The Best and the Beefiest in Seattle
Seattle has a reputation for pristine cuisine. Nestled in the Pacific Northwest, surrounded by mountains, water and farm-fresh provisions, the city boasts a culinary community like no other. This is certainly true of its steakhouses as well. Seattle is best known for its top-tier dry-aged steaks, famously tender and impossibly rich and flavorful. While the city may not contain as many steakhouses as other beefy metropolises across the country, this is one instance where it’s definitely a matter of quality over quantity. Here are some of Seattle’s must-eat steaks:
One of the most preeminent steakhouses in the Northwest, the esteemed Metropolitan Grill features some superlative cuts on its dinner menu. This is the type of classic restaurant steeped in history and lore; where locals flock to for special occasions and out-of-towners visit for a taste of local legend. Believe the hype. Each cut of Double R Ranch Prime steak is carefully chosen by executive chef Eric Hellner. They get a custom dry-age before being served.
Options at Metropolitan Grill include filet mignon, the restaurant’s most popular option, along with New York strip loin, top sirloin, porterhouse, Delmonico, rib-eye, long bone rib-eye, and bone-in filet mignon. They’re all served with choice of baked potato, mashed potatoes, steakhouse fries or roasted root vegetables.
At this timeworn institution, the motif is as rich as the beef. Open for lunch and dinner, the prestigious steakhouse serves some meticulously curated meats as its centerpiece, including a 70-day custom-aged USDA Prime beef from Omaha, Nebraska, that gets grilled over mesquite coals. Then there’s the American Wagyu beef from Snake River Farms in Boise, Idaho, which lends itself to all sorts of cuts like filet mignon, eye of rib-eye steak, sirloin, cap steak and New York strip. Courtesy of Darling Downs Wagyu in Brisbane, Queensland, John Howie also features some elite Wagyu beef from Australia. Prepared simply via a quick pan-sear, these include rib-eye, filet mignon and zabuton. Then there’s the almighty Japanese “A5” 100% Wagyu beef from Kyushu, Japan. This is the cream of the crop, made from the Kuroge-gyu breed of cattle and cut into New York strip steaks, rib-eyes, filet mignons and cap steaks. All are pan-seared to showcase the purity and lusciousness of the meat.
In case those aren’t glorious enough on their own, John Howie also offers some elegant and elaborate presentations on its dinner menu. Try the 24-oz. USDA Prime Chateaubriand on for size if you’re feeling lavish. This mesquite-grilled masterpiece is designed to serve two, carved table side and served with oven-roasted vegetables and classic Courvoisier maitre d’ sauce. There’s also a USDA Prime filet mignon medallion served “Oscar-style” with crab legs, asparagus spears, Yukon gold potato cake and bearnaise sauce.
