The best steakhouses in Philadelphia right now

You’d be hard-pressed to create a best-of list in Philadelphia for nearly any cuisine that doesn’t include an entry (or two) from serial restaurateur and native son Stephen Starr. Barclay Prime is Starr’s take on a modern steakhouse. It goes for chic over stuffy, with lime green booths adding pops of color to a dining room dotted with white marble tables and crystal chandeliers. The traditional steakhouse offerings are world-class, but the menu retains the modern character of the interior. No item is more than the Barclay Prime cheesesteak, a $140 love letter to the city’s most famous dish. Made with wagyu ribeye, foie gras and truffled cheese whiz, it’s served with a half bottle of champagne.

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When you think of a classic steakhouse, an Italian restaurant deep in the heart of South Philly may not be what immediately comes to mind. This one should. The Saloon shares more of its DNA with the wood-paneled steakhouses of yore than the classic red-sauce joints that dot its Bella Vista neighborhood. Since 1967, it’s where South Philadelphians of all stripes—from the current Phillies manager to Mummers and mobsters—have celebrated life’s major moments. Their version of braciole takes two filets and rolls and stuffs them with spinach, pancetta, and Parmigiano cheese in a tomato sauce.

With just 50 seats, Alpen Rose is one of the city’s most difficult tables to secure. Still, those who manage a booking are rewarded with an intimate experience akin to eating in the private library of an ocean liner. The heavy wooden door, nestled between two bustling restaurants on one of the city’s busiest streets, opens only after a knock. It leads into a space that could pass for a private club, defined by a curved, wooden ceiling. The small size allows founder Michael Schulson, the grandson of a butcher from the Bronx, to enact precise quality control and dry age most of the meats on site. Classics, such as the beef Wellington for two and baked Alaska, flambéed tableside, are the order of the day.

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You don’t need to head to Rittenhouse or Midtown Village to experience one of Philly’s best steakhouse atmospheres. Nestled on a cobblestone street across from Headhouse Square in Society Hill, just south of the historic district, Malbec is a warm, glowing beacon on a chilly night. It lives up to its name with an excellent wine selection and a lively bar. Any number of cuts of meat are available but stay on theme with the surprisingly tender skirt steak and a side of chimichurri sauce. If you can snag a seat, the outdoor dining on this block is as charming as any in the city.

The second entry from the ubiquitous Stephen Starr hews to the classic side. Inside one of the city’s most iconic restaurant addresses, Starr turns out an homage to the glitz and glamor of 1940s Hollywood. Dress (way!) up and start with a Manhattan or martini to set the mood. For a steakhouse, Butcher and Singer features an extensive raw bar that is also one of the city’s best. This is the place to lean into the surf side of surf and turf with their decadent lobster Newberg or king salmon.

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This is not your grandfather’s steakhouse. This farm-to-table restaurant takes its mission so seriously that most cuts of steak include a description of where the cow was raised. The servers would happily elaborate, and the vibe is easy and welcoming. Unlike many on this list, it’s also open for brunch on the weekends, and that may be the meal to try here, perhaps before a trip to the nearby Philadelphia Art Museum. It’s well-known for its locally sourced red grits, and several steak options are available on the brunch menu. The restaurant is located in the stunning Logan Hotel, which features one of the city’s best rooftop bars and is a must-stop for a nightcap.

Let’s make this clear from the top: The Pub is not the place to take your business guests from out-of-town when the corporate expense tab is open. But for Philadelphians who appreciate an honest meal in a setting that doesn’t need to try to be retro, this is a quintessential dining experience, just minutes over the bridge. The Pub has been open since 1951 and not a ton has changed. The dining room features a massive open hearth with charcoal-fired ovens that give the steaks a distinct taste. Almost everything is made in-house, including their signature zucchini bread, which can be found in a salad bar larger than some of the restaurants on this list.

An outpost of a national chain sounds like a strange candidate to be a favorite in a proudly parochial city like Philly. But Del Frisco’s has found its place in the city’s imagination. Part of that is owed to its setting in the former First Pennsylvania Bank: a jaw-dropping, balconied space with a three-story wine tower rising above the bar. An even larger share of the credit goes to its legendary social bar scene, a place for the beautiful, monied, or, preferably, both. If you’re looking to send your group chat a photo of a professional athlete or local TV news anchor enjoying their date night, this is your spot.

We may be slightly stretching the definition of steakhouse here, but the dry-aged ribeye for two at this Israeli grill house from James Beard Award winners Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook will leave you with no care for such trifling questions. That’s hardly the only option for meat lovers at this Kensington corner hotspot. The hangar steak alone is worth the short ride from Center City. The menu makes the decision-making on other courses easy. All dishes are served with salatim, a selection of salads, small plates and dips that threaten to steal the thunder.

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When it comes to Brazilian steakhouses, Philly has a few options, including the standard-issue national chains. Picanha, the one with the deepest roots in the city, is by far the most interesting. The churrascaria opened in the diverse Northeast section almost 20 years ago and was so popular they opened a second, more posh location in Center City in 2019. The original location remains a BYOB, a steakhouse rarity allowing you to show off a few bottles from your personal cellar. Picanha’s “Rodizio Gauchos” patrol perhaps the city’s best-smelling dining room, carving any of 12 rotisserie types of meat tableside.