The best steakhouses in Los Angeles

Forgive the casual atmosphere and unflattering top-down lighting: This Venice steakhouse serves some of the best wood-fired steaks and seafood in the city, plus an array of delicious, globally inspired starters and sides. The wood grilled flatbread with smoked honey and labneh is, quite frankly, out of this world, and the rosti-like stuffed hash browns (which comes as a giant potato pancake) pair well alongside any of their simply finished steaks. For seafood lovers, the must-order are the grilled prawns. Coming two to an order, they’re huge, sweet and delicious even before the side of lemon and herb butter enter the picture. The Flannery 15-day dry-aged prime ribeye is one of the best steaks we’ve ever had in L.A., all at a fraction of the cost of most other steakhouses serving the same quality of meat.

For the last two decades, Suzanne Tracht’s Beverly Grove eatery has served a lightly Asian-inspired steakhouse menu that has kept Angelenos hooked thanks to a delicious char siu pork chop (once featured on the Cooking Channel’s Best Thing I Ever Ate) and the melt-in-your mouth signature pot roast. Traditional sides like blue cheese wedge salad and creamed corn get the white-glove treatment here, and every cut of beef, pork or chicken is worth an order. It's also worth noting the mid-century modern dining room has made several notable film appearances, including in La La Land, and for good reason: with a well-made cocktail in hand and delicious food in front of you, the dim-lit dining room feels downright cinematic. 

This relaxed Venice steakhouse is where dry-aged cuts and well-executed sides come from Josiah Citrin, the chef behind two Michelin star Mélisse. Charcoal’s signature blackened cabbage is as good as ever; a few pastas, seafood and poultry dishes break up the meatfest for anyone who’s not into steak. During nightly “glass off” (daily 5:30–7pm), sit at the wraparound bar for an excellent $12 burger made with white American cheese and discounted cocktails. While Charcoal’s ambience might run more casual than other steakhouses around town, Citrin serves some of the best steaks in the city—especially when chased with the housemade spiced vinegar that graces every table.

This luxe new over-the-top steakhouse from the family behind Mastro's offers top-quality cuts, enormous martinis and ultra-decadent sides, including a warm skill of complimentary bread that tastes like Pillsbury crescent rolls in the best way possible. Steak 48—named after Arizona, the 48th state in the Union—doesn't reinvent the wheel otherwise, but the five-star service and attention to details make all the difference. Every diner receives a hot plate (be careful), which keeps the slices of steak warm throughout the meal. There's not one or two, but five different potato sides, including an au gratin preparation with caramelized onions, plus gouda and mozzarella cheese. While we've found quality at Mastro's has flagged in recent years, Steak 48 offers the kind of consistently great upscale chain experience most diners can appreciate, including us.

From the same team behind Sugarfish comes this sleek Wagyu specialist in Beverly Hills, where relatively affordable prix-fixe menus demonstrate the many delicious ways you can enjoy this highly marbled beef. Exclusively serving halal, grass-fed Wagyu from New Zealand’s First Light Farms (this isn’t A5-grade richness, mind you), you’ll find à la carte cuts of picanha, New York strip and ribeye as well, but the tasting menus here deliver the most value—all the better to order a couple more of their stiff cocktails. For dessert, Matu keeps it simple with two solid options: a delicious flourless chocolate cake or a few variants on panna cotta. Stop by during lunch (11:30am–2pm) for one of the city’s best cheesesteak sandwiches, available only at the bar.

With its sultry interior design, reasonable prices (for a glitzy steakhouse, at least) and a commitment to consistency and high-touch service, it’s no surprise that this scene-y Sunset Strip steakhouse has stuck around for over two decades. These days, newly appointed executive chef Brendan Collins—formerly of Fia in Santa Monica—has refreshed BOA’s menu with a slate of new seafood items, including caviar-topped big-eye tuna cones, hamachi tartare served on a bed of dry ice and a knockout lobster pasta spiced up with Calabrian chili. Signature dishes like the Wagyu meatball and classics like truffle mac-n-cheese deliver the sort of familiar, craveable comfort that explain why BOA holds such wide appeal: The restaurant is just as popular among Gen Z influencers and starry-eyed tourists as it is among BOA’s regular, typically older clientele of professionals and Hollywood power brokers. For a more subdued but still sultry vibe, try their Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach locations, both of which are perfect for an oceanside dinner date.

There are plenty of places in L.A. where you can easily spend $200 or more a person on steak, but the Asian-inflected cuisine, first-rate service and excellent meats (at any price) justify the expense at this Pasadena steakhouse—and distinguish it from other overpriced places around town like Gwen and CUT. Originally from the Bay Area, Alexander’s likes to push its large selection of Japanese and Australian Wagyu, but you’ll have just as fine a time with their far cheaper cuts from Nebraska and California. Dishes like the tobiko-studded fried rice and a Chinese chicken salad-inspired wedge topped with rock shrimp hit the right fusion notes, and the signature hamachi shots never fail to delight. Thoughtful service touches like complimentary cotton candy, plus a delicious cookies-and-cream soufflé, round out an extravagant, beef-centered meal here, though you can also opt for the the “omakase” tasting menu ($185), which includes A5 Wagyu and other seasonal delights.

This Brentwood steakhouse has one of the most beautiful dining rooms in the city—with the sort of well-heeled, designer bag-carrying local clientele that one might expect for the area. Enter through Baltaire’s enormous wooden front doors and you’ll be treated to a refined take on classic steakhouse fare, plus a few standout California-style sides like spicy salmon crispy rice and seasonal grilled artichokes. The menu prices might be steep, but executive chef Samuel Jung’s attention to detail shines through in the juicy, well-marbled and perfectly cooked bone-in ribeye and a crisp wedge salad topped with decadent bacon lardons and plenty of blue cheese dressing. Finish your meal with the freshly made powdered beignets or a slice of banoffee pie—and maybe a cinnamon-spiked tequila espresso martini.

What’s an old-school steakhouse doing in Koreatown and La Cañada? Thriving. This place doesn’t look like it's changed one bit since it opened over more than 50 years ago: The menus still boast classics like shrimp scampi and French onion soup. The steaks here by no means the best in the city, but the affordable prices and sense of history still keep nights at Taylor's buzzing like it's 1953. Our advice? Skip the prime rib; instead, opt for cuts from the char-broiler such as extra-thick, prime top sirloin served on a sizzling platter. Taylor's may be one of the best-bargain steakhouses in town, and also one of the most comfortable. From the big leather booths to the decades-old menus on the walls, this is one Koreatown classic that's truly timeless.

“Fine food at a fair price”: The neon sign outside Smoke House says it all. Since 1946, this Burbank institution located right across the street from Warner Brothers Studios has served generations of celebrities, studio execs and other industry folks of all stripes. Valley locals love the place for its affordable, perfectly cooked steaks, but we also love the funky, generously dressed wedge salad, the fact there's a dessert tray to pick from at the end of your meal and the steak Sinatra—a linguine platter topped with a mix of beef, peppers and onions once beloved by Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. You can find better prime rib at Lawry's (or the Tam), but Smoke House serves that too, as well as a slew of crowdpleasing appetizers like spinach-artichoke dip and a “world famous” cheesy garlic bread. The red booths, wood paneling on the walls and live music on weekends add to the old-school charm, but wave away the house photographer that's likely to come around; that’ll cost ya.