The Ultimate Ranking Of Steakhouse Chain T-Bones

The United States is home to many steakhouse chains. These span from enormous businesses that boast over $3 billion in annual sales, to small, family-owned chains that are the favorite haunts of the local community. While the size of these chains may differ, all steakhouses serve a range of steaks, including the notorious T-bone.

A T-bone steak includes two cuts, the filet and strip, divided by a T-shaped piece of bone. Porterhouses are simply T-bones that are at least 1.25 inches thick. While both the filet and strip are tender cuts, they have different flavors and characteristics. When cooked well, the filet remains delicate while the strip demonstrates a strong, beefy flavor. If adequately marbled, both should melt in the mouth.

A perfectly cooked T-bone gives diners the best of both worlds. However, achieving a flawless cook on both filet and strip is extremely difficult. A task that's only complicated by the bone that insulates a large proportion of the meat. For this reason, many people prefer to leave T-bone cooking to the professionals, but the quality of T-bones served by steakhouse chains in the U.S. varies widely. 

A report by Statista showed that, as of 2022, Outback Steakhouse had over 1,000 restaurants worldwide. 693 of these were found in the United States. Much of Outback Steakhouse's success is due to its cheap prices as exemplified by the Melbourne Porterhouse, a 22 ounce steak that only costs $38.99.

Details about the provenance and quality of Outback Steakhouse's porterhouse are vague. The company's website doesn't specify what grade the beef is. It also doesn't provide details on where the beef is sourced from or how it is aged. This would suggest that the brand is not serving the highest grade of beef, USDA Prime. A former manager's post on Quora reinforces this view; this individual states that the company uses USDA Choice beef in order to keep costs down.

While there is nothing wrong with most USDA Choice T-bones, customer reviews, such as the following posted to TripAdvisor, suggest that Outback Steakhouse is sourcing subpar steak: "Tonight, I ordered the porterhouse steak [...] It was nothing but fat and tendon." Even at prices under $40, customers deserve far better.

In terms of sales, Texas Roadhouse is the biggest steakhouse chain in the United States. Like Outback Steakhouse, this popularity is predominantly based on the chain's low prices. In this chain's instance, a 23-ounce Porterhouse T-Bone costs a little over $30.

Texas Roadhouse also keeps prices down by using USDA Choice beef, but unlike Outback Steakhouse these cuts are processed in-house by specialist meat cutters. This attention to detail results in a much-improved steak; excess fat is trimmed off and any exceptionally poor pieces of meat are discarded. Cutting steaks in-house also guarantees that the steaks served at Texas Roadhouse are consistent; a must for any successful chain.

From a culinary perspective, expert cutting and trimming ensure that both the filet and strip on the Texas Roadhouse Porterhouse T-Bone become tender during cooking. This was highlighted by one reviewer on TripAdvisor: "I ordered the Porterhouse T-bone steak. Medium-well. It was like butter. Especially the filet mignon portion."

STK Steakhouse markets itself as a modern, fine-dining steakhouse defined by chic style and high quality, USDA Prime meat. The beef is aged for 28 days in a method known as dry-aging, a technique that is known to greatly enhance the flavor of beef by adding richness and a distinct funk.

At STK Steakhouse, the higher cost of sourcing and aging USDA Prime beef is passed onto the customer. For example, the 28 ounce Dry-Aged Porterhouse costs over $100. This is no small amount and customers have a right to expect an exceptional dish when parting with such a large sum of money.

Unfortunately, STK Steakhouse's porterhouse does not always live up to expectations as one customer succinctly stated via TripAdvisor: "Food and service were good but for me the steak was overpriced, I had the $114 porterhouse steak, although well presented it didn't taste like a 100 dollar steak to me." For this reason, STK Steakhouse ranks towards lower, despite the extra steps it takes to improve the quality of its porterhouse.

Longhorn Steakhouse's 18-ounce Fire-Grilled T-Bone is the cheapest steak included on our list, priced at $28.99. Far from being subpar, this steak is extraordinary for this price and demonstrates that, when handled correctly, USDA Choice beef can be both tender and delicious.

All T-bones served at Longhorn Steakhouse are cooked over naked flames. This lends them a pleasingly charred appearance, well-developed crust, and pronounced smokey flavor. In the case of Longhorn Steakhouse's T-bone, the flavor from the grill is further complemented by the chain's signature seasoning. Aside from adding flavor, flame grilling also keeps the steak moist as the high temperatures result in short cooking times. When served, the T-bone consistently impresses for reasons encapsulated by a review posted to TripAdvisor: "I had the fire-grilled T-bone Steak cooked medium and it was the best steak I've ever had [...] It was moist, soft, perfectly seasoned, and didn't need any accompaniment."

Alexander's Steakhouse is a small chain with several locations across California. All of these establishments are defined by the brand's take on steakhouse dining which is noticeably high-end. Culinary techniques from Japan, France, and Italy are all utilized.

While the chain is known for its immense selection of wagyu, an array of other steaks are also available including a 19-ounce T-bone. At $110 this steak is not cheap, however, customers do get a lot of flavor for their money. The steak is dry-aged and is served with a blue cheese fonduta which further exacerbates the steak's funky flavors while also adding a luxurious note. A garnish of watercress and grapes helps mitigate the dish's intensity.

No one would dispute that a T-bone at Alexander's Steakhouse is full of flavor. There is, however, some debate as to whether the steak is worth this extremely high price. Many reviewers found the bill hard to swallow and for that reason, Alexander's Steakhouse does not rank higher on our list.

Mastro's Steakhouse's 24-ounce porterhouse is the first steak on our list that is definitely wet-aged. More specifically, Mastro's Steakhouse states that it, like all of the chain's steaks, are wet-aged for 28 days.

Wet-aging is a process wherein steaks are aged in vacuum-sealed plastic. Unlike dry aging, which invites other microorganisms to interact with the meat and develop a funky flavor, wet aging sees the meat sit in its own blood and juices. This enhances the minerality of the steak giving it a meatier flavor. As a result, both the filet and the strip on Mastro's porterhouse taste very meaty, a bonus for those who like intense, beefy flavors.

Aside from being wet-aged, the porterhouse's flavor comes from the meat's USDA Prime quality and a cooking process that takes place at extremely high temperatures. What's more, the steak is served on plates heated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and topped with clarified butter. This helps the large porterhouse to stay warm throughout the meal.

Despite this attention to detail, Mastro's porterhouse does suffer from inconsistency. While some reviewers claim the porterhouse is the best steak they've ever had, others complain that it was bland or gristly. For serious steakhouse chains, those kinds of inconsistencies just won't do.

Saltgrass Steak House has restaurants across several states including Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama. All of these serve certified Angus beef steaks. To be labeled certified Angus beef, the meat must first be deemed of USDA Choice or Prime quality by a qualified inspector. Afterward, the meat is inspected again to ensure it has sufficient and even marbling, is a consistent size, and has visual appeal. Due to this incredibly strict process, only 3% of United States beef goes on to earn Angus beef certification.

The quality of the beef served at Saltgrass Steak House is especially apparent in the Texas T-Bone, a 17-ounce steak that costs $34.99. Thanks to excellent, uniform marbling, both filet and strip become immensely tender during cooking. The natural flavors of both steaks are also noticeably intense, especially in the strip. Even more flavor is added in the kitchen when chefs top the T-bone with fresh garlic butter and season it with Saltgrass-7 steak spice, a blend that includes paprika, ground thyme, and mustard.

$35 doesn't just get the customer an excellent quality T-bone but also a side as well as either a soup or salad. Such value for money is rare, especially when the steak itself is of this quality.

Most steaks on this list are cut and prepared as dishes for one person. However, there are many benefits to ordering large sharing steaks, such as the 30-ounce porterhouse served at 801 Chophouse. Large steaks give the chef more time to develop a thick, browned crust on the meat as there is little risk of overcooking the meat's interior. As a result, 801 Chophouse's Porterhouse comes out of the kitchen coated by an unrivaled crust that's packed with flavor.

Another reason for this steak's flavor is the beef's quality. Instead of sourcing its beef from the stock of USDA Prime, 801 Chophouse goes one better, running a single breed, hand-selected beef program. This gives the chain complete control over the beef it serves and, 801 Chophouse claims, allows it to pick and choose from the top 1% of American beef. When prepared by 801 Chophouse's expert chefs, the extremely high quality beef transforms into a brilliant, texturally engaging porterhouse.

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse is a popular steakhouse chain with restaurants in urban centers around the United States. All of these establishments routinely host professionals on business lunches. In this sense, Del Frisco's Double Eagle is your archetypal steakhouse complete with chandeliers and a monstrously long wine list. Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse does not skimp on its beef sourcing either; the kitchen only uses USDA Prime and wagyu beef. The former is the source of the chain's 24-ounce porterhouse.

The Prime Porterhouse is wet-aged for 28 days before being cooked under an extremely hot broiler. The combination of quality beef, high tech cooking process, and skilled kitchen staff results in a multifaceted steak as one reviewer highlighted on Yelp: "I've tried the Prime Ribeye and the Prime Porterhouse and both were seasoned very well. The strip cut of the porterhouse was very flavorful, and the filet was very very tender."

Smith & Wollensky is a steakhouse chain that, amongst other dishes, serves a 26-ounce, USDA Prime T-bone. Although the steak is large, the chain itself is on the smaller side with only eight restaurants in the United States and two abroad. While the small number of restaurants means less people get to experience this T-bone, those that do have an excellent experience are all but guaranteed.

For customers, this experience begins and ends in the restaurant. For those associated with the chain, it starts in Idaho where Smith & Wollensky collaborate with Snake River Farms and Double R Ranch to farm its own cattle. Raised under exacting standards, these animals produce exceptional beef, lending the T-bone an impressive amount of flavor and a desirable texture. 

At $98, the chain's T-bone is by no means cheap. It is, however, one of the best steakhouse T-bones in the country and boasts both a size and quality that's worth paying for.

Like all steaks served at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, the T-Bone is broiled at 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit and served on a plate heated to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. This cooking and heating process ensures all the fat present within the USDA Prime beef is liquified, resulting in both strip and filet being immensely tender. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse's T-bone has a slightly sweet taste which is due to the cattle being grain-finished. This is most noticeable in the strip where the sweetness mitigates the cut's inherent minerality.

Ruth's Chris' less intense approach to flavor — which also sees the chain avoid dry-aging — results in a T-bone that is slightly more approachable than those served by other premium steakhouse chains. What's more, the high-heat cooking process limits moisture loss while the chain's heavy usage of butter gives the steak an enviable crust. All of this makes for an exceptional eating experience as one reviewer highlighted on Yelp: "By far the best t-bone steak I have ever tasted. It was so thick and juicy [...] A little pricey but well worth it." At $65, we'd go one step further than the reviewer and say, at this price, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse's 24-ounce T-bone is an absolute steal.

At the top of our list is the Porterhouse For Two Or More from Wolfgang's Steakhouse. This chain was founded by Wolfgang Zwiener, the longtime head waiter at New York City institution Peter Luger Steak House. Zwiener's lifetime of expertise is evidenced throughout the Wolfgang's Steakhouse chain and is most obvious in large steaks including the porterhouse.

Like all other steaks served at Wolfgang's Steakhouse, the porterhouse is USDA Prime Angus, a type of beef that is known for abundant and exceptional marbling. This beef is dry-aged on site to develop its flavor before being expertly carved and trimmed by an in-house butcher.

In terms of cooking, the steak is grilled at temperatures around 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit, creating a brilliant crust on the porterhouse that contrasts with the steak's tender interior. Finally, at under $60 per person, the porterhouse remains affordable. For these reasons, we believe the Porterhouse For Two Or More is the best T-bone served at any American steakhouse chain.