The 11 Best Steakhouses In New Orleans
Of all American cities, few are as distinct, quirky, and historically rich as New Orleans. Folks from all over the world flock to NOLA to experience its picturesque architecture, internationally acclaimed street music, eclectic voodoo-inspired trinkets, and world-renowned cuisine. Cajun and creole dishes come to mind when we think of the colorful, vibrant Big Easy, but the city is rife with exceptional restaurants of all varieties, offering everything from sushi to schnitzel. Steakhouses are a top choice for tourists and locals among the swathes of potential dining options, and just like everything in New Orleans, these restaurants don't hold back on bringing the Creole flare that put the city on the map.
Steakhouses in New Orleans include casual joints that feel like home and fine-dining eateries steeped in tradition. In this list, I've discerned the best spots to enjoy an epic steak dinner in the Big Easy, whether you're looking for the ideal place to host a business meet-up, a venue for a celebratory meal, or a romantic date-night spot. As a former New Orleans resident, I've explored the city's culinary scene, including steakhouses that compare to some of NOLA's best and most authentic Cajun and Creole restaurants. Some of these establishments are genuine institutions, while others are often overlooked by visitors, but each pick from this list guarantees a taste of the finest cuts of beef in The Big Easy.
La Boca
La Boca brings eclectic style and a unique Argentine menu to New Orleans, checking all the boxes for an exceptional, outside-of-the-ordinary steakhouse in the process. La Boca is situated in NOLA's Warehouse District; the place to be for the best eats in the city. It's just the right amount of moody and upscale elegance without being stuffy, and its uniquely intimate atmosphere has a menu to match. Sit at the wrap-around bar and enjoy one of the restaurant's famous pisco sours before diving into an unforgettable steak feast.
La Boca proudly boasts that it doesn't offer fish and chicken, with chefs instead focusing all culinary prowess on steak-crafting. The diverse steak options implore you to try them all, so the tasting menu is the preferred choice among La Boca regulars. This four-course, family-style meal includes chorizo, empanadas, bruschetta, and your choice of steaks for a reasonable $67 per person. If you prefer a more traditional dining experience, opt for one of La Boca's meticulously-selected cuts of steak, including the Centro de Entrana — a grass-fed hanger steak — or the Entrana Fina con Piel — a unique cut from the outside of the plate, which includes skin cooked to crispy perfection. La Boca is open Monday through Saturday for dinner.
(504) 525-8205
870 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Crescent City Steaks
Crescent City Steaks is a New Orleans institution 90 years in the making. Founder John Vojkovich — a Croatian immigrant — opened the restaurant at the age of 26 back in 1934. Today, the restaurant remains in its original, iconic location, and the menu hasn't strayed too far from the classics that made it a household name in New Orleans cuisine. Old-fashioned charm and art deco accents give the dining room a cozy character that doesn't put on airs, but makes you want to stay a while and sample from the restaurant's extensive wine list.
USDA certified prime beef and traditional New Orleans fare join forces at Crescent City Steaks. Like much of Southern cuisine, the food at Crescent City is simple and unpretentious, with a focus on quality over flare. Enjoy a selection of staple cuts, from a T-bone steak to a cowboy ribeye. The bacon-wrapped filet with a side of potatoes au gratin is a celebrated dish here. Owner John Vojkovich is credited with popularizing steaks served in a melty pool of sizzling butter, so expect this luscious addition to your meal. Crescent City Steaks is open Wednesday through Friday and Sunday for lunch and dinner, and dinner only on Saturday and Tuesday.
(504) 821-3271
1001 N Broad St, New Orleans, LA 70119
Mr. John's Steakhouse
Mr. John's is the antithesis of the Hollywood-esque steakhouse, where meats are wrapped in gold and everything's on fire. It's a quintessential steakhouse and a New Orleans mainstay since 2006, exuding the kind of classy, masculine energy that you want in a restaurant of this caliber. Decor is timeless and traditional with a menu to match, so you'll feel like you were whisked back in time as you watch the streetcar pass by from the restaurant's home on historic St. Charles Avenue. Today, Mr. John's is owned and operated by three restaurateurs, including Desi Varga, alumnus of Commander's Palace, Emeril's, and Ruth's Chris.
Mr. John's forgoes the elaborate spices and seasonings typical of Cajun and Creole fare in favor of good, old-fashioned salt, pepper, and butter to season meat. It still offers vibrant, bold Creole classics — like New Orleans-style barbeque shrimp and fried green tomatoes with crab meat — but when it comes to steaks, simplicity is key. This epitome of any great steakhouse offers all of the essential cuts of USDA prime meat, and they're all aged to perfection and seared at 1800 degrees F in the restaurant's own Montague broiler. Mr. John's is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner, and on Fridays it opens for lunch as well.
(504) 679-7697
2111 St Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130
Charlie's Steakhouse
Neighborhood locals love Charlie's for its superior steaks, uniquely exceptional service, and its ties to New Orleans' eclectic history. The restaurant dubs itself the oldest steakhouse in all of NOLA, boasting a family-run operation for three generations. It closed for three years after sustaining damage from Hurricane Katrina, leaving a hole in the hearts of those who feared the restaurant might close for good. Then, in 2007, daughter of owner Charlie Petrossi sold the business to one of the restaurant's beloved bartenders, keeping the restaurant (more-or-less) in the family.
Today, Charlie's is just as cherished as when Charlie Petrossi first opened the place, unknowingly establishing a NOLA landmark. The restaurant doesn't offer customers a menu. Instead, your knowledgeable server will bring you the best dish of the day, or they'll give you a brief list of steaks to choose from; they're confident that you'll love your meal no matter what. A 32-ounce T-bone affectionately dubbed "The Charlie" is a big hit, or choose a 10-ounce filet and a smattering of sides, like the famous thin and crispy onion rings or extra-cheesy potatoes or crab au gratin. Charlie's Steak House is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
(504) 895-9323
4510 Dryades St, New Orleans, LA 70115
Morrow Steak
Those who appreciate a restaurant's ambiance as much as its food are big fans of Morrow Steak. When it opened in the spring of 2024, it marked revered entrepreneur Larry Morrow's fourth restaurant venture in New Orleans, and it immediately earned a reputation as a bold new face in the city's fine dining scene. The restaurant is luxurious and modern, making it an ideal option to impress a date or create lasting memories when commemorating a special milestone. It's known to attract celebrities with its chic L.A.-vibe, and while that isn't the style of a traditional New Orleans restaurant, it brings a welcome change of pace; you probably won't find flaming steaks and pop culture icons at your divey neighborhood steakhouse.
Steak is clearly the main feature at Morrow Steak, but its Asian-influence means sushi and seafood are no strangers here. The ribeye, especially with a side of garlic and herb-butter broccolini, is a popular choice among Morrow Steak's patrons, but not before they indulge in the incredibly moist and delicious Parker bread. A smorgasbord of sushi and seafood, specifically the Mardi Gras shrimp, is a prevalent appetizer. Don't forget to top your meal off with praline crème brûlée, a house specialty. Morrow Steak is open weeknights for dinner and weekends for brunch and dinner.
(504) 354-9805
1003 Julia St, New Orleans, LA 70113
Chophouse New Orleans
Despite its somewhat recent inception, you'll find yet another Big Easy landmark in Chophouse New Orleans. The restaurant was founded in 2011, in a historic building that housed other impressive restaurants over the years. Towering ceilings and a rustic brick facade make the restaurant extravagant, despite its minimalist decor and slightly archaic style. Chophouse is a behemoth in the NOLA food scene, often dubbed the best steakhouse in the city. It maintains the old-school charm that's always characteristic of a good steakhouse but with elevated amenities, like a live pianist and a menu that's riddled with delicacies.
There's no visiting Chophouse without first priming your appetite with Florida stone crab claws — a rare treat. You can't go wrong with a choice from the all-prime steak selection, which are all aged 28 days and prepared Pittsburg-style with a charred exterior and moist, pink inside. Filet mignon, porterhouse for two, and a bone-in ribeye make up the classics. Seafood is also a specialty at Chophouse, so don't pass up the surf-and-turf option with broiled or battered and fried lobster, and make it complete with a side of extra-large onion rings. Chophouse New Orleans is open nightly for dinner.
(504) 522-7902
322 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Dickie Brennan's
The Brennan's family of New Orleans restaurants includes eight* highly regarded eateries — including the renowned Bourbon House — and has close ties to Commander's Palace: New Orleans' most famous eatery. Dickie Brennan's lives up to the restaurant family's legacy with a grandiose, luxurious space full of New Orleans food and booze aficionados. It exudes class with a chic bar offering a variety of Irish whiskies (including some rare selections) and towering ceilings with modern light fixtures creating a warm, inviting ambience in its basement-level dining area. Its convenient French Quarter location amplifies its dominating presence in the New Orleans steakhouse scene; you'll typically find an equal ratio of tourists to locals here.
At Dickie Brennan's, Southern comfort food meets steaks that would make the best butcher in the city swoon. They're cooked in simple, tried-and-true fashion that allows the flavor of prime, Midwestern meat to shine. For a meal that's off the beaten path, start with the oysters and then work your way towards the Creole-infused beef wellington for two or an herbaceous, mustard-crusted rack of lamb. The turtle soup, gumbo, and crème brulée are some non-steak fan favorites here. Dickie Brennan's is open Monday through Saturday for dinner.
(504) 522-2467
716 Iberville St, New Orleans, LA 70130
The Steak Knife
The Steak Knife fits right in amidst New Orleans' posh Lakeview restaurants. Owned and operated by the Roth family, the restaurant has been a local icon since the '70s, and continues to enthrall regulars and newcomers alike with its contemporary sophistication; you'd never guess that the restaurant had roots dating back 50 years, because it looks like it was destined for the modern age. It offers private seating, perfect for business meetings and formal gatherings, or — for a more casual experience — grab a seat at the bar to chat with Lakeview's friendly locals in their favorite neighborhood dinner spot.
If you're new to the Nola dining scene, start with the shrimp remoulade — an iconic Creole dish — at The Steak Knife. Filet mignon is a showstopper here, but the porterhouse topped with all the fixings — artisanal bleu cheese, lump crab meat, and bordelaise sauce — is an experience. Don't sleep on the Creole seafood gumbo either; it's a great appetite-primer before a hearty, gourmet feast. The Steak Knife is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner.
(504) 488-8981
888 Harrison Ave, New Orleans, LA 70124
Brasa South American Steakhouse
If you're craving a steak dinner but are bored of the tired American steakhouse scene, Brasa South American Steakhouse is your best option for a unique meal. The restaurant is the brainchild of Colombian-born chef Edgar Caro and Antonio Mata, and the concept incorporates the world-renowned flavors of Colombia, Argentina, and Brazil. With one location downtown and its flagship spot in Metairie, Brasa houses old-word traditions in a contemporary space that doesn't scream South American. Instead, the neutral but bright and elegant Canal Place Mall location is like a heavenly, minimalist oasis amid swathes of retail stores, with the scents of fresh, prime steaks and sweet and savory spices wafting from its wide glass doors. The space it now calls home was once a Morton's Steakhouse franchise, and the new restaurant is an unrecognizable and welcome change in the shopping center.
At Brasa, tartare de carne is intricate and flavorful with cured egg yolk, Parmigiano Reggiano, chives, and burnt onion emulsion on toasts. Tender, robust picanha is crafted from American Wagyu, as well as a well-marbled, aged in-house tomahawk. Outside of beef steak, you'll find a traditional South American fish dish with lemon and thyme, a juicy Wagyu burger with sharp cheese, bacon, and aioli, and a lamb picanha, adorned with a fat cap and all. Brasa's downtown location is open every night from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Multiple locations
Doris Metropolitan
Dimly lit and intimate Doris Metropolitan is a shining star in French Quarter eateries, which is not something to take lightly in a neighborhood known for its food. The small chain has locations in Houston and Costa Rica as well, but it's still seen as a quintessential New Orleans establishment. It all started with a butcher shop in Israel owned by Dori Rebi Chia and Itai Ben Eli. They took their concept to the states, and imbued their restaurant with a built-in butcher shop element that allows customers to observe meats in their raw, natural state before they arrive fully prepared to the table. Grandiose but tasteful shelves hold bottles of wine from floor to ceiling, but other than that, decor is minimal, so nothing can distract from the meal.
Doris Metropolitan boasts renowned bread service and an extensive cocktail program necessary to start off a meal at any great New Orleans fine dining establishment. Its owners infuse the menu with Jewish flair reflective of their heritage with dishes like the fall-off-the-bone shpondra: a braised short rib slow-cooked for 24 hours to achieve melty, ultra-tenderness. Seasonal fish preparations ensure a fresh meal with local ingredients. Doris also acts as a butcher shop, so stop in and snag some A5 Wagyu or a prime bone-in ribeye to bring home. Doris Metropolitan is open Tuesday through Sunday for dinner only, except Fridays, when it opens for lunch and dinner.
dorismetropolitan.com/new-orleans
(504) 267-3500
620 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Desi Vega's Steakhouse
Desi Vega makes his second appearance on this list by being a champion in the NOLA steak scene. The restaurateur is also the co-owner of Mr. John's, but his eponymous steakhouse in the Central Business District is one of his solo ventures. Vega spent his life in the restaurant industry, having been trained by some of New Orleans' finest and most famous chefs, including Ella Brennan, Ruth Fertile, and even Emril Lagasse himself. The restaurant on The Avenue is housed in The Lafayette Hotel in a brightly-lit, wide space that seems to scream "bougie brunch spot." Desi Vega's has a timeless appeal that's similar to that of Mr. John's, but with a slightly more casual vibe and modern atmosphere.
Unlike most steakhouses, Desi Vega's Steakhouse has a separate dinner and lunch menu, the latter offering more modest portions and prices to match. A mixed grill plate with beef medallions, chicken breast, and smoked sausage complemented with a mid-afternoon mint julep is an ideal lunch for a special occasion. For dinner, the menu at Desi Vega's borrows some dishes from Mr. John's, but it claims to be the only restaurant in New Orleans to serve strictly USDA prime beef. A shrimp remoulade cocktail is a fun appetite-primer before you dig into a filet mignon with bleu cheese crust and a lobster tail on the side. Don't forget to douse your steak in the restaurant's own compound butter made with rich bone marrow. Desi Vega's Steakhouse is open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner only, and closes on Sunday.
(504) 523-7600
628 St Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130
Methodology
During my time living in New Orleans, I wasted no time in exploring the city's eclectic restaurant scene. New Orleans is home to unpretentious, traditional steak-and-potatoes joints with Cajun flare and cosmopolitan Creole-inspired eateries founded by chefs with shining reputations. I've experienced both sides of the spectrum and included some of my personal favorite steakhouses on this list. In order to make this list as comprehensive as possible, I supplemented the restaurants that I hadn't personally experienced with information from online reviews and articles and anecdotes from friends local to The Crescent City.
I specifically included restaurants that capture the vibe of New Olreans and are local institutions, as well as restaurants that — while offering a less-than-traditional New Orleans experience — are great spots to celebrate a birthday or milestone in a comfortable but luxurious setting. Quality of service also played a key role in determining restaurants for this list. Overall, food quality reigned supreme in this ranking; the restaurants on this list all boast some of NOLA's best prime steaks, and have earned their reputation through exceptional service, atmosphere, and cuisine.