The best steaks in Brisbane for every budget

What's the vibe? We don’t know what’s better at Blackbird: the succulent steaks or the sweeping views of Brisbane River, stretching from the Story Bridge to Kangaroo Point Cliffs.

Why go? Blackbird’s million-dollar vistas are matched by an almost million-dollar menu, featuring ten premium cuts of Wagyu and black Angus, cooked centre stage on an open wood-fire grill. Sample the very best of Blackbird’s selection by ordering the signature steak board, designed to be shared between three and accompanied by their famous coleslaw and beef fat vinaigrette. These guys seriously prove that wood fire is king and treat you like royalty while doing it. 

What's the vibe: Launched in late 2022 by chef and television personality Adrian Richardson, Bōs has firmly staked its claim on this list of Brisbane’s most impressive steak restaurants. The 110-seat dining room is dressed to impress in sleek shades of grey and green, and there are 12 bar stools reserved for walk-ins who can admire their prized dry-aging cabinet. 

Why go? The steakhouse brings a whole new level of sophistication to the city’s beef scene, featuring seven single-serve cuts and three premium large cuts to share. The 250-gram tenderloin (eye fillet) starts at $64 with a seasonal garnish, while the hero Wagyu New York strip MB9+ goes for $105 and comes carved with caramelised lemon and sauces, like red wine jus and bone marrow butter. Pair your steak with one of Bōs’ extensive collection of 400 wines and counting.

What's the vibe? Come to this stylish, paddock-to-plate restaurant in Fortitude Valley for a good time and a long time. Establishment 203 fuses steak and Italian cuisine, pairing local Queensland produce with family-style pasta dishes.

Why go? You know you’re in for a top-notch feed here, considering the restaurant hand-selects its Wagyu and Angus cuts from the renowned cattle farming family-owned Stanbroke. Guests are encouraged to enjoy their steaks like a big ol’ Italian family, also filling the table with housemade pasta, fresh focaccia and premium seafood. Save this one for your next special occasion, because you’ll want to splurge. 

What's the vibe? Joining the esteemed Tassis Group brotherhood (Fatcow, Opa, Yamas), Rich and Rare has quickly become Brisbane’s new go-to for Manhattan-inspired steaks, seafood and Spritzes in West End.

Why go? Sure, the whole live lobster with lemon butter and the truffle mushroom spaghetti are tempting, but the real stars are the steaks. Cooked over a fiery coal and woodfire grill, there are more than 15 steaks to choose from, ranging from a 200-gram eye fillet at $54 to the 650-gram rib on the bone MB3+ at $125 and a Wagyu tomahawk MB5+ with complimentary sides that goes for $250 per kilogram. Visit between 11am to 6pm to enjoy the $54 nine-course power banquet, including sourdough, seared scallop, sirloin steak and dessert.

What's the vibe? There are many reasons why Moo Moo has ranked #29 two years running on the Best 50 steaks in the world list and boasts so many awards. You'll feel like the star of your own movie as you cut into one of their premium steaks, seated on one of the restaurant's six heritage balconies in the historic Port Office Building.

Why go? Diners can choose any of the 20 sumptuous steaks on the menu, which details the breed, age and diet of the cut. Their top-selling steak is the Westholme Wagyu flat iron MB7-9, which is a cut designed to resemble an old-fashioned iron. Chefs season and chargrill the flat iron before it is rested, reflashed, basted and served with sauces like chimichurri, bearnaise, peppercorn and forest mushroom. 

What's the vibe? Fiasco's Steakhouse has been serving up one of the best steaks in Brisneyland for longer than many of us were alive. It's housed within The Morrison Hotel, just a ten-minute walk from The Gabba cricket ground.

Why go? Choose from one of ten steaks on offer, or simply go with the most popular choice: the king of cuts, the 400-gram rib on the bone. It is prepared with a special spiced rub that enhances the flavours of the tender cut and is served with their famous twice-baked house potato or chips, sauce and greens. Go all out with steak toppers, like garlic prawns and beer-battered onion rings, and pair it perfectly with a glass of Penfolds shiraz. 

What is it? Feasting on a steak at Walter’s Steakhouse in the CBD will make you feel that little bit ‘extra’. The food, service and setting in the iconic Old Mineral House are all inspired by the great New York steakhouses and brasseries of Europe.

Why go? You know you're in good hands at Walter's, given the chefs handle their dry aging process in-house, ensuring their meat has the most wonderful texture and delivers heightened umami. The porterhouse offerings include a New York strip, an eye fillet and the real deal: the Signature Porterhouse, featuring a grain-fed, in-house dry-aged cut. The venue's atmosphere is beautiful, yet comfortable, and the service is attentive and approachable. You’re at a home away from home with Walter’s, just with a better wine and dessert list.

What is it? The family-owned Norman Hotel and Garden Bar, near The Gabba, has long been regarded as the benchmark when it comes to steak restaurants in Brisbane. The 1889 building itself is heritage-listed and has had several incarnations since its stable origins, including being a working-class pub and biker bar. The beef-centric venue is now best known for its meat cabinet and outdoor beer garden. 

Why go? Branded as 'Brisbane's worst vegetarian restaurant', The Norman offers a to-die-for steak range, including the high-quality t-bone, striploin, rib fillet, rump and genetically proven Wagyu beef. Why not go for their most popular choice, the eye fillet from central Queensland? Punters will love the tenderness of the longest and leanest cut from the tenderloin. 

What's the vibe? The legendary Breakfast Creek Hotel has long held a reputation as one of Brisbane’s oldest and best spots for a succulent steak. You simply have to sample one of the 11 steaks featured on both the Beer Garden and Spanish Garden menus to understand. 

Why go? Both dining and drinking dens at the Breakfast Creek Hotel share the same Queensland-sourced steaks, starting at $42 for a 350-gram porterhouse, to a $110 one-kilogram tomahawk from Maranoa. Other popular cuts for diners include the dry-aged rib-eye on the bone from Nolans in Gympie and the fillet mignon from the Darling Downs. If you dine in the gorgeous Spanish Garden, you can select the signature dish ‘The Creek’, which is a juicy 200-gram eye fillet topped with scallops, bugs and creamy garlic prawns. Totally scrumptious.

What's the vibe? Calling all carnivores – this experience is to die for. SK combines old-world New York steakhouse charm with Californian grill vibes, featuring a classic piano bar for sipping on cocktails post-work and snug booths for an intimate evening experience.

Why go? This place serves up a bit of everything—plus a mighty hit of red meat. SK's menu is split between pasta, seafood, raw food, sushi and, of course, steaks, including eye fillet, prime rib and sirloin. The New York cut and kiwami include a marbled score for the discerning steak connoisseur. Surf and turf lovers can even top their melt-in-your-mouth steak with lobster and prawns. 

What's the vibe? A ‘best steaks in Brisbane’ list would be incomplete without at least one Irish Pub. Established in 1995, Gilhooley’s is the place to warm the cockles and enjoy the craic, all while slicing into their value-for-money steaks and meals. 

Why go? Head here for a serious steak that won't break the bank. The pub's steak range is priced under $40, starting with the prime rump steak at an affordable $34.90. For $12.50, you can upgrade to the flavoursome Reef and Beef with creamy garlic prawns and pepper squid. You can also get scrumptious Irish stew or a braised beef and Guinness pie, if you’re partial to trying out some Irish fare. 

What's the vibe? As part of the Gambaro Group, Black Hide is the only venue in Queensland to serve cuts from the grain and grass-fed cattle at Stanbroke beef. The heritage restaurant on Caxton Street has been nominated for every steak award possible, including Australia's Best Steak Restaurant in the National Restaurant and Catering Awards for Excellence.

Why go? The hero dish is Black Hide's 1.2-kilogram tomahawk steak, serving one to three, at a cost of $240. All of their steaks are served with Wagyu fat-roasted potatoes, rosemary and garlic, and a choice of red wine jus, peppercorn, bearnaise or mushroom sauce. And if all of the nine main steak dishes just look so good you can’t decide, then go for a set menu, including a choice of eye fillet or sirloin.

What's the vibe? You have to admire the purity of vision at Fatcow in the Fortitude Valley. Here, it's all about steak and live lobster, and being treated like royalty. It's the kind of restaurant where Don Draper and Roger Sterling would go for lunch and probably stay all afternoon, and the only thing that would give them pause would be the no-smoking thing.

Why go? Head to James St for an old-school fine dining experience, with a side of top-tier steak. The waiter service is old school, hail-fellow-well-met, confident and jokey. The decor is pared back and stylish but not stuffy. The menus are bound in leather, and the headline dish within is the $199 rib-eye and lobster half, which are perfectly cooked and seasoned and offer absolutely no surprises, and that is presumably what the clientele loves about it.