If Americans love anything as much as mom and apple pie, it’s a proper steak dinner — the kind where legal vices arrive on sizzling plates. Luckily, there’s no shortage of steakhouse chains in the country. But a steakhouse can range from peanut shells on the floor to a place where the ribeye is responsibly sourced, aged, carved, and served like a ritual.
For a place to call itself a high-quality steakhouse, the first requirement is USDA Prime beef. Today, roughly 10% of all beef graded by the USDA earns this top-tier designation.
Here are eight high quality steakhouse chains serving top-tier steaks across the country.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
In 1965, Ruth Fertel mortgaged her house for an $18,000 loan and bought the Chris Steak House — a 60-seat restaurant in New Orleans — without knowing she was about to change the steakhouse game. Today, there are over 100 locations across the U.S. and internationally, all carrying the name of the “First Lady of Steak.”
Ruth’s Chris ranks around the top in the hierarchy of chain steakhouses and regularly lands on lists of America’s favorite restaurants, and for good reason. Ruth’s uses only USDA Prime beef, wet-aged for up to 28 days for maximum tenderness. Steaks are cooked at 1,800°F, then served on 500-degree plates, sizzling in butter.
Capital Grille
As far as steakhouse chains go, The Capital Grille is about as high-end as it gets. It’s not cheap, but that price tag comes with an upscale, fine-dining experience and a level of dedication that justifies the cost.
They serve hand-cut, in-house, dry-aged USDA Prime steaks, an expensive step that many chains outsource. Their in-house dry-aging process lasts 18–24 days, which deepens the flavor, enhances tenderness, and creates a rich, steakhouse-level umami.
Morton’s The Steakhouse
Morton’s The Steakhouse is another chain on the pricier side, but it backs it up with USDA Prime beef aged 23–28 days and custom-cut to Morton’s specifications. Morton’s has built a reputation for reliable, top-tier steakhouse dining, and it’s consistently praised for its attentive service, high-quality meat, and elegant but welcoming atmosphere.
The Palm
The Palm is one of the oldest steakhouse chains in the U.S., and has been serving steak since 1926. It started as a small Italian restaurant in New York City and grew into a classic American steakhouse, now with 17 locations across the country.
The chain serves corn-fed, USDA Prime beef aged at least 35 days for maximum tenderness and flavor.
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse
Del Frisco positions itself as an upscale steakhouse with a focus on both steak and an extensive wine selection. The chain serves only hand-cut USDA Prime beef, which is dry or wet-aged and grilled to order across its 17 locations. The Bone-in Ribeye and Japanese A5 Wagyu are top-tier picks if you are looking for a melt-in-your-mouth steak experience.
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STK
STK is modern and upscale, but it also takes its beef seriously. The chain is so confident in its beef that it launched the STK Meat Market in 2021, to allow customers outside major cities to order the same Prime cuts served in its restaurants. STK sources USDA Prime and Choice Angus steaks, from the Midwest, with the latter corn-fed for extra marbling and tenderness. Most cuts are wet-aged for at least 30 days, though they also offer dry-aged options for a deeper, more intense flavor.
Mastro’s Steakhouse
Mastro’s steaks are thick, the seafood towers are borderline architectural, the vibe is classy, and the price tag is substantial. The fine-dining steakhouse chain serves corn-fed Midwestern beef, most of it wet-aged for at least 30 days, but there is a dry-aged option as well. While you’re there for the turf, don’t sleep on the surf because it has one of the country’s finest seafood options.
Smith & Wollensky
Smith & Wollensky isn’t here to reinvent the wheel — it just makes sure the wheel is well-marbled, dry-aged, and served with a stiff martini. This old-school chophouse with white-jacketed service is the kind of place where deals get made, anniversaries get toasted, and expense accounts get a workout.
The signature USDA Prime steaks are dry-aged in-house. While the bone-in ribeye is a standout, if you’re feeling ambitious, go for the massive prime rib that comes carved tableside like you’re some kind of royalty.
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