Steakhouses offer some of the most mouth-watering meals around, but not everything on the menu deserves your hard-earned cash. Many chefs and food experts have insider knowledge about which items might leave you feeling short-changed or disappointed.
Before you book your next table at a fancy steakhouse, here's what the experts reckon you should approach with caution.
This content is for general information only. Menu quality, preparation, and safety standards can vary by steakhouse, location, and time.
1. Well-Done Steak
Chefs worldwide cringe when customers order premium cuts cooked well-done. The extended cooking time destroys the meat's natural flavours and juicy texture that make expensive steaks worth their price tag.
You're essentially paying top dollar for tough, dry meat that could be any cut. If you prefer well-done, consider ordering a cheaper cut instead.
2. Chicken Dishes
Ordering chicken at a steakhouse is a bit like asking for pasta at a sushi restaurant. These establishments specialise in beef, with their equipment and chefs focused on perfecting steak preparation.
Chicken dishes are often afterthoughts on the menu, included merely as options for non-beef eaters. You'll likely find better poultry elsewhere.
3. Filet Mignon
While undoubtedly tender, filet mignon lacks the flavourful marbling of other cuts. Many butchers and chefs consider it overpriced for what you're getting – mild-tasting meat with little fat.
For the same price, you could enjoy a more flavourful ribeye or strip steak. Filet's popularity stems more from its reputation than its taste profile.
4. House Salad
The standard house salad at many steakhouses is often an uninspired afterthought – wilted lettuce, pale tomatoes, and bottled dressing for an inflated price. It's there simply to tick the "greens" box on the menu.
If you want vegetables, speciality salads or unique vegetable sides typically receive more attention from the kitchen staff.
5. Seafood Towers
Those impressive multi-tiered seafood displays come with eye-watering prices and often questionable freshness. Unless the steakhouse is also known for seafood, these towers frequently feature previously frozen shellfish.
The dramatic presentation is designed to justify the markup. You're better off visiting a dedicated seafood restaurant for truly fresh oceanic delights.
6. Wagyu Burgers
A genuine crime against fine beef! Grinding premium Wagyu destroys the marbling and texture that make it special. The fat that creates that melt-in-your-mouth experience is wasted when processed into mince.
Most "Wagyu burgers" contain only a small percentage of actual Wagyu beef anyway, making them poor value for the significant price premium.
7. Truffle-Infused Anything
That "truffle" flavour in your mashed potatoes or mac and cheese? It's almost certainly artificial truffle oil – a synthetic chemical compound that bears little resemblance to actual truffles.
Real truffles are seasonal and extraordinarily expensive. Most steakhouses use the chemical substitute while charging as if they're serving the genuine article.
8. Imported Bottled Water
That fancy European water in the elegant bottle might cost you £8-£10 – an astronomical markup considering it's just water. Servers often present it as the default option without mentioning the cost.
Tap water is perfectly fine and free. If you prefer filtered, most establishments offer house-filtered water for a fraction of the imported price.
9. Steak Sauce On The Side
Requesting steak sauce at a quality steakhouse is considered slightly offensive by many chefs. They've carefully selected, aged, and prepared your meat to showcase its natural flavours.
Adding bottled sauce suggests their cooking needs improvement. Most high-end establishments don't even stock commercial steak sauces, preferring house-made accompaniments designed to complement specific cuts.
10. Vegetarian Main Courses
Most steakhouses treat vegetarian options as obligatory menu additions rather than dishes deserving creative attention. These plates often consist of uninspired vegetable medleys or pasta with basic sauce.
The kitchen equipment is optimised for meat preparation, not vegetable cooking. Vegetarians will find far better options at restaurants that specialise in plant-based cuisine.
11. Kobe Beef (In Most Places)
Genuine Japanese Kobe beef is extremely rare outside Japan. Only about 10 restaurants in the entire United States are certified to serve real Kobe. Most "Kobe" on menus is actually Wagyu from Australia or America.
If the price seems too reasonable for real Kobe (which should cost hundreds per serving), it's definitely not authentic.
12. Seasonal Specials That Aren't Seasonal
Those "seasonal" mushrooms or vegetables featured in expensive specials? They're often regular ingredients given fancy descriptions to justify premium pricing. True seasonal ingredients should only appear on menus during specific times of year.
Ask your server exactly what makes the special 'seasonal' before ordering. Genuine seasonal offerings should feature prominently in the server's explanation.
