14 Mistakes You Should Never Make When Ordering Steak

Ordering a steak is a bespoke process. You have to specify what cut you want, what doneness you want your steak to be, and what kind of seasonings or sauces you might want to go with it. It's no wonder that people feel intimidated by asking for it, and why mistakes during the ordering process are so common. While you can hide away and make steak in the comfort of your own home to avoid this, we all know it tastes better at a restaurant.

The solution is to master your steak game and learn to dodge the common mistakes that come up every time you order it. Learning the differences between steak doneness and which common terms to avoid saying when you put in your order can help you get the right result every time, and prevent you from ending up with a hunk of meat that you don't want and an irritated waiter. Steering clear of certain types of steak and seasonings or sauces that won't serve your dining experience will also leave you a happier customer. Get ready to master your steak order, and never embarrass yourself again.

Almost everyone knows that ordering a steak requires you to say how you want it done. However, there are still some folks out there who aren't sure when or how to specify their steak's doneness, and there are even more people out there who simply forget to mention it, likely ordering while they're mid-conversation with a friend. Fail to outline how you want your steak cooked, though, and it's anyone's guess as to what you'll end up with. 

There's a huge amount of difference in texture and flavor between a rare and a well-done steak, and you run the risk of being very disappointed with what you're given. Luckily, your server will normally ask you how you want your steak cooked if you forget to say it, but try to be ahead of the game by specifying it yourself. If you're in any doubt about which option to go for, asking for medium-rare is always a good idea. Medium-rare steaks have a good balance of juiciness to doneness, and ordering it will usually ensure your meat isn't overcooked. However, if it's still too underdone for you on arrival, you can ask them to cook it a little more. You can't make it rarer once it's cooked, though.

Somewhere down the line, the word "plus" snuck into the lexicon of steak ordering. People have started to ask for their steak done "medium-rare-plus" or "medium-plus," to try and finetune the doneness to which their meat is cooked. On the surface, this feels like a smart idea, right? You can specify exactly how you want your steak cooked, and not deal with the variability that asking for a regular medium-rare or medium can deliver.

Unfortunately, "plus" is the one word that should be kept far away when you're ordering your steak. Asking for something done "plus" will annoy both your servers and your chef, and mark you out as a fussy customer. The reason for this is simple: The difference between steak doneness is pretty tiny anyway, and it takes a skilled chef to pull off consistently cooked steaks time and time again. Asking for an incremental difference between them is not only unlikely to result in your steak being perfectly cooked (let's be honest, we're lucky when that happens), but it's kind of an insult to the chef's process and work in the first place. Plus, how do they know what you mean by "plus" in the first place? Just stick to the established terminology, folks.

Most of us have been in a dining situation where we don't have as much time as we'd like. Maybe you have theater or movie tickets, or have to catch a flight, or you're contending with kids who just want to get home. Whatever the reason, this often results in us asking our servers to bring out our food as quickly as possible.

Well, not only is this a pretty annoying thing to ask in the first place — the food takes as long as it takes, people, and you're no more important than any other customer in the restaurant — but when ordering steak it's especially irritating. Steak is a menu item that may cook quickly in the pan, but a fair amount of time is needed around that cooking time to get it just right. It's not the kind of food that can be rushed, and trying to do so will just ruin it.

Plus, it's important to remember that it's not just the cooking of steak that shouldn't be rushed: It's the eating of it too. Steak is a meal that should be savored, not gulped down at warp speed. By eating it too quickly, you disrespect the sheer work that went into preparing it for you. On top of this, given that it's one of the priciest things you can order, why not make the time to enjoy it?

It might not seem like there's much of a difference between steak cuts, but different types are a world apart. Knowing which one to order will save you a lot of disappointment, and help you feel like you've got your money's worth. Steak cuts can vary enormously in their fat levels, juiciness, taste, and dimensions, and ordering blindly from the menu may leave you with a lean option like rump or sirloin when you want a fatty, well-marbled choice like ribeye.

If in doubt, it's always best to ask your server, and specify what kind of meat you're looking for, whether you want a bone-in or boneless cut, and if you want a steak that goes well with sauce or is flavorful enough on its own. They should be able to tell you which option to go for based on your personal preference. However, there are a few options that you usually can't go wrong with. The aforementioned ribeye will always be juicy and tender, while filet mignon balances buttery flavor with a surprising leanness. New York strip steaks are reliably flavorful, while T-bones are an excellent bone-in choice that has a real beefiness to its taste.

Steak sauce is a more controversial ingredient than you might think in a steakhouse. This condiment may be a firm favorite thanks to its deep, savory flavor and luscious texture (which is, of course, designed to pair perfectly with steak), but it can also be overwhelming and make your steak taste pretty one-note. As such, asking for your chef to cover your steak in steak sauce is one of the silliest things you can do. Not only does it disrespect the chef's ability to keep your steak juicy and tender, and get in the way of the sear that they've likely generated on its exterior, but it'll also ruin the flavor of what is an expensive cut of meat.

If you like to have steak sauce with your steak, that's perfectly fine — but just ask for it to come on the side. That way, you can dip or spread the sauce as much or as little as you like, while still keeping the steak unadorned. Remember, if steak sauce is destined to be on a steak cut, the chef will likely have specified this on the menu already and adjusted its serving style accordingly.

Dry-aged steak seems super fancy, right? Well, you know what, it kind of is. Dry-aged steak is exactly what it sounds like: steak that's been aged in a controlled, dry environment to reduce its moisture levels, which intensifies the meat's flavor and gives it a more alluring texture. This added labor is why dry-aged steak is often significantly more expensive.

However, if you're a steakhouse newbie, then dry-aged steak is not the way to go. Dry-aged steak does not taste the same as regular steak, and doesn't have that accessible, meaty flavor that you might be expecting. Instead, it has a somewhat overpowering flavor for some, with a funkiness that's a little more reminiscent of strong cheeses. It might seem like a fun experience, but if you're new to steakhouses then you don't want your first time to be a challenge. Instead, leave the dry-aged steak to folks who have been to steakhouses before and want something new, and go for a more mainstream option.

At a steakhouse, requests for recommendations are usually graciously received. Steakhouse owners and chefs put countless hours into making their menu the best it can be and sourcing ingredients from high-quality suppliers, and so when they get the opportunity to give advice on what you should order, they jump at it. There's one caveat that comes with this, though: You should give them a little bit of info about what you like first. "What one person likes may not be what you like, so try to offer more about what appeals to you," explains The Artisan's Palate's chef Christa Csoka via Business Insider.

Although this might sound a little less necessary in a steakhouse, it makes sense. Steaks can vary widely in their taste profiles thanks to the cut, the way they're prepared, and any sauces or butters that are on top of them. Instead of leaving your chef to do all the guesswork, be generous with what you normally like to eat, and if you're willing to try something new or not. Your chef (or your server) will be grateful for the intel, so they don't give you something you don't like.

With a well-done steak, you can rest easy in the fact that your steak is fully cooked, therefore bearing no risk of foodborne bacteria. However, in our opinion, "well-done" is a phrase you should fully ban from your vocabulary when you're ordering steak. Opting for a well-done steak is a surefire way to receive a piece of meat that's lacking in moisture and flavor, and is more of a challenge than a pleasure to eat.

It's not that all well-done steak is less than desirable: Fatty, well-marbled cuts may well retain their moisture even if they're cooked through to the middle, and a truly skilled chef may be able to make fully-cooked beef taste amazing. However, it's worth remembering that beef is a fairly tough protein when cooked all the way through, and it can develop a dull, metallic flavor and pulpy texture. This might be fine for a burger that costs a few dollars, but with an expensive steak you want your money's worth. If you're worried about doneness, try opting for a medium or medium-well steak, which will give you a better balance of cooked meat to juicy interiors.

As a general rule of thumb, the more expensive your meal is, the better it should be. Now, most of us know that's not always true, and can remember times where we've spent way too much on a disappointing dish. However, often, it's actually the case with steak, where price seems to indicate quality and well-reared meat that gives you an unparalleled flavor.

This is true some of the time, but not always. The true marker of how good a steak will be is how adept a chef is at their job. The best chefs out there can turn cheap cuts into delectable dishes, and understand that the key to a good steak is how it's prepared and cooked, not how much it costs. By that same token, you can order a super expensive steak in a fancy restaurant, but if the chef's not that great it'll never be as good as it could be. The key is to check out the chefs that work at which place, where they trained, and what their specialties are. Oh, and check the reviews too — if you see dozens of people recommending the cheapest steak, there's a good chance that it's made by skilled hands.

Good steak needs good wine — but it also needs the right kind. It's not enough to just point to the most expensive bottle of white wine and hope for the best, if the steak that you're opting for would clash with it horribly. Wine and steak need to work in harmony with each other in order to make your gastronomic experience the best it can be. Therefore, you need to pick things wisely.

Interestingly, while it might seem tempting to go for a lighter wine to pair with bold beef, you should follow the opposite instinct. There's no perfect wine for all types of steak, but you can generally feel pretty safe in going for more full-bodied, deep-tasting options. Cabernet sauvignon is an excellent catch-all option for folks who are less familiar with the intricacies of wine, as it has a rounded, chunky flavor. It has a touch of bitterness that's balanced out well by steak, and it's usually pretty reasonable.

Okay, we get it. One of the joys of eating in a steakhouse is the abundant, overflowing bread basket that accompanies each meal. Bread is a steak meal's best friend, and is there to mop up all the delicious juices that are on your plate at the end of the dining experience. However, asking for one before you've even ordered your steak may leave you with more issues than you think.

The first issue is that as we all know, it's pretty easy to fill up on bread and have no appetite when your steak arrives. Interestingly, though, it can also have the opposite issue. "Eating bread, particularly refined white bread, can lead to a surge in insulin, which, followed by a crash, can make you feel hungry again sooner," explains nutritional specialist Andy Daly via Woman & Home. "It may also disrupt your appetite regulation, potentially leading to overeating during the main meal." So if you're not overly full, you're gonna be overly hungry — but either way, you won't enjoy your steak in the same way. If you do want bread, just order a roll with your steak.

Steak needs salt to truly pop. Without it, steak tastes bland and boring; with it, it turns into a complete flavor bomb, lifting the deep umami flavors to unimaginable heights. If you think that's the reason to drench your steak with salt the moment it arrives at the table, though, think again. The likelihood is that it has already been generously seasoned by your chef during its preparation process. Not only is steak typically salted before cooking to help season it, but it also makes the meat more tender. Therefore, adding more salt just isn't necessary and you run this risk of ruining it.

Plus, doing this is just an insult to your chef — and trust us, they're watching. "As a chef, I season my food well. When customers receive their food, I always notice if they reach for the salt and pepper without tasting it first," says former chef Aleka Shunk over at Business Insider. They know how to do their jobs, people.

Everyone knows that one of the joys of dining at a steakhouse is the delectable sides on offer. Whether your jam is creamed corn, a wedge salad, or a big bowl of mac and cheese (this is the best one), steakhouses can deliver. However, it's all too easy to go overboard on these sides and order everything (because let's face it, they're all delicious), and then unbalance your meal and take the focus away from the steak itself.

Remember, at a steakhouse the sides work as a complement to the meat. If you get too many, you'll not only create a dissonant clash of flavors on the table, but ruin your ability to savor the expensive steak sitting in front of you. You should try to limit your sides to just a few options that work well together, thinking about elements that can brighten up your meal (like salads or slaw) as well as those that will offer you sustenance, like carb-centric options. If it's all a bit overwhelming, you can't go wrong with a simple side of potatoes. In pretty much any form, potato dishes have a relatively mild flavor and a pillowy consistency that balances perfectly with the meat.

When you're eating at a steakhouse, you have something at your disposal that most people don't use: your server's knowledge. A lot of us try to brazen it out in steakhouses without considering whether our order is correct, but the person who's writing it all down isn't just there to deliver information to the kitchen. They're also there to advise, to guide, and to warn you against making big mistakes — and forgetting to utilize that may leave you regretting it.

So, ask your server questions! Enquire with them as to whether your order sounds balanced, or if you've ordered too much food (it's easily done, folks). Ask them what their personal recommendations are for sides, if the bar has any specialty drinks that pair well with the dish, and if there's anything they'd avoid getting. Conversations like this go a long way, and will help you feel like you made the right choice with your order, as well as giving your server the chance to flex their expertise.