NYC steakhouses are as much of a Big Apple icon as the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building. NYC steakhouses are top destinations for all sorts of special celebrations. Momentous occasions are rarely forgotten after a steak dinner in the city. But, what’s the best steakhouse in NYC? 

To be honest, the best steakhouse in NYC is highly subjective, and what might be best for one may not be for another. It’s all about the taste, your taste. 

Yet few will argue that NYC steakhouses are some of the world’s best. 

Even so, searching the internet, using social media, and sites like Google and Yelp to get current user reviews and recommendations have made the “best” debate a lot easier. 

There are also sites like the Michelin guide, NY Eater, Timeout, Secretnyc, Restaurantclicks, Thrillist, and many more that provide lists of the top or best NYC steakhouses. 

Each site is equipped with a blurb about the steakhouse, its ranking, and the average cost of a meal.

Keep in mind that steakhouses are more than just steak. Restaurant décor, ambiance, side dishes, desserts, and additional non-steak offerings play a role in any steakhouse dining experience.

Ranging from the old school versions to a newly opened steakhouse, they are equipped with classic menus that showcase a sense of depth with firmly footed offerings. In fact, steak lovers can pick from an endless supply of succulent, well-seasoned meats. 

Steakhouse guests can choose from three different cuts of prime rib, one of the city’s best burgers that includes a 10oz double Wagyu patty. 

They can also pick a collection of four different USDA prime and American Wagyu cuts presented raw for them to admire the steak’s marbling and color.

Other best steakhouses boast about their very own dry-aging rooms or cellars stocked with hanging steaks, while another promotes their glass-enclosed street-side meat locker loaded with dry-aged steaks.

Yet, another steakhouse offers slabs of finely marbled porterhouse steaks that are dry-aged for 28 days resulting in a steak that is tenderloin on one side of the bone and strip steak on the other.

 It’s a rarity, but two of the best steak houses in NYC flame their steaks the old-fashioned way over a hickory-charcoal grill which gives the steak a firm, smoky flavor. 

While another has remained one of Manhattan’s legendary steakhouses offering porterhouse, ribeye, bone-in-sirloin, and veal chops accompanied by shrimp, lobster, or crab cocktail and clam’s casino.

T-bones seared to a rosy-pink perfection are also on the menu of another best NYC steakhouse.

The ambiance is another vital part of a steak lover’s dining experience. In one steakhouse, pipes still line its ceiling, giving it a comfortable, exceptional vibe, unlike any other NYC steakhouse.

A different steakhouse is packed with history and decorated with old-fashioned dark-wood panels with old photos. The ceiling is lined with pipes smoked by famous men throughout the years. A visit here will create a memory that will be cherished and treasured forever. 

There is one other best NYC steakhouse with the elusive charm of a stucco-walled, beer hall-style eatery with well-worn wooden floors and tables that hosts one of the most legendary dining experiences in the city. 

Extras or sides are a part of what makes a steakhouse the best. One of the best provides their guests with an expansive steakhouse-and-seafood menu, brimming with extras like six kinds of potatoes, nine vegetable sides, five fish entrées, and 19 appetizers.

Creamed spinach, roasted garlic, and butter-laden mashed potatoes are also some staples of side dishes offered by the best steakhouses.

Let’s not forget to leave room for dessert. 

Desserts offered by the best NYC steakhouses include:

• A wedge of dark chocolate pie in an Oreo-cookie crust
• Towering hot fudge sundaes
• A South Carolina coconut cake topped with icing and shaved crunchy coconut
• A spongy upside-down pineapple cake
• A sweet devil’s food cake
• The ever-famous New York Cheesecake.

Needless to say, the New York City steakhouse is up there among the city’s traditional dining experiences. For many steak lovers, it’s a night out when a medium-rare steak is paired with a side of creamed spinach and a glass of wine. Across all five Burroughs, beloved old school steak houses and newly opened steakhouses offer up a myriad of options for every dining experience.

Many steakhouses accept reservations, and some advise steak lovers to call ahead for the prime rib.

It’s difficult to say which steakhouse is best. Only you can make that determination; however, many different options are available for your dining pleasure.