Face the facts: you may be a master of the barbecue grill, but it's next to impossible for you to buy top restaurant-quality beef or broil it at temperatures as high as these places can. From old-fashioned meat joints sporting red leather booths to modern chophouses that serve globally-inspired fare, those that made the cut all have one thing in common: great steak. So tuck into your favorite cuts, or try new ones, at one of our top ten steakhouses in Philadelphia, presented in alphabetical order.
Face the facts: you may be a master of the barbecue grill, but it's next to impossible for you to buy top restaurant-quality beef or broil it at temperatures... more
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1
Barclay Prime
237 S. 18th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103 / 215-732-7560
Call it the anti-steakhouse steakhouse. Barclay Prime is nothing like the usual clubby, manly man-steakhouses that dominate the scene. Sleek, modern, white-on-white, this beef emporium appeals to carnivores with sophisticated, slightly retro tastes. Chef James Iocascio’s fresh take on the typical offerings includes starters such as truffled beef tartare, Kobe sliders, and if the calendar is right, one of the best soft-shell appetizers ever, tempura battered atop avocado with a smoky tomato-chipotle vinaigrette. Get anything with Nueske bacon on it; in fact, this apple wood-smoked royalty of swine comes as a side dish all by itself; other sides include creamed spinach, butter corn and tater tots---not like any you’ve ever tasted before. You can have Dover sole, seared ahi and Pacific wild salmon---but it would be a crime to miss the Four Story Hill Farm 16-ounce strip steak---aged for 21 days and incredibly tender. They still have the much-touted $100 Kobe cheesesteak on the menu, but now it’s $103 (that’s with a split of bubbly). Service is professional, and the desserts by pastry chef Frank Urso rival any in town. Try the warmly gooey chocolate caramel lava cake.
2
The Capital Grille
1338 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19107 / 215-545-9588
Do we really need another steakhouse? Yes, if it's The Capital Grille, an upmarket chain that delivers every step of the way. The vibe is comfortable and the crowd well heeled, service is dependable, the portions are gigantic and the beef is dry-aged on the premises. The large space may be packed, but it's not noisy, and one marvels at how well such a big operation is run. Meat, of course, is the way to go, but don't ignore the special appetizer of pan-seared calamari with hot cherry peppers. Move on to the porterhouse steak or a flavorful Delmonico, or a specially sliced 20-ounce sirloin strip. There are lobsters, too, and all the fattening desserts that a steakhouse demands. The 5,000-bottle wine list includes the special “Captain’s List” for discriminating oenophiles.
3
Davio's
Provident Bank Building, 111 S. 17th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103 / 215-563-4810
This Italian steakhouse warms up the corner of 17th and Chestnut Street. The Federalist surroundings (the original Provident Bank) are elegantly severe, but the welcome is always warm. The bar is a popular happy hour destination, thanks to $5 martinis and complimentary pizza. From a quirky but satisfying caramelized chicken liver appetizer, through a few choice pastas, to the steaks and chops (available with a selection of sauces), the cooking is interesting and well thought-out. There's a cheese tray, and a dessert cart to finish things off properly.
4
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Radnor Financial Ctr., 555 E. Lancaster Ave., Radnor, PA 19087 / 610-688-9463
There’s no arguing that some chain restaurants really do it right. And Fleming’s, founded by restaurateur Paul Fleming---the original P.F. in P.F. Chang’s---is one of them. Boasting a contemporary, refined ambience, enhanced with light wood, leather banquettes and accents of cherry and amber, the 255-seat restaurant is first class all the way. The wine program dominated by American wines is topnotch, with 100 wines by the glass. An 80-label reserve list provides lofty selections of big bold reds, many with hefty price tags. As for the food, the exhibition kitchen turns out consistent renditions of traditional steakhouse fare. Side dishes can feed an army; don’t miss the crisp asparagus with hollandaise (on the side if you request), the creamiest creamed spinach and the decadent and cheesy house potatoes spiked with jalapeños. The 22-ounce bone-in rib-eye is delectable, or try the Aussie lamb chops with Champagne mint sauce or double-thick pork rib chop for something different. Prime rib is the special every Sunday.
5
Morton's The Steakhouse
1411 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19102 / 215-557-0724
The business crowd that frequents Morton’s handsome digs seems willing to pay the price for the red wine to accompany the flavorful and generous steaks; there's a whole page that lists magnums. The Art Deco etched-glass bar is very busy on weeknights, but on weekends the crowd is more mature, but decidedly well heeled. The waitstaff is concerned and eager, the sides of vegetables and desserts are standard, but the meat is top-drawer.
6
The Palm
Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue, 200 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19102 / 215-546-7256
This Broad Street emporium of fine steaks and seafood attracts the dealmakers from City Hall and the local high-rises. The bar is always busy, and having your caricature on the wall insures your status among the money boys---it's a real he-man spot after all. Beneath the glamour and the high prices, there's good food, spelled out in mammoth steaks, chops and lobsters. Hash-brown potatoes, potato skins, creamed spinach and sparkling salads round out the picture. It may not have the saw-dust-on-the-floor, speakeasy charm of the New York original, but the crowds, and the high noise level, indicate that glitz works too.
7
Prime Rib
The Warwick Hotel, 1701 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19103 / 215-772-1701
In a room with a glass-topped piano and all the glamour of a 1940s movie set, what else would you expect but retro cooking? Here you can enjoy all the pleasures of a bygone day but with the quality and attention to detail indicative of the foodie-friendly current day. The bar is usually packed with suits after work, and the dining room coddles a mature, moneyed crowd. They come for lump crab meat cocktails that are really jumbo, and salads as heavily dressed as one might desire. The signature prime rib could daunt a caveman, as could the double lamb chops and the two-pound stuffed lobster. Steakhouse vegetables like creamed spinach and crisp potato skins are served family-style. Chef Victor Ossario comes up with old-fashioned, gooey desserts. The service is pampering, as in the good old days, but the Thirty Wines Under Thirty Dollars section of the wine list is a concept for today.
8
Ruth's Chris Steak House
260 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19102 / 215-790-1515
The Philly outpost of this chain is ideally situated for access to theater and concerts. In a sedate setting, it serves the same butter-drenched steaks and generous vegetable portions that have made it famous. The service is fairly automatic, because so many of the patrons, either tourists or expense account guys, have either a play or a meeting to catch. It’s certainly less noisy than The Palm or Morton’s, which are equally well located, but the crowd not as trendy.
9
Smith & Wollensky
The Rittenhouse Hotel, 210 W. Rittenhouse Sq., Philadelphia, PA 19103 / 215-545-1700
Ensconced in the tony The Rittenhouse Hotel, Smith & Wollensky is a magnet for local deal-making carnivores. The upstairs room, overlooking elegant Rittenhouse Square, is decorated with dark wood accents, turn-of-the-century fixtures and pieces of Americana. With service that is attentive without being smothering, Smith & Wollensky delivers oversize cuts of Prime beef along with specialties such as veal and wild salmon paired with one of six house-made sauces. Salads and hashed brown potatoes are dependably good, and it's hard not to fill up on the breadbasket, especially the pretzel bread. Even the pricey wine list offers a few reasonable choices, if you look. Downstairs, the bar is cozy and casual, and serves the same menu until late.
10
Steak 38
EconoLodge Motel, 515 Rte. 38, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 / 856-665-4090
In the unlikely venue of an EconoLodge motel, this old-style roadhouse has been a well-kept secret among the older, South Jersey crowd. The contemporary, cave-like room probably reminds them of restaurants of yore, where they could indulge in snapper soup, thick steaks, Florida stone crabs, even chopped steak. Portions are large, and the bar is always busy and friendly.
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