What ingredients make a perfect steak? Obviously, the quality of the meat is the fundamental element. Most of the best steakhouses in downtown St. Louis only serve the highest grade of beef available in the United States – USDA Prime – that features extensive marbling and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Only 1% to 3% of all beef produced in the country is rated as prime.
Others argue the breed, diet, and age of the cow are the most critical elements, a dry or wet-aging process brings out the ultimate flavor and tenderness, and it is truly an art. There is no doubt that the alchemy really begins in the expert flick of the chef’s wrist and precise timing at the grill. We have shortlisted the 4 best steak restaurants in Downtown St. Louis.
Note: As foodies, we've been breaking down some of the best restaurants in the United States with a little help from Yelp and some solid references. While we haven't visited them all, our purpose was to spread some love and awareness for these great local (for the most part) restaurants - many of them being small businesses! Plus, it's been fun reading your comments in the discussion about how dead wrong we are (to put it VERY lightly). Please forgive us in advance. :D
1. J. Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steaks and Seafood
J. Gilbert’s wood-fired steaks and seafood served up prime steakhouse fare modeled according to the highly regarded Kansas City steakhouses of the 1920s. All the steaks are prepared from USDA Prime, Midwestern-raised, wet-aged Black Angus beef, sourced from farms that promote humane management with no use of antibiotics or growth hormones.
The secret of their robust flavor lies in the house-made seasoning that contains fresh ground coffee beans and brown sugar. The steaks like Kansas City strip, top sirloin, bone-in ribeye “cowboy cut,” porterhouse, or a center-cut filet mignon are seared and cooked over mesquite wood.
2. 801 Chophouse
Every cut of imaginable steak is on the menu at 801 Chophouse. All the steaks such as roast prime rib au jus, filet mignon, New York strip, bone-in Delmonico, porterhouse, and filet medallions are prepared from USDA prime.
All beef is sourced from farms located in Northeast Nebraska and Iowa and butchered by the chef in the house. Each cut is so delicious and prepared simply with salt and pepper and char-broiled with no butter.
3. Annie Gunn’s
Annie Gunn’s is one of the most respected food, as well as wine emporiums in the country, focused on providing excellent service and sincere hospitality. All the steaks are prepared from USDA Prime and Upper Choice Angus beef from the northern plain that has been wet-aged a minimum of 24 days or dry-aged a minimum of 33 days.
Several delicious steak dishes like USDA Prime New York Strip, Japanese A5 Kobe beef, American Wagyu are always available on the menu. The seasoning process is quite simple, and it contains kosher salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. The steaks are grilled at 800 degrees that is a bit lower than standard to caramelize the meat without charring.
4. Cielo
Cielo is the restaurant of Four Seasons Hotel. It offers USDA Prime and certified Choice steaks, selecting for optimal marble along with quality. All beef is sourced from farms located in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska, including grass-fed beef from Boeckmann Family farms and Rain Crow Ranch in Missouri. The bone-in Prime New York strip is wet-aged for 35 to 45 days, and the ribeye is dry-aged for 30 days.
There are so many restaurants available to dine in downtown St. Louis to experience a variety of beefsteak dishes with a perfect tenderloin filet. The newest contenders are contemporary yet classy, while the old one offers a de rigueur prix fixe menu and even “Wine Wednesdays.”
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