10 Steakhouses That Serve the Best Hand-Cut Steaks To Order
Did you know that a steak's juiciness depends largely on how it's cut? When a steak is hand-cut to order by a professional, its juiciness and ruby-red color are preserved. Slicing a steak from a larger section of beef, called a primal or sub-primal cut, creates a fresh surface that doesn't have time to dry out or get tough. The best steakhouses in the world do this with every steak.
Hand-cut steaks generally indicate a level of kitchen artistry and a higher quality of meat. If the restaurant is purchasing a bigger piece of meat, it's often sourced from a smaller producer, like a farmer, who has a personal relationship with the restaurant rather than a supplier of pre-packaged steaks.
As far as artistry is concerned, cutting a steak requires knowledge and a sure hand. After all, there are many cuts to know and master. For example, the primal cut of the rib breaks to a sub-primal short rib and a 7-bone rib portion. Taking the 7-bone rib, a skilled carver for a steakhouse makes a prime rib and a ribeye for grilling, with other cuts left behind. This process takes time and a full understanding of the anatomy of the animal.
Of course, there's more to ordering steak than just the cut. Selecting a steak that's beautifully marbled and full of flavor may take a little education on the diner's part, as well. For many, the steakhouse is the pinnacle of dining experiences, though a quality piece of beef isn't limited to a formal atmosphere. There are plenty of steakhouses that offer delicious hand-cut steaks in a more casual atmosphere. Here are a few choices stretching across the United States, from chains to local options, that serve up excellent steaks hand-carved to your personal order.
Included in this list
- Texas Roadhouse
- Smith & Wollensky
- Wolfgang's Steakhouse
- Chicago Cut Steakhouse
- Colton's Steak House & Grill
- Pittsburgh Blue
- Buckhorn Exchange
- Toni Steakhouse
- H Prime Chophouse
- The Butcher Shop
Texas Roadhouse
Combine freshly baked bread with honey cinnamon butter, refreshing margaritas, freshly made sides, and hand-cut steaks, and you have a winner. Texas Roadhouse started satisfying customers in 1993 and has since expanded into 49 states, 580 locations, and 22 countries. Their Texas-sized combos serve up plentiful portions at great value. With a nicely rounded-out selection of seafood, chicken, pork, and salads, there's a solution for each appetite. 5,000 diners per week can't be wrong.
Smith & Wollensky
Smith & Wollensky has been a well-loved spot for beef for 45 years. In fact, for the celebration of this landmark event, bourbon brand Maker's Mark and the executive culinary staff collaborated to create a Private Select Barrel to compliment the steakhouse's unique flavors.
Steaks at this chain are hand-butchered and dry-aged at each location, which can be found from London to Las Vegas. Wherever you dine in one of their restaurants, you won't be disappointed in their USDA Prime, grain-fed, humanely-raised beef. The menu offers a full range of American Wagyu, seafood, and classic steak cuts.
Wolfgang's Steakhouse
When Wolfgang Zwiener, a headwater at the legendary Peter Luger's, had the idea to open his own steakhouse, he took what he'd learned in the industry and made improvements. What resulted was Wolfgang's Steakhouse, with twenty locations across the world. Each side of beef is hand-selected then dry-aged and carved to order. The steakhouses only serve USDA Prime Angus beef along with lamb, tuna, Maine lobster, and more.
Chicago Cut Steakhouse
Chicago is known for steak. A quick internet search yields all the fine steak chains— Smith & Wollensky, Morton's, Ruth's Chris, Lawry's—plus a number of independent restaurants. If you're looking for steak, the list is long and full of every type of steak restaurant, from casual to fine dining. For this reason, it's hard to pick just one restaurant to highlight for serving hand-cut steaks.
With a panoramic view of the Chicago River, Chicago Cut Steakhouse serves USDA Prime beef aged 35 days on-site and butchered to order. The fresh steaks are offered "black and blue" style with a Chicago-type sear and raw middle, plus the usual scope of rare to well-done. The accolades say it all. This steakhouse was voted one of the top ten steakhouses by USA Today and one of Chicago Magazine's 'Best New Restaurants'. In a city with a bustling food scene, that says a lot.
Colton's Steak House & Grill
Colton's couples endless peanuts with USDA Prime steaks. Specialties include its Hawaiian Ribeye, marinated in tropical spices and topped with pineapple, and a Del Rio Ribeye with a Southwest flair. All the usual cuts of steak are available, like their popular sirloin, a thick T-bone, and a tender filet.
With locations across the country, diners can join their e-club for exclusive promotions to save on trips to this casual steakhouse. After joining, expect a coupon for a free appetizer.
Pittsburgh Blue
Nestled inside a Hilton near the Mayo Clinic, this Southern Minnesota steakhouse serves wet-aged beef hand-carved by what they call 'master butchers'. Certainly, the menu indicates that the cuts are made by people familiar with steak, as does the 2020 Open Table Diner's Choice award. Center-cut filet can be ordered topped with Tillamook cheddar and applewood bacon or mushrooms and fresh herbs. You can add a fresh egg to top your cowboy ribeye or a canoe of bone marrow for your aged choice sirloin. Maybe it's time to get a King's Cut, salt-crusted prime rib served until the restaurant runs out. Is your mouth watering yet?
The name Pittsburgh Blue refers to a preparation method, a nod to Pittsburgh's steelworkers that loved their steak charred on the exterior and super-rare on the inside. Steaks were typically prepared on a hot iron, resulting in a crusty outside and a 'blue' colored raw interior.
Buckhorn Exchange
Denver's oldest restaurant doesn't just serve Rocky Mountain Oysters (look it up). There's also a round of hand-cut steaks available on their well-established menu.
There's so much variety on the menu, but the highlight is The Big Steak, sold by the pound and cut tableside from New York strip loins. These large-portion steaks are meant to be shared by two to five diners and come with soup, salad, and sautéed mushrooms and onions.
If you're feeling adventurous, you can try an appetizer of alligator tail or even a little rattlesnake, marinated and served on top of queso with chips.
Toni Steakhouse
Toni is a small, family-run establishment on the Southside of Savannah, about twenty minutes from the tourist hub of downtown. Locals frequent this spot for hand-cut steaks and in-house ground burgers. The chef's favorite 10-ounce signature steak is a double cut of beef tenderloin topped with sautéed bell peppers and garlic. A 48-ounce, bone-in Tomahawk ribeye serves two to three people and includes four sides.
The steaks are cooked over an open fire for a flavorful, juicy entrée. The ingredients used and the care taken of their dishes really reflect a love of food. The chicken is organic and grass-fed, the pasta is served in homemade sauce and the sides are homemade.
H Prime Chophouse
Henderson Castle was built in 1895, an indulgent piece of architecture that was the dream of a local businessman and his family. The home changed ownership over the years, housing the local art association and functioning as a wedding venue and even a horror movie set. Its current use as a historic inn makes it a destination of choice for travelers and especially diners. The current owner is Master Chef Francois Moyet.
The chophouse is set for success as the property includes its own vineyard and organic garden. Moyet has personally sourced the dry-aged and wet-aged beef served in the restaurant. Each one is hand-cut and seared on cast iron, finishing in the oven for a perfect temperature.
The Butcher Shop
With a name like The Butcher Shop, you would infer that the steaks are hand-cut and delicious. You're not wrong. Wine Spectator, Robb Report, and Open Table agree about these two steakhouses.
The Butcher Shop's two locations are named as two of the few restaurants that are certified by the Japanese Kobe Beef Association for serving authentic Japanese Kobe from Tajima cattle. They offer their Wagyu and Prime cuts in packages to go for home grilling.
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