America’s best chain steakhouses

Fox News ^ | August 23, 2013

[Sopater]

There comes a time in just about everyone’s life when they feel the urge to eat some red meat. Sure, a supermarket steak cooked in a frying pan might suffice, but there’s nothing quite like the experience of going to one of those big chain steakhouses. We’ve come to depend on these places for a good steak and a cold beer, enjoyed in a comfortable and just-boisterous-enough atmosphere, with an overall experience that leaves you full and content. From sea to shining sea, it’s our right to have unrestricted access to chain steakhouses, darn it, and for that reason we set out to find out which are the country’s best.

There are two very different types of chain steakhouses, and for today’s purposes we’re ranking only one of them: the casual chains. While both Outback and Ruth’s Chris specialize in steak, they couldn’t be more different otherwise, so comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges. Comparing Outback to LongHorn, on the other hand, well that’s something worth exploring.

So when you think "chain steakhouse," what comes to mind? Odds are it’s a rustic, masculine, most likely wooden building, emblazoned with an eye-catching, brightly lit logo. Inside, there’s a bar with some TVs, plenty of comfortable seating, maybe some cattle paraphernalia on the walls (or boomerangs, in the case of Outback), neon beer signs, and a steak-heavy menu, obviously. But there are plenty of subtle differences, and no chain is exactly like any other.

[Fiji Hill]

I visit Vegas about once a month and I’ve been trying out various eateries there. So far, I like Rincon Criollo for Cuban cuisine, Cugino’s delicatessen over on Maryland Parkway for southern Italian food, and Teriyaki Time, located nearby, for East Asian fare.

[JimRed]

...but must confess I've never eaten at Ruth Criss...

Ruth's Chris is great but I could eat three times at Outback for the same price. Since I'm not fussy but I am penurious...

[catnipman]

I sure do miss Mr. Steak.

[MeganC]

“Hate to burst your bubble, but there is no such thing as “good beef ribs”!”

Then you really need to try Claim Jumpers!

[Sopater]

Rib-eye = Prime Rib.

Yes, but cut and cooked differently.

A Rib-eye cut into steaks and grilled where a Prime Rib roast is roasted and then cut after it's cooked. But yes, really, really, good.

[ErnBatavia]

I’ve been gone from the seafood biz for almost a dozen years, but “back in the day” Outback purchased the cheapest quality they could possibly obtain.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

No wonder Longhorns has gone downhill these past few years. I used to like eating there. An energy efficient fillet is no appetizing.
I like my steaks rare, Moo rare. Longhorns is the worst when it comes to perky waitresses or waiters explaining what rare means.

[clamper1797]

I’ll have to try Pinnacle Pete’s

[Sopater]

“They serve up some of the best beef ribs *anywhere*.”

Hate to burst your bubble, but there is no such thing as “good beef ribs”!

In all fairness, he said "best", not "good". ;-)

[Jane Long]

Are you thinking of Cattleman’s Steak House...way out east of EP? On a working ranch?

[Popman]

Ponderosa.

Are they still in business?

Last time I went to one (a long time ago)...their food sucked..

[Sopater]

What I like best about the Texas Roadhouse is the value. You get a very good steak for a very good price. Cheap isn’t always good (i.e. Outback) and good is rarely cheap. However, the TR is an excellent value in my opinion.

[newnhdad]

Most of those places do a good job, I can’t speak for Saltgrass. It might as well be Golden Corral for us because my wife orders her steak medium well and then complains it’s dry.

[old and tired]

Of these five, we only have Outback by us. I really enjoy their Cheese Fries and their Bloomin’ Onion. Also, their chicken fingers (I steal ‘em from the grandkids’ plates) are about the best I’ve ever had. We go there quite a bit, but I only get the steak when I have a hankering. I like it, but it’s not as good as a steak from Ruths Chris, which I’ve had twice in my life.

[NormsRevenge]

The carrot cake is enough to put ya in shock. One slice, Hugh slice, feeds a family of 4

[Jane Long]

We love Fleming’s, too ;) And, Perry’s Steakhouse in Houston (area) has great steaks, as well. Their motto is: A rare experience done well.

[Wyatt's Torch]

Not sure if a restaurant that has six locations (Vegas, Atlanta, LA, Miami, New York and London) can be called a “chain” but STK is the best steaks I’ve had anywhere and that includes all the ones listed in this article. Not even close.

[Wyatt's Torch]

Try STK in the Cosmopolitan. Amazing. Try the bone-in-ribeye with truffle butter. Heavenly.

[PeteB570]

That’s the place.

Drove out there for a great steak while I was at USASMA.

[CityCenter]

The Met is great, but the best steak in King County is at Woodman Lodge in Snoqualmie. It’s a drive but worth it, you can take in the falls too. I also love Jaks in Issaquah.