7 Steakhouse Chains That Serve the Best Burgers
Dining out at a steakhouse doesn't mean you're going there only for the steak. Many steakhouses are known for other parts of the menu: fresh seafood, hearty side dishes, and even top-notch desserts. But maybe the most highly sought-after option at a steakhouse, right after steak, is a juicy burger.
It's only natural to expect a better-than-average burger at a place that specializes in meat. One of the advantages of a steakhouse burger is that the beef is often steak-level quality and freshly ground in-house—a step-up from the mystery meat you get served at most burger chains.
Whether you like to stay on the budget-friendly side of steakhouse dining or you're looking for a splurge-worthy item you'll be talking about for years to come, there is a burger for you. A good steakhouse burger should check off all the right boxes—a high-quality beef patty, a fluffy bun, fresh, crunchy veggies, and possibly, the choice of a quality slice of cheese or a signature burger sauce. Just as steakhouse chains take pride in preparing the perfect steaks, the burger offerings will often be hand-shaped, high-grade, and cooked to your liking.
Having a burger at a steakhouse is often a cheaper way to experience the restaurant and, often, is part of a lunch special. But be aware that it isn't always the calorie-friendly option as these big burgers pack a punch.
Outback Steakhouse
Outback regularly serves customers juicy steaks with Aussie hospitality, but if you never venture into other parts of the menu you could miss out on their deliciously stacked burgers. The chain's classic is The Outbacker Burger made with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, spicy house-made pickles, and mustard. But there's another one that uses part of a crowd-favorite appetizer.
The Bloomin' Burger at Outback takes the popular Bloomin' Onion appetizer and turns it into a meaty, cheesy masterpiece with a hefty 970 calories. It features a thick burger patty, topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, house-made pickles, onion, and finally, Outback's signature Bloomin' Onion petals and a generous spread of spicy "bloom" sauce.
Texas Roadhouse
While you can never go wrong with a classic cheeseburger, Texas Roadhouse takes a simple burger and puts its own version of a Southern twist on it to make it even better. For a steakhouse that offers top-notch steaks at a bargain price, its burgers also turn out to be double what you may get anywhere else.
The chain's Smokehouse Burger is served on a Texas-sized bun (aka extra, extra large), with sautéed mushrooms, onions, BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, and both American and jack cheeses. All of the burgers at Texas Roadhouse are made fresh, using ground chuck—or in other words, beef cut from the shoulder—making for a fattier and juicy burger cooked at medium rare. A word of advice though, this burger has the most calories of any on this list, 1,440, so split it with a friend and get a veggie side instead of steak fries.
LongHorn Steakhouse
Since its opening in 1981, LongHorn Steakhouse has prided itself on fresh, never-frozen ingredients, especially the steaks. Plus, it makes everything with just the right amount of seasoning and no shortcuts, according to the company website. This quality transfers over to the steakhouse chain's burgers which are thick, half-pound burgers that get grilled to order for every customer.
The LH Burger includes lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles, the customer's choice of cheese, applewood smoked bacon, and a signature burger sauce. This burger is relatively tame in terms of calories—until you start adding extras. It starts off at 500 calories and then cheese, bacon, and sauce bring it up to 980, so watch what you add.
Black Angus
Black Angus is another steakhouse chain that not only offers one perfect burger but also hand-forms each beef patty fresh to order. The restaurant has made this cheeseburger a signature item, as its popularity speaks for itself.
Inside the Steakhouse Bacon Cheeseburger, customers will find Applewood-smoked bacon, Cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and house-made pickles. Two of Black Angus's crunchy onion rings are the cherry on top. The burger patty is made from Certified Angus Beef ground chuck, and even though it's on the pricey side of this list, it's packed full of mouthwatering flavors and ranch-to-table quality ingredients. It, too, packs a nutrition punch at 1,230 calories.
Ruth's Chris
Fine dining and the ultimate steakhouse experience are what most customers look forward to when visiting Ruth's Chris. However, the chain offers a high-end burger on its lunch and takeout menus.
Ruth's Prime Cheeseburger is simple and clean—featuring a prime beef patty, your choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion. This burger contains one of the highest grades of beef used in the restaurant industry. Plus, according to the company website, Ruth herself founded the cooking method that the steakhouse still uses today. An 1800-degree broiler that will cook burgers and steaks to perfection every time.
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse serves up burgers like it does its steaks—elegantly and like you won't find anywhere else. There are two beef burgers to choose from on the chain's menu, plus something special for the vegetarians.
The classic is The Prime Burger, which includes a signature, prime beef steakhouse burger patty, Wisconsin cheddar cheese, peppered bacon, arugula, tomato, and a fluffy bun. For those looking to be a little more adventurous, there's the Fleming's California Burger, serving up a signature, prime beef steakhouse burger patty, tomato, arugula, bacon, avocado, Wisconsin cheddar cheese, and spicy jalapeño aioli.
Pro tip: Vegetarians don't have to miss out on this burger experience because the Crispy Chickpea & Eggplant Burger is packed with real veggies and will fill you up as a regular burger would. It comes with a housemade chickpea and roasted eggplant patty, peppery arugula, ripe Campari tomatoes, and a homemade romesco sauce. Unfortunately, while veggies are often the healthy choice, this is a veggie splurge at 1,110 calories!
The Capital Grille
The upscale steakhouse is so big on burgers that it has even launched its own offshoot burger chain, The Capital Burger—but that's another story for another article. The steakhouse locations also serve some pretty incredible burgers, starting with a Signature Cheeseburger with Grilled Onions (and Truffle Fries to boot!), which is available for both lunch and dinner. This gourmet creation consists of patty made of chopped sirloin, smoked bacon, sweet onions, and melted Havarti cheese.
Additionally, the chain has an annual Wagyu & Wine event, where for a limited time, you can try their gourmet Wagyu beef burger paired with a glass of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at a great price. This year, the pairing is available thru Nov. 1 for a price of $35.
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