7 Top Chain Steak Houses that Define What Makes a Great Steak

Here in New Jersey we love a good steak it is Americana at its best. We celebrate birthdays, achievements, engagements and other special occasions with a nice juicy steak.

I’ve done a few articles here that showcase local and regional best steak houses with some of the lists have included my favorite New Jersey places for a great steak and separate polls that also list their research of the best steak houses here in New Jersey. A good steak house can cost a small fortune when you want to celebrate that special occasion. Some say it’s worth it and some prefer not to spend that kind of money on a meal.

What makes a good steak? The quality of meat, how that meat is treated and eventually prepared, makes the difference between a good piece of steak or a great piece of steak.

The site “Eat this not That” takes a pretty good in-depth look into what chain steak restaurants have the best quality meat. Factors include how they procure it, age it and prepare it. Please take note some of these steak restaurants are not in New Jersey but it is Eat this not That’s list that makes the final call and selection of these restaurants with the best quality meat.

#7 Steak 48

With locations in Philadelphia, Houston, Chicago and Charlotte Steak 48 has a butcher at each location who custom cut 28 day wet aged beef. The beef comes from Michigan and Wisconsin and is grass fed. The 1800-degree broiler that each steak is treated to seals in the flavor and juices and turns out a great steak.

#6 Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab 

Joe’s Seafood Prime Steaks and Stone Crab only has 3 locations throughout the country, they are in Chicago, Las Vegas and Washington D.C. Although seafood is prominent in this restaurant they take their steaks very seriously. All of their steaks are taken from Midwest beef and corn fed. Some pieces are dry aged longer for a better quality steak. The restaurant has a designated meat inspector that goes over every piece of arriving meat and performs frequent taste tests to assure that the quality remains up to the expectations of Joe’s Seafood Prime Steak and Stone Crab. 

#5 Smith & Wollensky 

Smith & Wollensky is a New York City steak house that has been around for 45 years. They have restaurants in Miami Chicago and London to name a few and they take great pride in their quality of beef. Smith & Wollensky wanted a guarantee of good beef that they could use at their restaurants so they paired up with the family operated DoubleRR Ranch in Washington. The cattle that are used graze on over 70,000 acres and a staff nutritionist makes sure that he cows are eating rich alfalfa and hay. The climate in Washington is good for the steady growth of these grains and Smith & Wollensky then picks the bet of the best meat for their signature steaks. 

#4 STK 

The steaks are so good at STK that they sell their own meat, retail, to its customers.  They select good meats from the Midwest that are USDA Prime that are corn fed which adds the extra marbling and tenderness to the cut of steak. With the exception of a few dry aged steaks most of the steaks at STK are wet aged for a minimum of 30 days. 

#3 Shula’s Steakhouse 

Shula’s is a steakhouse named after former NFL Miami Dolphin head coach Don Shula. Don was very successful as a coach and he brings that success to his restaurants. I have enjoyed a steak at his place in Florida, there’s many Shula steakhouses sprinkled throughout Florida, Maryland, Indianapolis, and Richmond, VA. The Shula’s New York City location is permanently closed. 

Some celebrities will bring just a name to a restaurant but Don Shula made sure that only the best quality meat is served. He developed the Shula Cut which is trademarked and is an all Black Angus steak sourced from Graham’s Angus Farms in Georgia then aged, cut and trimmed to perfect proportions. 

#2 Forgo de Chao 

Forgo de Chao is a Brazilian steak house that has no locations in New Jersey but they are sprinkled throughout New York and Philadelphia. Forgo de Chao goes through an extensive and complete examination of the beef that they use including a minimum of 21 day aged beef that adheres to the belief of the guideline put in place by the Farm Animal Welfare Committee which produces beef from cows that live a healthy life in wide open spaces free from hunger, thirst, pain or discomfort. Forgo de Chao uses a tracking system to track and trace their meat source. 

#1 Ruth Chris 

Ruth Chris has a few locations spread out in New Jersey. Ruth Chris’ uses the finest USDA Prime cuts and they hand select the grass and corn fed beef from the Midwest. The Ruth Chris broiling method with just salt pepper and parsley on each steak cooks them to perfection and then their transfer onto a 500 degree sizzling hot plate to serve keeps the steak warm and enjoyable. This is why Ruth Chris is number 1 on the Eat this not That steak house quality meat list. 

<i>The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.</i>