Do you brake for great steak? Then you might want to consult a recent list published by entertainment and travel site Thrillist of 31 the Best Steakhouses in America.
Showcasing purveyors of meaty goodness from Seattle to Tampa, this guide is sure to please RV meat fans of everything from porterhouses to t-bone to beef Wellington. So hit the accelerator for steak — we’ve included links to nearby Good Sam parks, where you relax after a carnivorous feast.
Image: B&B
1) B&B Butchers
Houston, Texas
Meat buffs know great steak reigns in Texas, land of the legendary longhorn steer and starting point of the iconic Chisholm Trail. Boost your meat IQ at B&B with a peak at the on-the premise butcher shop, where you can see how meat is cut by the pros. When you’re not marveling at the beautiful marble, take a seat for the Wagyu Skirt Steak, with garlic butter and French fries. It’s a back-to-basics meal that will provide you with all the protein you’ll need for the next leg of your trip.
Area Good Sam Parks
2) The Bancroft
Burlington, Massachusetts
After getting your fill of American history on Boston’s Freedom Trail, head north to this unassuming suburb for heaping slices of beef. Start with savory clam chowder with house-made crackers and house-smoked bacon. Make sure you leave room for the Hand Cut Prime Steak Tartare, with pickled shallots and violet mustard. Afterward, walk off those calories with a hike up Bunker Hill.
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3) Barclay Prime
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philly might be famous for its cheesesteak, but its regular steak isn’t too shabby, either. Find out why at Barclay Prime, where the 32-ounce porterhouse is dry-aged for 35 days and costs $105. Are you a light eater? Sink your knife into the 14-ounce New York Strip, which is 28-day dry-aged and only costs $52. It’s worth every dollar.
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image: Bevette’s
4) Bevette’s Steakhouse & Bar
Chicago, Illinois
Chi-town steakhouses are the stuff of legend, so a restaurant has to be pretty good to climb to the top of the heap in the Windy City. That’s the case with Bevette’s Steakhouse & Bar, founded by celebrated restaurateur Brendon Sodikoff and featuring fare that ranges from Crab Stuffed Avocado to Prime Beef French dip. Eat like a local with the Classic Ribeye — Chicago Cut, with Bearnaise and steak salt. If you’re traveling in the West, hit the Bevette’s in Las Vegas.
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5) Bern’s
Tampa, Florida
This Florida culinary institution (founded during the Eisenhower administration) wins over customers by paying attention to every detail of the steakhouse experience. The prime steaks are cut to order, many of the veggies are grown locally and the menu includes 21 choices of caviar. Take a pick from one of the “largest wine collections in the world,” and if you’re feeling ambitious, dig into the 60-ounce New York Strip Steak ($251.12). If you still have room for dessert (hats off to you!), amble over to the Harry Waugh Dessert Room and dig into Bern’s Macadamia Nut Ice Cream, with buttered, roasted macadamia nuts blended in.
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6) The Butcher’s Table
Seattle, Washington
With fireside tables and leather seats, this restaurant makes good on its promise of an elegant eating experience. Using Michima Reserve beef from full-blood black Wagyu bulls, the restaurant’s menu includes the 5-star Flight: A four-ounce piece of eye of ribeye, New York, cap of ribeye and filet mignon.
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7) Golden Steer
Las Vegas, Nevada
Steer clear all of the nouveau steakhouses in Vegas and make a beeline for an eatery that served Elvis and Sinatra. The Golden Steer’s Filet Mignon is billed as “the Aristocrat of Tenderness.” Bringing a date? Try the Chateaubriand for Two, which is cut at your table and is served with Hollandaise and Berarnaise Sauce. Catch a sighting of Frank, Marilyn or Sammy as you dine. Humorist Mo Rocca recently profiled the restaurant (above).
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8) Cattlemen’s
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
As the name suggests, this OKC establishment has deep roots serving steaks to hungry cowboys and ranchers. Over the years, it lived many lives — Cattlemen’s once changed hands in a game of dice. Nowadays, the steak here is a safe bet. Diners can rely on consistently flavorful entrees like the bacon-wrapped, broiled Filet Mignon.
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9) Chandler’s
Boise, Idaho
Using cuts of American wagyu from nearby Snake River farms, Chandler’s takes pride in its local cred. Get a wallop of Western flavor by biting into the Cowboy Cut, an aged, bone-in, center-cut ribeye. According to Chandler’s, it’s “best served medium-rare to medium to caramelize the fats and release the flavorful juices.” They get no argument from us.
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Image: Cote
10) Cote
New York, New York
The classic Steakhouse gets a Korean spin here, thanks to Michelin-starred proprietor Simon Kim. Like a Korean barbecue, patrons can cook their steaks just the way they like them at their tables. Bring your friends for the Butcher’s Feast, which features four selected cuts with Korean accompaniments.
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11) Crescent City Steaks
New Orleans, Louisiana
Put down the po boy and pick up the steak knife. This Big Easy legend has served up sizzling, juicy USDA prime steaks for 83 years and shows no sign of slowing down. The proprietors claim they invented the “New Orleans style” of cooking, with steaks coated in sizzling in butter. Taste that delicious buttery goodness in a hefty T-Bone.
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12) Swift & Sons
Chicago, Illinois
You didn’t expect Thrillist to put only one Chicago eatery on this list, did you? Swift and Son certainly earns its place, with a Surf and Turf that consists of an 8-ounce Cap Steak & ½ Lobster Thermidor. With sides like Crispy Fingerling Potatoes, Double Stuffed Baked Potato and “Carbonara” Macaroni and Cheese, you’re in for a full dining experience.
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13) Durant’s
Phoenix, Arizona
John Wayne was a regular customer of this longtime Phoenix eatery, and it’s easy to see why. The juicy, 48-ounce porterhouse is perfect for a Duke-size appetite. Patrons who conquer this slab of meat get membership in the prestigious Durant’s Porterhouse Club. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to be in the company Hollywood’s most famous cowboy?
14) Five O’Clock Steakhouse
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
This Midwest supper club serves up tantalizing cocktails along with appetizers that include Thai Buffalo Shrimp, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes and Handcut Steak Fries. But don’t get distracted by the preliminaries; keep your focus on the succulent steaks, each one served with butter-sauteed mushrooms. Savor the New York Strip Sirloin “for the love of the finest–fit for a king,” according to the menu.
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Image: Guard & Grace
15) Guard and Grace
Denver, Colorado
Like the Olympic distance runners training in nearby Colorado Springs, diners at this restaurant are advised to pace themselves. Start on crab legs at the raw bar, enjoy chef’s selected cheeses and savor Oak Fired Octopus. Now you’re ready for beautiful steak, the hanger steak, which will make you fall in love with beef all over again.
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16) Halls Chophouse
Charleston, South Carolina
Steak gets the Lowcountry treatment here with wet aged cuts that span the beef spectrum. The New York Strip boasts a “fine, silky texture,” while the Bone-in Rib Eye is basted with its own rich marbling, according to the menu. Feel the Southern vibe appetizers like Lowcountry Fried Green tomatoes and Tuna Tartare.
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17) The Hitching Post
Casmalia, California
California Wine Country’s vintages have garnered global acclaim, and the steak game is pretty accomplished, too. Take a bite out of the meat cooked to perfection in Hitching Post’s indoor barbecue pit filled with coals of red oak. The Bone-In Chop will satisfy all your protein needs. But before you pick up knife and fork, sample a bottle from the restaurant’s outstanding wine list.
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18) Hy’s Steak House
Honolulu, Hawaii
The 50th state is a lush recreation destination with an enticing green interior and legendary surfing beaches. The steak isn’t so bad, either. At Hy’s, Asian ingredients bring out bold flavor in the Steak Tataki, a seared prime Filet Mignon with Nalo Greens and Oriental Vinaigrette.
There are no Good Sam Parks in Hawaii, but you’ll find lots of places for camping and water recreation.
Image: Kayne Prime
19) Kayne Prime
Nashville, Tennessee
The capital of country music is home to a steakhouse that specializes in a medley of flavors from around the globe. Try the hand-selected Filet Mignon, with meats from Birmingham, Alabama. The Wagyu originates in Australia and the New York Strip comes from Northern California. Kayne will go the extra mile for good steak.
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20) Keens
New York, New York
Great flavor is timeless in Keens, a Big Apple institution founded in 1885. For over-the-top taste, take a bite out of the Prime Filet Mignon, which swims in au poivre, Bearnaise, Mushroom or red wine sauce. This extra is worth the extra two dollars. Bring some friends and cut into the prime porterhouse for three (you can split the $154 bill three ways).
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21) Kevin Rathbun Steak
Atlanta, Georgia
The steaks in this Hotlanta spot sizzle with flavor, but you can opt for a cut that’s so rare, it’s “blue.” In fact, the menu here has a special designation for folks who like a “cool center.” If you’re feeling skittish about getting into pink territory, just know that you can trust the restaurant’s namesake, an Iron Chef contestant whose skills and judgment are beyond reproach. Try the Prime 10-ounce Ribeye Steak Diane, with Brandy, Mushrooms, Digon and Shallots.
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22) Killen’s Steakhouse
Pearland, Texas
This Houston-area eatery made headlines a few years ago when a ravenous table of diners racked up a $12,000 bill. Much of the whopping splurge entailed purchases from the restaurant’s fine wine selection, but the eaters also indulged in some of the restaurant’s excellent steak. Don’t break the bank; order the wet-aged 10-ounce Piedmontese Filet Mignon for only $48. You can taste every cent.
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Image: Knife
23) Knife
Dallas, Texas
No steak is served before its time at Knife. After getting picked from from area ranches, the meat is aged for up to 240 days until it’s perfect. Then a red-oak fire does the rest, infusing the steaks with just the right heat. Once at the table, guests can choose from New School (Grilled BIG Short Rib), Old School (Heartbrand Ranch Askaushi Filet au Poivre) and Exotic (110 Day Dry Aged Heartbrand Ranch Akaushi Sirloin).
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24) Laurelhurst Market
Portland, Oregon
Like so many restaurants in Portland, the Laurelhurst Market serves up superb fare behind a quirky, no-frills exterior. You won’t get the full measure of the establishment’s quality until you peek into the full butcher shop, sip one of the excellent cocktails or bite into the locally sourced food. Try the Snake River Farm Wagyu Culotte, served with grill broccolini, garlic, lemon & tahini vinaigrette and charred green onion sauce.
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25) Le Moo
Louisville, Kentucky
True to its whimsical name, this eclectic eatery goes out of its way to delight. Customers can sit in the Vintage Louis Vuitton Booth, attend the Drag Brunch or sip quirky cocktails like the Moohattan and the Drugstore Cowboy. But when it comes to steak, it’s all business. Try the Steak Tartare Prime, with minced prime tenderoin, cornichons, capers, egg, mustard, micro greens and topped with egg yoke.
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26) Murray’s Steakhouse
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Murray’s opened its doors in 1946 and has never stopped preparing excellent cuts of beef. A testament to the restaurant’s consistency is Boyd Freeman, a butcher who’s worked there for 40 years and has mastered the art of making superb cuts. Taste Murray’s steady commitment to high-quality steak in the Murray’s Original Steak Sandwich, filled with strip sirloin steak, bacon and provolone cheese.
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Image: Prime Rib
27) The Prime Rib
Baltimore, Maryland
This restaurant hits all the notes of a classic American steakhouse. The waiters wear tuxedos, a live baby grand piano plays in the background and Louis Icart prints hang on the walls. The steak sizzles with just as much elegance.Try the Steak Au Poivre or Roquefort to enjoy new dimensions of meaty flavor.
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28) St. Elmo Steak House
Indianapolis, Indiana
The best things in life don’t come around every day. That’s the case with St. Elmo’s Bone-In Prime Rib, a slow-roasted 38-ounce cut with a flavorful balance of marbling that’s available on a limited basis. But before you dive into the entree, try the World Famous St. Elmo’s Shrimp Cocktail, made with four jumbo shrimp with spicy signature cocktail sauce.
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29) Stake Chophouse & Bar
San Diego, California
Situated on Coronado Island overlooking the Pacific Ocean, this restaurant is the undisputed top gun of local food establishments. The sleek, modern interior sets the scene for on-target dishes, like the Japanese A5 Beef Carpaccio, served with Wagyu Crouton, Tomato and Smoked caper. Sample a meeting of two great flavors with the Brooklyn Bacon Steak.
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Image: Stock Hill
30) Stock Hill
Kansas City, Missouri
Named after a historic neighborhood, this restaurant builds upon the tradition of a classic steakhouse with a few novel twists. Try the Hanger Steak, with with “black peppercorn crusted, gruyère spaetzle, herb chutney, sourdough crumble, tempura-fried onion ring.” For something beefier, try the 16-ounce Kansas City Strip, which hails from 44 Farms in Cameron, Texas.
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31) Taylor’s Prime Steak House
Los Angeles, California
The vegan trend has spread through Los Angeles like wildfire, but this local bastion of beef is still going strong. Just goes to show that even in the land of animal-free diets, a good slice of steak still pulls in big audiences. Credit the Old Hollywood vibe, with strong drinks and dark red booths, along with entrees like Taylor’s Special Dinner Steak, consisting of grilled filet mignon smothered in grilled sweet Texas onions.
Area Good Sam Parks