New York City Steakhouses

The regular diners that frequent the best steaks at the many fine New York City steakhouses that we feature and recommend don’t need a menu; they know what’s on it and what they’re going to order before even walking through the door. These New York City steakhouses change little from day to day or year to year; they just keep rolling along delivering the goods. After all, why mess with success? These fine NYC steakhouses, for the most part, have been doing it, and doing it right, for a long time, catering to many of the same diners for an extended period, going back even years; and, have created the perfect atmosphere to enjoy a great steak. The convivial atmosphere, along with the great steak, make the experience so delightful, why would these patrons go anywhere else?

What is it that distinguishes these New York City steakhouses from other restaurants in the city:

Grade of the Beef: At the best New York City steakhouses, the most expensive grades of beef, i.e., USDA “Prime” are utilized as the foundation of the steak dinner. A “Prime” grade of beef is a very small portion of the total steaks that are sold, i.e., around 2%; and, the demand for the “prime” cuts of beef prices it out of showing up on the local grocery store shelf. When buying a steak for home cooking, you’re likely to have to settle for the a lower grade of beef, like “Choice”, the next lower graded selection, for your steak at home. Still good, but not possessing all the characteristics of the top grade of “Prime”. (New York Magazine provided a list of restaurants where you can purchase their dry aged, Prime, steaks to “go” awhile ago. Go here to check them out; be careful, these prices are out of date and some of the restaurants may not offer this service any longer. Call ahead to be sure.)

Aging of the Beef: The recommended New York City steakhouses “dry age” their beef, anywhere from 15 to 28 days right in their restaurant; you may even be able to see the beef hanging from hooks in their cool storage room as it dries. Often, these restaurants make their dry aging visible because they are both proud of the process, and can use it as advertising for the quality of their beef. Dry aging intensifies the flavor of the beef and improves the overall tenderness of the cut of the beef, be that porterhouse, steak, or roast. The dry aging process simply lets the beef sit under cool, controlled condtions for a requisite period of time, more than a week and less than a month, generally. You can’t do this at home since most homes have neither the “right” cool room nor the patience to let it go for the appropriate period of time; and without the proper cooling and control, the risk of spoilage and/or food poisoning is very high. So, we recommend that you not try this at home, i.e., dry aging. Take the steak you buy at the grocery store and cook it while it is fresh! Better yet, avoid the time and effort to cook a good steak and go to one of our recommended New York City steakhouses to enjoy the best.

Seasoning for the Beef: The steak you buy at a good New York City steakhouse needs little seasoning. However, that doesn’t mean seasonings aren’t used. Instead, each of these great New York City steakhouses employs their own “secret” seasoning recipe that creates their signature “taste”. It can include ingredients like coarse ground black pepper, sea or kosher salt, maybe even parsley or some form of butter, yes butter (when using butter, it has to be added at just the right time to add the appropriate richness to the “taste”).

Equipment for Cooking the Beef: Most of the recommended New York City steakhouses broil their steaks; they don’t grill them (although a minority may grill, mostly for appearance). However, the New York City steakhouses that broil their steaks use infrared broilers that produce extremely high temperatures. While these infrared broilers can be purchase, you probably won’t get the same result as you would at one of the New York City steakhouses. The preparation of a great steak requires a combination of equipment, the right experience, the proper grade of beef, the right seasoning(s), and just plain know-how. It’s all of these factors thrown together that creates a great steak.

NYBestSteak.com uses a number of measures to define the restaurant that offer the best steaks. First, the steak house must feature USDA Prime Beef on its menu; the steak house must also offer world-class service; and, stock an extensive supply of wines and spirits, in keeping with the enjoyment and atmosphere that are part and parcel of a great steak house.

Each steakhouse that makes our cut is simply the best. Each highlighted steakhouse has been highly regarded by local and national media outlets such as DiRoNA, Wine Spectator, Zagat and other recognized restaurant evaluators. So, you as a diner, will know that the quality of the meal and the ambiance of the restaurant will meet your strictest requirements and afford you a relaxing, enjoyable meal.