Warning signs to watch out for when eating at a steakhouse

For indecisive or discerning diners, a steakhouse always seems like a safe bet. Whether you choose an affordable, family-friendly spot or treat yourself at a fancy restaurant, you have a pretty good idea of ​​what to expect: plenty of red meat, fluffy baked potatoes, and classic sides like grilled vegetables. Plus, some seafood and poultry dishes, and a selection of vegetarian options for your companions. The predictability of a steakhouse is part of its appeal; sometimes, there's nothing more comforting than a menu of familiar favorites, with no surprises.

However, the key is in the details, and not all steakhouses are created equal. You can't expect the same quality of meat or the same level of service at a casual steakhouse as you would at a specialty restaurant like Ruth's Chris. So, if budget is a priority, temper your expectations. And while grilling a steak might seem simple, perfecting it requires skill and practice, and not every cook at every restaurant is equally talented. Therefore, if you want to enjoy a good steakhouse experience, regardless of your budget, it's helpful to know what to look for and what to avoid when choosing a restaurant. To help us identify some red flags, we enlisted the help of Eric Rose, former executive chef of the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.

Careless plant personnel

A good restaurant is like a good football team. Just as a great quarterback can't win a game if the other team members don't do their jobs, a pleasant experience at a steakhouse requires more than a skilled chef and a good selection of steaks. Even in a modest restaurant, one is entitled to efficient and respectful service, and for Eric Rose, a major red flag is disorganized or indifferent front-of-house staff.

For example, one thing that really bothers Rose is "not being served promptly." Even if you have to wait for a table, the host or hostess should acknowledge your presence quickly upon arrival and let you know they are preparing to serve you. And while beauty is superficial, the appearance and presentation of the staff matter, especially in high-end steakhouses. "Waiters should be appropriately dressed with clean aprons, if applicable, and shoes," Rose said. "Also, any kitchen staff who need to enter public areas should wear clean aprons, jackets, etc." Rose also finds insincere friendliness from waiters off-putting. "I hate it when a waiter kneels down next to the table and says, 'How are you? What can I get you?' or tries to be overly familiar with you and your party," she said.

Waiters who don't understand meat

For those who aren't die-hard carnivores, visiting a steakhouse can be a little intimidating. The names of the different cuts (ribeye, filet mignon, porterhouse) may sound vaguely familiar, but they don't reveal anything about their appearance or flavor. Therefore, if a steakhouse is serious about providing an excellent dining experience, it needs to ensure that its staff can inform diners about the available cuts and help them find the one that best suits their tastes and appetite. (True meat connoisseurs also appreciate a restaurant with servers who can offer detailed information about the different cuts and their quality.)

Therefore, since steaks are the raison d'être of steakhouses, a major red flag is when servers don't know the menu and can't speak knowledgeably about the available options. "They should know what kind of meat they're serving," said Eric Rose. If they don't, it means either the server doesn't care, or the management responsible for their training doesn't care. Either way, it's a sign of poor service.

Problems with basic cleaning

While fans of Anthony Bourdain's culinary adventures know that many unassuming restaurants serve spectacular food, Rose says the appearance of a steakhouse's common areas can reveal a lot about what's going on in the kitchen. You don't need stiff napkins or bouquets of flowers in glass vases to enjoy a good meal, but basic cleanliness is essential.

“The restaurant should be clean, the air conditioning vents should be cleaned regularly, and any area visible to the public should be tidy” Rose said. According to Rose, details that many diners overlook also offer important clues about the care a restaurant puts into its work. “Sometimes I go to the restroom when I arrive and check it out” she said. “If they can’t keep the restroom clean and smelling good, what must the kitchen be like!” And if cleanliness is a priority for you, she offers another tip: “The same goes for the outdoor trash area. Take a look around the back if possible before you go in.”

In addition to passing these tests, a steakhouse must also offer decor commensurate with its price. "Depending on the establishment's category, it should be well-decorated and, again, clean," Rose said. "A greasy table or dirty cutlery and dishes are a bad sign for me. The restaurant's entrance sets the stage for a good meal."

Not being able to see the steak before it's cooked.

What should you look for? Obviously, it should be the cut and size you requested. It should also look fresh, that is, with a vibrant color and juicy. And finally, raw steaks should look ready for the grill or oven. If anything seems really off, don't accept it. "If your steak is dry, extremely fatty, or badly cut, I would send it back to the kitchen, especially in a high-end restaurant!" Rose said.

Steaks of dubious quality.

As the saying goes, knowledge is power. And when planning a visit to a steakhouse, especially a high-end one, Eric Rose says it's wise to know beforehand how to distinguish a good steak from a poor one. In particular, he recommends that diners familiarize themselves with the Prime and Choice categories (those typically found in top steakhouses) and their appearance.

Prime and Choice are the two highest USDA grading systems for beef, distinguished by the age of the animals and the percentage of marbling. Choice is by far the most common grading: if you've ever bought a steak to grill at home, it was most likely Choice. Prime is the highest and most exclusive grading, representing only 2% of all beef sold. It is the most marbled and tender of all the grading systems, as well as the most expensive.

Whether your steakhouse serves Prime or Choice steaks, Rose said you should expect your steak to have good marbling. "A Prime or Choice steak should have good marbling throughout, resulting in a very juicy steak," she said. And if you want to enjoy your steak cooked to perfection, order it rare. "The doneness also affects juiciness. Cooking a steak beyond medium-rare... is a mistake," she cautioned.

Poorly planned menus

You don't need to be a creative genius to design a churrascaria menu. In fact, the modest selection of comfort food offered by most churrascarias is part of their appeal: no one has to think too much or grapple with unfamiliar terminology when choosing their starters, sides, or desserts. However, according to Eric Rose, a good churrascaria should have a menu that reflects consideration for its diners and their dining experience.

“The menu should have a good selection of appetizers; it doesn’t have to be elaborate, just a few well-prepared dishes” Rose said. “For me, a salad or soup would be essential, an interlude before a hearty steak dinner.” And when the main course, the steak, arrives, a good menu should specify exactly what diners are going to receive. “The main course menu should include a selection of steaks, along with their descriptions, quality, and weight” she added.

Poorly made sauces

For meat purists, a good cut of meat is at its best when it's as close to its natural state as possible: simply cooked and seasoned with just a touch of salt and pepper. But many diners, including Eric Rose, prefer a more sophisticated touch to their steaks, and a good steakhouse should have a suitable selection of condiments to complement the steaks it offers. For Rose, this might mean "a little horseradish with the roasts, perhaps a Béarnaise sauce with the steak, or one of the countless other steak sauces out there."

The type of sauces you expect will depend on the ambiance of the restaurant. The more you pay, the higher the level of sophistication you can expect. "Bottled sauces might be fine for an inexpensive steakhouse, but if I'm paying a premium, I want a well-made, homemade béarnaise," Rose said. Therefore, a major red flag for him at high-end steakhouses is a poorly prepared or poorly presented sauce. "At a local restaurant, I asked for a little more béarnaise and they served me a spoonful of barely lukewarm sauce... unacceptable!" he exclaimed.

Negative customer reviews or no reviews.

You can never be completely sure you'll like an unfamiliar steakhouse until you try it. However, you can increase your chances of success by researching the restaurant beforehand. To get an idea of ​​what to expect, Eric Rose recommends checking reviews or relying on recommendations from those who have already eaten there. Depending on what you find, these reviews might confirm that it's worth trying, warn you to be careful, or be a clear red flag to steer clear.

Another indication that a steakhouse might be worth visiting is its long history. If a restaurant has been open for several decades, it's a good sign that it has pleased enough diners over the years to stay in business. "As far as its age is concerned, I think it's a good indicator of its quality, but not always," Rose said.

A limited variety of steaks

Steak lovers aren't a homogenous group. This diverse brotherhood includes those who prefer small, tender filet mignons, or the more substantial, firm meat of the sirloin, as well as those who enjoy large T-bone steaks. And while no steakhouse can (or should) offer every possible cut, Rose commented that a good one will have a variety of options, including alternatives for those with smaller appetites. While steakhouses have long had a reputation for being frequented by burly men with big cigars, that's no longer the case. "It would also be nice if they offered smaller steaks, not just a Diamond Jim Brady," Eric Rose said.

What kind of steaks can you expect from a good steakhouse? Regardless of price, you can expect a variety of steaks in different sizes and flavors. For example, Ruth's Chris and Texas Roadhouse, despite their very different prices and atmospheres, offer similar steak options (though Prime at the former and Choice at the latter). Both offer variations of filet mignon, ribeye, and tenderloin. Steaks appeal to both light eaters and those who prioritize tenderness; the ribeye, with its intense meaty flavor, is a treat for true carnivores; while the tenderloin combines the best of both worlds: tenderness and rich flavor.

Suspiciously high or low prices

Let's not lie: a good steak is expensive, and having it prepared at a restaurant means paying more than three times what you'd pay if you bought and cooked it yourself. And at some upscale steakhouses, the prices can be exorbitant, but the quality of the food and the ambiance are attractive enough to keep wealthy customers coming back. "Long-established upscale steakhouses, like Ruth's Chris, charge very high prices," said Eric Rose. "But, as their long history shows, their model works."

But is it worth paying that extra price? If someone else is treating you, or if you simply want to indulge yourself, then yes. But if you're an experienced home cook with access to good-quality, fresh ingredients, you could enjoy an equally good meal at home for much less. You don't need advanced culinary training to prepare a salad or a classic side dish to accompany your steak. Rose prefers the DIY option. "For me, buying a good steak and cooking it at home works best," she said.

On the other hand, suspiciously low steak prices are another red flag. Prices like these are very likely to indicate poor-quality meat, which may be tough, stringy, or worse. As the saying goes, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Lack of options for special diets

By definition, steakhouses cater to meat and potato lovers, and they make no apologies for it. But even the most dedicated carnivores have friends and family who don't eat meat or have other dietary restrictions. And since dinners at these restaurants are often organized as celebrations, vegetarians and other people with special needs sometimes find themselves celebrating with a loved one at one. According to Eric Rose, a well-considered steakhouse will offer appealing vegetarian options (such as tasty vegetarian pasta), as well as alternatives for those with allergies or gluten intolerance. Therefore, another red flag is a steakhouse that lacks the flexibility to accommodate all diners. A well-run restaurant, according to Rose, should have ample menu options and a staff trained to do so.

That said, Rose advised those with special dietary needs to be proactive and notify the restaurant in advance. "To accommodate vegans or any other dietary requirement, it's best to check with the relevant staff member BEFORE arrival, preferably a couple of days in advance," she stated.