13 Best Steakhouses In Washington, DC According To A Local
The capital of the United States is known for many things. It's the seat of the country's political system and home to some of the greatest museums in the world, for starters. But it's also no secret that DC boasts a dynamic culinary scene with a wide range of restaurants cooking up numerous cuisines. You can walk a few blocks and enjoy everything from authentic Ethiopian doro wat to birria tacos from Mexico to a classic French blanquette de veau. There's also huge diversity in terms of mood: DC is full of romantic restaurants for date night and packed with good-time sports bars. Sometimes, though, you're looking for a tried and true steak dinner. DC has more options than you can imagine in that department.
Perfectly seared or grilled steaks combined with impeccable service take center plate at steakhouses scattered throughout the city. Diners can take their pick of prime cuts of beef served in dining rooms overflowing with traditional steakhouse ambiance, channeled through dark wood accents and dim lights. From classic charm to contemporary vibes, if you're a fan of succulent cuts of meat, fabulous sides, and atmosphere galore, these DC steakhouses will soon be your go-to spots. This list was compiled based on my personal dining experiences and customer reviews, and is sure to help you find your new favorite steakhouse in the capital city.
Read more: The Most Popular Cuts Of Steak Ranked Worst To Best
Medium Rare
If you love steak and a love story, Medium Rare is the steakhouse for you. The restaurant was named after American cowboy Malcolm Rare, who fled to France when he learned his true love, Sara O'Frites, had married someone else. Years later, when she randomly walked into the restaurant Rare opened in Deauville, France, the two kissed, infuriating O'Frites' husband, whom Rare killed the next day in a duel. Rare and O'Frites wed and ran the restaurant featuring Rare's grilled steaks and Sara's recipes for potatoes and a special sauce served with beef.
Rare's restaurant was the first to offer steaks cooked to different temperatures, so it's fitting that centuries later, two restaurateurs would open a spot featuring steaks cooked to diners' tastes and Sara's recipes for potatoes and sauce and call it Medium Rare. In fact, the dinner menu consists only of steak frites with sauce served with bread and a salad. Tell your server how you like your steak cooked, then enjoy your meal. Vegetarians can feast on grilled Portobello mushroom with a fire-roasted red pepper sauce. Medium Rare is open daily for dinner and for brunch on weekends.
(202) 237-1432
3500 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
St. Anselm
St. Anselm's is one of Washington's culinary gems. Though its owners categorize it as an American tavern with a steak specialty, the menu screams steakhouse. The brightest stars are the "bigs from the grill," like wagyu beef and a 16-ounce ribeye. The chefs have mastered the craft of grilling excellent cuts of beef to perfection.
The menu features traditional steakhouse sides like creamy spinach and mashed potatoes with a delicious twist -- bacon fat. Clever bites like chicken liver mousse served with house-made jelly and crispy pig head croquettes add an eclectic touch to the menu. The buttermilk biscuits with pimento cheese are a delectable nod to Executive Chef Lindsey Flowers' commitment to using simple cooking techniques to highlight exceptional ingredients. Her menu is straightforward, yet deliciously complex. Steak may be the draw at St. Anselm's, but the seafood and vegetarian options also shine.
St. Anselm's is open for dinner Monday through Thursday, lunch and dinner on Fridays, and for brunch, lunch, and dinner on Saturdays and Sundays.
(202) 864-2199
1250 5th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
The Palm
DC's outpost of classic American steakhouse The Palm is known for being the place to be for people-watching. The dining room is a gathering place for the city's power brokers, from politicians to television personalities, who visit regularly for the prime tomahawk ribeye or the Palm Duo, a center-cut filet served with a lobster tail. The menu features an Italian twist on steakhouse favorites. A buffalo mozzarella salad and linguine with white clam sauce share the menu with a wide variety of steaks and chops. The dining room walls are lined with caricatures of the restaurant's famous customers, but this bit of whimsy doesn't carry over to the dress code. The Palm requires upscale attire, so leave the tank tops and athletic wear at home.
No time for a full meal? Stop in Sunday through Friday from 4:00 to 6:30 pm for a robust small bites menu at the bar. Chicken parm sliders, pastrami-crusted lamb lollipops, and the famous Palm meatball are just some of their prime-time menu highlights.
The Palm is open for dinner on weekends and for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday.
thepalm.com/location/the-palm-washington-dc/
(202) 293-9091
1225 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
Charlie Palmer Steak
Charlie Palmer Steak's proximity to Capitol Hill makes it the perfect spot for political people-watching. It's a stone's throw from congressional offices and the National Mall, and many lawmakers and power players stop in regularly. Location and convenience aren't the only reasons politicos flock to this modern American steakhouse, though. The menu highlights Chef Dan Perron's take on bold American cooking, which features only the finest American cuts of beef in addition to local seafood from the Chesapeake Bay. The prime dry-aged porterhouse and Allen Brothers Black Angus ribeye stand out from Perron's progressive American cuisine. Choose the lobster corn dogs as a fun and mouthwatering starter, or tuck into east coast oysters from the restaurant's raw bar.
Can't stay for dinner? The happy hour offerings at Charlie Palmer Steak include half-price bites and drinks. Happy hour doesn't mean you have to miss out on the restaurant's top-quality beef either. Pair the dual steakhouse sliders or charred sirloin skewer with a Political Pain Chiller for a quick and filling meal.
Charlie Palmer Steak is open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Friday.
charliepalmersteak.com/washington-dc-home/
(202) 547-8100
101 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
The Grill
Since opening just before the pandemic, The Grill has quickly become a DC favorite. The menu is American cuisine with deep influences from Chef Robert Santibañez's French culinary training, combined with his Mexican heritage. The result is a menu peppered with Mexican and French touches. A particularly vivid example can be found in the fact that steaks can be served with a choice of sauces, including a classic bordelaise sauce or chimichurri.
The Grill's beef is raised and sourced from local farms. The expected filet mignon, ribeye, and New York strip are on the menu, but diners can also select other proteins like salmon, branzino, and chicken. Everything is cooked on the restaurant's centerpiece Josper grill, a high-end grill made in Barcelona. Sides like twice-baked potatoes with bacon lardons and sour cream and grilled sweet potatoes with pistachios and an orange-cumin reduction add a familiar but elevated touch.
The Grill is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday and for brunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday.
(202) 916-5996
99 Market Square SW, Washington, DC 20024
Del Frisco Double Eagle Steakhouse
Del Frisco Double Eagle Steakhouse is ideally located in DC's City Center neighborhood, an exclusive enclave of high-end condominiums, retail stores, and restaurants. Del Frisco's neighboring stores -- Burberry, Hermes, Chanel -- signal the posh nature of the neighborhood, and so does this restaurant. The dress code is as strict as the restaurant's commitment to the traditional steakhouse experience. The menu, expansive wine list, and noteworthy service combine to create an exceptional dining experience from start to finish.
Del Frisco is a classic American steakhouse, down to its dark drapes and mood lighting. The menu follows suit, with steakhouse mainstays like blue cheese lettuce wedge salad and mashed potatoes loaded with green onions and butter. The creamed spinach, adorned with bacon and copious amounts of cheese, is a meal in itself, but the beef is the true star of the show here. Whether you choose a filet, ribeye, porterhouse, or tomahawk, you can't go wrong.
Del Frisco's is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday and for dinner on the weekends.
delfriscos.com/location/del-friscos-double-eagle-steakhouse-washington-dc/
(202) 289-0201
950 I Street NW, Suite 501, Washington, DC 20001
District Chophouse & Brewery
It would be easy to write District Chophouse & Brewery off as a typical tourist-driven restaurant, given its location in Washington's buzzy Penn Quarter neighborhood, which boasts restaurants, museums, apartments, and one of the city's sports and entertainment arenas. But one bite of the slow-roasted Black Angus prime rib served with a phenomenal rosemary au jus and horseradish cream makes it clear that this restaurant is not one to miss. The DC in Washington DC might as well stand for District Chophouse.
In addition to the expected cuts of beef on the menu, diners can also feast on a host of seafood and poultry options like crab cakes, chicken piccata, New Zealand lamb, and stuffed pork chops with a port rosemary demiglace. The menu is varied, so there's something to suit everyone. Longtime locals dream of the return of their exceptional grilled Caesar salad, which graced the menu years ago. Their current salad offerings, including the generously portioned seafood cobb salad and the seared sashimi tuna salad, are tasty and large enough to share.
District Chophouse is open daily for lunch and dinner.
(202) 347-3434
509 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
The Capital Grille
There's a reason the steaks at The Capital Grille stand out from other steakhouses': The restaurant takes great pride in ensuring every steak is dry-aged for maximum flavor and tenderness. The chefs complete the process, which takes 18 to 24 days, in-house. Once it's done, expert in-house butchers cut each steak according to stringent quality standards. This results in steaks that are incredibly flavorful and tender.
The menu at the Grille has a steak for every appetite. Their signature steak, a bone-in ribeye with a porcini mushroom crust, is served with aged balsamic vinegar, but coffee lovers will swoon for the kona-crusted dry-aged bone-in New York strip steak with shallot butter. These extraordinary steaks are just one draw for The Capital Grille. Recipes are all perfectly executed with the highest quality ingredients, and the customer service is consistently stellar. The Grille's Pennsylvania Avenue location is also easily accessible and gives diners a dazzling view of the Capitol building.
The Capital Grille is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday and for dinner on Sundays.
(202) 737-6200
601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
Bobby Van's Steakhouse
Bobby Van's Steakhouse has stood the test of time. Located a mere block from the White House, its downtown location has made it a favorite lunch spot for the city's movers and shakers. They return to Bobby Van's Steakhouse for many reasons: Excellent service, an expansive wine list, and, of course, the steak.
Bobby Van's doesn't stray far from its roots, sticking to classic menu items that steakhouse aficionados expect and appreciate. These dishes are executed with a delicious twist, however. Their filet diablo features a petit filet mignon served with grilled jumbo shrimp in a spicy diablo sauce, while the steak a la stone consists of a New York strip steak paired with sautéed red and green bell peppers, sweet onions, and mushrooms. The lamb chops and the French onion soup are terrific alternatives if you're not in the mood for steak.
Bobby Van's Steakhouse is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Friday and for dinner on Monday and Saturday.
(202) 589-0060
809 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Ruth's Chris Steak House
Ruth's Chris Steak House is a culinary master class in longevity. The chain, which is known for its high quality steak, was founded in 1965, and has grown to include 147 restaurants in locations worldwide, including spots as far-reaching as Indonesia, Mexico, and the Philippines. Each location offers diners the traditional steakhouse experience. The DC location is no different.
All of their steaks -- including the remarkable cowboy ribeye, which boasts 22 ounces of bone-in, USDA prime cut beef -- are cooked using the restaurant's broiling method. They're also served on a 500 degree plate, so diners can enjoy that trademark sizzle. Entrees can be elevated with the addition of delectable bites like grilled shrimp, lobster tails, or a blue cheese crust. There's plenty to choose from the rest of the menu if you're interested in a steak alternative; noteworthy starters include the goat cheese and artichoke dip and the veal osso bucco ravioli.
Ruth's Chris is open daily for dinner.
(202) 918-5583
21st and L Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
Harvest Tide
Harvest Tide is relatively new to Washington, DC, but it's quickly earned a reputation as a top stop for steak and more. Nestled in the city's Eastern Market neighborhood, the restaurant also serves seafood and artisan pizzas. But Sunday is officially steak night at Harvest Tide, where you can dig into one of their dry-aged USDA prime steaks and hand-cut fries for $45. Don't worry, though -- you can also enjoy their phenomenal steaks every day at their regular price, and they are worth it. The restaurant prides itself on serving antibiotic and hormone-free beef from local farms. When it reaches the restaurant, the chefs dry-age the beef in their onsite meat locker for at least 21 days.
Visit on a Monday to take advantage of their all-day happy hour, which boasts special deals on food and drinks typically reserved for 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Harvest Tide is open for lunch and dinner daily and brunch on Saturday and Sunday.
(202) 733-1691
212 7th Street Southeast, Washington, District of Columbia 20003
Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab is the product of the Joe's Stone Crab chain of restaurants. As you might expect, the seafood options are abundant, but the bone-in signature prime steaks are what makes Joe's a true treat. Master butchers hand-cut each steak to Joe's specifications. The spot's double-cut Colorado lamb chops served with mint chimichurri are also exceptional.
Joe's menu includes more side dishes than most. There are seven potato side dish options alone, in addition to two spinach variations, grilled tomatoes, mac and cheese, and more. True to its seafood roots, Joe's salmon au poivre and pan-seared branzino are top-notch.
Joe's is open daily for lunch and dinner. Weekend brunch is available on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Happy hour, which features deals on wine, beer, and cocktails, and half-price oysters, is daily from 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
(202) 489-0140
750 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
The Prime Rib
The Prime Rib sets the standard for American steakhouses. The first restaurant opened in Baltimore in 1965, and today, there are four locations in DC, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. The Washington location on K Street is a convenient spot for business lunches and dinners for the many lawyers and lobbyists working nearby.
The Prime Rib's beef is sourced from Creekstone Farms, a premier cattle farm whose branded beef program is one of only a handful certified by the USDA. This unwavering commitment to quality is why The Prime Rib's steaks are well-known. The menu is varied but not overwhelming, with traditional steakhouse dishes like roast prime rib, filet mignon, and a USDA prime bone-in ribeye available. Non-steak menu items include a heritage pork chop with port wine sauce, grass-fed New Zealand lamb chops, and an organic chicken schnitzel. All of these can be ordered with béarnaise sauce, gorgonzola butter, or Oscar style.
The Prime Rib is open Monday through Saturday for dinner.
(202) 466-8811
2020 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
