LAGuide
Where To Get A Nice Steak In LA
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Steak dinners are typically synonymous with special occasions, and for good reason, but sometimes a Thursday night calls for a textbook-sized slab of meat, too. From French bistros to upscale KBBQ spots and old-school chophouse institutions, go to these restaurants when you're in the mood for a hunk of steak and nothing else will suffice.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Maxime Lemoine
There’s a good chance Marilyn Monroe ate a steak or two at The Georgian Room. This glamorous historic steakhouse sits just below The Georgian Hotel, a place where Old Hollywood-era celebrities regularly laid their heads. But even if you don’t care about which starlet sat in which leather booth, you'll be excited about the dry-aged New York strip with salsa verde and roasted garlic at the center of your table. It’s tender enough to cut with a fork and tastes like it was broiled by a dragon that went to culinary school.
The fact that this massive steakhouse is right next door to Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills should tell you something. Yes, it’s part of a chain run by the Mastro’s people. Sure, you’ll pass tacky wine walls on the way to your table. But if you’re looking to wear a suit and spend too much money on beef and cabernet, this place delivers. The steaks are all prime cuts that have been wet-aged for 28 days—our favorite is the bone-in ribeye with its even sear and spot-on temperature. It doesn't come with sides, so we suggest adding on the creamed spinach and sweet corn creme brulee for a well-rounded meal.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
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Whenever we need a break from the chaos and congestion of this century, we take a drive up to this 19th-century general-store-turned-saloon in the Santa Monica Mountains. The Old Place has a Wild West aesthetic that's not unlike what you'll find in Pioneertown. Except here you'll eat American comfort staples like chicken pot pie, fruit cobblers in cast-iron pans, and something called a "noodle bake" comprised of thick egg noodles smothered in three kinds of cheese. But if you don't get the oak-grilled bone-in ribeye, you've made a mistake. It's one of the heftiest steaks in the city and considering it comes with a salad and loaded baked potato, the $58 price is very fair.
Words like rich, indulgent, and uncomfortably full come to mind when describing a meal at Chi Spacca, and we mean all of them in the best way. This meat-focused Italian spot from the people behind Mozza serves excellent wine, charcuterie, and dishes that KO us. Get a bone marrow pie and cheese-filled focaccia di recco to round out the experience of a dry-aged florentine steak with a charred crust and medium-rare interior. If a $285 bone-in porterhouse sounds like your idea of a special night, Chi Spacca is the place to be.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
This upscale French restaurant in Beverly Grove feels a lot more neighborhood-y than those nouns might suggest. The space has an eclectic mix of French country decor and Christmas lights that feel oddly cozy. It's an easy place to sit around for hours with wine and really good steak frites. Their New York Prime comes topped with a dollop of herb butter that melts over the steak's crust and a pile of warm, thin-cut fries that soak up all the drippings. This 12-ounce steak works just fine as a meal for one, and it's best eaten on Marvin's bistro-style front patio with a glass of cabernet sauvignon.
This Argentinian steakhouse in West Hollywood has been around for decades but it still feels like not enough people know about the place. Picture an old-school dining space with white tablecloths, portraits of tango legends, and waiters floating between tables pouring glasses of Argentinian reds. All the cuts on the menu, from the juicy ojo de bife to the charred slabs of entraña, come with a side of garlicky chimichurri that you should generously drizzle on everything. There's also a full parrillada for two if you want to try a bunch of different meats, and several incredible dulce de leche desserts.
A meal at this Beverly Hills original is bound to feel a little like eating on a cruise ship, but the food is legitimately delicious. Between the spinning salad, the "meat and potato" martinis, and the glorious, silver prime rib cart that rolls right up to your table, expect a show from start to finish. They offer five different cuts, ranging from the lighter "California" cut to the massive "Beef Bowl Double" cut. We always get the signature "Lawry's." It's juicy and hefty, yet won't leave you in a red meat slumber. Get a side of creamed spinach and/or creamed corn, too.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
With all the high-profile restaurant openings in Hollywood over the last few years, this steakhouse/butcher shop has slipped under the radar a bit. That should change—Gwen on Sunset Blvd. is a fantastic option for an upscale, meat-centric meal. In addition to serving great charcuterie, they make an evenly charred, 36-ounce ribeye that can easily feed two grown adults. If you're in need of an understated, fancy dinner in Hollywood with great steaks—and available reservations—head to Gwen.
photo credit: Kat Hong
Comparing Mun to your basic KBBQ experience is like putting up your local rec center against a fancy gym with free scented towels. Everything about this Koreatown spot is luxe, from the quality of the meats to the bar that pours a solid Old Fashioned. You'll get to choose between rounds of marbled flat-iron steaks, aged ribeye, and short ribs that pull right off the bone, plus sides like beef tartare bibimbap and kimchi pancakes glued together with molten cheese. When you want steakhouse-level meats without sacrificing the high-energy party atmosphere of the best KBBQ spots, Mun offers the best of both worlds.
To be clear, Musso & Frank does not serve the best steak in LA. But if you write off this iconic steakhouse as a Hollywood Blvd. tourist trap, you'll be missing out on a classic LA dining experience. The waiters wear red jackets and bow-ties, crab louie is still on the menu, and there's a vintage phone booth in a corner. Their house martini is among the best in town. For steak, we like the ribeye, but make sure you order it slightly rarer than usual—meats tend to be slightly overcooked here.
We'll just say it: Taylor's Steakhouse might be a Koreatown institution, but the sides here are pretty underwhelming (whatever you do, don't order the steamed broccoli). The good news is that almost no one comes to this old-timey red booth spot for anything other than strong martinis and excellent steaks that cost less than $50. The kitchen knows how to cook a London broil so that it cuts like butter, and their boneless ribeye has noticeable marbling. In other words, Taylor's puts the steak in steakhouse—no more, no less.
Dear John's has all the classic touches we love in an old-school steakhouse: a dark dining room, red tablecloths lined with shrimp cocktail, and leather booths to sink into after putting down 18 ounces of beef. The ribeye at this Culver City spot is consistently well-seasoned and has a nice crust, but it's the restaurant's side dishes and general ambiance that make Dear John's a standout pick for a steak dinner. To keep your steak company, order the creamed spinach, some crispy, thick-cut fries, and the tableside caesar that doesn't hold back on the anchovies.
photo credit: Benji Dell
The Arthur J is the Jeff Goldblum of steakhouses—we haven't met anyone yet who is immune to its charm. The dark leather booths and sleek walnut ceilings inside this Manhattan Beach spot give off the kind of laidback luxury you'd usually find in a members-only supper club. Your steak will be smoky from the time it spends cooking on a wood-fired grill. Once you've decided which cut you want, choose a couple of sauces, butters, toppings, and sides to round out your red meat dream. We usually go with the filet mignon cooked medium rare and a side of chimichurri. Keep this spot in mind when you want a steak dinner that feels both classic and cool without being too over the top.
Located one crosswalk away from Warner Brothers Studios, Smoke House has been a Valley icon since 1942. On any given night, you'll find celebrities, set designers, and security guards swigging martinis and toasting to another day on the lot. As for food, don't get too cute with your order—this is the kind of place to fill your table with caesar salads and several orders of their famous garlic bread. And considering the name of the place, it's best to stay in the red meat category for entrees. Cuts range from porterhouse to chopped sirloin, but we love the house prime rib—a slow-roasted slab they've been cooking the exact same way since the Truman administration.
Located in the city of Pico Rivera, Dal Rae might be a haul for some people, but no matter how scary traffic is looking, this is a trip worth making. The classic steakhouse opened in the 1950s, and we get the feeling not much has changed since. Expect wood-paneled walls and twinkling chandeliers, and a menu with oyster rockefeller, penna alla vodka, and tableside caesars. If it's your first time here, go for the famous pepper steak in either the filet mignon or New York strip cut, topped with a mixture of sauteed bacon, onions, and peppercorns.
photo credit: Virtually Here Studios
This clubby spot in Beverly Hills specializes in multi-course, prix-fixe menus consisting of various wagyu dishes. It's definitely indulgent, but dishes like steak tartare and beef croquetas are presented in a way that doesn't feel like you're in a meat gauntlet. You'll sip clear, earthy beef broth, try thin-sliced pieces of NY strip, then finish with a wood-fired ribeye. If you're looking for a beef-filled dinner that isn't just another big slab of steak and a side of potatoes, Matū is an excellent option to keep in mind.
One of few Brazilian steakhouses in town that doesn't rhyme with "pogo de wow," M Grill in Koreatown serves an AYCE buffet that includes eighteen different cuts of meat for $7 per person, which, based on current beef prices, is a great deal. Spit-roasted options like juicy lamb chops or tender slices of filet mignon are all carved to order tableside, though we tend to focus on the real star of the show: the picanha. You barely even need to cut into this expertly seasoned top sirloin cap served medium rare—you barely even need to cut it. We highly recommend layering a plate with picanha, adding a side of feijoada, and ordering a caipirinha from the bar.
As you might have guessed by the name, Charcoal, located exactly on the border between Marina Del Rey and Venice, is pretty into grilling things. And we're pretty into eating grilled things, so we get along. Steaks here come out exactly how you ask for them to be cooked, with plenty of the housemade chimichurri and barbecue sauces on the side. Take your pick between prime skirt steak, ribeye, and sirloin, but if you're ordering for a group, just get the ribeye. It's bone-in, buttery, and always good.
Cut is a Wolfgang Puck-owned steakhouse in Beverly Hills that is predictably expensive and surprisingly excellent. Before you can even order a $20 glass of wine, a suited server shows up with a platter of steaks from all over the world, each more marbled than a countertop in Architectural Digest. The move here is to get one of the shareable cuts, like the 24-ounce New York strip that arrives expertly charred, sliced, and served with various mustards. Add on sides like the creamed spinach topped with a fried egg for some extra oomph.
