SEAGuide
The Best Steakhouses In Seattle
photo credit: Nate Watters
Steak dinners are typically synonymous with special occasions—but sometimes a Thursday night calls for a textbook-sized slab of meat, too. We take our beef seriously in Seattle, but you’ll never need to wear a three-piece suit to secure a steak dinner here. Our city's showing includes moody standards that have been searing beef since the ‘80s, French places that specialize in steak frites, pub-like dives with a memorable wagyu bavette, and more.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Nate Watters
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The best steakhouse in Seattle is also among the most understated. It has the facade of a neighborhood dive, with stiff cocktails, friendly staff, and a weekend crowd leisurely hanging out at the bar—but the steaks here could make a pub t-bone cry. A small chalkboard highlights the available cuts, and the wagyu bavette is a great place to start. It will hit the table at a pristine crimson medium rare, with a crusty surface and swirls of demiglace on the bottom of the plate. Sides don’t play second fiddle, either—charred broccolini in zippy dijon sauce is by far our favorite steakhouse green vegetable, and we could eat the bowl of herby mushrooms with cream and jammy egg yolk like breakfast cereal.
This outstanding Ballard butcher shop has such a deep dedication to meat that you can experience it in a few different ways. There are raw chops to grill at home, tables at their fancy tasting menu moniker known as The Peasant, and an a la carte weekend operation called The Beastro with prepared cuts from the butcher case. We particularly enjoy the brown butter-drenched London Royale, super thin slices of lean steak so rare that it might as well be carpaccio. Just don’t ignore Beast & Cleaver’s desserts, which are just as impressive as the chops.
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Ah, The Met. This Downtown velvet-wrapped legend has been around since 1983 and still holds up. Think of any steakhouse prerequisite, and they’ve most likely surpassed it. Service is attentive without being smothering. Steaks are cooked so well (in quality, not temperature) that you’d be in good hands choosing a humble sirloin over flashier wagyu. You’ll get delicious free bread in droves, roasted garlic mashed potatoes in a massive mound, and a skyscraper-sized carrot cake with an entire pint of ice cream. The whole to-do works well for those times when you’d like to wear a fancy outfit and up your iron intake.
For Korean beef, you could go out for KBBQ. Or you could head to Joule for an upscale but not over-the-top experience involving blue wallpaper patterned with ribeyes. This Wallingford staple is a great spot if for steak, but also offers a well-rounded meal that might involve scallion pancakes with creme fraiche and salmon roe, or spicy rice cakes with chorizo. Beef-wise, order the soy-soaked, grill-marked kalbi short rib steak and call it a day.
photo credit: Nate Watters
Carne asada is a crucial subcategory of the steakhouse universe, and the best place to grab some is D’ La Santa. We love this Mexican spot on Capitol Hill for drippy birria tacos followed by tres leches cake, but it’s impossible to ignore their ribeye. It’s the only one you’ll ever need—bubble gum pink on the inside with crisscross sear marks on the outside. This glorious hunk of beef is served with salsa, tortillas, and beans—but you could also eat the thing by itself and be just as content.
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This French brasserie is all about steak frites. You can choose from one of seven cuts like a New York strip or center-cut ribeye served with great rosemary fries. And make sure you exercise your $7 right to try all the sauces they have to offer, like a particularly delicious green peppercorn sauce and tangy red wine reduction. While this laid-back place is perfect for a date night, it fills up with smoke every so often (we assume from searing steaks). If their quaint patio is available, that’s the place to be. Otherwise, you might walk out of here full and satisfied, but smelling like a grill.
photo credit: Nate Watters
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This Greenwood spot shatters steakhouse stereotypes. The whole space is blasted with natural light, a refreshing change of pace from all of those windowless beef dungeons. And from the get-go, you’re not left with a sad lobster bisque fate when there are appetizers like burrata with saba and plums, or sides like grilled asparagus with feta and muhammara. Flintcreek is best reserved for a casual date between filet enthusiasts—their version has a nice smoke-smooched char, melty interior, and a paprika anchovy butter that adds a pop of spice and salt without stealing the meat’s thunder.
The Butcher’s Table is a South Lake Union steakhouse with some very important beef fat fries—think of them like rectangular hashbrowns deep-fried in tallow. These stunning little potato-based Lincoln Logs support the excellent steaks at this upscale restaurant that can be used for a splurgy dinner or even a lunch break at the bar. Though the dining room feels nice with antique leather barstools and statement-piece light fixtures, it’s still relaxed enough to show up in jeans. The restaurant is also owned by the Beecher’s team—order the mac and cheese with confidence.
This local chain has corporate-y locations in Bellevue, Lake Union, and Downtown. But their more unexpected Leschi restaurant that overlooks a marina in the middle of a quiet neighborhood is the one to visit. There are fantastic views of Lake Washington from almost any seat, which means you can chew on a perfectly crusted eight-ounce filet mignon topped with chunky garlic butter while watching a seagull majestically balancing on a buoy. The mashed potatoes are a creamy masterpiece and the popcorn shrimp make for a satisfying appetizer, too. This place has enough chandeliers, meats in display cases, and white-collar shirts for a special occasion dinner, but also low-key enough that you might just be the only ones here on a weekday.
