The 10 Best Lunch Specials At Steakhouse Chains, According To Price And Location

Many associate a fine steak with dinner, but why wait that long? And, perhaps more importantly, why break the bank? Especially at finer restaurants, popular sides like clam soup, chicken Caesar salad, baked potatoes, Brussels sprouts, or shrimp can cost upwards of $20. The same is true for desserts, even when it's just a few cookies or a single piece of pie. But for most of these lunch specials, those prices can drop all the way down to zero. Steak is already expensive to begin with, so if you want a full, filling meal, specials are the way to go.

We scoured the country for chains that offer lunchtime specials — no easy feat for a cuisine associated with luxurious dinner where arteries and bank balances are pushed aside in favor of rapturous delight. We chose chains with a variety of locations and a diversity of price levels, ranging from casual family-style chains to hyper-chic spots with strict dress codes.

We were surprised by the sheer generosity of many of the specials, which go well beyond a simple salad and dessert. Some offer all-you-can-eat steak, while others combine steak with shrimp or chicken, plus a filling side, for around $20. However, the exact details of each special can vary by location, so make sure to call your nearest location ahead of time to double check.

Without further ado, here are some of the most mouth-watering steakhouse chain lunch specials from across the country.

Read more: Steakhouse Chains Where The Sides Outshine The Steaks

1. The Capital Grille

Let's start with a capital meal for the Capital Grille, an upscale steakhouse chain with dozens of locations across the country, including one at the foot of New York City's famed Chrysler Building. The restaurant is best known for its dry aging method that leaves meats to age for 18-24 days, after which they are hand-carved by in-house butchers.

Most Capital Grille spots offer generous Lunch Plates, which cost anywhere from $28 to $32 per person, depending on location. The plates start with either a Field Greens salad, New England Clam Chowder, or Caesar salad. For the main meal, diners can choose either sliced tenderloin steak frites with chimichurri and Rosemary fries, roasted chicken breast with mushrooms and Parmesan risotto, or seared salmon with Mediterranean couscous, asparagus, and heirloom tomatoes. The extensive à la carte lunch menu also offers a variety of other decadent items like lobster salad, Cobb salad with sliced tenderloin, a Ribeye Steak Sandwich, or good, old-fashioned items like a 14-ounce boneless Prime Ribeye or Filet Mignon.

Lunch is served Monday through Friday until 4 p.m., though some locations offer weekend hours. Just make sure you adhere to in its dress code, which forbids athletic clothing and tank tops. If you'd like to enjoy some of its famed steak on demand while wearing whatever you'd like, consider a Steak Grille Box, which offer steaks hand-cut daily by its in-house butcher.

2. Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse

If you're feeling a little more flush with cash, try the Business Lunch special at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, another upscale chain currently with 15 locations in most major U.S. cities. For $39, diners will begin with one of three starters: a salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, carrots, croutons, and bacon; a Caesar salad with Romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese, croutons, and Caesar dressing; or a lobster bisque with crème fraîche and chives. Those are accompanied by a choice of three entrées: filet medallions with château mashed potatoes, green beans, and red wine demi-glace sauce; pan-roasted salmon with santorini beans, crispy olives, lemon, and roasted tomatoes; or Jidori chicken piccata with sautéed spinach and lemon caper sauce. Unlike many other specials, the business lunch does not come with dessert.

While $39 is on the more expensive end of specials, it's a good deal compared to the rest of the lunch menu. The Steakhouse Salad, (sliced steak, bacon, tomatoes, Bleu cheese, Parmesan, avocado, and more) costs $28, and extra proteins like chicken, salmon or steak cost anywhere from an additional $12 to $20. Del's Cheeseburger, with cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles, costs $24, while the Lobster Roll on a buttered brioche bun costs $30.

Whatever you order, make sure you're dressed right. Del Frisco's enforces a dress code that bans beachwear, gym attire, ball caps, tank tops, or sleeveless shirts.

3. Fogo De Chão Brazilian Steakhouse

For the ultimate lunch special, try an all-you-can-eat buffet of several different cuts of fire-roasted meat. Fogo de Chão is a Brazilian chain with over 70 locations around the U.S. and the world that specializes in the churrasco style of continuous table-side service popular in Brazil and other parts of South America. For $48.50 per person, you can indulge in the Fogo Churrasco Experience, which delivers as much Brazilian-style meat as your arteries can handle, ranging from classic filet mignon, to bacon-wrapped chicken and steak, to pork belly to beef ribs, to so much more.

The $48.50 special also includes warm cheese bread, crispy polenta, mashed potatoes, caramelized banana, and anything on the extensive Market Table & Feijoada Bar menu. This includes a variety of refreshing sides, such as fresh seasonal soups and salads, vegetables, aged cheeses, smoked salmon, cured meat, fresh orange, and Brazilian specialities like feijoada, a traditional black bean stew and sausage served with rice. The Market Table and Feijoada Bar are also available as an $18 add-on to the Gaucho Lunch, which includes singular versions of some of the special's most popular meats, and pricey entrées like Chilean Sea Bass, Cauliflower Steak, Pan-Seared Salmon and more, which are available for $20-32.

Anyone raising young carnivores will appreciate that the Fogo Churrasco is free for children six and under, and half-price for children seven to 12. Just make sure they're good with a steak knife.

4. Longhorn Steakhouse

The only thing better than a variety of appealing choices is when the choices cost less than $10 and still taste amazing. Or even getting a full steak meal for just over $20. Longhorn Steakhouse, a casual dining chain with more than 560 locations across the country, offers  generous Steakhouse Lunch Plate and Grill Master combos that pair a number of filling steaks, sandwiches, and salads with an extensive, diverse array of free sides.

Diners can choose the Grill Master Combo list, which includes upscale options like a six-ounce filet and four-ounce lobster tail ($34.39), a six-ounce Renegade Sirloin and eight counts of Redrock-Grilled Shrimp ($21.99), a nine-ounce Parmesan-Crusted Chicken and Half-Rack Ribs ($25.29), or a nine-ounce BBQ Chicken & 8-count Redrock-Grilled Shrimp ($23.29.) The less expensive Steakhouse Lunch Plate offers choices like a Steak Salad (7-pepper grilled sirloin served over greens, tomatoes, croutons, Bleu cheese, and homemade dressings, $10.49); a half-pound Steakhouse Cheeseburger with lettuce, onion, tomatoes, and pickles ($10.99); a Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich with lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles, and homemade ranch on a potato bun ($8.99), and more.

Both combo menus come with a wide variety of free sides, including broccoli, french fries, French onion soup, shrimp and lobster chowder, mashed potatoes, and many more. Fire-grilled corn on the cob, mac & cheese, strawberry salad, and crispy Brussels sprouts are available for an extra $2.79.

5. Ocean Prime

For the ultimate power lunch, head to Ocean Prime, a fine dining chain that specializes in steak, seafood, and cocktails, currently with 20 locations in major cities across the country, as well as few more set to open soon. Each location offers many different specials with a variety of prices and items, so it's essential that you check the menu of the nearest location before you make your reservation. Take our word, though: wherever you are, you're in for a treat.

The Beverly Hills Ocean Prime offers a $39 per-person Prime Lunch menu during weekday lunches. Diners enjoy a choice of Lobster Bisque, French Onion Soup, or a goat cheese and apple House Salad to start, followed by a choice of six-ounce filet, teriyaki salmon, roasted chicken, poké bowl, or cobb salad. Cookies are served for dessert. Washington, D.C., on the other hand, lowers the price to $35 per person, which will get you either the house salad, a Caesar salad, or clam chowder to start, followed by steak frites, a cheeseburger, and a salmon salad rather than a Cobb salad for entrées. Diners can choose between cookies, almond cookie sorbet, or ice cream for dessert.

In Las Vegas, $45 a person buys either a goat cheese and apple salad, a Caesar salad, a lobster bisque, or a jumbo shrimp cocktail to start. The second course includes your choice of a six-ounce filet, crab cake, Chilean sea bass, or blackened snapper, with fresh-baked cookies for dessert.

6. Outback Steakhouse

For an ace time Down Under, there's only one place to go: the beloved Outback Steakhouse. The Australian-themed chain has recently reintroduced its 3-Course Meal. Starting at $16.99, diners can choose one of seven steak entrées, which include a six-ounce center-cut sirloin, a burger, grilled shrimp, and grilled chicken. An eight-ounce sirloin and fried chicken cost $19.99. Each entrée comes with a soup or salad, which includes options like baked potato soup, French onion soup, or Caesar salad. And if that weren't enough for the price, diners can choose from 17 sides, including mashed potatoes, baked potato, rice, fries, and more salads. Options like mac 'n' cheese, loaded mashed potatoes, asparagus, and seasoned Brussels sprouts cost $2.99 to $3.99 extra.

The 3-Course Meal is just one of many other inexpensive specials. If you're hosting a party or just want a family dinner, try its Bloomin' Bundles intended to be shared by four to six people. These include a family-style salad, two or three sides of either fries, mixed veggies, or mashed potatoes, and two or three slices of Honey Wheat Bread, alongside either grilled chicken, sirloin, sirloin and shrimp, or sirloin and chicken.

For $27.99, order several different cuts of the chain's signature steaks like ribeye, porterhouse, or filet mignon, which all come with two of the sides mentioned above. Or try a Steak Combo, which combines sirloin with either chicken, shrimp, or ribs, and a choice of two sides.

7. Ruth's Chris Steak House

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, a franchise with nearly 150 locations around the world that started when divorced single mother Ruth Fertel bought Chris' Steak House in New Orleans (hence the roundabout name), offers two lunch specials, although they're only offered for private parties.

For $45 per guest, the Executive special features a Steak House Salad with baby lettuce, grape tomatoes, and garlic croutons. For the entrée, guests choose between a six-ounce filet with three large shrimp, garlic-herb cheese-stuffed oven-roasted double-breast chicken with lemon butter or a chef's choice of fish with garlic-sautéed spinach. All entrées are accompanied by either the restaurant's signature cream spinach and garlic mashed potatoes.

The $55-per-guest Partners option offers the same choices as the Executive, with a few add-ons. In addition to all the Executive entrée choices, diners can also select an eight-ounce petite filet steak. They can also select freshly steamed broccoli as one of two side options. The main distinction is the addition of a decadent cheesecake with fresh berries and mint for dessert. Both options include complimentary soft drinks, tea, and fresh coffee.

8. STK Steakhouse

The name of this popular chain leaves no ambiguity: it's all about the steak. It even doubles as a butchery -- STK is somewhat uncommon among steakhouse chains due to its Meat Market, in which customers can buy a diverse array of raw steak cuts that are delivered frozen. In addition to the meats, customers receive an instruction card and restaurant credits that usually range from $25 to $100.

Those credits would more than pay for the restaurant's lunch special, which includes a six-ounce filet for $19.99. Diners can add sides of either sweet corn pudding, mashed potatoes, or crispy Brussels sprouts -- which typically cost $20 à la carte -- for five dollars extra.

Many of the items on the lunch menu are not officially listed as specials, but they come with enough free sides that they might as well be considered as such. The FSH sandwich is a beer-battered cod filet on a brioche bun that comes with cheddar cheese, iceberg lettuce, tomato, and pickles, and the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Thigh comes with coleslaw and pickles. The Wagyu Burger & Fries are perhaps the best deal on the lunch menu. For $9.99, diners enjoy a seven-ounce beef patty with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, a special sauce, and fries, with the option to add grilled onions, avocado, egg, or bacon for an extra three dollars. That's a real bargain next to the steak menu, which ranges from a $56 eight-ounce skirt steak to a $117 14-ounce dry-aged Delmonico.

9. Saltgrass Steak House

Two is a lucky number at Saltgrass Steak House, where the 2 for $22 lunch special allows patrons to order two side items and a sirloin for $22. And these aren't small sides either: at the Omaha location, diners can choose any two items from the soups, salads, or sandwiches list. That means that in addition to a top sirloin, they could also get a hamburger and a cheeseburger, all for $22. Omaha diners can also choose a "soup and salad" option that includes a Cup of Potato soup, a Cup of Tortilla soup, a wedge salad, a dinner salad, a Hill Country salad with chicken, tomato, cheese, and eggs, or a grilled chicken salad.

The Kemah location offers a similar 2 for $22 promotion, although instead of a sirloin steak, diners enjoy "Fall off the Bone" BBQ Ribs, and the only items on the sandwich list are a grilled chicken sandwich and a cheeseburger.

While specifically designated lunch specials are only served in a few locations, Saltgrass offers a pretty standard steakhouse special in all locations, at all times. Everything off its steak, seafood, and "favorites" menu comes with a free side, which includes French fries, green beans, sweet potato fries, mashed potato, baked potato, or broccoli. Soups and salads cost just $2.99 extra.

10. Sizzler

Sizzler, a mid-market chain with over 80 locations in the western United States, offers a generous selection of seven Steak Combos. These combos all combine a six-ounce sirloin with another cut of meat and a free side, all for around $20. The cheapest combo is the Steak & Malibu Chicken for $15.99, which is notable for its tangy Malibu sauce of Grey Poupon mustard, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and honey. Diners can also opt for sirloin and a seven-ounce Italian Herb Chicken ($16.49), sirloin and six pieces of jumbo crispy shrimp ($17.49), sirloin and mini crispy shrimp ($20.99), or sirloin, Malibu chicken, and jumbo crispy shrimp, for just $20.99. The priciest option features sirloin and wild-caught cold lobster tail at $27.99, which is still a bargain for steak, lobster, and more. Prices may vary slightly by location.

Free sides include a slice of cheese toast, French fries, herb butter mashed potatoes, a vegetable blend, seafood salad, and potato salad.

The specials don't stop there. All three of its signature steaks - an eight-ounce sirloin, a New York strip, and a 14-ounce ribeye - all come with free sides. Sizzler also offers generous Family Meals, which combines nine cuts of Sizzler's signature-grilled steak with two slides and four slices of cheese toast, all for $52.99. Similar specials are available for grilled chicken, crispy shrimp, and grilled shrimp skewers.

Methodology

We looked at the menus of all the top steakhouse chains around the U.S. to find lunch specials for a variety of budgets and locations. We sought out specials that are either specifically designated as "lunch specials" or available during lunch hours. We have extra weight to those deals that paired high-quality steak with high-quality extras for no extra cost.

We also took pains to ensure that the specials were from a current menu, and available from at least some of the chain's locations. Finally, we wanted to offer a diverse assortment of steaks -- from sirloin to ribeye to skirt -- paired with a diverse array of goodies, from healthy salads to succulent shrimps to decadent cheesecakes.

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