Chef Lists 6 Dishes To Order At A Steakhouse And 4 To Avoid

The Perfect Filet Mignon Experience

If I’m eating steak at a restaurant, I’m going all-in on a buttery, medium-rare filet. I rarely make this treat at home, and a good steakhouse will know how to do it right. When you’re paying steakhouse prices, you want that perfect pink center that’s practically impossible to achieve consistently in your home kitchen. The beauty of a well-executed filet mignon lies in its tender texture and subtle beef flavor. This cut doesn’t need fancy sauces or complicated preparations – just a skilled chef who understands temperature control.

Fresh Oysters as the Ideal Starter

Fresh oysters for the table are essential, especially if we’re on the coast. I like to start steakhouse meals with fresh oysters. Briny, shimmering oysters are my ideal way to start a meal, and many steakhouses – especially those on the coasts – take pride in their daily mollusk offerings. There’s something magical about the way those salty bursts cleanse your palate before the richness of steak arrives. A classic app at steak houses, oysters are packed with nutrients like zinc as well as healthy fats. Not only does a 100 gram serving provide 715% of your daily recommended value of zinc, but you’ll also get 116% of your daily selenium, 462% of your copper dv, and 1171% of your daily B12 needs.

Caesar Salad When Done Right

Here’s the thing about Caesar salads – they’re either phenomenal or forgettable, with very little middle ground. If the restaurant is making crispy croutons in the back and using real Parmesan, I’m all in. Those little details make all the difference between a meal enhancer and just some lettuce taking up space on your plate. I’ll get the Caesar as long as the croutons are house-made. It’s worth asking if the croutons are house-made or not. The key is making sure you’re getting quality ingredients rather than pre-packaged components that can ruin what should be a classic experience.

Steakhouse Fries – The Ultimate Side

Truffle, Parmesan, or simple salt and pepper – no matter how the steakhouse fries are seasoned, I want them on my table. Fries often pair nicely with steak and can be dipped in some of the meat’s juices, too. There’s something deeply satisfying about that combination of crispy potato and beef drippings. Think about it – you’ve got this beautiful piece of meat creating these incredible juices on your plate, and then you have these golden fries just waiting to soak them up. This pairing creates a perfect harmony where the potato becomes a vehicle for capturing every drop of those flavorful beef juices.

Crab Cakes with Quality Standards

I generally trust the crab cakes at steakhouses. A lot of steak houses I’ve been to have impressed me with their crab cakes. I love crab cakes that are golden and crisp on the edges and fluffy and tender inside. In my experience, steakhouses tend to do a good job on the crab-to-filler ratio – I want crab cakes, not breadcrumb cakes – and they often come with a tasty, tangy tartar sauce for dipping. Premium steakhouses often maintain the same high standards for their seafood as they do for their beef. They understand that proper crab cakes require restraint – minimal filler, gentle handling, and just enough binding to hold everything together without masking the sweet crab flavor.

Chocolate Lava Cake for the Grand Finale

Chocolate lava cakes are basic but often tasty. Somehow, this intense, dense cake has become a steakhouse staple, and I’m here for it. Though I’m generally not a cake person, I’ll make an exception for a warm, lava-centered chocolate number topped with fast-melting vanilla ice cream. After all that savory richness, your palate craves something sweet and comforting. It’s predictable, sure, but sometimes predictable is exactly what you need to close out a perfect steakhouse experience. While it might seem cliché, there’s something reassuring about this classic dessert after a heavy meal.

Skip the Chicken Breast

Chicken breast is never my first choice anywhere. For starters, I want the flavor and richness of dark meat. Also, why would I risk a dried-out piece of poultry when I’m dining at (and paying higher prices for) a restaurant that specializes in perfectly cooked red meat? It’s really that simple – you’re at a steakhouse, which means you’re paying premium prices for their specialty. You’re missing out on what the restaurant does best by ordering something that doesn’t showcase their expertise. Save the chicken for restaurants that specialize in it.

Avoid Steamed Vegetables

Chef Nicholas Lomba of Bar Lumière, opening in NYC later this spring, also warns to not order steamed veggies at a steakhouse because it’s “pretty boring.” “They often don’t put much thought into it, so what you usually get is a bland green vegetable that was just steamed and thrown on a plate,” he says. When you’re paying premium prices at a steakhouse, you deserve sides that receive the same attention as the main courses. Steamed vegetables are often an afterthought that won’t enhance your dining experience.

Well-Done Steak Is Off Limits

Spoiler alert: well-done steak is something you should never order at a steakhouse. It confirms murky rumors about restaurants deliberately using inferior cuts of meat for well-done orders, which in and of itself should dissuade you from ordering anything over-cooked. Because at the end of the day, no amount of béarnaise or lobster tail can mask the inferior texture and flavor of a dried-out slab of meat. The fact of the matter is that even if you’re dining at one of the best steakhouses in the country, doneness makes a huge difference in the final product. Simply put, the more cooking that is done to a steak, even if it’s a top-tier cut of meat from a high-quality steakhouse chain, the more the integrity of the product is going to be hindered or masked.

Bypass the Wedge Salad

I’ll skip wedge salads – and you won’t catch me ordering chicken breast at a steakhouse. While wedge salads have become synonymous with steakhouse dining, they often don’t justify their premium price point. There’s a time and a place for a basic Caesar salad. But these light-as-air, leafy green dishes might not be worth it at your favorite steakhouse. Salads can throw a mini wrench into the workings of a kitchen that is set up for crankin’ out the meat. Regarding the iconic steakhouse Caesar salad, chef Adonis Ouano Icalina says, “It’s traditionally made to order, which means it can’t be prepped ahead of time.” You’re better off investing in dishes that showcase what the kitchen does best.

The key to a great steakhouse experience is understanding what the restaurant excels at versus what they simply put on the menu to round out their offerings. Focus on their specialties and avoid items that don’t receive the same level of attention and care as their signature dishes.