The weather is always right for a steak night in Houston. We are a city full of meat-lovers who worship the grill and all of its glorious offerings. On any given night, bars and restaurants around town reel diners in with promises of fat, juicy steaks and sides. Most places stick with the traditional baked potato and salad, but a few actually go beyond and feature items like crawfish mac and cheese, creamed corn or grilled asparagus. We've scoured the city and packed on the pounds to put together a list of the best joints to satisfy that steak craving.
Hay Merchant, 1100 Westheimer
Tuesdays, $15, 8-ounce 44 Farms Angus sirloin
presented with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables
starts at 5 p.m., steaks usually last until 9 p.m., or until they sell out
There's a reason Hay Merchant was voted Best Steak Night in 2016
by the Houston Press. A representative of the popular Montrose hangout said the beef it uses, from 44 Farms, sets it apart from other neighborhood steak nights. Hay Merchant has been hosting a steak night for close to four years now. Special housemade sauces, like demi-glace, chimichurri, red wine shallot butter and herbs, are available. Diners can enjoy happy hour prices from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., but come early on Tuesday nights; the steaks always sell out.
Under the Volcano, 2349 Bissonnet
Mondays, $17, 16-ounce Certified Angus Choice rib eye or New York strip
presented with authentic Argentinian chimichurri, garlic mashed potatoes and house sesame raspberry vinaigrette tossed salad
Under the Volcano has one of the longest-running steak nights in town,
according to HoustonSteakNight. Each steak requires the purchase of a beverage, which includes non-alcoholic drinks. Robb Walsh, then of the
Houston Press, praised the steak night in an article back in 2008; looks like Under the Volcano is still doing things right. The low-key, laid-back Rice Village bar offers a delicious Tex-Mex food menu and a list of specialty cocktails. The playlist on the jukebox is pretty rockin' too! Happy hour features $5 off all bottles of wine from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
click to enlarge Glitter's steak night is every Wednesday; come for steak, stay for a song!
Photo courtesy of Glitter Karaoke
Glitter Karaoke, 2621 Milam
Wednesdays, $15, 14-ounce Choice rib eye
presented with side salad, Hawaiian roll and a rotating side dish
The popular Midtown karaoke joint is known in the food scene for hosting Thursday-night pop-up dinners with chefs in Houston. Glitter has a loyal following and steak night always sells out fast. Past side dishes include: bacon crawfish mac and cheese, Aunt Nancy's rice and wasabi garlic mashed potatoes. Whoever Aunt Nancy is, her rice is "da bomb."
Front Porch, 217 Gray
Tuesdays and Thursdays, $15, 16-ounce hand-cut rib eye over coals
presented with choice of baked potato, french fries or salad
They call it Steak-N-Bock night and usually steaks are sold out by 9 p.m. The Midtown bar's outdoor deck patio is packed with hungry steak-loving trivia players on Tuesday nights. On Texas Tuesdays, there's $1 off all Texas beers and liquors, and on Thursdays, the drink specials include $3 domestic bottles and $15 domestic buckets.
click to enlarge Crooked Road Catering Co. grills up yummy steaks at Lincoln bar; the filets are sous-vide.
Photo courtesy of Lincoln Bar
Lincoln Bar, 5110 Washington
Wednesdays, $16, 12-14-ounce rib eye or $18, 8-ounce filet
presented with either horseradish garlic aioli or port wine mushroom demi-glace and two sides that vary weekly.
Rick Dixon and his crew at
Crooked Road Catering Co. host the steak nights at Lincoln Bar, which have been a staple since early 2015, when the bar opened. This was the only sous-vide filet we came across in our search for great Houston steak nights. Past side selections have included: loaded mashed potatoes, broccoli and cheddar rice, smothered green beans, grilled asparagus and Southern creamed corn. The regular food menu is prepared by
Flip 'n Patties, a Filipino food truck available every night. Owner Roveen Abante said that "the party usually starts around 10 p.m. with top Houston DJs." The bar sells upwards of 150 to 200 steaks each Wednesday.
The Hideaway on Dunvale, 3122 Dunvale
Tuesdays, $12, 16-ounce rib eye
presented with loaded baked potato and side salad, starts at 5 p.m.
Steak night starts at 5 p.m. and continues until they are sold out, which happens every Tuesday night. The steaks are large and the flavor is even larger! The Hideaway also features live blues music with Rick Lee and the Night Owls every Tuesday; the music starts at 9:30 p.m. So eat early and stay for some tunes.
click to enlarge MKT Bar has steak every Tuesday and Thursday and the chimichurri sauce is incredible.
Photo courtesy on MKT Bar
MKT Bar, 1001 Austin Street
Tuesdays and Thursdays, $12.99 Chef’s choice steak
presented with housemade chimichurri, MKT salad and a choice of twice-baked potato or
za’atar fries
Steaks are served between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. The cut varies from week to week. The downtown bar is tucked inside the Phoenicia grocery store and has a great happy hour, Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., featuring $5 house wines, $4 local draft beers and $5 appetizers.
The Harp, 1625 Richmond
Mondays and Thursdays, $16, 12-ounce rib eye
presented with jalapeño cheddar mashed potatoes or pasta salad
This longtime favorite Houston steak night features Bryan Hawes on the grill. He's the famous "steak guy from the Tavern on West Gray." Hawes is known for his marinated and chargrilled rib eyes. Steaks are available between 6:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Mak's Place, 5200 Louetta
Thursdays, $10.95, 12-ounce rib eye
presented with loaded baked potato and side salad
The steak night special is available only for dine-in customers between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Mak's Place is a favorite neighborhood bar and grill for locals in Spring, and has been hosting a steak night for five years. Drink specials include $3 domestic drafts, $4 imported drafts, $3 frozen margaritas and $5 PatrĂłn shots. Check out its Cajun Tuesdays with $5 specials for gumbo, jambalaya and boiled shrimp.
Honorable Mention steak nights in Houston:
Around the Corner, 1510 Hutchins
Thursdays, $17, 16-ounce rib eye
with scalloped potatoes and side salad
Capone's Oven & Bar, 2303 Richmond
Wednesdays, $20, 8-ounce filet
with loaded baked potato and sautéed mushrooms
D&T Drive-Inn, 1307 Enid
Tuesdays, $18, 10-ounce sirloin or $28, 16 ounce rib eye
with house salad and loaded baked potato
Onion Creek, 3106 White Oak
Mondays, $16, 14-ounce rib eye
with loaded baked potato
Patio on Richmond, 1205 Richmond
Thursdays, $17, wood-fired bone-in New York strip
with potatoes au gratin topped with cheddar, jalapeños and bacon
Red Lion Pub, 2316 South Shepherd
Thursdays, $24, filet mignon