Sparks is supposed to be one of the best in New York.
First of all, "BEST" is a highly subjective term..but it serves to get the discussion started. Second, there's NO distinction as to price...or rather value, and for those 99% of us..price is always a consideration.
I can speak to two of the 50 listed.
Living now for about a decade in the Tampa area, I've eaten at Bern's man times, and it is simply superb. Worthy of comparison to many of the great NY steakhouses. Make sure to get the tour of the kitchen and wine cellar, and dessert rooms upstairs are the perfect way to end the meal (and to "start" the evening....)
Having lived most of my life in the NY metro area, I've had the good fortune to eat at many of the area's renowned steakhouses. What's curious about the article's pick for best in New Jersey, the "Old Homestead, " is that it's been a NYC landmark for about 100 years...yet it's not the "best" there. I've never eaten at their pick for NY's best.."Quality Meats," but as one who has had the good fortune to enjoy a steak at The Palm, Peter Lugar's and Smith & Wollensky...well...let's say I just don't agree with their pick.
Anyways..opine away....tell us your faves....
Backyard grill - charcoal or wood only.
we have to click through 50 slides?
The best steakhouse in California is in my backyard.
What about the other 7 states?
This place is nice: Black Rock Bar and Grill.
They bring you a steak and a hot slab of lava rock, and you cook it yourself at your table.
They pick Mastro’s for California - a good choice, but it originated in Arizona where it still exists and has multiple locations. Then they pick Roka Akor (not even a steakhouse) as the winner for Arizona. Does anybody fact-check things before they throw them on the Internet as click-bait? :)
What ever happened to Skip Wright’s in Vero Beach, FL? I had Porterhouse there in ‘84 and Delmonico in ‘93. Damn good cuts and atmosphere!
As a Floridian in the Tampa area, I will say that Bern’s is highly vaunted as the best steak in the state, but I’ve had steak at Ruth’s Chris and Charlie’s (another Tampa staple) that are as good as or arguably better than Bern’s.
Bern’s is very ostentatious and you go there for the atmosphere, IMO. The steaks are amazing, don’t get me wrong, but the same quality can be had for half the prize just a 5 minute drive west off of Westshore.
The “best” isn’t even consistent. In many cases, it depends on who the grill cook is for the night.
I like McGuire’s in Pensacola.
How I hate click bait lists. I wish they had listed all the restaurants; the list could be read in a minute.
Should you be traveling I-70 in Kansas by far and away one of the best steakhouses in the state is at the Bunker Hill Cafe located off of exit 193.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bunker-hill-cafe-bunker-hill
Excellent food and surroundings.
But to stay on topic, I think the best I’ve had only because I can’t afford steakhouses often, is Morton’s. We went to the Beverly Hills one once, just me and my teen boy, and he ate the whole double filet on bone. I tasted it: being cooked with the bone gave the filet amazing taste. I’d attempt to order it on the bone ever again if someone took me to a steakhouse...
At home I buy grassfed steaks and cook them carefully. It’s so much cheaper to eat steak at home. They say only the bevvys make $ for a restaurant, that they lose a bit of $ on the food, but I think that on the big steaks they still make a profit... Remember, the advantage of grassfed over feedlot beef is that the meat is HEALTHIER for your body. Grass is what cattle were meant to eat, and a steer who pretty much always gets it has fat that has healthy omega 3s, unlike the fat of grain fed animals. If you’re a good carnivore you must learn to eat healthy animals who led a decent life.
Should you be traveling I-70 in Kansas by far and away one of the best steakhouses in the state is at the Bunker Hill Cafe located off of exit 193.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bunker-hill-cafe-bunker-hill
Excellent food and surroundings.
Sparks is supposed to be one of the best in New York.
Ruth’s Chris for me!!
However, in recent years, I have come to like the Harris Ranch in Coalinga, Calif. If you are southbound on Interstate 5, about five miles north of the restaurant you will pass the herd of beef cattle that will soon be on the diners' plates. They also feature a butcher shop where you can purchase cuts of beef to take home and cook.
Another steakhouse that I recommend is the Hitching Post in Casmalia, Calif.
Nobody mentioned Brazilian Churrasco? Like Texas de Brazil or Fogo de Chao?
Cattleman’s in OKC if you’re ever there.
In the SF Bay area:
Sundance in Palo Alto
Morton’s in San Jose
IMHO
The absolute rock-solid best steak dining experience I EVER had, was while staioned at Ft. Bliss TX back in the early 1990’s.
The place was called The Great American Land And Cattle Company, north of El Paso.
They had the 72-oz Steak Challenge - eat the whole thing, fixings included, and your whole party ate for free.
I won. Barely....