COURTESY OF THE CAPITAL GRILLE
Capital Grille's Prime grade, 22-ounce bone-in ribeye
More than any other restaurant concept, the steakhouse has persevered in spite of old-school baggage: dark wood, low lighting, high prices, humongous side dishes, Pleistocene hunks of meat…and few other menu options. In SLM’s first-ever roundup of the top local steakhouses (listed in no particular order), we discovered that stodgy reputation is no longer deserved. The newest contenders are contemporary yet classy, while Al’s Restaurant, the oldest and most traditional, now offers a de rigueur prix fixe menu and even “Wine Wednesdays.” Herein, SLM weighs in on both independent and chain steakeries. Go ahead and dig in—as with the perfect tenderloin filet, you won’t even need a knife.
Best Reason to Spend the Night in Collinsville
Instead of a dessert cart, Porter’s has a wine cart and an easygoing sommelier who offers no-obligation samples from a serious list. Remodeling has made things comfy, and the hotel location, serving three meals a day, means the kitchen has perked up and improved on one-time Tenderloin Room classics like Senate bean soup and pepperloin steak. Porter’s also understands rare, and shows a good touch with appetizers. Gone are the giant slabs of dessert, replaced by plenty of nonclichéd choices. DoubleTree Hotel Collinsville, 1000 Eastport Plaza, Collinsville, Ill., 618-345-2400.
Best Historic Staple in a Land of Big-Box Stores
They don’t fool around here. The menu lists four choices—New York strip, filet mignon, rib-eye, and lamb chops—but take note of the day’s bone-in specials. There are no wrong choices, but devotees tend toward the 16-ounce dry-aged, USDA Prime rib-eye. The glossy, cabernet-spiked, black pepper–studded butter on top doesn’t hurt, nor does a mashed potato, chive, and butter dollop of Irish champ on the side. Inevitably crowded, this West County institution is comfortable, pleasant, and a reliable haven for the St. Louis steak lover. 16806 Chesterfield Airport Rd., 636-532-7684.
If The Sopranos’ Last Meal Was Here, That Whole Final Scene Thing Would Have Made Sense
Protein gets an Italian flavor at this downtown destination that’s more Old World than Wild West. A cracked pepper–dusted tenderloin in a Chianti sauce, or one charbroiled with a white wine–Gorgonzola sauce, affords Continental flair. If you like it simple, though, Carmine’s comes through with a massive porterhouse or a delectable bone-in strip steak that is strictly, gloriously meat and heat. An elegant interior and excellent wine list are an essential part of the experience. 20 S. Fourth, 314-241-1631.
Best Reason That Classic Steakhouses Remain So
Al’s is celebrating its 85th birthday, and there’s a reason for that long life. The meat, pricey as it may be, is wondrous, and practically any special request will be honored. A spoken menu from an elegant display on a silver tray adds a special touch to those seeking to impress. Fabulous onion rings make a fine appetizer; fried eggplant is a close second. A newly established prix fixe is a good buy, and the wine list is substantial. 1200 N. First, 314-421-6399.
You Can Sense the Ghost of Orson Welles—Ordering Extra Onion Rings With His Rib-Eye
There are critics who say the selection of wines by the glass here is inadequate. Yeah—and Linda Ronstadt’s iconic Rolling Stone cover was compromised by the color of her slip. Are you kidding? The glistening New York strip is a testament to beef’s glory. Kane’s rib-eye Delmonicos are unparalleled. And is there a steak that doesn’t go with the beautiful ’05 Domaine de Beaurenard Chateauneuf-du-Pape? We doubt it. 133 W. Clinton, 314-965-9005.
Where to Super-Size Your Meal for $65
Kreis’ feels like a Ralph Lauren ad and looks deeply establishment. Martinis of gin and vermouth, carefully waved hairstyles, and slabs of prime rib larger than first base (for $64.95) all mark the spot. The menu, too, is retro-feeling, with a vast number of steaks and some Viennese specialties. We’re not sure who orders schnitzel, but potato pancakes aren’t a bad idea with the beef, as recommended by the adept and well-tenured service staff. 535 S. Lindbergh, 314-993-0735.
That Sam’s: Quantity. This Sam’s: Quality.
Just up the road from Grant’s Farm, this near-century-old building fits into the throwback aura of Germanic south St. Louis. Sam’s, like most restaurants, turned its dress code over to guys in polo shirts and ladies in fancy denim. They’re knocking back excellent beef, as well as potatoes in a twist of brown paper, topped with a scoop of butter so big it looks like French vanilla ice cream. Plan on highballs, not wine. 10205 Gravois, 314-849-3033.
Best Brush-On Steak Sauce Not to Brush Off
Over the river and through the woods of suburban Illinois, Andria’s frame building and wide porch feels like grandmother’s house. While many steakhouses reek of testosterone, Andria’s is family-friendly, with homemade soups, unchallenging salads, and pleasant service. Steaks are brushed with the signature Andria’s Steak Sauce, a salty but tasty addition, and the pork chops offered standout flavor and texture long before “heirloom” pork entered our vocabulary. 6805 Old Collinsville, O’Fallon, Ill., 618-632-4866.
The iconic former Andria’s space in Edwardsville offers the same low-key charm, an incredible wine cellar, and a flame-spouting grill that turns out impressive steaks, such as the Niman Ranch USDA Prime–certified Angus. 7415 Illinois Route 143, Edwardsville, 618-656-0281.
Bet On It
Winning additions at St. Louis casinos
You expect to meet the cast of Mad Men at this unapologetic temple to cosmopolitan cow consumption. Steaks and strictly a la carte prices are both brawny big. A porterhouse here has the table groaning. Even the normally petite strip steak is formidable. More reasonably sized offerings include a Cajun-spicy rib-eye and a hopelessly extravagant filet Oskar topped with a crab-loaded béarnaise sauce. 999 N. 2nd.
At a steakhouse, it’s unusual when the center of the plate is not the center of attention. Rarely are the incidentals—side dishes, bread service, service in general—so memorable that you’d return just for them. But we will return to Bugatti’s, if just to reserve a half-round booth and to relive that King Filet, straddled by perfectly seasoned, perfectly uniform asparagus—only to leave, again, both surprised and sated. 1 Ameristar, St. Charles, 636-940-4471.
Best Value
A Great Steak for Less Than the Babysitter’s Going Rate
Tucker’s uses USDA Choice rather than Prime meat, and it’s reflected in the moderate prices, but the steaks, brushed with a “house” sauce (similar to, but chunkier than Andria’s), are carefully cooked and very tasty. The original Soulard space has romantic potential, and the “no highchairs” signs signal that all three locations aim at adults. Tucker’s bars are extremely popular, especially at happy hour, and behind the filet, strip, top sirloin, and porterhouse steaks (and a recently amped-up wine list), the menu has a wide range of fried bar food, pizza, and sandwiches. Beer seems to be the beverage of choice in easily the most casual of the restaurants on this list. 2117 S. 12th, 314-772-5977; 3939 Union, 314-845-2584; 14282 Manchester, 636-227-8062.
Steering You Straight
What you need to know about the nomenclature
Grass-Fed vs. Corn-Fed
Someday, we’ll sit down over a wedge of Stilton and some tawny port and argue the environmental, health, nutritional, and moral implications of grass-fed versus grain-fed beef. For now: What’s the difference purely in taste? Your palate will likely find grass-fed meat leaner (lacking some of the corn-fed cow’s fat, it cooks much faster), while corn-fed meat is more “minerally” or “liverish.” The former is an acquired taste—though one might insist it’s worthwhile in getting a more authentic beef flavor.
Dry-Aged vs. Wet-Aged
Steaks can age two ways: enclosed in plastic bags in their own juices or, more expensively, hung open-air in climate-controlled rooms. Wet-aged, they acquire a juicy tenderness. Dry-aged, steaks lose moisture, concentrating a “roast-beef brown” flavor. Most of us favor wet-aged, probably because we’re accustomed to it, though dry-aged aficionados are enthusiastic. Either way, remember other factors—climate, breed, feed, and slaughter—affect beef as well, and postmortem aging is no guarantee of quality.
Kobe vs. Wagyu
Don’t confuse Kobe beef with Wagyu in general. The first, though it comes from the Wagyu breed, is almost unavailable outside Japan. The second is beef from Wagyu grown in the United States. Restaurants sometimes play with terms like “Kobe style” to deliberately muddy the difference. Marbling makes both special, with veins of fat that give the meat a frosted appearance. The taste? Exquisite if you’re eating it sliced thin, served rare. For normal-sized cuts, it’s usually not worth the outrageous price. —D.L.
The Chain Gang
This restaurant is a throwback to the days when green-coated servers pushed guéridon carts through fine dining rooms. A magnificent oval bar anchors the restaurant, part of a seven-unit Des Moines, Iowa–based chain.137 Carondelet Plaza, 314-875-9900.
Dry-aged beef, luxurious seafood, and meticulous service are specialties at this high-end addition to the Clayton dining scene. 101 S. Hanley, 314-725-0930.
Yeah, the name makes no sense to us, either. But this chain has maintained steakhouse élan, with a refreshingly formal atmosphere that’s never stiff, by flaming steaks at a sun’s-surface temperature and paying attention to detail, like that sizzle of butter on your bone-in rib-eye. The Porterhouse for Two, along with glasses of Napa Valley cab, is as romantic as carnivorism gets. The whiskey-laced bread pudding nods at Ruth’s Chris’ birth along Broad Street in New Orleans. 16493 Wild Horse Creek, Chesterfield; 315 Chestnut, downtown.
Stoney River goes for the Mountain Lodge look. Along with superior steaks (and a foothill appetizer of blue-cheese chips), an outdoorsy atmosphere prevails. You’ll fancy a postprandial canoe ride—right after you tuck into a fragrant, meltingly tender filet marinated in coffee, molasses, and brown sugar. The horseradish-encrusted strip steak wins praise, with or without caramelized-onion mashed potatoes, cinnamon-spiked sweet potatoes, or three-cheese macaroni. On second thought, forget the canoe—just bring on that cappuccino crème brûlée. 377 Chesterfield Center East, 636-536-1301.
Fleming’s combines a plush contemporary feel with the atmosphere of a private club that would definitely blackball your brother-in-law. Broiled, corn-fed cow here is well-trimmed and extravagantly marbled. But this is a place to try some decidedly nonstandard steakhouse preparations: filet rubbed with porcini dust and splashed with gorgonzola cream; a veal chop with béarnaise sauce; peppercorn-flecked strip steak; and a most gratifying aside of 100 wines by the glass, a number unmatched in St. Louis. 1855 S. Lindbergh, 314-567-7610.
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Steakhouse. From the owners of The Block, the Town & Country restaurant serves dishes with a combination of intriguing ingredients. Sides, such as garlic herb fries and beef fat-roasted potatoes, go grandly with dry-aged steaks. 13360 Clayton, 314-530-9700.
Steakhouse. Brothers Oscar and Oswaldo Farina are offering Argentinian stone-grilled steaks and foods from around the world at their open-concept place in the previous Mango Peruvian cuisine space. The house-made chimichurri sauce complements inspired dishes, and rack of lamb, roasted wild mushrooms, vegan rice bowls and Spanish churros are on the menu. 1001 Washington, 314-659-8647.
