Best of
The same five dishes at every steakhouse means they can be compared one at a time. Pick a category and see who is actually winning it.
Best Overall
100 ptsAll nine categories added up — the whole visit rather than any one part of it.
Leading: Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse · 76/100
Best Manhattan
10 ptsServed up. Balanced with bite, properly cold, in a chilled glass.
Tied for the lead: Benjamin Steakhouse and Sparks Steak House · 8/10
Best Shrimp Cocktail
10 ptsBig shrimp with a clean snap, served with cocktail sauce.
Tied for the lead: 5 places · 8/10
Best Filet Mignon
30 ptsThe main event, and the largest share of the score. A thick barrel cut (taller than it is wide). No fat. A proper crust, cooked to the temperature ordered, and served with nothing atop.
Tied for the lead: Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, Strip House, and Empire Steak House East 50th · 26/30
Best Creamed Spinach
10 ptsThick and creamy, and still tasting of spinach.
Tied for the lead: Strip House, Bourbon Steak, and West Side Steakhouse · 9/10
Best New York Cheesecake
5 ptsDense and tangy on a crust that holds together, with fresh berries, and cool but not too cold.
Tied for the lead: 5 places · 3/5
Best Room
10 ptsA room that feels like a steakhouse: comfortable, dimly lit, and quiet enough to hold a conversation.
Tied for the lead: 4 places · 8/10
Best Service
10 ptsWell paced, competent, from someone who notices an empty glass.
Tied for the lead: Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse and Empire Steak House East 50th · 9/10
Best Extras
5 ptsBread, butter, steak knives. The things that arrive without being ordered.
Tied for the lead: Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse and Benjamin Steakhouse · 4/5
Best Value
10 ptsA bill that looks fair for everything that arrived on the table.
Tied for the lead: Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, Strip House, and American Cut Tribeca · 7/10
Based on 9 of 90 known NYC steakhouses. Scores are whole numbers, so ties are common. Places with the same score share the spot.