restaurant’s signature diamond-shaped grill marks.

When Del and Helen Johnson opened the first Sizzler in 1958, they asked themselves, “Why does a nice juicy steak have to break the bank?” At a time when going out for a steak was reserved for special occasions, the Johnsons wanted to make restaurant beef accessible to everyday diners. While this concept worked for a while, with the restaurant expanding to 270 locations, the chain eventually started to struggle to keep up with growing competition and changing customer preferences. Today, Sizzler only has around 75 locations in the U.S.

Sizzler offers three types of steak on its à la carte menu — ribeye, New York strip, and tri-tip sirloin. While Sizzler doesn’t seem to publicly disclose the USDA grade of its beef, reviewers haven’t been overly pleased with the chain’s beefy offerings. For instance, a Tripadvisor reviewer says, “[The] steak was similar to very cheap/thin/fatty steak you might get at say a high school cafeteria — so much fat, I hardly got any steak to eat.” It appears that the restaurant’s steak preparation also leaves much to be desired, with one Tripadvisor user complaining, “I ordered just a medium-rare steak and mashed potatoes, it cost me $18. What I got was a medium steak.”

Morton’s The Steakhouse prides itself on serving USDA Prime beef, the top tier beef quality in the U.S. known for its exceptional marbling and tenderness. Moreover, the chain has been sourcing its meat from the same supplier since its founding in 1978. In addition to the classic cuts, Morton’s also serves American Wagyu and Japanese A5 Wagyu, both renowned for their abundant marbling and melt-in-the-mouth texture. All steaks can be enjoyed with a range of add-ons such as blue cheese butter, Cognac sauce au poivre, or black truffle butter.

The steaks at Morton’s have received consistently positive feedback from diners. One Tripadvisor reviewer exemplifies this, stating, “The steak was one of the best I’ve had and we loved the sides too. The portions are enormous compared to what we are used to.” A Yelp reviewer echoes this sentiment, saying, “During our travels we have [to] try steakhouses to see who does steak best. While we’re still on our journey and can’t make a decision we do know that Morton’s makes an amazing steak.”

While Ponderosa Steakhouse is best known for its buffet, the chain also has an à la carte menu that includes grilled entrées. Aside from Chopped Steak and Signature Sirloin Tips, the restaurant also serves two classic steak options — Center Cut Sirloin and Ribeye Steak. Unfortunately, when it comes to steak quality and preparation, Ponderosa falls short compared to premium steakhouses. While we can’t be sure what grade of meat the chain currently serves, when it first opened in the 60s, Ponderosa used low-quality meat treated with enzymes to tenderize it.

Many diners say that Ponderosa’s steaks miss the mark in terms of quality and preparation. For instance, one unimpressed Tripadvisor reviewer says that they understand why the chain is going out of business, adding, “The steaks are of medium-low quality and seldom prepared correctly to order.” A Yelp user seconds this, saying, “Food was awful and cost us 50 dollars for two. Steak looked and tasted like it came from my elementary cafeteria.”

Founded in New York City in 1977, Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse has built a reputation for serving top tier USDA Prime beef — apparently the chain only accepts the top 25% of prime cuts. The beef is then dry aged on premises for 18 to 28 days to deepen its flavor and enhance its tenderness. The white-tablecloth fine dining restaurant serves a range of cuts including New York sirloin, bone-in ribeye, filet mignon, and porterhouse — most of which are seasoned with kosher salt and ground black pepper before being seared at 800 F.

The steaks at Smith & Wollensky have received the green light from most diners. One happy Tripadvisor reviewer says that the restaurant served up their “best meal of 2024,” elaborating, “The rib eye Cajun rub steak was exceptional, so was the New York strip. […] As you would expect super size steaks and portions so go there feeling empty!” An OpenTable user also praises the restaurant’s steak, saying, “Food was great as always, steak perfectly cooked and the service 10/10.”

Established in 1978 with a focus on desserts, these days the Cheesecake Factory serves a staggering number of dishes, including six different steak options. These include Grilled Rib-Eye Steak and Filet Mignon, as well as less traditional choices like Steak Diane, Carne Asada Steak, Steak Frites, and Spicy Ginger Beef Tenderloin. The Cheesecake Factory hasn’t disclosed the grade or source of its steak cuts.

The mere fact that we know so little about the quality of the Cheesecake Factory’s beef is one reason why you might want to think twice before ordering a steak at the restaurant. The other is the underwhelming customer reviews. For example, one Reddit user who ordered their steak rare complains, “A bare minimum amount of salt and pepper. Overcooked and the green beans had more flavor.” Similarly, a Tripadvisor reviewer calls the steak “disgusting,” adding, “We ordered lunch. Three servings of the most expensive steak. The steak was terribly over-salted! The taste of the meat was clogged with salt!”

With the tagline, “Steak as it was meant to be,” LongHorn Steakhouse sets high expectations. Luckily, the chain delivers on its promise with perfectly seasoned and cooked beef. It’s worth noting here that not all the cuts of steak served at LongHorn Steakhouse are of the same quality, with some options graded USDA Choice and others USDA Prime. According to a former LongHorn Steakhouse employee, the outlaw ribeye, the porterhouse, and the T-bone are some of the higher quality steak options on the menu. The never-frozen steaks are prepared on either the char grill and the flat-top grill, depending on the cut.

According to many reviewers, LongHorn Steakhouse steaks are delicious. For instance, one enthused Redditor says that they love the chain, explaining, ” [I] eat there all the time and my go to dish is the New York strip. In Atlanta, it is about $24 with side, salad and bread. You can’t beat it.” A Tripadvisor reviewer agrees, saying, “Best steak I’ve ever had, perfectly cooked. I usually get well done and it […] is very dry. This steak is perfectly cooked, well done and yet it’s juicy and very perfectly seasoned.”

Static Media owns and operates Tasting Table, Mashed, and The Takeout.