Nashville steakhouses: Here's your guide — from old school to brand new

The weather's getting colder, the days are shorter and out-of-towners are visiting. In other words, it's the perfect time for big juicy steaks, lobster bisque, giant baked potatoes, creamed spinach, chocolate cake — and maybe a big fat nap afterward.

For decades, Nashville essentially only had three steakhouses of note: Jimmy Kelly's off Elliston Place, Sperry's in Belle Meade and the Old Hickory steakhouse in the Opryland hotel. Then, a few high-end chains opened Nashville locations in the 1980s and '90s, Ruth's Chris and Morton's among them.

Recently, Nashville's steakhouse inventory has gotten even bigger, some with that old-school, dark leather-and-wood feel, some super-slick and contemporary. The common denominator is quality steaks at fine-dining prices. Here's a guide to help you decide where to go the next time you want to hit a steakhouse.

Bob's Steak and Chop House

Bob's is the most old-school classic of the four upscale downtown steakhouses — dark lighting, plenty of leather, plush red velvet banquette seating. And where else are you going to get a gigantic glazed carrot next to your steak?

Try: Bob's classic bread pudding with French silk vanilla ice cream and a Grand Mariner caramel sauce

Best for: Dinner before a guy's night out or a concert downtown

Where: Downtown in the Omni Hotel, 250 Rep. John Lewis Way S.

Website: www.bobs-steakandchop.com

Bourbon Steak

This excellent Michael Mina steakhouse is the highest restaurant in Nashville and boasts stunning city views. Instead of bread, you'll receive a complimentary trio of seasoned fries with dipping sauce. Try the tuna tartare, pore over the extensive whiskey selection and figure out which steak you want the kitchen to toss on the wood-fired grill.

Try: The hard-to-find Japanese Wagyu Snow Beef ($75) or spring for the hay-smoked Wagyu Tomahawk ($325). It's all expensive but worth it.

Best for: Impressing, whether it's a date or an associate. Celebrating a special anniversary? This is the move.

Where: Downtown, JW Marriott, 34th floor, 201 8th Ave S.

Website: www.nashvillebourbonsteak.com

Carne Mare

This Andrew Carmellini restaurant falls under the "Italian chophouse" category, which is to say the kitchen turns out Italian specialties such as handmade pasta alongside top-notch steaks and chops.

Try: The gorgonzola-cured wagyu striploin ($110)

Best for: Romantic meals and impressive business dinners

Where: The Gulch, 200 12th Ave. S.

Website: www.carnemarenashville.com

Deacon's New South

Deacon's, at once classic and modern, is a hospitable downtown oasis. We love the excellent wine list and cocktails as well as appetizers like sticky, smoky duck drumettes, leafy fresh salads and deliciously buttery crawfish noodles, which you can and should add as a sharable side to excellent steaks.

Try: The 36-ounce Titan-cut whiskey aged bone-in ribeye is a sumptuous feast for the table (market price).

Best for: Friend dates, group outings and a fun, if not a bit lavish, night out.

Where: Downtown, 401 Church St.

Website: www.deaconsnewsouth.com

E3 Chophouse

A trendy, hipster Hillsboro Village steakhouse that gets as much buzz about having celeb owners like Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean as it does for its food. The Night Train Bar offers one of the few popular rooftop hot spots outside downtown or midtown Nashville.

Try: Military Mondays for active duty military and veterans; mixed greens, filet tips, gruyère, gouda & garlic mashed potatoes and braised collard greens for only $5

Best for: Friend (and maybe romantic?) hangs and hook ups

Where: Hillsboro Village, 1628 21st Ave. S.

Website: www.e3chophousenashville.com

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

Here's the quickest trip for Vanderbilt students and their parents who are craving a quality meal and lots of choices for wine by the glass. The mix of modern and traditional decor will leave both generations feeling at home.

Try: Beef carpaccio with caper-creole mustard sauce ($23)

Best for: private-room celebrations and meetings

Where: Vanderbilt area, 2525 West End Ave.

Website: www.flemingssteakhouse.com

Hall's Chophouse

There's something you'll notice about Hall's that you might not in any other Nashville steakhouse — even when it's crowded, the dining room is quiet. You can actually hear your dinner companion! What a treat. Heads up — the restaurant doesn't validate the pricey valet parking.

Try: Good ol' filet mignon, high quality beef with a perfect salt-pepper crust ($54 for 8 ounces, $69 for 12 ounces and $78 for 14 ounces bone-in)

Best for: Dates or business meetings

Where: Midtown, 1600 West End Ave.

Website: www.hallschophouse.com

Harper's

This fun, boisterous, beautifully designed restaurant serves steaks and chops, but has a more balanced menu than most steakhouses for those who might want something besides a hunk of meat. The halibut cheeks and chips, for example, are delicious.

Try: Elk tenderloin with chimichurri and blackberry demi ($68).

Best for: Fun group dinners, a nice meal before a show at Ascend (though note there is a dress code).

Where: South Bank, 2 Lea Ave.

Website: www.harpersnashville.com

Jeff Ruby's

Tennessee Titans, touring comedians, snappy suits and plenty of little black dresses will stream by your table at this downtown see-and-be-seen steakhouse. The band behind the bar always rocks, and Cincinnati-based Jeff Ruby's serves the wildest seafood tower in town.

Try: The Godfather Roll from the sushi menu, which isn't really even sushi — chefs mix tempura lobster, seared filet mignon, asparagus, avocado, spicy mayo and eel sauce, and diners can't get enough of it. ($28)

Best for: A rowdy downtown get together with friends

Where: Downtown, 300 Fourth Ave. N.

Website: www.jeffruby.com/nashville

Jimmy Kelly's Steakhouse

This isn't only Nashville's oldest steakhouse, but Jimmy Kelly's, founded in 1934, also is Nashville's oldest fine dining restaurant. And the decor and vibe reflect that.

Try: The mini corn cakes

Best for: Cigar-chomping lobbyists wooing legislators

Where: Midtown, 217 Louise Ave.

Website: www.jimmykellys.com

Kayne Prime

Go for the buzz — The Daily Mail recently called Kayne Prime the best steakhouse in Tennessee — and stay for the unique starters and sides. Those include bacon with maple cotton candy, duck tacos and cream corn brulee with roasted jalapenos.

Try: Macaroni gratinee with cave-aged cheddar (really?), alpine blend, fontina, toasted bread crumbs, bacon and jalapeño ($20)

Best for: Having fun with out-of-town family and friends

Where: The Gulch, 1103 McGavock St.

Website: www.mstreetnashville.com/kayne-prime

Oak Steakhouse

You'll be blown away by the stunning look of this place before you ever get to the table — three-story all-glass exterior, a floor-to-ceiling black wine rack with red rolling ladder, and there's a gorgeous mix of wood and modern throughout. Once seated, you'll be treated to excellent execution of traditional steakhouse fare at this Nashville outlet of this seven-restaurant chain.

Try: The Japanese A5 Wagyu (market price, 4-ounce minimum)

Best for: Impressing anyone you want to impress

Where: Downtown, 801 Clark Place

Website: www.oaksteakhouserestaurant.com

Old Hickory Steakhouse

Native Nashvillians fondly remember their parents taking them to Old Hickory after Thanksgiving as a special treat during the annual family visit to Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center to see the Christmas lights. The views of the lush indoor foliage and charming shopping village with the sounds of the indoor water falls make dinner here special.

Try: Crispy brussels sprouts with pomegranate seeds ($13)

Best for: A treat when you bring out-of-town visitors to Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center

Where: Donelson, 2800 Opryland Drive

Website: www.marriott.com

Sperry's Restaurant

Here's perhaps the most iconic and one of the longest-lasting steakhouses in Nashville, combining staid Belle Meade culture with a little country kick. (Kacey Musgraves was spotted there just last month in one of hundreds of celeb sightings here over the last 50 years.)

Try: That amazing salad bar! (Those buttery housemade croutons.... Mmmmmm.)

Best for: Daughters of the American Revolution dinner meetings

Where: The original is at 5109 Harding Place in Belle Meade, and a second location is in Cool Springs at 650 Frazier Drive.

Website: www.sperrys.com

The Southern Steak & Oyster

Possibly the biggest tourist magnet on this list, the Southern seemingly is always crowded with bustling diners, often carrying big bags of souvenirs from downtown museums and attractions. Restaurant marketers call The Southern "animated," and that's spot on.

Try: The surprisingly good gumbo ($6 cup, $10 bowl)

Best for: A break from the honky tonks

Where: Downtown, 150 Third Ave. S.

Website: www.thesouthernnashville.com

STK Steakhouse

The super-slick steakhouse chain boasts a (slight) majority of female customers and a chic look that gives an alternative to masculine cigar-and-leather steakhouses of old. And a live DJ helps slide the restaurant into more of a club as the night goes on.

Try: Braised beef short rib ($54)

Best for: Brunch!

Where: The Gulch, 700 12th Ave. S.

Website: www.stksteakhouse.com

Where's your favorite steak spot? Is there a restaurant round-up you'd like to see? Find Mackensy Lunsford at mlunsford@tennessean.com and Brad Schmitt at brad@tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville steakhouses: A quick round-up of the city's best