During our 12 years or so here in Las Vegas, my wife and I have had the chance to try a fair number of steakhouses both on the strip and off. While we have tried a lot and enjoyed them greatly, I wanted to put together a list of the ones we have enjoyed the most. Other than my wife not preferring the seasoning at Emeril’s Delmonico Steakhouse in the Venetian, we have had a pretty good run when it comes to fine dining here.
Now, if you are coming to Vegas, remember that everything is expensive. And steakhouses are really expensive for the most part. And even though they claim to have a dress code, know that it is optional for high rollers. So if you like spending $20,000 a bet on Blackjack at the Wynn, you can wear your swimsuit and (maybe) a coverup. Or at least that is how it seems.
If you get sticker shock at Outback Steak House, then prepare yourself by looking at every steakhouse menu you can find to acclimate to the pricing. Since we do not care about gambling, but we love food, steakhouses are something we enjoy when people come to Vegas to visit. But they are usually here for gambling and want to save a little money for that rather than spending it on an expensive meal. To each their own.
When putting in my favorite menu item, that would normally include the filet since steak is the primary reason to go to a steakhouse and all of these have excellent steaks. So I have put the other things that I liked on the menu. But you can assume the steak is good. I only included drinks on the a few of them since I usually do a martini and my wife has a lemon drop. But Harlo does have an exquisite Harlo Martini with charred olives. It is divine. One of my previous favorites that closed just prior to the pandemic was Andiron Steak (where Harlo is now in Downtown Summerlin). Their Botanist martini was amazing.
Eiffel Tower Restaurant – Inside The Paris
The Eiffel Tower Restaurant overlooks the Las Vegas Strip and the Bellagio fountains. It also is one of the places we like to go when some of our friends come to visit around Christmastime in years past.
When it comes to steak tartare, the Eiffel Tower Restaurant hands down has my favorite tartare in town. It is simpler than other steakhouses and tastes absolutely delightful. The others usually range from good to okay in terms of my admittedly limited tartare palate . But man is it good! Maybe it is because it was the first place I tried it and my brain seized onto the idea that this is REAL steak tartare or something, but it is well worth the price of admission.
The times we have gone to this steakhouse, we have both had “The Queen” or “The King” filets. They, unfortunately for us, do not have blue cheese crusts as an available enhancement or sauce, but their truffle sauce is quite earthy and tasty.
For accompaniments, I enjoyed the seasonal wild mushrooms and my wife enjoyed the Baked Idaho Potato, and not just because we’re from Idaho originally. But that probably does have something to do with our love for potatoes.
My favorite menu item(s): Steak Tartare
HARLØ – Downtown Summerlin
At the beginning of 2022, I decided to celebrate my birthday at HARLØ in Downtown Summerlin. It is located in the same place Andiron Steak was prior to the pandemic. Unlike Andiron, they did not have Botanist Gin available, but they did have an amazing martini. The Harlo Martini has extra virgin olive oil infused ketel one, monkey 47 gin olive brine, and house marinated charred olives. The charred olives alone make this drink.
I started with the Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, which was quite good. I’m used to having it on top of my steak rather than alone, so it was a delicious appetizer that was a little different than what I was used to. My wife has a classic caesar, which was okay. We liked the house Caesar dressing at other places more.
We both had the filet mignon as our main meal, and the twice-baked potato as our side. The bacon cream on the potato was beautiful.
We finished with the HARLØ Chocolate Cream Cake, which was delightful.
This is a place I would love to return to the next time we are flush with cash, which will probably never happen again now that we have a Funko habit.
Favorite menu item(s): Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Twice Baked Potato
Favorite Drink: The Harlo Martini
Voodoo Steak – Inside the Rio
I hit up Voodoo Steak a few years prior to the pandemic for my birthday, and it did not disappoint! Plus, by dining at Voodoo Steak (at least at the time we went), you had access to the Voodoo Nightclub at the top of the Rio so you can dance and drink the night away. I’m old and crotchety, so I did not dance, though.
For my appetizer, I had the brandied steak tartare, but still prefer the Paris. It did have a nice sweetness to it that was uncommon among the other tartares I’ve had. For a salad, we shared a Voodoo Caesar. I had the surf n turf, which was a 6oz lobster tail and a petite filet with jumbo shrimp. My wife had the petite filet. For a side, I had the Blue Cheese Potato Gratin and it was absolutely astounding. It was one of the best parts of the meal.
Favorite menu item(s): Blue Cheese Potato Gratin
Hawthorn Grill – Inside Rampart Casino
The Hawthorn Grill was one of our mainstays since it was relatively close to our house so we did not have to deal with Strip traffic. They also made one hell of a steak. They used to have an excellent salad, but their menu changed significantly when they reopened after the pandemic. Their BLT wedge is tasty, but like most iceberg wedges, it acts as a vehicle to get bleu cheese into my gullet.
When it comes to steaks, I’ve only had the filet mignon, but I have had the smoked Kurobuta bone-in pork chop and it was extremely good. I’ve had it a couple of times. Their chocolate ganache cake was quite good as well for dessert.
This was the last place we ate before the pandemic shut down Las Vegas, and the mood as a little bit crazy. As long-time return customers that the staff knew, they were joking around a bit. One brought me a “mini martini” in a small decorative glass and presented it with aplomb when I reordered my usual. It was a delightful night, and since the menu changed, I have not yet returned. But I am hoping that much of the staff received their previous jobs back. They were a kick-ass crew.
The Rampart Casino which houses the Hawthorn Grill was in the news for sending a mass-phone message to employees during the pandemic that they were fired.
Scotch 80 Prime – Inside The Palms
Scotch 80 Prime quickly became my wife and my new favorite steakhouse when we started going there back in 2018ish. It took over the N9NE Steakhouse location inside the Palms. It recently reopened after the Pandemic and has a similar menu to the previous pre-pandemic one. The hostess dresses have changed from plunging nearly-to-navel necklines to sleek and elegant little black dresses, at least the evening we went last. While this may seem like a strange thing to comment on, the previous dress outfits, while gorgeous, limited movements of the hostesses due to trying not to accidentally expose themselves while seating people. I love a plunging neckline on someone who wants to wear it. Just not on those who don’t.
For appetizers, we tried the steak tartare, but still prefer the Paris. Yes, this is a constant litany. If you know of the best tartare in Vegas, please let me know because right now I think it is in the Eiffel Tower Restaurant. I may be wrong, but so far I don’t think so. I have also had the scallop escargot, which was absolutely amazing in flavor and texture.
The Scotch 80 Chopped salad is my go-to green here, and my wife always gets the caesar if she’s in a salad mood. She is often not because she doesn’t like “green things.”
We usually get the steaks, hers with a smoked bleu cheese crust and mine with foie gras.
For sides,I have tried the garlic potato purée and the forest mushrooms. We did get the Brie Fondue famous hash brown once and it was very tasty.
Morton’s – The Steakhouse
Morton’s is a steakhouse chain owned by the Landry corporation. Note that there is also a Landry’s here in Vegas just up the street from Mortons, and they have a pretty killer prime rib. When my wife and I have “steakhouse money,” usually from an extra check, tax returns, or saving for birthdays/Christmas/etc, we often choose Morton’s.
When everything shut down for the pandemic and we were working from home, Morton’s was one of the few places that opened back up relatively quickly in Vegas that we felt safe eating at since they were doing an excellent job at cleaning/sanitizing. And the money we usually save for events we go to could be converted to “steakhouse money.” We got to know a lot of the staff, and they are a wonderful bunch!
As I noted, it is a chain steakhouse, so I am unsure how other Morton’s are managed or what their quality is like since I have not eaten at them. This one, however, I have eaten at on multiple occasions and find it top-notch. The service is always excellent, and the food is spectacular.
As usual, we start with drinks, with a Mortini for me and a Lemon Drop for my wife. The Mortini is good with either vodka or gin, depending on your favorite alcohol. Their Lemon Drop is one of the best (and most consistent) we’ve had at steakhouses.
When it comes to appetizers, we always get the prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella, and it is a glorious bite. The bacon-wrapped sea scallops are also quite good. Their caesar salad and iceberg wedge are pretty standard and their chopped house salad is fashionable, but I used to get their Morton’s salad with anchovies every time I went. Now I often forego salad for more appetizers or sides.
We usually eat the filet mignon with blue cheese butter on top, though I also do like the truffle butter. I wish they had Foie Gras, but they do not. Whenever I have had the lobster with my steak, it has been fresh and flavorful. For sides, we often get the matchstick parmesan & truffle fries which are delectable, though look a little hokey in a fancy restaurant. We don’t care, though, since they are so wonderful.
On the desert side, I used to get the chocolate mousse because it was perfectly whipped and tasty, but they updated their menu with a hazelnut chocolate mousse instead which, while quite good, is not as good. My wife nearly always gets Morton’s legendary hot chocolate cake, which is a lava cake with a gooey center. The Morton’s Coffee with Disaronno Amaretto, Baileys Irish Cream, Dark Crème de Cacao, and Whipped Cream is extremely good.
Favorite menu item(s): prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella