Best Los Angeles Steakhouses for Dining During Lent

Okay, we admit, restaurants with the word “steakhouse” in their name may not sound like the kind of places you’d want – or be able – to eat during Lent, meat being one of the foods people usually avoid 'during this season of self-sacrifice.

 

But most steakhouses have some of the best selections of fish and seafood you will find anywhere.

 

So, think of steakhouses as palaces of protein, places where you can get the very best of that nutrient, whether it comes from the land or the ocean. And, you know, because Los Angeles is on the water, you’d expect to find some awesome gifts of the surf at even those places that specialize in turf.

 

Here are six of the best Los Angeles steakhouses for dining during Lent.

 

Boa Steakhouse. Charred tuna tartare and Siberian Osetra are just two of the spectacular seafood offerings at Boa Steakhouse in West Hollywood. Aside from the magnificent seafood and meat, Boa Steakhouse also excels is with the salads: tableside classic Caesar, Greens A Herbs (shaved vegetables and buttermilk vinaigrette), and Freekah Salad (with Kalamata olives, mint, and sumac vinaigrette). These bowls of greens and grains are so satisfying, you won’t even think about steak…or maybe even seafood.

 

Parkers' Lighthouse. With “lighthouse” in the name, you’d be right to assume that this restaurant would offer an abundance of seafood. That expectation would be accurate. Parkers' Lighthouse offers cedar plank roasted salmon, jumbo seared George’s Bank scallops, mesquite-grilled ahi tuna and lobster mac n’ cheese – and those are just some of the delectable menu options from the sea available at this picturesque place. You could also get a steak, but it’s really not the season for that, now is it?

 

Dal Rae.  At Dal Rae, you can start with oysters raw or Rockefeller, crab legs and other seafood on ice, or escargots Bourguignonne (snails count as seafood – they’re definitely not meat, right?).  For your entrées, there are classics like Lobster Thermidor, abalone from Morro Bay, or sautéed frog legs (again, we think frog legs count as seafood).

 

Ocean Prime. Although the menu features several excellent steaks, Ocean Prime is very fish-focused, starting with an awe-inspiring selection of sushi, including Dynamite roll, tuna roll, and Hamachi crudo. The warm fish and seafood dishes are equally wonderful: teriyaki salmon, Dutch Harbor king crab legs, and sea scallops with English peas and Parmesan risotto. Just keep reminding yourself: this is a sacrifice.

 

The Arthur J. At The Arthur J, a Manhattan Beach mainstay, you can have a steak, of course, but what you really want are the exceptional seafood including baked spinach and blue crab dip and crispy fried cod. There are also some non-fish and non-meat options you might enjoy, like Arthur J’s Deviled Eggs and wood-grilled shishito peppers.

 

555 East American Steakhouse. Even at a place with a name like 555 East American Steakhouse, you can be guaranteed of getting some of the best seafood in the Los Angeles area. There’s grilled wild Pacific swordfish, pan-seared New Zealand king salmon, and Wild Ross Sea Chilean sea bass (certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, a body that guarantees the fish are sustainable and harvested with low environmental impact).