Sometimes, all the work that goes into grilling a perfect steak — the trip to the store, the time spent creating your signature marinade, those moments patiently waiting as the scent of grilled meat wafts into the backyard — can take the zip out of even the best filet mignon. Tonight, our Forbes Travel Guide editors suggest leaving the “Kiss The Cook” apron on its hook and making reservations at one of these five savory steakhouses. Between the delicious meal and stellar service, the dining experience is sure to be a rare one, indeed.
Mooo
This Boston steakhouse, nestled inside the Four-Star XV Beacon hotel, is equal parts playful and posh; the restaurant’s name is an early indication that this business-casual restaurant doesn’t take itself too seriously, but the menu clearly doesn’t play around. Each à la carte cut of meat is served with roasted garlic and bone marrow butter, and the options range from a classic 12-oz. New York sirloin to the high-roller 6 oz., Japanese grade A5 100 percent Wagyu beef sirloin. If you’re going to Mooo, go all out — the Wagyu is the highest grade of Japanese beef on the market, and cattle are raised on soybean, wheat barley and beer, without hormones, growth stimulants or antibiotics to muddle up the flavor. We’ll drink to that with a glass of vino from the stocked wine cellar.
STARS
Pickiness is encouraged at this Four-Star restaurant located inside the Four-Star Chatham Bars Inn Resort and Spa in Cape Cod. When you’re ready to make your steak selection, a cart piled high with Midwestern grain fed beef will be wheeled directly to your table so that you can choose the cut, style and number of ounces that best suits your mood for the evening. The result? A steak that comes to your table cut, cooked and seasoned exactly to your preference — it’s the next best thing to grilling the cut yourself. If you’d rather trust the kitchen staff, we recommend ordering the 18-oz. châteaubriand. It’s the perfect meal to share with someone special, and it comes served with your choice of side (choose from accompaniments such as cream of spinach and wild mushroom risotto), one of the restaurant’s signature sauces (we’re partial to the Sauce Diane with brandy and green peppercorn) and the Chatham Bars Inn Steak Sauce.
Final Cut Steak & Seafood
This business-casual steakhouse may be located inside the Hollywood Casino in Toledo, Ohio, but you can make reservations with confidence knowing that the cuts of beef served here are no gamble. The wood fired steaks served at this Four-Star restaurant cut straight to the flavorful point with options such as the 4-oz. Australian Wagyu strip, 8-oz. filet mignon and the 18-oz. prime porterhouse. Each steak gets dressed with kosher salt and garlic prior to grilling, and is topped off with a pat of butter for a melt-in-your-mouth finish.
CUT
You didn’t think we were going to post a roundup of great steaks without one from the Sin City Strip, did you? The dining room of this steakhouse, which is housed inside the Four-Star The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, is modern and bright, and large mirrors, hanging chandeliers and angular furniture accent the mood — it’s a nice juxtaposition to the classic steakhouse menu of U.S.D.A. Prime cuts, American Wagyu beef and Japanese 100 percent Wagyu beef. Our Forbes Travel Guide editors think the best bet is the Japanese Wagyu rib eye. After all, if you’re dining in Las Vegas, it’s best to err on the side of decadence.
Packard’s Steakhouse
Here at Forbes Travel Guide, we’re usually the first to recommend ordering regional specialties when dining out — but if you find yourself at this steakhouse in Innisbrook, A Salamander Resort, forego the fresh catch of the day and hone in on the assortment of aged premium beef steaks. The 24-oz. Porterhouse is the most popular steak, but for the most flavorful experience, you can also opt for the 22-oz. Delmonico steak. And, if you absolutely must feed your seafood craving, you can always add a steak enhancement such as lobster tail, butter and garlic shrimp or Oscar (grilled asparagus and blue crab with Béarnaise sauce).
Photo Courtesy of Chatham Bars Inn
