Best steak house in Chicago?

[O-Ace]

What would you guys say is the best steak house in Chicago? Thanks in advance for your opinion. :smile:

-Awais

 

[TigerNSX]

That's a tough question - there are too many good ones.

When I lived in Chicago, I especially liked following places (not in the order of my preferance):

Ruth Chris' (I liked their Rib Eye Steak)
Morton's (I liked their Porterhouse)
Palm (I liked their T-bone)

 

[ak]

chicago chop house across the street from Hard Rock was good.

www.chicagochophouse.com

 

[djskyy]

Nothing beats all-you-can-eat....it's like $50/person.. :smile:

http://www.salecarvao.com/index.php

 

[nsxtasy]

Click on pic for website:

 

[skynet0419]

Nothing beats all-you-can-eat....it's like $50/person.. :smile:

http://www.salecarvao.com/index.php

Sal e Carvao fucking rocks!

 

[donwon]

Ill second the Chicago chophouse

Yes, In case you were wondering, that thing that looks like a scoop of Ice cream is butter.

 

[rowr]

Nothing beats all-you-can-eat....it's like $50/person.. :smile:

http://www.salecarvao.com/index.php

My sister and her husband took us here for dinner a few weeks ago..absolutely amazing!

I suppose if you're not a real big meat eater, you can always eat the potatoes and bananas they keep shoving in front of you the whole evening!

 

[O-Ace]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I ended up reserving a table at Morton's. Tried Gibson's but it was sold out for tonight.

-Awais

 

[SJJ28]

gibsons gibsons gibsons GIBSONS!! The food is perfect, and you get that display of raw meat before you order, its the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Shkrmvr]

Awais - the best hidden secret is my grill...applewood, cherry, smoked steak, dungenous crab etc.....I'd tell you where it is, but I'm afraid you may show up :biggrin:

 

[O-Ace]

Awais - the best hidden secret is my grill...applewood, cherry, smoked steak, dungenous crab etc.....I'd tell you where it is, but I'm afraid you may show up :biggrin:

Gurnee is only a 20 minute hike from my place

Btw, thanks again everyone. Morton's was great! I'll try all your recommendations sooner or later :smile:

-Awais

 

[nuccaJB]

If yopur looking for higher end hit up Magnums. Gibson's is always great, I love that place. When my wife was my girlfriend she first visited me from STL and I wined and dined her at Gibson's and got lucky later :biggrin: . She loves her Steaks!

Also check out Fogo de Chao, you will be meat drunk after you leave. I have met a few people were dizzy from all the meat when they left.

 

[Elite]

Also check out Fogo de Chao, you will be meat drunk after you leave. [/QUOTE]

Thats the name I have been trying to remember! My brother and all of his friends swear by this place. I am planning a trip to Chitown just to eat there. But from what I understand, you better be VERY hungry, because its the Brazilian all you can eat style place.

 

[Jeff A]

Looks like you guys know your steak houses! You didn't miss many from here:

http://www.rateitall.com/t-5677-chicago-steak-houses.aspx


I tried Smith Wollensky one time, it was really good. $35.00 for a 16 ounce filet mignon that fed 2 of us quite nicely. I really like chicago - great city.

 

[nsxtasy]

Incidentally, if you're interested in a great website guide to Chicago entertainment, the Chicago Tribune's Metromix website has reviews, listings, and all the best information around. And it's free! When you get there, click on "Dining" for restaurant information. Note that there are restaurant listings as well as articles and actual restaurant reviews. Tons of great information and their reviewer, Phil Vettel, is very knowledgeable and spot on IMO. Not just on steakhouses, either. Chicago is a terrific restaurant city, the best in the country in my opinion. Lots of great food here, no matter what kind you prefer.

Metromix's 2001 article on the best steakhouses listed these (and as Jeff notes about his site, I don't think we missed any):

The steaks are high
Looking for Chicago's best steakhouse? We'll tell you whose chops are tops.

By Phil Vettel

Chicago Chop House. Arguably the city's most underrated steakhouse, probably because of its touristy, almost kitschy touches, such as the perpetual Christmas tree above the entrance. But the restaurant is serious about its steaks.

Gene & Georgetti. A real guy's joint, where Frank Sinatra himself dined occasionally, G & G celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2001.

Gibsons. Probably my favorite steakhouse in Chicago. Great quality beef, exemplary service. Its only drawback is that hundreds of others love it, too.

Morton's of Chicago. If Gibsons is no. 1 for me, this place is 1A. For many people, the subject of steaks begins and ends with this nationwide chain, which had its beginnings right here on State Street.

Smith & Wollensky. I love the steaks, I love the Americana-festooned dining room, I love the outdoor patio overlooking the river. I also admire the full menu, which has more to offer non-beef eaters than most steakhouses do.

 

[Dinan M3]

You can get a great steak anywhere, e.g., Kobe beef at XXIX at Pebble Beach. When travelling, I prefer to find the most interesting regional fare - for Chicago, dipped Italian beef sandwiches or Chicago style pizza in bad neighborhoods! BTW, I think we have it better in Silicon Valley - authentic ethnic cuisine of every type and still within driving distance of Chez Panisse and the French Laundry.

 

[nsxtasy]

I think we have it better in Silicon Valley - authentic ethnic cuisine of every type and still within driving distance of Chez Panisse and the French Laundry.

I've been to many of the best places in Northern California, including Chez Panisse, the French Laundry, Gary Danko's, the Dining Room at the Ritz, etc., as well as less-heralded (but still worthy) places such as Farallon, Skates, Hayes Street Grill, etc. No doubt, there are lots of excellent places in the area. However, overall, in my experience, Chicago's selection, quality, and value are simply better. Unless you've been to the very best places in Chicago, including Charlie Trotter's, the Everest Room, and Oceanique, as well as our more unusual ethnic places like Ixtapuzalco, you haven't really experienced all that Chicago has to offer.

It's also worth adding that the quality and variety of food in many cities these days is much higher than it was 30, 20, or even 10 years ago. You can find true gourmet dining in smaller cities and sometimes even small towns, and much more varied ethnic food (beyond Italian and Chinese ) just about everywhere you go. Quality is vastly improved as well. Nowadays, cities know that their food is a big attraction to tourists and residents alike, and most sizable cities have restaurant listings and reviews on local websites (not just those "one size fits all" generic websites), as in Louisville, Milwaukee (Sanford - yum!), Toledo, and even Indianapolis, some of which would have been laughable to mention in connection with food as recently as just a few years ago. I've found the same thing to be true pretty much all over the country as well. You can find great food almost anywhere. This is a great time for those who enjoy good food.

 

[Dinan M3]

Seems we've been to many of the same places out here :biggrin: and I've also been to several of the top rated restaurants in Boston and NY. Nonetheless, I'll stick to the recommendation of trying interesting regional cuisine when travelling, since excellent haute cuisine can be had in just about any major metro area these days.

BTW, I do note that you seem to equate Silicon Valley with SF, which is not correct. Because of the still vibrant tech industy and H1 visas, demand (and hence supply) for all sorts of non-Italian and non-Chinese ethnic food is extremely good. Plus we definitely have better Mexican food than SF or Chicago! :tongue:

 

[nsxtasy]

I've also been to several of the top rated restaurants in Boston and NY.

You should come here. And eat a little.

BTW, I do note that you seem to equate Silicon Valley with SF

I'm not sure why you say this; perhaps you should re-read my post...? I did not make any statements about Silicon Valley; my statement was about Northern California. I thought that was what you were talking about, since you referred to places that are within driving distance of Silicon Valley. (Although the French Laundry is quite a long drive from Silicon Valley - even more so when you take typical bay area traffic into account.)

Plus we definitely have better Mexican food than SF or Chicago! :tongue:

I can't really comment about the Mexican food in California, because my exposure to it has been limited. But the Mexican restaurant(s) and chef that are generally recognized as the finest and most innovative in the country are Frontera Grill/Topolobampo and Rick Bayless, here in Chicago. (They're side by side.) Although we have some others that are also very fine and innovative, such as the previously-mentioned Ixcapuzalco and Chilpancingo, another restaurant with the same owner, and Adobo Grill, just to name a few. Not to mention many, many more conventional Mexican restaurants, located within as well as outside our many Mexican-American communities.

 

[Dinan M3]

You should come here. And eat a little.

[stuff deleted]

I'm not sure why you say this; perhaps you should re-read my post...?

I can't really comment about the Mexican food in California, because my exposure to it has been limited. But the Mexican restaurant(s) and chef that are generally recognized as the finest and most innovative in the country are Frontera Grill/Topolobampo and Rick Bayless, here in Chicago. (They're side by side.)

Agreed, I should return to Chicago and eat more - though my fondest culinary memories there are of eating a hearty italian beef dipped sandwich and trying not to drip on my shoes! Regarding SF vs. Silicon Valley, your remarks concerning Italian and Chinese limitations are a distinct SF phenomenon. We have it much better down here.

I like Rick Bayless but wasn't especially impressed by Frontera Grill - but perhaps I just prefer having sesos tacos and chorizo tortas out here. BTW, did you see Rick Bayless vs. Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America? I think Rick could have won but for his moderation in the use of spices due to the Americanization of his fare.

 

[nsxtasy]

Regarding SF vs. Silicon Valley, your remarks concerning Italian and Chinese limitations are a distinct SF phenomenon. We have it much better down here.

Again, you seem to be misinterpreting my comments. My only comment regarding Italian and Chinese was when I noted that more varied ethnic food (i.e. beyond the Italian and Chinese that have been widely available for decades) are now available EVERYWHERE, even in smaller towns. That entire paragraph was intended to describe the entire country ("just about everywhere you go"), and NOT just the Midwest or Chicago. While I mentioned smaller cities in the Midwest with which I'm familiar, I'm quite sure that the same could be said about smaller cities in the West and in other parts of the country. In case you were inferring that the comment/paragraph was intended only to describe the Midwest or Chicago - it wasn't.

The wider availability throughout the entire country of greater variety and quality in restaurant food (paralleled by the same thing in ingredients and equipment for those who enjoy cooking at home) is a great quality-of-life improvement for all of us who enjoy food.

 

[nuccaJB]

I have to agree with nsxtasy, it is much easier to find good ethnic food in different cities then it was before. I remember when I started school in STL in 1999 it was harder to find a good restaurant then it has on recent trips back. Last month my wife and I went back and ate at a great restaurant that was put in an old wire factory. I can't remember the name of the place, all I remember is that it is in a neighborhood that was the south side ghetto a couple years ago. In Chicago it is great to go pick up a fat juicy beef sanwhich with hot peppers. Damn Dinan you are making me hungry.
Another great place to eat in Chicago not mentioned yet in Bob Chins.

 

[KSNSX]

Awais - the best hidden secret is my grill...applewood, cherry, smoked steak, dungenous crab etc.....I'd tell you where it is, but I'm afraid you may show up :biggrin:

When people come to KC I get the Steak and BBQ all the time. For steaks it is my grill also. My dirty little secret is the seasoning and rubbing a little butter on top of the steak right before serving.


For BBQ I smoke a whole beef tenderloing with a special dry rub on it.

 

[nsxtasy]

Another great place to eat in Chicago not mentioned yet in Bob Chins.

Bob Chinn's Crab House, in Wheeling, specializes in seafood. If we started a topic on great seafood restaurants in the Chicago area, I'm sure we could come up with a list as long as the steakhouse list (and IMO many are better than Chinn's). Here are some of the very finest:

Oceanique, in Evanston (IMHO possibly the very best restaurant of any kind in the entire Chicago area)
Shaw's Crab House, in Chicago
Mitchell's Fish Market, in Glenview
Parker's Ocean Grill, in Downers Grove
McCormick & Schmick's, in Chicago
Hugo's Frog Bar, in Chicago (next door to, and owned by, Gibson's)
Don's Fishmarket, in Skokie

In addition to these, there are lots of other fine seafood restaurants as well. And, of course, many fine restaurants don't necessarily specialize in seafood, but offer excellent seafood among their options.

Another place worth mentioning is Pappadeaux. Their quality is good, although IMO not at the same level as those mentioned above. The real attraction of Pappadeaux is for those who love steamed lobster. On Thursday nights, they offer an all-you-can-eat special of whole lobster for thirty-something dollars. The lobster is excellent and you can have as many as you want. This deal is at the Arlington Heights location; I don't know if their Westmont location also offers the Thursday special. Pappadeaux, too, is part of a national chain.