calgarians: steakhouse

[gam0s]

where's the best steakhouse in calgary?

[Disoblige]

Everyone I've talked to has enjoyed Ruths Chris

Review:
http://forums.beyond.ca/st/279549/review-ruths-chris-steakhouse-calgary-tower/

[Neil4Speed]

This has been addressed a few times, do a search.

I am excited to check out Caesars for the first time on Friday.

[swak]

Make the trip out to the Delta in Kananaskis.
Best steak ive ever had.
.. ive lived here my whole life.

[turbotrip]

Originally posted by Neil4Speed

I am excited to check out Caesars for the first time on Friday.

ceasers is pretty good, but cant be the best in calgary

[JDMMAN]

my favorite is still Hy's .... damn their closed now :( :banghead:

[ApexDrift]

i always enjoy Vintage (http://www.vintagechophouse.com/)

bears den out in bears paw is good too

[max_boost]

For a consistent steak, Caesars, always!:drool:

[rage2]

I'm apparently a yuppie now, because I'm a regular at Ruth's Chris.

I used to go to Keg Westin and Vintage regularly. Haven't been there since I found Ruths Chris.

[89coupe]

Ruths Chris is terrible!!! Unless of course you like your steak bathed in butter.

I'm not one to go out for steak that often, I'm more of a french quisine kind of guy, but I'd try The Chop House over Ruths Chris.

http://www.chophousecalgary.com/

[ApexDrift]

yes the steak is bathed in butter and its delicious and tender but i feel very heavy after.

[89coupe]

Talk to any top Chef and see if he/she reccomends bathing your steak in butter.:facepalm:

Its all about quality, cut, and prep.

[rage2]

You can get the butter on the side. I personally prefer the butter, it doesn't change the taste a whole lot.

Chicago Chop House was good when it first opened, then it got worse over the years. I do, however, heard that it's improved again.

[sputnik]

When it comes to sides for a steak...

bernaise > butter

[ExtraSlow]

I don't like sauce on my steaks. I want to taste the beef.
A few mushrooms and some potato is all I need.

[DJ_NAV]

ceaser's hands down... for overall experience.... meaning that you are taking in consideration the value aspect too...

[sputnik]

I am going to be a bit of a black sheep here and recommend Wellingtons just north of Willow Park.

Very consistent steaks every time I have been and much friendlier than Caesars

[JWL]

Originally posted by sputnik
I am going to be a bit of a black sheep here and recommend Wellingtons just north of Willow Park.

Very consistent steaks every time I have been and much friendlier than Caesars
:thumbsup: I have to agree

[Neil4Speed]

Originally posted by ApexDrift
yes the steak is bathed in butter and its delicious and tender but i feel very heavy after.

I have to agree, I don't really feel great after having a large meal at Ruths. It was good but I Would definitely choose Keg Westin over it.

I am leaving for Caesars in about 45 minutes, hope its good!

[Neil4Speed]

I just did a quick review on Caesars if any of you are interested.

http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?s=&threadid=282790

[rage2]

I agree 100% with your Caesars review.

[Godfuader]

Vintage - Solid 'A' for food and service. Best Beef Fondue appetizer.

[asp integra]

Originally posted by max_boost
For a consistent steak, Caesars, always!:drool:

easily the best in town!

[ibtintn]

I would have to say Red Water always a excelent steak.:drool:

[Kritafo]

I still go with Bear's Den and Costco has a $100.00 gift certificate for $80.00

[urban_chic]

caesars has the best steak in calgary!

i didnt like their steak at the tower =( i would def choose the Keg over it

[npham]

Originally posted by ibtintn
I would have to say Red Water always a excelent steak.:drool:

The Redwater Grille is terrible. I'd rather have Luciano's back instead of that crap shack.

[bjstare]

Bumping this thread, given I couldn't find a more recent one. Yes I searched.


Any opinions? A lot can change in a couple years.

[88CRX]

Went to Vintage this past summer and by far the best steak I've ever had.

[msommers]

The best meat in my opinion isn't even at a steakhouse, it's the bistecca at Mercato.

[timdog]

if money is no object, my favorite is vintage chophouse.

[jwslam]

Originally posted by timdog
if money is no object
This is Beyond. We alls are ballers, yo!

I was also going to say Mercato beef lol.

[bjstare]

How expensive can it really be though? If I'm looking for a steakhouse, it's not like I'm going to budget it at $30/pp haha.


When someone says "money is no object" and it's food related, I envision those $1000 cheesburgers (for example).

My gf's dad seems way too excited about this big meat platter thing you can get at Mercato, so we'll probably wind up going there I bet. But keep the suggestions coming!

[busdepot]

Ranchman's Club in the beltline has amazing beef selections. It is a private club, but there's enough Beyond ballers around who can surely get in there, amiright?

[timdog]

yeah it's not like I'm saying Vintage is going to cost you $1000, it's not that much more expensive than the other steakhouses out there. but if you're on a budget, the Keg is going to satisfy you. Vintage, on the other hand, is going to be better but also probably 30% more money.

Went to vintage recently with 3 other guys. we drank and ate like kings, but stuck to cocktails (no bottles of wine) and the bill was $450. I could have easily done the exact same thing as Caesar's for $350 I bet. and The Keg even less than that.

[r3ccOs]

Cajun blackened captain's cut at Smugglers

I love the place... good food and great value

[bjstare]

Originally posted by timdog
yeah it's not like I'm saying Vintage is going to cost you $1000, it's not that much more expensive than the other steakhouses out there. but if you're on a budget, the Keg is going to satisfy you. Vintage, on the other hand, is going to be better but also probably 30% more money.

Went to vintage recently with 3 other guys. we drank and ate like kings, but stuck to cocktails (no bottles of wine) and the bill was $450. I could have easily done the exact same thing as Caesar's for $350 I bet. and The Keg even less than that.

Yeah, the keg/redwater usually satisfy, but dinner doesn't really feel special there.

Seems like Vintage pricing is somewhere around Ruth's Chris. Thanks for the reference.

[Neil4Speed]

Originally posted by cjblair


Yeah, the keg/redwater usually satisfy, but dinner doesn't really feel special there.


I really find its dependant on the location you go to for the Keg. 16th obviously kinda boring and ordinary, Crowfoot is a madhouse - super loud and crowded, but the one in the Westin is fantastic, feels 'special' to an extent.

[btimbit]

Originally posted by 89coupe
Talk to any top Chef and see if he/she reccomends bathing your steak in butter.:facepalm:

Its all about quality, cut, and prep.

Talk to any top chef and they'll mention those 3 things, and also tell you to add butter. Serving it completely bathed in it is common, especially in Europe. I personally find a spoonfull melted overtop to be enough, but sometimes that absolutely buttered slab'o'beef is just what the doctor ordered.

Simple reason being that butter compliments a steaks flavours. Similar to why you look for a cut of beef that is well marbled, when you cook a steak the fat melts and adds juicyness. Most the the flavours we love in steak comes from the fat. In fact if you removed all the fat from beef and ate 100% fat free beef with some chicken fat, the beef would taste like chicken.

Anyway, while fat itself doesn't really have much in the way of flavour, it does carry, form, enhance, and alter flavour. When it comes to steak the two properties you're looking at are 'enhance' and 'carry'. Butter is a very simple way of making that steak appear even juicier and more flavourful.

TL;DR version.
Fat + meat = flavour.
Butter = fat.
Therefore
Butter + Steak = fantastic.

[raceman6135]

As others have said, the beef platter at Mercato is very good.

The girlfriend and I ate at SaltLik on New Year's Eve and we both enjoyed our steaks very much.

I cannot recommend The Keg, though. Over the past 4 years I've eaten in 6 different Kegs in Alberta and Saskatchewan and have yet to be served what I would call a good steak. Could be my horrible luck and/or incredibly bad timing, but they've all been tough and had too much sinew. I've had better steak sandwiches at Stavros than I've had steaks at The Keg. Just my experience, of course: it sounds like others have had decent meals at The Keg.

[msommers]

I've yet to have a fantastic steak there as well. It hasn't been bad or inedible, but not what you expect for a steakhouse and the price.

[egmilano]

I'm a huge Ruth's Chris fan, I used to work there as prep and line cook so i guess im a little biased lol. I go every couple months but not too often cuz im not a baller yet like rage lol see old friend's and sometimes get a little discount or free drinks :p too..

[GTS Jeff]

My thoughts:

-It's ironic that 89coupe claims to like French cuisine, yet doesn't know that pan-seared steak with butter is a French thing.
-Ceasar's is for low-brow people pretending to be classy. I don't exactly want to dine with people wearing shiny silver shirts and swearing loud enough for everyone to hear between bites of their food which comes in tinfoil and over doilies. Time warp back to 1973? No thanks.
-Ruth Chris' - never been, don't have a desire to. It makes zero sense to eat American beef when we are surrounded by a million great ranches here.
-Vintage - Awesome. Just Awesome. Gets my vote.
-Keg - as others have said, good bang for the bank.

[flipstah]

I'm a big fan of Vintage.

Last time I went to Ruth Chris', brother went overboard and just ordered random food because it was free for him.

Stupid ass :rofl:

[rage2]

Originally posted by GTS Jeff
-Ruth Chris' - never been, don't have a desire to. It makes zero sense to eat American beef when we are surrounded by a million great ranches here.
It's because American beef is corn fed, and IMO tastes better. But of course, being raised in Alberta and brainwashed by the beef industry, it took me a while to realize that. It all depends on your taste, some people like corn fed, some people like grass fed. You're just ignorant if you don't even try it.

Google up rankings for the best beef in the world, Alberta beef doesn't even crack the top 10. Yet, Albertans (and in a smaller scale, Canadians) think we have the best quality beef in the world.


Originally posted by GTS Jeff
-Vintage - Awesome. Just Awesome. Gets my vote.
Agreed.

[mrsingh]

I need to put a vote in for Vintage here. I do like Ruth Chris as well, but whenever the wife and I go out, we usually choose Vintage over it.

We share the 32oz bone in, so good every time! :drool: :love:

[powerslave]

The best steak I've found so far is ironically just outside of Calgary, in Longview. Longview Steakhouse is amazing.

[JRSC00LUDE]

Originally posted by mrsingh
We share the 32oz bone in, so good every time! :drool: :love:

Two things you don't do with steak, share it or trim the fat off. For shame good sir, for shame.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by rage2

It's because American beef is corn fed, and IMO tastes better. But of course, being raised in Alberta and brainwashed by the beef industry, it took me a while to realize that. It all depends on your taste, some people like corn fed, some people like grass fed. You're just ignorant if you don't even try it.

Google up rankings for the best beef in the world, Alberta beef doesn't even crack the top 10. Yet, Albertans (and in a smaller scale, Canadians) think we have the best quality beef in the world.


Agreed. I don't think it's as simple as cattle in the US eat pure corn and cattle here eat pure grass. AFAIK, they all eat a combination of grass and grain/corn. And anyway, corn is a cheap crop, low in nutrition and basically filler. Purely grass-fed beef is pretty rare (the only time I found any real shit was in Argentina) and has a VERY distinctive flavour that many argue is the shit. I personally didn't care for it, and I do think that within North America, the cut of beef makes a far larger difference to flavour than the location itself.

Anyway, my reasons for advocating AB beef is more along the lines of locavore thinking than some sort misplaced Alburrtah pride.

[rage2]

Originally posted by GTS Jeff
Anyway, my reasons for advocating AB beef is more along the lines of locavore thinking than some sort misplaced Alburrtah pride.
I had to look up wtf locavore was. When the hell did you turn into a hipster?

[thetransporter]

Keg steakhouse on 36 ST NE has very good service. Steak I ordered was very tender and tasted very good.

[01RedDX]

.

[faiz999]

i just think ruth chris' tastes the best BUT i havent been vintage (i dont think at least).

overall, if im gonna plop down 50$ for a steak, its gonna be ruth chris by default.

[btimbit]

Originally posted by rage2

It's because American beef is corn fed, and IMO tastes better. But of course, being raised in Alberta and brainwashed by the beef industry, it took me a while to realize that. It all depends on your taste, some people like corn fed, some people like grass fed. You're just ignorant if you don't even try it.

Google up rankings for the best beef in the world, Alberta beef doesn't even crack the top 10. Yet, Albertans (and in a smaller scale, Canadians) think we have the best quality beef in the world.

Yup. Sad, but true. Much like Taber corn supposedly being so good, even though at best it's slightly above average.


Originally posted by GTS Jeff
I don't think it's as simple as cattle in the US eat pure corn and cattle here eat pure grass. AFAIK, they all eat a combination of grass and grain/corn. And anyway, corn is a cheap crop, low in nutrition and basically filler. Purely grass-fed beef is pretty rare (the only time I found any real shit was in Argentina) and has a VERY distinctive flavour that many argue is the shit. I personally didn't care for it, and I do think that within North America, the cut of beef makes a far larger difference to flavour than the location itself.

Correct. Technically all cattle is grass fed, since most spend the majority of their lives on pastures. What matters is how they're 'finished' as in what they're fed for the last 6 or so months of their lives. There's minimal differences in nutrition between grain and grass finished beef. There is a difference in taste, but it comes down to personal preference as you've said.


"Alberta beef" is largely a marketing term, over 90% of cattle from BC is send over to Alberta to be processed and is then sold as Alberta beef. Try and taste the difference:p

[CompletelyNumb]

Ruth's Chris has always been mediocre to me. Not worth the price by any means.

Vintage is fantastic.

Ceasars does have good food, in spite of the crowd you may encounter.

Keg is always a safe bet for any blue collar person. Still the most consistently good prime rib I've had in the city.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by rage2

I had to look up wtf locavore was. When the hell did you turn into a hipster? Hip wife :dunno:

[JC522]

I like Cattle Baron better than the Keg. Other than that, I think the last steakhouse I went to was Carver's on 32nd. The service I received wasn't all that great

edit* My friend works at Saltlik and once brought the spices and steaks to a bbq we had. Tasted pretty good so I'm assuming it'd be just as good in the restaurant

[turbotrip]

USDA Beef > Alberta Beef - try the difference at ruths chris
and Saltlik is same level as the |Keg imo

how is the Bear's Den? never been but heard it was decent too

[ekguy]

saltlik's isn't too bad either. Not the best I've had but definitely good.

lobster potato skins though....

:drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:

[Maxt]

Is there anywhere in town to buy US beef to cook at home?

[btimbit]

Cattlebaron is just a less consistent Keg imo. Their head chef is an absolute meathead

[bjstare]

Originally posted by CompletelyNumb
Ruth's Chris has always been mediocre to me. Not worth the price by any means.

Vintage is fantastic.

Ceasars does have good food, in spite of the crowd you may encounter.

Keg is always a safe bet for any blue collar person. Still the most consistently good prime rib I've had in the city.

lol why isn't the keg a safe bet for white collar people? I'm white collar and I think it's just fine.

Just cause someone has the means, doesn't mean they want to go dropping $600 on dinner all the time. Not everyone balls as hard as rage2 haha

edit: RE: Cattlebaron - the food has been alright here in my experience, but I've had some awful service in the past, so I gave up on it.

[KRyn]

Originally posted by Maxt
Is there anywhere in town to buy US beef to cook at home?

I would also be interested to pick up some of this and do a side by side comparison at home.

[buh_buh]

:werd: to USDA beef > Alberta beef.
I was drinking the Alberta beef kool aid until I did a side by side comparison, and USDA has a much more flavorful taste.

[Ven]

Originally posted by CompletelyNumb

Keg is always a safe bet for any blue collar person.

You sound like a fucking idiot, but I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. Care to explain yourself?

[Graham_A_M]

^ Yeah that comment left me thinking.... WTF? :nut:

Hmmm.... looks like I'll have to try out Saltlik & Caesars next. I've have a bunch of steaks at Ruth Chris's, and I was always quite impressed.

[The_Rural_Juror]

Best thing about Caesars is their cheesebread. Not a big fan of their steak or ambiance.

Vintage, Trib, Ruth's Chris are the three steakhouses for me. Vintage being the best of the three.

Saltlik is pretty good as well, but I haven't been there in a long time. Too much of a franchise restaurant feel for me.

My preference is still a good cut from Second to None Meats and sous-vide/pan sear combo in the winter or a good charcoal grill in the summer.

[JLau]

Ruth Chris is pretty bad imo

Vintage, carvers, caesars are pretty good

[cdnpip]

Vintage hands down
Never had a bad steak or bad meal there

[Myrrinda]

+1 for Vintage. Aside from having the best steak, the lobster mashed potatoes are to die for. A friend and I tried to recreate them at home, but they weren't as good.

[rage2]

If we're talking about sides too, Sweet Potato Casserole at Ruth's Chris. Jesus Christ it's delicious.

[timdog]

I see your sweet potato casserole and raise you one truffle mac and cheese at Vintage.

[95EG6P]

vintage is good and i prefer Caesars steak better

[btimbit]

Originally posted by rage2
If we're talking about sides too, Sweet Potato Casserole at Ruth's Chris. Jesus Christ it's delicious.



Originally posted by timdog
I see your sweet potato casserole and raise you one truffle mac and cheese at Vintage.


Both of these:drool: :drool:

[hurrdurr]

UGH, truffle oil in anything is god awful. I tried the truffle mac and it didn't taste like they were using actual truffles.

Truffle oil is normally not even made from real truffles, it's a synthetic flavour that tastes like shit.

Shaved Truffles YES! Truffle Oil FUCK NO!

[btimbit]

Natural truffle oil is a dream come true, I used to make a few dips with it that were out of this world, and truffle tossed fries:drool:.

But that synthetic olive oil with truffle aroma? Absolute trash.

[turbotrip]

^the hell with all you suckas; onion rings the size of your fist @ ruths chris are easily the best. I actually go there for the onion rings, and the steak is just a side lol

[btimbit]

Originally posted by turbotrip
^the hell with all you suckas; onion rings the size of your fist @ ruths chris are easily the best. I actually go there for the onion rings, and the steak is just a side lol

Never had them there. How big are they? How are they breaded/battered?

[JLau]

vintage beef tartar is sooooooooo good

[sneek]

Originally posted by The_Rural_Juror
Best thing about Caesars is their cheesebread. Not a big fan of their steak or ambiance.

Vintage, Trib, Ruth's Chris are the three steakhouses for me. Vintage being the best of the three.

Saltlik is pretty good as well, but I haven't been there in a long time. Too much of a franchise restaurant feel for me.

My preference is still a good cut from Second to None Meats and sous-vide/pan sear combo in the winter or a good charcoal grill in the summer.

Our top three are the same, but I have had both good and bad experiences at both Salt Lik and Trib. The Salt Lik lava cake is my personal favorite.

:barf: Got food poisoning from Ceasar's once so I will never ever be going back. Food tasted okay, but nothing to write home about.

[Royle9]

Birthday reservation at Vintage tomorrow - Never been but based on what most people have said in here it seems like a good bet.

I've been to cesars/saltlik/keg and all seem to be pretty good.

Any suggestions on cut/menu item that's top notch in particular?

[MGCM]

dont forget to goto Balaros Brazillian BBQ, it is amazing!!

[chathamf]

I went to Wellingtons for the first time last weekend and was very impressed. Steak was cooked perfectly, and seasoned nice. Stuffed potatoes and mushrooms were mouth watering. Prices were fair too. :thumbsup:

[rx7_turbo2]

Originally posted by Royle9

Any suggestions on cut?

Interesting additional topic.

I can't comment on what Vintage is like specifically, but what type of cuts do people prefer?

I know the fillet seems to be considered the best by most, I know die hard prime rib fans, rib eye as well, but I actually prefer a New York strip to any of those.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by chathamf
I went to Wellingtons for the first time last weekend and was very impressed. Steak was cooked perfectly, and seasoned nice. Stuffed potatoes and mushrooms were mouth watering. Prices were fair too. :thumbsup:

+1 for Wellingtons. Their escargot is meh though.

[boarderfatty]

Originally posted by rx7_turbo2


Interesting additional topic.

I can't comment on what Vintage is like specifically, but what type of cuts do people prefer?

I know the fillet seems to be considered the best by most, I know die hard prime rib fans, rib eye as well, but I actually prefer a New York strip to any of those.

Personally I prefer the bone in ribeye. The ribeye is usually the fattiest, best marbled, juciest, most flavorful part of the steak imo. Fillets are the smallest part of the cow which is part of the reason it is so expensive, it is also usually the most tender and lean part of the cow. I find since it is the leanest though there is usually not enough fat to give the flavor of the ribeye, and also because it doesnt have much fat, it has to be prepared exactly right or it will dry out.

It is all personal opinion though, Strips, T-Bones, Rib Eyes and Fillet's are all usually quality pieces, it comes down to personal preference. Cheap steaks like Sirloin, Flat, and Hanger steaks are usually the cheapest and the quality will tell with those.

On a side note I will mention I like my steaks cooked Chicago Medium-Rare

[chathamf]

I'm a medium far guy too, but haven't heard the term 'Chicago' is there a difference?

[btimbit]

Originally posted by chathamf
I'm a medium far guy too, but haven't heard the term 'Chicago' is there a difference?

'Chicago' or 'Chicago Style' essentially means charred on the outside and cooked to order inside

[boarderfatty]

Originally posted by chathamf
I'm a medium far guy too, but haven't heard the term 'Chicago' is there a difference?

Ya as said before they char or seerely sear the outside of the steak while cooking the middle to order. I like the little bit of flavor that the char adds to the steak and also find that the char helps keep a little bit of the juice and flavor in the steak

[chathamf]

Mmmm this steak talk makes me want to go out for another steak dinner even though I had a nice steak last weekend.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by boarderfatty
and also find that the char helps keep a little bit of the juice and flavor in the steak

That is actually a myth.

[btimbit]

Originally posted by sputnik


That is actually a myth.

Yup. Seared meats lose the same amount of moisture. It generally just gets cooked normally and quickly charred at the end anyway.

[Civic_Drift]

I personally like the Keg and Saltlik the most.

Ruth's Chris was a huge disappointment considering how people rave about it.

[relyt92]

Originally posted by boarderfatty

On a side note I will mention I like my steaks cooked Chicago Medium-Rare That's exactly how I order mine too, after the first time I had one done chicago style that's how I've got them every time since.

[rage2]

Originally posted by Civic_Drift
I personally like the Keg and Saltlik the most.

Ruth's Chris was a huge disappointment considering how people rave about it.
I'm going to guess you like your steaks heavily seasoned?

[Unknown303]

Originally posted by Civic_Drift
Ruth's Chris was a huge disappointment considering how people rave about it.

Ruth's served up of one the best Ribeye steaks I've probably ever had.

[AzNxHyDrA]

Originally posted by Unknown303


Ruth's served up of one the best Ribeye steaks I've probably ever had.

+1 I love that place for the food.

Does anyone know if they do corkage? I haven't really enjoyed the wines there. I guess I can call and ask next time before I go.

[tenth]

To echo pretty much everyone else my first choice is Vintage. Second, we look to Ruth's Chris, Caesar's (popular with visitors), or if we're up for something a little different the Mercato Bistecca.

The Keg, Saltlik, and Ric's Grill work for a slightly cheaper meal.

We did Wellington's for the first time last week and the service was amazing, but the meal was just okay after going to Caesar's the day before. Carver's I was really disappointed with after all the hype that it would be in the same league as the best steaks in the city.

I've done the side-by-side test of Alberta vs USDA prime beef at Ruth's Chris, and marginally preferred the USDA. I definitely didn't think they were world's apart though, more of a 1a and 1b scenario to my un-refined palate.

[rage2]

Originally posted by AzNxHyDrA
+1 I love that place for the food.

Does anyone know if they do corkage? I haven't really enjoyed the wines there. I guess I can call and ask next time before I go.
They do, I want to say it's $40. I used to bring my own Vodka there, but then they just brought in Wyborowa for me and now I'm happy haha.

[Eride]

Anyone ever been to the Steakhouse in Longview? Rated one of the worlds top 15 best, so random and out of the way.

http://www.cntraveller.com/recommended/food/best-steak-restaurants-in-the-world/longview-steakhouse

Link to the rest of the article...

http://www.cntraveller.com/recommended/food/best-steak-restaurants-in-the-world