The best steakhouses in Dallas

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A perfect bone-in filet is one thing; the best wine list in Dallas is another. This Pappas Bros location has both, not to mention service so warm and personable, you’ll leave feeling as though you made new friends. The wine list, a Wine Spectator Grand Award winner since 2011, is a book as big as a dictionary, but sommeliers are always making the rounds to talk you through it and narrow down your selection. In-house butchers cut the meat, lobsters come straight from the restaurant’s tank, the desserts are decadent and Texas-sized, and even the marshmallows in the milk chocolate mousse are made from scratch.

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Situated by the 14,000-seat Dickies Arena, making it the perfect pre-show dining pick, this adorable spot tucked into Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection in Fort Worth sources beef from local ranches. Lean into the Fort Worth ‘Cowtown’ vibe with the bacon-wrapped Cowboy Filet Mignon. Before dinner, peruse the walls of the hotel’s ground floor, a space that doubles as a renowned art gallery. Bricks and Horses is open for breakfast, too, serving hearty fare like steak and eggs with fire-roasted jalapeños and a breakfast sandwich starring thick-cut pepper bacon.

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If you ask 10 Dallasites to name their favorite Dallas steakhouse, at least nine will tell you it’s Al Biernat’s. The original location down in Oak Lawn has been a beloved institution since 1998, but the newer Al Biernat’s North has the sexiest bar in Dallas: Looking up at its domed ceiling with the hand-painted mural, you’ll feel as though you’re hiding out in a treasure chest. Belly up to the bar before dinner to enjoy the extensive wine program, honored last year by the Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards. At Al Biernat’s, the steaks are rivaled only by the seafood. Whether to accompany the Chilean sea bass or the prime porterhouse, don’t miss the decadent lobster risotto.

The Bob’s ethos is purist to the bone: they serve USDA Prime cuts, do their butchering in-house, and season only with salt and pepper. Sure, there are 15 locations around the country, but there’s a reason nine are in Texas: The brand originated in Dallas, opening its doors on Lemmon Ave in 1993. That location remains a local favorite, thanks to its classic ambience and consistent quality. And the bartenders happen to mix the perfect martini, complete with blue cheese-stuffed olives.

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If you’re visiting the area, it would be a shame to miss Trick Rider because the vibe is so quintessentially Dallas. Located in Omni PGA Frisco Resort, home to two 18-hole golf courses, the restaurant takes the prize for the most memorable of steakhouse art pieces: a horse made of thousands of dazzling crystals, suspended midair. Salt and pepper shakers come topped with sleek silver horse heads, the cocktails are rodeo-themed (Brown Derby, Ride or Die, Dime Store Cowgirl), and the bar is shaped like a horseshoe.

The couple at the helm of this lively spot moved from Brazil to Dallas in the ‘90s to help open the first Fogo de Chao. Five years ago, they opened their own place and Dallasites can’t get enough. It’s the classic Brazilian steakhouse ‘churrascaria’ setup: Servers move from table to table with various cuts of fire-roasted meat to shave onto diners’ plates. The salad bar is entirely organic and the side dishes, including crispy fried polenta and warm cheese bread, are top-shelf. Opt for the full experience or just the salad bar; both come at (very reasonable) fixed prices.

If there’s such a thing as a steak nerd, Bar-Ranch is the place for them to convene. Owner Lane Rainwater meticulously studied dry-aging and later started breeding his own wagyu. He built this space in Plano himself and opened in 2020 with four tables. He has since added a few more, but the menu remains fascinatingly slim—a single page for everything from appetizers to desserts. He sources steaks from his own ranch and a few other local ranches, and dry-ages them for a couple of months before serving. Diners who want to cook at home can order Bar-Ranch’s cuts raw.

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This 40-year-old staple on the Dallas dining scene is a subterranean steakhouse: Because they were prohibited from selling alcohol on former church grounds (a Baptist church previously occupied the land), the owners found a loophole, dug up the earth, and built the restaurant 18 feet down. It’s worth going once just for the experience—the glass-elevator ride underground, the tiered waterfall, the open fire pit—but from the steamed king crab legs to the flawlessly grilled steaks, the food is what makes everyone return.

Richard Chamberlain is something of a local celebrity chef on the low. Unassuming yet elegant, his eponymous restaurant delivers a classic and fun Texas steakhouse experience: Everything from ribeye to filet mignon comes with mashed potatoes, while the cigar lounge features live music five nights a week. Since opening his restaurant’s doors in 1993, Chamberlain has picked up many Texas-based and national accolades and awards, including ‘One of America’s Top Tables’ from Zagat.