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Where to eat steaks, chops, and creamed spinach in Boston
When it comes to fancy steakhouses, Boston delivers. Mostly large chains, to be sure, but there are a couple of independent spots and smaller local restaurant groups as well. Here are 15 of the best steakhouses for those martini-power-lunch days or the fancy nights when you want to drop hundreds of dollars on dry-aged chops and creamed corn.
Read MoreFor an excellent Brazilian steakhouse experience without the downtown crowds, head to Oliveira’s in East Boston for juicy, barbecued meats by the pound and brigadeiros — round, bite-sized chocolate treats — for dessert. (This restaurant is under different ownership from the Oliveira’s in Somerville, per an employee at the shop.)
Upscale local chain Mooo (from the team behind Back Bay bistro Mistral, Italian spot Sorellina, and more) has all the steakhouse classics — filets, ribeyes, sirloins, steamed asparagus, creamed spinach; you get the point — but it also offers the trappings of a more-modern chophouse, such as wagyu beef in steak and dumpling form and an extensive seafood section. Go for the steak; stay for the yellowfin tuna tartare. In addition to this Beacon Hill original, find Mooo locations in the Seaport and Burlington.
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The Boston outpost of chain steakhouse Ruth’s Chris is in the Old City Hall building on School Street downtown. Private diners can even eat their steaks in the Old City Hall’s original vault, which is over 150 years old. What wonders — and secrets — were kept therein?
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The Stockyard is a time capsule. It looks like a 1970s steakhouse because it is a 1970s steakhouse. Everything on the menu is worth ordering, including the burger, but the steak tips are particularly good and particularly Boston.
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This grand outpost of the Palm steakhouse chain in Downtown Boston offers prime steaks, filets, and chops alongside heaping dishes of sides like garlic mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, and hash browns served family-style.
Bogie’s Place is a steakhouse hidden inside JM Curley, serving filets, bone-in ribeyes, and a 28-ounce tomahawk. Try the grilled broccolini and the roasted mushrooms, and order an excellent cocktail from the bar.
Either location — the South End or the soon-to-reopen Downtown Crossing outpost — of Boston Chops will do. Get the crab cakes and the oxtail croquettes, and share the chateaubriand among friends. If steak isn’t your thing, Boston Chops has an extensive menu featuring pork, fish, and chicken. Also: a giant tower of onion rings.
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This decades-old steakhouse may no longer operate within Back Bay’s Castle, but Smith & Wollensky still holds down the meat fort near Fort Point Channel with an assortment of dry-aged cuts, fancy filets, and ribeye.
Ocean Prime is one of many steakhouse chains that have expanded to Boston’s Seaport in the past few years. The restaurant has a sprawling menu that includes sushi and various other seafood options. Meat eaters can select a variety of steaks broiled at 1200 degrees and pair them with decadent sides like black truffle mac and cheese and smoked gouda tater tots. Plus, there’s 10-layer carrot cake for dessert.
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Davio’s isn’t strictly a steakhouse — indeed, it’s more an Italian-slash-seafood restaurant than anything — but the menu at both its Back Bay and Seaport locations features a formidable list of steaks, including wagyu, short ribs, and aged ribeye. Based locally, the small chain has expanded across the country.
Back Bay institution Grill 23 has been doing the steakhouse thing for more than 30 years, and maintains a remarkably deep wine list: roughly 2,000 bottles. Go with friends, get some apps — a classic wedge salad, some Jonah crab cakes — and maybe a 32-ounce porterhouse to share. For those who aren’t into red meat, Grill 23 has a variety of chicken, fish, and vegetarian options.
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The first Abe & Louie’s opened on Boylston Street in Boston more than two decades ago, and it has become a stalwart of the power-lunch scene. (A second spot has since sprouted in Boca Raton, Florida.) Go for classic chops and the likes of crabmeat cocktails, iced Littleneck clams, and lobster dumplings from the appetizer and raw-bar menus.
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The Capital Grille, which has restaurants all over the country (including two others in the Boston area), is a reliable choice. All the usual suspects are here, from the filets and ribeyes to the creamed spinach, plus creme brulee and a decadent flourless chocolate espresso cake for dessert.
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Sure, there’s always Fogo De Chão, but for a non-chain downtown Brazilian steakhouse to try, head to the swanky, 300-seat Alma Gaucha at the Seaport. Appetizers include mini skewers of tenderloin and lamb chops, and the main meat selection features famed Brazilian cuts like tender picanha and fraldinha. To drink, you’ll find Brazilian caipirinhas, beer, and more than 150 wines.
Like Davio’s, Sofia strikes a successful balance between Italian pasta shop and steakhouse. At the West Roxbury mainstay, find braised short rib pappardelle and shrimp and scallop scampi alongside double-cut lamb chops, prime ribs, and a relatively affordable wine bottle selection.
For an excellent Brazilian steakhouse experience without the downtown crowds, head to Oliveira’s in East Boston for juicy, barbecued meats by the pound and brigadeiros — round, bite-sized chocolate treats — for dessert. (This restaurant is under different ownership from the Oliveira’s in Somerville, per an employee at the shop.)
Upscale local chain Mooo (from the team behind Back Bay bistro Mistral, Italian spot Sorellina, and more) has all the steakhouse classics — filets, ribeyes, sirloins, steamed asparagus, creamed spinach; you get the point — but it also offers the trappings of a more-modern chophouse, such as wagyu beef in steak and dumpling form and an extensive seafood section. Go for the steak; stay for the yellowfin tuna tartare. In addition to this Beacon Hill original, find Mooo locations in the Seaport and Burlington.
The Boston outpost of chain steakhouse Ruth’s Chris is in the Old City Hall building on School Street downtown. Private diners can even eat their steaks in the Old City Hall’s original vault, which is over 150 years old. What wonders — and secrets — were kept therein?
The Stockyard is a time capsule. It looks like a 1970s steakhouse because it is a 1970s steakhouse. Everything on the menu is worth ordering, including the burger, but the steak tips are particularly good and particularly Boston.
This grand outpost of the Palm steakhouse chain in Downtown Boston offers prime steaks, filets, and chops alongside heaping dishes of sides like garlic mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, and hash browns served family-style.
Bogie’s Place is a steakhouse hidden inside JM Curley, serving filets, bone-in ribeyes, and a 28-ounce tomahawk. Try the grilled broccolini and the roasted mushrooms, and order an excellent cocktail from the bar.
Either location — the South End or the soon-to-reopen Downtown Crossing outpost — of Boston Chops will do. Get the crab cakes and the oxtail croquettes, and share the chateaubriand among friends. If steak isn’t your thing, Boston Chops has an extensive menu featuring pork, fish, and chicken. Also: a giant tower of onion rings.
This decades-old steakhouse may no longer operate within Back Bay’s Castle, but Smith & Wollensky still holds down the meat fort near Fort Point Channel with an assortment of dry-aged cuts, fancy filets, and ribeye.
Ocean Prime is one of many steakhouse chains that have expanded to Boston’s Seaport in the past few years. The restaurant has a sprawling menu that includes sushi and various other seafood options. Meat eaters can select a variety of steaks broiled at 1200 degrees and pair them with decadent sides like black truffle mac and cheese and smoked gouda tater tots. Plus, there’s 10-layer carrot cake for dessert.
Davio’s isn’t strictly a steakhouse — indeed, it’s more an Italian-slash-seafood restaurant than anything — but the menu at both its Back Bay and Seaport locations features a formidable list of steaks, including wagyu, short ribs, and aged ribeye. Based locally, the small chain has expanded across the country.
Back Bay institution Grill 23 has been doing the steakhouse thing for more than 30 years, and maintains a remarkably deep wine list: roughly 2,000 bottles. Go with friends, get some apps — a classic wedge salad, some Jonah crab cakes — and maybe a 32-ounce porterhouse to share. For those who aren’t into red meat, Grill 23 has a variety of chicken, fish, and vegetarian options.
The first Abe & Louie’s opened on Boylston Street in Boston more than two decades ago, and it has become a stalwart of the power-lunch scene. (A second spot has since sprouted in Boca Raton, Florida.) Go for classic chops and the likes of crabmeat cocktails, iced Littleneck clams, and lobster dumplings from the appetizer and raw-bar menus.
The Capital Grille, which has restaurants all over the country (including two others in the Boston area), is a reliable choice. All the usual suspects are here, from the filets and ribeyes to the creamed spinach, plus creme brulee and a decadent flourless chocolate espresso cake for dessert.
Sure, there’s always Fogo De Chão, but for a non-chain downtown Brazilian steakhouse to try, head to the swanky, 300-seat Alma Gaucha at the Seaport. Appetizers include mini skewers of tenderloin and lamb chops, and the main meat selection features famed Brazilian cuts like tender picanha and fraldinha. To drink, you’ll find Brazilian caipirinhas, beer, and more than 150 wines.
Like Davio’s, Sofia strikes a successful balance between Italian pasta shop and steakhouse. At the West Roxbury mainstay, find braised short rib pappardelle and shrimp and scallop scampi alongside double-cut lamb chops, prime ribs, and a relatively affordable wine bottle selection.
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