Last year we wrote about the best steakhouse on Fremont Street. We still believe that downtown has some of the best steaks in town. However, that doesn’t tell the whole story. The Strip has some phenomenal choices. For example, the picture at the top of this post is of the SW Steakhouse at the Wynn. It was a great experience. We have also been to off-strip places such as Scotch 80 Prime and Herbs and Rye. Overall, though, who has the best steak in Las Vegas?
What places have we been to?
Since we wrote that post in August 2022, we have been all over town. Over Labor Day we went to STK in the Cosmo for brunch, Bardot for brunch, and SW at the Wynn for dinner. In December we went to Joe’s inside Caesar’s Palace. In January, I went solo to Gallagher’s (where the rest of the group has been many times), Scotch 80 Prime at the Palms, and Jean Georges. During a group trip last month (March 2023), we went to Andiamo’s and Herbs and Rye. We have been all over the place.
Of course, we have been searching for the best steak in Las Vegas long before that post, as well. We have been to Prime at Bellagio, Palms, Lawry’s Prime Rib, Craftsteak, Heritage Steak, and just about every place downtown. Carversteak was a good time and even let me choose my own knife. We have been to most of the great spots in town.
So where haven’t we been?
There are still several spots we want to try. After all, if you are going to declare something to be the best steak in Las Vegas you need to be thorough in your research. We haven’t been to the Golden Steer, although we have a trip planned for Labor Day 2023. I haven’t tried Cleaver, and I have been remiss in not trying Bazaar Meats by Jose Andres. Still, my first trip to Vegas was January 2005. I have made around 50 trips since then, and I have probably eaten two steaks per trip. My sample size is as large as my belly.
What is the best steak in Las Vegas, then?
I promise that I will answer that question in just a minute. Before I do, however, I want to answer some of the common claims folks make about what is best. For example, people love Bellagio Prime and SW at the Wynn. Both are phenomenal places, but they know they are phenomenal. That means they charge accordingly. I am happy to go to either, but you have to get patio seating to really have the best experience. I am not a huge fan of celebrity chef restaurants either, although Morimoto is a notable exception to that list. They serve an excellent steak, but it isn’t their primary focus.
Several places deserve an honorable mention. I love Top of Binion’s, for example. It is really well prepared, they have great drinks, and the views are top notch. My meal at Jean Georges was phenomenal, although I prefer a slightly different atmosphere. John is a particularly big fan of Gallagher’s. Carversteak was a lot of fun, and I really enjoy the show when they make drinks tableside. Herbs and Rye absolutely deserves an honorable mention for excellent steaks which they love to deliver at happy hour prices. It is a steal, and you can see where the locals go.
For me, however, there is only one clear winner. John has come to the same conclusion, and we don’t actually let John Brawley Tophat vote most of the time. The best steak in town is at Oscar’s. Former Mayor Oscar Goodman has an office there where he sometimes holds court. If you listen to the On the Corner of Main Street podcast, you can sometimes hear him not give the north end of a southbound rat about much of anything. The man is hilarious, and his spirit inhabits this great restaurant. The drinks are on point. They even have some interesting cocktails which cause me to depart from my standards. They season their steaks. The service is good. The atmosphere is lively, and they are adding outdoor patio seating. I desperately need to quit conducting reviews of other places so I can go back there.
What do you think?
We would love to hear what you think. Please use the comments section below to tell us who has your favorite steak in Las Vegas. We insist that the debate stay respectful, but we would love to hear contrary opinions. Let us know if there is anything we have missed. Thanks so much, and happy travels!
