What Should I Order at a Steakhouse? What a Chef Suggests and Avoids

Updated

2025-05-12T14:47:16Z

I’m a chef, and there are some dishes I always get at steakhouses and others that I skip.
I usually order a medium-rare filet mignon with fries (and fresh oysters if we’re near a coast).
I’ll skip wedge salads — and you won’t catch me ordering chicken breast at a steakhouse.

Despite the limited-sounding name, steakhouses often serve a surprisingly varied and lengthy menu of options that can please most eaters.

Yes, even vegetarians and pescatarians can find multiple diet-friendly options at a typical steakhouse. But, of course, not everything is worth ordering.

As a trained chef and food writer, here are the six things I would happily get at a steakhouse and four items I steer clear of.

I go for the filet mignon, served pink.

If I’m eating steak at a restaurant, I’m going all-in on a buttery, medium-rare filet. A medium-rare finish keeps the tender cut of steak flavorful and juicy.

I rarely make this treat at home, and a good steakhouse will know how to do it right. Pair the filet with fries or creamed spinach, and I’m a happy camper.

Fresh oysters for the table are essential, especially if we’re on the coast.

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.

If there are multiple varieties, I’d order a medley for the table with all the accouterments. Purists can skip the mignonette, but I’ll be dousing my oysters in lemon.

I’ll get the Caesar as long as the croutons are house-made.

If I’m going for a salad at a steakhouse, it has to be a classic. A savory Caesar pairs well with both beef and seafood.

If the restaurant is making crispy croutons in the back and using real Parmesan, I’m all in.

Fries are always a good idea.

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.

I generally trust the crab cakes at steakhouses.

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.

I’ll usually finish my meal with a chocolate lava cake.

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.

Of course, we need enough spoons so everyone at the table can have a bite of chocolate lava cake.

On the other hand, I’m skipping the clam chowder unless I’m in New England.

Clam chowder is often served as an appetizer at a steakhouse, but it’s so dense and heavy that I’m not likely to have room for the main event if I get it.

And, as a Boston native, I can’t bring myself to sip on a milky chowder that’s not been vetted by my fellow Massholes.

Seared tuna can be pretty dry at some steakhouses.

Unless I’m at a sushi restaurant, I often find the tuna I order to be dry and severely lacking flavor, especially when pan-seared.

Even when served raw, tuna can be disappointing if it’s not super fresh and well-dressed. I think you’re better off sticking to the other kind of steak in a steakhouse.

The wedge salad is not my cup of tea.

I know that the more classic steakhouse salad is a bacon-topped wedge, but I’ve never gotten on board with a salad that requires — seriously, requires — knife work to get through.

The iceberg lettuce never has the proper amount of dressing, and if I’m already eating steak for my entrée, I don’t need more meat in my salad (sorry, bacon lovers!)

Chicken breast is never my first choice anywhere.

I wouldn’t order chicken breast from any restaurant, steakhouse or otherwise. 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?

This story was originally published on November 4, 2024, and most recently updated on May 12, 2025.

Read the full article here