The chophouse has long been considered an American classic, but what’s even more timeless is the pairing of red meat and wine. Today, many steak houses are capitalizing on that classic combination and enhancing the dining experience with local ingredients, alternative meat options and unique selections of both Old World and New World wines, which often go beyond the traditional staples of Bordeaux and California Cabernet.
We’ve picked 12 steak houses from around the U.S. whose wine selections are as prime as their porterhouses. The Grand Award– and Best of Award of Excellence–winning restaurants listed below each offer terrific wine lists with excellent breadth and depth across regions, styles and vintages.
To check out more great wine dining spots across the globe, see Wine Spectator’s more than 3,500 Restaurant Award–winning picks, including the more than 90 Grand Award recipients that hold our highest honor.
Do you have a favorite you’d like to see on this list? Send your recommendations to restaurantawards@mshanken.com. We want to hear from you!
Bern's Steak House
1208 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, Fla.
Telephone (813) 251-2421
Website bernssteakhouse.com
Grand Award
Since 1956, Bern’s Steak House has been an institution in Tampa, Fla. The restaurant is renowned not only for its dry-aged steaks and fresh produce (grown on its own Bern’s farm), but also for its colossal wine list. Bern’s has been a recipient of our Grand Award since 1981; today, wine director Brad Dixon’s program features roughly 6,500 selections, some 200 available by the glass. There are more than half a million bottles in the cellar, prominently representing a variety of regions: Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhône Valley, Tuscany, Piedmont, Spain, Germany, California and Australia. Helming the kitchen is executive chef Chad Johnson, who offers cuts such as a 6-ounce A5 Japanese Wagyu filet mignon and a 14-ounce Delmonico steak that’s been dry-aged for 100 days, along with options such as andouille-stuffed lobster, oysters on the half shell, racks of lamb and impressive selections of caviar and cheese. Another distinctive feature of the restaurant is its Harry Waugh Dessert Room, where guests can pair dozens of desserts with Ports, Sherries and Madeiras.
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse
1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York City
Telephone (212) 575-5129
Website delfriscos.com/location/del-friscos-double-eagle-steakhouse-new-york-ny
Grand Award
With 17 Restaurant Award–winning locations across the country , Del Frisco’s Double Eagle is a powerhouse in the steak world. Found in the center of bustling midtown Manhattan, the Grand Award–winning New York location offers a 2,100-selection wine list with strengths in France, Italy and California, particularly Napa Cabernets, as well as options from Bordeaux and Tuscany. Wine director Curtis Burdine leads the sommelier team, which adeptly provides pairings for a multitude of classic steak house offerings, from 3-ounce premium Kobe cuts and 32-ounce tomahawks to shucked oysters and lump crab cakes.
Delmonico Steakhouse
The Venetian Resort, Hotel & Casino, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas
Telephone (702) 414-3737
Website emerilsrestaurants.com/delmonico-steakhouse
Grand Award
Celebrated chef-restaurateur Emeril Lagasse's Grand Award–winning Delmonico Steakhouse at the Venetian Resort brings authentic Cajun flavor to the flashy city of Las Vegas. The restaurant takes its name from its now-closed southeastern sibling, Emeril’s Delmonico in New Orleans. The Las Vegas menu celebrates that heritage with some of Emeril's classic starters, such as the Creole broiled Gulf shrimp cocktail and the pan-seared foie gras on an apple fritter with cranberry compote and toasted pecans. Meanwhile, the steak selection is not to be outdone, running the gamut from Piedmontese petite filets and Wagyu cuts to tableside-carved chateaubriand. With more than 3,000 labels, wine director Dylan Amos’ program shows particular strength in California as well as Burgundy, Bordeaux, Italy, Australia and Oregon.
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Houston Galleria
5839 Westheimer Road, Houston
Telephone (713) 780-7352
Website pappasbros.com/location/houston-galleria
Grand Award
In Texas, beef tends to get grouped with barbecue and brisket, but the Pappas brothers are looking to change the way people think about steak with their Grand Award–winning restaurants in west Houston, downtown Houston and Dallas (not to mention their other restaurant endeavors). Wine director and Master Sommelier Steven McDonald oversees the beverage program at the Houston Galleria location, where guests can choose from 5,000 labels, including a particularly wide selection of large-format bottles. Sought-after and stacked verticals fill the wine list, from powerhouses such as Opus One, Château Haut-Brion and Château Lafite Rothschild (going back to the 1900 vintage). All of the restaurant’s steaks, including multiple cuts of filet mignon and prime New York strip, are dry-aged in-house and basted in butter. The wine team hosts a full calendar of events, including a Champagne tasting during the holidays, winemaker dinners and introductions to wines from key beef regions across the globe, such as Argentina, Australia and Spain.
The Angus Barn
9401 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, N.C.
Telephone (919) 781-2444
Website angusbarn.com
Grand Award
The Angus Barn has been serving steaks to a devoted clientele since 1960, and it still maintains its country charm today, from its red barn doors to its signature barrel of apples in place of after-dinner mints. The steaks are all aged cuts, but the Angus Barn also specializes in ravioli, grilled chicken and barbecued beef and pork ribs. Captained by wine director Henk Schuitemaker, the restaurant’s wine list features 1,900-plus selections, with strengths in California, Burgundy, Bordeaux and Tuscany, and has earned a Grand Award every year since 1989. There are well-known names across the list, from Cuvaison and Klein Constantia to Paul Jaboulet Aîné.
Bin 54 Steak & Cellar
1201-M Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Telephone (919) 969-1155
Website bin54chapelhill.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Bin 54 Steak & Cellar in Chapel Hill, N.C., is known for its use of hickory-smoked grilling, one of Southern cooking’s hallmark techniques. Chef Kevin Draper offers several cuts of steak, such as a 22-ounce bone-in rib eye and a 32-ounce prime porterhouse, alongside wood-grilled duck breast, double-cut pork chops, braised short ribs and other entrées. Draper's savory menu begs for wine, and Bin 54 delivers with a 500-label list that has held a Best of Award of Excellence since 2020. Overseen by wine director Franchesca Thepenier, the list focuses on California, France and Italy, with a strong Champagne showing. A plethora of choices are available from top Napa wineries as well as options from some of Bordeaux's best châteaus, with impressive vintage bubblies available by the glass, by the bottle or in magnums.
BLT Steak
1625 I St. N.W., Washington, D.C.
Telephone (202) 689-8999
Website bltrestaurants.com/location/blt-steak-washington-dc
Best of Award of Excellence
Combining bistro ambience with steak house fare, BLT Steak boasts two Restaurant Award–winning locations. The BLT Steak in Washington, D.C., is just blocks from the White House. Here, choose from hundreds of selections on the Best of Award of Excellence–winning wine list overseen by wine director Paul Gioe, which is strongest in picks from California and France and features leading names such as Sonoma’s Sonoma-Cutrer and the Rhône’s M. Chapoutier. Chef Ricardo Ibarra’s menu offers a range of specially selected steaks, from a Kansas City cut and a dry-aged cowboy cut to a prime hanger steak, not to mention steak tartare, grilled double-cut bacon, truffle mashed potatoes and other savory specialties.
Bourbon Steak
1433 4th Ave., Seattle
Telephone (206) 741-1044
Website michaelmina.net/restaurants/bourbon-steak/seattle
Best of Award of Excellence
With seven Restaurant Award–winning locations, chef-restaurateur Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak is known from coast to coast for its impressive prime cuts, fresh seafood and attention to service. Each restaurant’s wine program is kept fresh and unique. There is a particular focus on Washington state and West Coast wineries at the Best of Award of Excellence–winning Seattle restaurant, just down the street from Pike Place Market. Chef Megan Vaughan and Mina draw inspiration from local and seasonal produce for the tasting and à la carte menus, adding distinctive flavor profiles to classic steak house fare with dishes such as Salmon Creek pork belly and tempura oysters with Bourbon soy glaze, lobster pot pie with brandied black truffle cream and market vegetables and Dungeness crab tonnarelli with roasted garlic, lemon and arugula pesto. The choice steak selection includes a hay-smoked, 36-ounce tomahawk and an American Wagyu rib eye—both from Washington. With more than 1,200 labels, wine director Paul Swanson’s list boasts a number of remarkable bottles from around the world, with vintage Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and Barolo. There’s also plenty from Washington wineries such as Cadence and Cayuse Vineyards.
Craftsteak
3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas
Telephone (702) 891-7318
Website mgmgrand.mgmresorts.com/en/restaurants/craftsteak-steak-house.html
Best of Award of Excellence
Few names are better known in contemporary American dining than chef and TV personality Tom Colicchio, and his Best of Award of Excellence–winning Craftsteak offers a rich representation of his style. Located in Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Hotel, the restaurant lives up to its name with filet mignon, rib eye and several other steaks, including a range of Wagyu cuts. Chef Mike Chapman’s menu also offers other meat options such as beef short ribs braised for 24 hours, plus seafood dishes and vegetable sides such as Hen of the Woods mushrooms. Lead sommelier Troy Grenstiner’s 850-label wine list shows strength in California, Bordeaux and other French regions, with an impressive selection of Chardonnays, Cabernets and Pinot Noirs, as well as verticals from leading Napa Valley names such as Dalla Valle Vineyards, Mayacamas and Screaming Eagle.
Maple & Ash
8 W. Maple St., Chicago
Telephone (312) 944-8888
Website mapleandash.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Maple & Ash is not a traditional steak house. Right off the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, the restaurant embraces a "more is more" approach. The cellar boasts around 2,100 bottles curated by head sommelier Mike Loveisky in tandem with Maple national wine director Amy Mundwiler. The list excels in California and Burgundy, also boasting ample selections from other premier regions in France, Italy and Spain. Conceived by chef-partner Danny Grant and brought to life by executive chef Austin Adler, the menu is maximalist. Meat-wise, this means wood-fired cuts of bone-in filet mignon, Colorado lamb chops, a tomahawk dry-aged for 45 days and more. The seafood menu is stacked with an assortment of crudos and tartares, as well as massive fire-roasted shellfish towers. For those in a free-wheeling mood, the menu features an "I Don't Give a F*ck" tasting menu for $200, leaving your evening in the hands of the kitchen. In the Southwest? Maple & Ash also has a Restaurant Award–winning sibling restaurant in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Rime Seafood and Steak
The St. Regis Deer Valley, 2300 Deer Valley Dr. E., Park City, Utah
Telephone (435) 940-5760
Website srdvdining.com/rime-seafood-steak-deer-valley-utah-restaurant
Best of Award of Excellence
In ski towns across the U.S., it’s easy to find a place for great wine and food, including choice steaks. That includes Rime Seafood and Steak at the St. Regis Deer Valley hotel in Park City, Utah. With a vast collection of wines from California, France, Italy and Oregon, the restaurant’s 750-label list has held a Best of Award of Excellence since 2020. Also on wine director Mitchell Paine’s list are many notable sparkling wines, a hefty number of California Chardonnays, a noteworthy Burgundy selection and California Pinot Noirs from celebrated estates such as Calera and Williams Selyem. Chef Matthew Harris' culinary vision includes lighter seafood fare such as hamachi crudo and tuna tartare, as well as heavier dishes such as 2-pound Maine lobsters with spätzle and braised Utah lamb tagliatelle with Pecorino. And then there are the steaks: a 16-ounce New York strip and a 22-ounce rib eye, for example. Harris is also the chef-owner of another Utah Best of Award of Excellence winner: Tupelo Park City.
The Capital Grille
16489 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Telephone (480) 348-1700
Website thecapitalgrille.com/locations/az/scottsdale
Best of Award of Excellence
Not only does the Capital Grille family include 60-plus Restaurant Award–winning locations across the country, but the steak house is also part of the wider Darden Restaurants, Inc., portfolio, which includes many more Restaurant Award winners across several cuisines. But it’s steak on the menu at the Capital Grille, along with fresh seafood and great wine. Each location keeps its wine list updated and distinctive, and guests can easily peruse the beverage program via a restaurant iPad (tasting notes included). The Scottsdale, Ariz., location, which holds a Best of Award of Excellence, features one of the Capital Grille’s largest selections, with 480 labels representing 3,700 bottles. Particularly focused on labels from California and France, wine director Brian Schwartztrauber’s program offers abundant pairings for chef Lane Coleman’s menu, which includes plates such as seared tenderloin with butter-poached lobster tails; gorgonzola-crusted, dry-aged New York strip and a 10-ounce filet mignon. Beyond beef, there is also roasted chicken breast with mushroom-Parmesan risotto, pan-seared sea bass with miso butter, skillet hash browns with royal Ossetra caviar and much more.
Edited by Chris Cardoso, Collin Dreizen, Julia Larson, Olivia Nolan and Megan Tkacy
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