The best steakhouses in America: 7 places the James Beard Awards and Michelin honored

Every city has a steakhouse somebody swears is the best, and the arguments never end. We do not review restaurants ourselves, so this guide leans on two recognized honors we can cite: the James Beard Foundation’s America’s Classics award, and a Michelin star. Seven places below hold one or the other.

What the honors mean

America’s Classics is the James Beard Foundation’s award for long-running, locally rooted restaurants. It is not a ranking of cuts of beef. A Michelin star is an inspectors’ rating for the quality of the cooking. The two honors measure different things, and several places that hold neither are well loved.

Award years come from the list of James Beard America’s Classics and, for the 2026 class, LA Magazine’s report. We confirmed Keens’ 2013 award on its own site. The Wikipedia list is a compilation, so check the Foundation for any year you plan to quote.

Seven steakhouses with a recognized honor

1. Peter Luger Steak House, Brooklyn

Honor: James Beard America’s Classics, 2002. Price level: $$$$ on Michelin’s New York steakhouse page, which lists it but shows no star. Reserve: through peterluger.com. Its site was live when we checked.

2. Keens Steakhouse, Manhattan

Honor: James Beard America’s Classics, 2013, a line the restaurant carries on its own site. Where: 72 W. 36th St., Midtown. Reserve and menus: keens.com, which was live and listing a Thanksgiving menu when we checked. Prices are not on the front page, so read the current menu before you book.

3. Cote, Flatiron, New York

Honor: a Michelin star, held since its first year (2019), per Time Out New York, which also reports it ranked number 10 on the 2025 World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list and was the only U.S. restaurant in that top 10. Michelin’s steakhouse page shows a star icon for Cote (without a count) and $$$$ pricing. Where: 16 W. 22nd St. Reserve: the restaurant’s site links to Resy. It is a Korean steakhouse, not a classic chophouse, which is the point.

4. St. Elmo Steak House, Indianapolis

Honor: James Beard America’s Classics, 2012. The restaurant calls itself legendary since 1902. Reserve: through stelmos.com, which was live with reservations and hours pages.

5. Perini Ranch Steakhouse, Buffalo Gap, Texas

Honor: James Beard America’s Classics, 2014. Where: Buffalo Gap, Texas. Reserve: periniranch.com has a reservations page, and the site was live when we checked.

6. Johnny’s Cafe, Omaha

Honor: James Beard America’s Classics, 2026. It opened in 1922, and LA Magazine’s report on the class describes its rib-eyes and an Omaha defined by steakhouses. Where: 4702 S. 27th St., South Omaha. Contact: johnnyscafe.com lists a phone number, 402-731-4774, and was taking holiday party bookings.

7. Bob Taylor’s Ranch House, Las Vegas

Honor: James Beard America’s Classics, 2026. LA Magazine calls it the oldest operating steakhouse in Las Vegas; its site says “since 1955.” Where: 6250 Rio Vista St. Hours per its site: open daily, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. most days and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Reserve: bobtaylorsranchhouse.com or 702-645-1399.

What we left out

We did not include steakhouses we could not tie to one of these two honors, and we did not verify Michelin stars beyond the sources above, so some starred or award-winning steakhouses in cities we did not check are missing. Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse in Washington and Jim’s Steak and Spaghetti House in Huntington, West Virginia, both won America’s Classics in 2019 per the same list, but we could not confirm that either is open, so we left them out. We also give no prices: where a source states a tier, we quote it, and otherwise you should check the current menu.

How to book

• Big-city steakhouses fill up fastest on weekends and holiday weeks. Book as soon as the dates open.
• Call small or older places directly. Some of these sites list a phone number rather than an online booking tool.
• Ask about dress code, minimum party size and cancellation terms when you book.
• Tell the restaurant about allergies in advance.

FAQ

Which steakhouse has a Michelin star? Of the places here, Cote in New York, per Michelin’s steakhouse page and Time Out.

Is a James Beard America’s Classics award a steak ranking? No. It honors long-running, locally rooted restaurants, not the best steak in the country.

Do these lists change? Yes. Michelin updates its guides on a yearly cycle, and the James Beard Foundation names a new Classics class each year.

Sources: List of James Beard America’s Classics; LA Magazine on the 2026 America’s Classics; MICHELIN Guide, steakhouses in New York City; Time Out New York on Cote; the restaurants’ own sites. Details were read on the date of publication and can change. This guide is information, not a review.