It’s hard out there for a steak lover.
Beef pricesaren’t what they used to be,thanks to declining cattle production and other inflationary pressures.
Still, good values can be found, even at your local steakhouse.
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“You get steak, a salad, a side.
He’s not wrong.
A hunk of beef alone could cost at least $30 at some places.
Chris Shott for Eat This, Not That!
Affordability was a big part of his business plan.
But, which of these restaurants serves the absolute best-tasting version of this relatively cheap chop?
Here’s how each cut stacked up.
Chris Shott for Eat This, Not That!
What’s the Best Steakhouse Chain?
The most affordable is the6-ounce sirloin.
Lucky for me, I arrived just in time, placing my medium-rare order at 3:50 p.m.
Chris Shott for Eat This, Not That!
When it arrived, the sirloin weighed just 4.5 ounces, according to my scale.
The look: Not great.
That abnormal outward appearance aside, the meat within seemed edible enough, pink in the center and juicy.
The taste: A lot better than it lookedsufficiently succulent and fully flavored.
Even so, it left a noticeable aftertaste.
I was glad that I had saved a few bites of the Caesar salad to cleanse the palate afterward.
I also left feeling satisfied that I hadn’t paid full price.
Texas Roadhouse vs. Outback Steakhouse: Which Has the Best Bone-In Ribeye?
Much like the Outback version, this steak is described as a USDA Choice center-cut top sirloin.
It came with a chopped salad and one additional side of my choosing.
Upon arrival, the medium-rare steak weighed a little over 5 ounces, according to my scale.
The upper crust showed spots of dark char but nothing like the strange blacktop facade I experienced at Outback.
Inside the steak struck a luscious red color.
This cut was easily the best-looking of the three.
The taste: Forcefully flavorfulprobably too much so.
Like Outback, LongHorn similarly boasts about its proclivities with the spice shaker.
While I savored the juiciness of the meat, I found the flavoring way too intense.
But, if you ask me, that’s really just a souped-up hamburger without a bun.
The cheapestpropersteak is, of course, the 6-ouncehand-cut sirloin.
Just like the others, this entree comes with two sides.
Unlike the others, its price tag is substantially lower.
The Teterboro, N.J., location charged me just $13.99.
This steak arrived at precisely 5 ounces after cooking, according to my scale.
The look: Stout and lush with striking grill marks.
This steak was far more visually appealing than the Outback atrocity and noticeably less wet-looking than the LongHorn version.
Inside it’s perfectly pink and moist.
The taste: Beefy like a steakshouldtaste, without all the heavy-handed seasoning of the other two.
Whatever flavoring was used only enhanced the meat.
This sirloin also felt softer than the other two.
Its tenderness seemed more on par with a more expensive, more delicate cut, like a filet.
