Best Dallas, Fort Worth Steak Restaurants
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Best outdoor, group dining, and romantic steak houses in Dallas, Fort Worth mid-cities.
Dallas, TX, is known for its great restaurants. Needless to say, of those restaurants, steak and chophouses tend to be the most sought-after. The following five are the best choices; mention is made of the types of crowds to expect (romantic or rowdier group fun) as well as each establishment’s highlights. A steak dinner for two, including a drink each, an appetizer or two, and dessert should run around the $100 mark before tipping at these eateries. The first two are the most expensive, as the two nicest chop houses in DFW. The following three-run slightly cheaper, though they still hold plenty to offer.
Dakota’s Steakhouse
900 N. Akard St., Dallas, TX 75201 (214) 740-4001
This underground steakhouse would be impossible to find unless you randomly happened upon it or someone specifically told you how to get there. It is literally underground, with merely an above-ground elevator waiting beside the valet-only street corner. If you walk to the side of the elevator, you will see a cascading waterfall and a large array of outside seating.
The starters are upscale, including foie gras and oysters; the main dishes include exquisite seafood and meats, but it’s hard to imagine venturing beyond the steak. Dakota’s offers an extensive (if a little pricey) wine list, but even better are the sides that can accompany your steak–the best is the truffle butter sauce. At the last visit it was not currently on the menu, but by special request was still available. It would have been a devastating disappointment to go without.
It has never been too crowded or raucous; everything about this place oozes mellow elegance and romance. A new location recently opened in Westlake, but it’s worth finding the Dallas location just for the atmosphere.
Food: 10 / Atmosphere: 10 / Wine List: 9 / Service: 10
Bob’s Steak and Chophouse
locations in Dallas, Plano and Grapevine
One of Dallas’s more famous and hugely popular steakhouses, don’t bother on the weekends without a reservation. Bob’s manages to be upscale and relaxed at the same time, but watch out for the crowds–it’s almost not worth going on a weekend night when you have to squeeze through sweaty crowds just to get to your table. The bar is impossible to navigate on such a night (Greenville location).
Starters include sauteed mushrooms, calamari, and onion rings, and while they certainly offer tasty seafood and duck/lamb/pork, they make no pretense about their specialty of beef. Almost more decadent than the steak is the whole glazed carrot that comes with it–carrots never had it so good. Any room for dessert will be met with satisfying choices, from carrot cake to key lime pie and cheesecake.
This is an amazing place to come with a large group of friends. The food is obscenely good and you won’t have to worry about being too loud. It has that “here to be seen” Dallas feel with lots of loyal regulars and history. The service gets an extra point for scrounging up bread pudding for a friend fiendishly craving it, having been previously told it was off the menu for the night.
Food: 9 / Atmosphere: 7 / Wine List: 9 / Service: 10
Chamberlain’s Steak and Chophouse
5330 Belt Line Rd, Dallas, TX, (972) 934-2467
A great steak house on Addison’s restaurant row, the romantic atmosphere is the clincher if having to make decisions. It also has a great location, like Houston’s (see below), on Belt Line in the Addison area, known as Restaurant Row.
The menu is a little more on the creative side–and slightly more affordable than most chophouses. Appetizers such as Ahi Tuna, Kobe beef potstickers, and tortilla soup make for a nice change. The beef choices are extensive, including some pricey but succulent options (Kobe New York Strip). The sides are plentiful–asparagus with hollandaise is highly recommended.
The service here is very personal and the atmosphere can vary from a romantic feel to, on crowded weekends, a little more boisterous.
Food: 9 / Atmosphere: 9 / Wine List: 6 / Service: 9
Houston’s
5318 Belt Line Rd, Addison, TX 75254 (214) 960-1752
The decent atmosphere and delicious steak, but the first steak had to be sent back due to large amounts of fat and wasn’t replaced by one much better. The taste was highly satisfying, it was just disappointing to find the overall quality to be lacking.
The service was moderate but the atmosphere was dark and romantic. Houston’s is the only steakhouse not to have menus readily available online, but nothing out of the ordinary (or extraordinary) can be recalled of their menu or wine selection. It was a decent meal, and out of town friends always insist on frequenting them for lunch. Perhaps that is the best advice for Houston’s–best for lunch.
Food: 7 / Atmosphere: 7 / Wine List: 8 / Service: 6
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
17840 Dallas Parkway Dallas, TX 75287, (888) 722-4320
By far the biggest chain, Ruth’s Chris can be found in many states, though there is only one Dallas location. This steakhouse is also largely hyped, but it doesn’t have the uniqueness or personality of some of the above choices.
Unlike most steakhouses, there is plenty of emphasis at Ruth’s Chris to veer away from the steak and towards their seafood selections. With the exception of a veal dish, all the appetizers revolve around seafood; even the entree listings feel as though the beef selections were phoned in while the spotlight rests on the lobster. A very nice touch, however, are the eight different ways potatoes are served; the veggie selection is appetizing as well. Desserts are fairly standard with the delicious exception of fresh berries in a sweet cream sauce.
This is definitely a place for more boisterous crowds, but for the price, any of the above locations are a little more memorable. Some of the other choices lend themselves to lingering, closing down the restaurant; this place has a faster pace. The service was very attentive and a free chocolate sin cake was treated for a birthday occasion. This is a great place to meet large groups of friends, especially if the evening has other plans.
Food: 7 / Atmosphere: 6 / Wine List: 7 / Service: 8