Atlanta's Best Steakhouse Lunches

When it comes to the quintessential steak experience, most people associate these kinds of restaurants with leisurely, drawn-out dinners. And that’s all well and good, but steakhouses are just as alluring during the lunch hour, when these meaty temples hone in on more casual fare. The result? The ultimate power lunch. And in Atlanta, there’s no shortage of daytime options. Here are some of the city’s best steakhouse lunch spots.

Chops Lobster Bar: This institution has the power lunch perfected to a tee. In fact, they promise to serve you three courses in 45 minutes, ensuring you’re satisfied and back at the office in no time. This includes an appetizer, a soup or salad and an entree. With so many options to choose from, it’s easy to keep coming back here and always order a different combination. Starters include smoked salmon platters, Thai chili calamari, crab cakes and crisped thick-cut onion rings with steak sauce. Soups and salads are hearty in their own right, too, with Cognac-splashed lobster bisque, chilled iceberg wedge BLT and a classic chopped salad all sharing menu space. As for entrees, look for selections like a crispy Maine lobster bLT, a broiled burger, chopped sirloin steak or Chilean sea bass and salmon “Hong Kong-style,” steamed in sherry-soy broth and accompanied by jasmine rice.

The Palm: Three-course power lunches are also available at this venerable staple, where starters, entrees and desserts can all be had for a bargain price in record time. But if you’re able to take your time and be leisurely about it, you’ll be in good hands, especially since the lunch menu is bursting with opportunity. Crabmeat cocktails, baked clams casino and beefsteak tomato Capri are just a few starters, followed by savorous specialties like chicken Parmesan, wasabi-crusted ahi tuna steak, Atlantic salmon fillet and a nine-oz. filet mignon. Sandwiches are solid too, featuring the likes of a Nova Scotia lobster BLT and a prime shaved steak sandwich with caramelized onions, fresh thyme and sharp provolone.

Fried ravioli at Mirabella Italian Cuisine: This Italian-leaning steakhouse does a sterling job with decadent dishes like sausage & peppers, calamari, pizza bread and chicken Parmesan, and those are all well and good, but one of our favorites, especially during chilly weather, is the fried ravioli. A nod to Italian-Midwestern comfort food classics, the ravioli is perfectly crispy and golden brown, filled with molten cheese. A quick dunk in tangy marinara and you’ve got the perfect autumnal bite. Deep-dish at Pequod’s Pizza: In a city filled with pizza, this Lincoln Park bastion stands out among the best of the deep-dish. The key is in the crust, which gets caramelized and extra crispy in the oven. It’s also not as overbearingly thick and dense as some other deep-dish crusts can be. You can customize to your heart’s content, with toppings ranging from pepperoni and ground beef to fresh basil, hot giardiniera, black olives and even Italian beef. Sweet potatoes at Tavern on Rush: There’s a lot to love about Tavern on Rush all year round. The expansive menu has a little bit of something for everyone, from steaks of all sizes to pizzas, seafoods, salads, brunch and lots more. But one of the sleeper hits on the menu just happens to be a real treat in the colder months. Scroll to the bottom of the menu to find the potato section, which has numerous variations of spuds in all kinds of wholesome forms. The baked sweet potatoes and twice-baked potatoes are particularly nourishing during this time of year, as well the white cheddar au gratin potatoes and mashed potatoes. Of course, you can’t go wrong with perennial standbys like french fries and housemade chips with French onion dip, either. Ramen at Ramen-san: Ramen is sort of the opposite of ice cream, for us. While we tend to only crave ice cream in the summer, the same is true of ramen in the wintry months. And few bowls of ramen are as deeply soul-soothing as the versions being served at River North’s Ramen-san. Try the more classic options like shio ramen with chicken broth, molten egg, tofu and nori, or the tonkotsu with traditional broth, chashu and molten egg, or opt for something more novel like Ramen-san’s kimchi and fried chicken ramen with fried garlic and buttered corn. No matter which route you choose, you’ll be in for a treat. Dessert at Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse: Beach body season really isn’t that conducive to massive slices of cake. For dessert fans, this is your time to shine. And you can do so at Gibsons, where the Gold Coast restaurant is nearly as famed for its mile-high confections as its seafood and steaks. Save room for the end of the meal, because you’re going to want a wedge of turtle pie, carrot cake and chocolate mousse pie. Patty melt at Eleven City Diner: For one of the best patty melts in Chicago, you gotta go to Eleven City Diner. And you’d best do it when the weather is cold, as that’s when the mix of burger patty, grilled onions, cheese, 1,000 Island and rye bread tastes its best. The patty itself is succulent beyond belief, made with a fresh grind of Angus steak. It’s just the right consistency for the griddle, melding nicely with its toppings and bread. All melts are served with fries, just to gild the lily. Cinnamon rolls at Ann Sather: People flock from all over for the massive cinnamon rolls at Ann Sather, served in pairs and doused in treacly icing. Nowadays, they’re the perfect way to kickstart your day, especially if the rest of your day is reserved for lazy indoor activities. We’re not sure how they make them so addictive, but there’s just something so satisfying about the doughy, delicate texture of the buns and the warm frosting melting into all the nooks and crannies. Pot pie at Hoosier Mama Pie Company: All year long, there’s something to fawn over at Hoosier Mama Pie Company, be it a slice of blueberry pie in the summer or pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. But if savory pie is your thing, the quaint shop’s pot pies are downright habit-forming this time of year. Options include classic chicken pot pie, roasted vegetable, and the incomparable pork-apple-sage pie. The latter is a real wonder, piled high in a double-crusted pie — 101 Steak

101 Steak: From Cobb salad to crab cakes, all the lunch classics are well-represented at this inventive steakhouse, where unexpected additions, sauces and sides manage to set this place apart from the herd. The aforementioned Cobb comes with succulent strips of beef tenderloin and a splash of red wine vinaigrette, while the crab cakes get a dash of peppadew remoulade. Braised fennel meatballs, pulled pork egg rolls and Georgia shrimp sandwich rolls are just a few other noteworthy picks. Don’t miss the incredible Wagyu pastrami Reuben. It’ll ruin you on all other Reubens going forward, but it’s worth it.

McKendrick’s: For 20 years, McKendrick’s has been satisfying Georgians steak needs all day long. It’s given them plenty of time to perfect their formulas, too, which is why their weekday lunch is such a solid fixture in the Atlanta area. From steaks and seafood to burgers, salads and shrimp cocktail, the restaurant pays apt homage to steakhouse lunch classics. Start with an indulgent plate of blue cheese potato chips, follow it with a spinach salad laced with wood-smoked bacon dressing, then beef things up with a bone-in rib-eye, a center-cut filet or a burger.

The Mercury: For those looking for a little more innovation during their lunch break, look no further than The Mercury. Here you’ll find crispy Brussels sprouts with herbsaint ranch dressing, Wagyu carpaccio with grilled romaine and tempura avocado, chorizo bocadillo sandwiches with pepper relish and Mercury grinders studded with roasted turkey, rosemary-scented ham, roast beef, tomato, mayo, Dijon and red wine vinaigrette.

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Atlanta's Best Steakhouse Lunches

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