Houston’s reputation of being an epic steakhouse town is well-known, with a bounty of restaurants showcasing the highest quality cuts of meat in moody dining rooms fit for savoring red meat and fine wine. And proteins sourced from top tier Texas cattle ranchers and rare cuts from around the world are just the beginning. Houston’s top steakhouses have so much more to offer, from jaw-dropping seafood towers and raw bar gems, to sides and desserts that are just as worthy as the meat. Impressive wine selections, including obscure finds and special occasion bottles, further elevate the experience.
With plenty of steakhouses to explore, choosing between them can be a good problem to have. Consider this guide of Houston’s most lavish steakhouses that shine in food and hospitality, and wow with showy interiors and luxe dining spaces.
Doris Metropolitan
This glamorous restaurant from Sof Hospitality, which also operates Okto, Hamsa, and Badolina, offers a refreshing alternative to the traditional steakhouse experience. A lively U-shaped bar leads seamlessly into the main dining room where guests can explore a slew of proteins and sides with Middle Eastern flair. Meats like the bone-in ribeye and the 34-ounce porterhouse are dry-aged for 27 days and butchered in house. Unconventional steakhouse starters like the artichoke flower salad with tzatziki, and sides like carrots with mint labneh and honey harissa glace ($14), round out the menu. 2815 S Shepherd Dr., Houston, dorismetropolitan.com
Killen’s Steakhouse
The product of Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef, Ronnie Killen, Killen’s Steakhouse in Pearland is a trek for inner-loopers, but it’s well-worth the drive — as is its sister restaurant, Killen’s BBQ just down the road. The steakhouse gives meat-lovers lots to explore, from bacon-wrapped U-10 scallops and Korean barbecue wagyu skewers to the impressive dry-aged prime t-bone steak. And like the popular barbecue joint, the restaurant’s desserts are legendary. 6425 Broadway St, Pearland, killenssteakhouse.com
Steak 48
Situated at the entrance to River Oaks District, Houston’s ritzy shopping and dining mecca, Steak 48 offers style and substance. The dimly-lit two-story space is buzzing with the constant murmur of spirited diners on most nights, and the menu ensures even the heftiest of cravings will be satisfied. Go for something classic like the 28-day wet-aged NY strip, cut in-house by Steak 48’s master butcher, or splurge on the jaw-dropping bone-in wagyu tomahawk from Snake River Farms, clocking in at a whopping 46-ounces. Adding sides to the table is where you can truly get adventurous, with options like whipped praline sweet potato, corn creme brulee, asparagus fries, and fire-roasted cauliflower.4444 Westheimer Rd., Houston, steak48.com
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
The Pappas family of restaurants is cherished among Houstonians, with its prized steakhouse considered among the city’s best of the best. With locations by the Galleria and in Downtown, the traditional-style steakhouse is a draw for locals and visitors alike. It is consistently praised for its hospitality; wine program, which includes 4,000 wines from around the world; and meats, which are butchered and dry-aged in-house for a minimum of 28 days. Presented alongside steakhouse traditions like Caesar salad, fried oysters, potatoes au gratin, and haricot verts, the experience is classic and comforting. 5839 Westheimer Rd., Houston, pappasbros.com
Taste of Texas
Owned by husband and wife team, Edd and Nina Hendee, Taste of Texas is a Houston institution. For nearly five decades, locals have flocked to the restaurant in Memorial City for its warm, inviting atmosphere, menu of comfort eats, and a salad bar that has its own cult following. Order a steak or prime rib dinner, which includes the salad bar and a side, and save room for old-fashioned desserts like Texas pecan pie a la mode or apple dumplings made from scratch. 10505 Katy Fwy, Houston, tasteoftexas.com
Turner’s Cut
Berg Hospitality has a few steakhouses within its portfolio of restaurants, with Turner’s Cut being the crown jewel among them. Located in a corner of Autry Park, the restaurant’s grandiose design is a callback to the lavishness of New York’s Gilded Age, featuring an intensely romantic space bedecked with chandeliers, a bar built from gold-cut crystal glass, and a mezzanine level overlooking the main dining room where live entertainers perform. Rare cuts like Japanese A5 and American wagyu are the main attraction, but tableside offerings like king crab and caviar from the raw bar cart, and hand-crafted beverages from the martini cart make the experience feel tailored to each guest. 811 Buffalo Pk. Dr. Ste. 160, Houston, turnerscut.com
Marmo
This modern Italian chophouse from the Atlas Restaurant Group, who also operate Loch Bar and Azumi in River Oaks District, showcases a menu of premium, dry-aged steaks with fresh, hand-rolled pastas. A meal may begin with raw oysters on the half shell, or something heartier like the Tuscan fried chicken with garlic aioli, leading to a cowboy ribeye amped up with Italian chimichurri, or the veal chop parmigiana. Visit during Marmo’s popular happy hour in the bar, and take advantage of discounted eats and sips, with entertainment from a live pianist. 888 Westheimer Rd. Ste. 109, Houston, marmoitalian.com
Brenner’s Steakhouse
This storied steakhouse dating back to 1936, is classically Houston, and its outpost on the banks of Buffalo Bayou is hailed as one of the dreamiest venues in the city. The restaurant boasts rustic, woodsy charm and striking views of its lush surroundings. The menu leans traditional with items like pan-seared foie gras, lobster thermidor, and Alaskan king crab legs, with substantial steak offerings including a Heartbrand beef NY strip and filet mignon from Snake River Farms. As a bonus, Brenner’s Blue Bar, which offers up close views of the bayou, is a casual alternative for guests looking to enjoy cocktails and bar bites while basking in the restaurant’s majestic setting. 1 Birdsall St., Houston, brennerssteakhouse.com
Mastro’s Steakhouse
With plenty of locations across the country, including in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York City, Mastro’s is well regarded for its food and lively atmosphere. Its Houston outpost combines the comfort and familiarity of Mastro’s signature menu with a vibey space, which features an open-air patio and cascading water feature. With offerings like the colossal crab cocktail and Japanese A5 wagyu hot stone, and a premium selection of 28-day wet-aged steaks, it’s easy to go big at Mastro’s. 1650 W. Loop S., Houston, mastrosrestaurants.com
Rainbow Lodge
Known as much for its wild game and steaks as it is for its serene environs set upon the White Oak Bayou, Rainbow Lodge is a special occasion destination in every sense of the word. Housed inside a 100-year-old log cabin, guests are led through the narrow corridors and various rooms to their table, before embarking on a carnivorous feast featuring dishes like smoked duck gumbo, grilled North American elk chop, and a molasses-braised beef short rib. Visit during the elegant Sunday brunch service, and enjoy dishes like duck chilaquiles and brioche French toast, while appreciating the restaurant in all of its morning glory. 2011 Ella Blvd., Houston, rainbow-lodge.com
Vic & Anthony’s
Vic & Anthony’s has been a worthy name in the Houston steakhouse game for more than two decades. The glamorous Downtown restaurant is spread across two floors, with a vibrant bar and lounge scene that greets guests as they approach the main dining room. The menu is substantial, with highlights including Japanese A5 filet mignon and a 40-ounce tomahawk chop, and complements like jumbo lump crab Oscar, roasted jalapenos, and bone marrow. 1510 Texas Ave., Houston, vicandanthonys.com
Credence
For decades, the Goode Co. family of restaurants have garnered fanfare for honoring Texas culinary traditions and showcasing live-fire cooking techniques. Credence, the new ranch-inspired restaurant, which opened at the McKinley in Memorial City, further cements the company’s ethos with an elevated approach to regional American fare and a worthy steak program. Along with indulgent options like the fire-roasted seafood tower and wild Gulf snapper with trout roe, Credence features a number of steaks grilled over Texas mesquite and post oak in the restaurant’s custom-made hearth. If time permits, consider a pre- or post- dinner cocktail at Sidebar, a speakeasy set adjacent to the restaurant. 9757 Katy Fwy. #170, Houston, credencehtx.com
Capital Grille
This steakhouse chain with outposts around the country has two locations in Houston — one by the Galleria and another in the CityCentre development near Memorial City. Known for its elegant atmosphere, dedication to dry-aging its steaks on site for 18 to 24 days, and hand-carving meat by in-house butchers, Capital Grille is a trusty and reliable go-to when the sirens sound for an epic steak feast. Multiple locations, thecapitalgrille.com
Prime 131
One of the newer concepts from Berg Hospitality, Prime 131 is a live-fire steakhouse and sushi bar located at the Docks at Timbergrove. The industrial-style space is reminiscent of New York City’s Meatpacking District in the ‘90s, offering guests a welcome alternative to Houston’s many traditional steakhouses. From the expansive dining room, witness proteins prepared on wood fire grills and Josper charcoal ovens, which gives new meaning to dinner and a show. 2505 W 11th St. Ste. 100, Houston, prime131.com
Guard & Grace
When this Denver-based steakhouse opened its first Houston location on the street level of One Allen Center in Downtown, it garnered just as much attention for its stunning design as its stellar menu. The dining room, fitted with nearly 5,000 metal rods that hang suspended from the ceiling and a walk-in floor-to-ceiling glass wine cellar, is unlike any other in the city. Keeping up with its modern aesthetic, the menu boasts playful raw bar plates like yellowtail sashimi topped with pop rocks and non-traditional starters like kobe beef queso alongside prime certified Angus, local grass-fed and Wagyu cuts of beef in 4- to 22-ounce portions. 500 Dallas St. Ste. 100, Houston, guardandgrace.com/houston
Medium Rare
Medium Rare offers one of the best bargains in town for steak lovers. The Midtown restaurant gives guests the opportunity to enjoy a single-choice prix-fixe meal, consisting of a Culotte steak (cooked medium rare, naturally), a serving of crispy fries, mixed greens, and artisan bread… with complimentary seconds for $32.95. Needless to say, go hungry and beware the meat sweats. 3201 Louisiana St. Ste. 110, Houston, mediumrarerestaurant.com/houston
B&B Butchers and Restaurant
The historic two-story building that once housed Houston’s Dittman Bakery is now home to B&B Butchers and Restaurant, which as its moniker suggests is a dual concept that showcases a steakhouse and butcher shop at the same address. B&B Butchers was the first Houston concept from Berg Hospitality, and it remains one of the most intriguing of the bunch to this day. Take to the main dining room in the steakhouse for a refined meal featuring USDA prime beef dry-aged in-house and hand-cut in the neighboring butcher shop. Start with chef Tommy’s bacon with blue cheese and truffle-infused honey or crab louie, and be sure to save room for the New York-style cheesecake. As a bonus, the butcher shop is open daily to shop cuts to take home. 1814 Washington Ave., Houston, bbbutchers.com/houston
King Steak
Johnny Vassalo, who operated the sceney (now shuttered) Galleria-area hangout Mo’s…A Place for Steaks recently debuted King Steak in the same neighborhood. Expect steakhouse traditions like shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, and ample vegetable sides, alongside cuts like the bone-in cowboy ribeye. While steak is in the name, the restaurant has plenty of non-beef options to explore like chicken parmesan and Thai salmon salad. 2200 Post Oak Blvd. #140, Houston, kingsteakhtx.com
