New York City’s culinary landscape is witnessing a resurgence of steakhouses, with red meat firmly maintaining its status as a top dining choice amid a wave of new openings. Over the past three years, the city has seen the addition of more than 15 steakhouses, many large venues seating over 200 guests, reflecting sustained demand despite widespread media focus on plant-based and health-conscious diets.
Max Tucci, a partner at the historic Delmonico’s, attributed this trend to New Yorkers’ enduring appetite for steak, suggesting that earlier media attention on alternative diets overshadowed the steady popularity of meat-centric dining rather than diminishing it. The opening roster includes diverse concepts such as the Korean-style Cote uptown, Las Vegas-inspired Golden Steer and Carver Steak, Argentine-themed Graciela and Baires Grill, Mexican-style Cuerno, and Daniel Boulud’s French-influenced La Téte d’Or.
The trend builds on earlier arrivals like Salt Bae’s Turkish Nusret, the English Hawksmoor, and Italian Carne Mare. Last year’s notable launch of Palladino’s at Grand Central Terminal and this year’s debuts of Atlantis Prime, Vinyl Steakhouse, and Dynamo Room underscore the category’s vitality. Highly anticipated openings include Delmonico’s Reserve Midtown location and Chicago-based entities Jack D’s and Maple & Ash, with the latter positioning itself as the city’s first “experiential steakhouse.”
Established institutions such as Peter Luger, Smith & Wollensky, Sparks, Wolfgang’s, Empire Steak, and Knickerbocker Bar & Grill continue to perform well. Quality Branded, the company behind the original Manhattan Smith & Wollensky, reports a 5% to 10% business increase over the past two years, a notable achievement for a longstanding operation.
This red meat revival has even influenced some eminent chefs once focused on plant-based menus. Eleven Madison Park incorporated beef and chicken earlier this year, while José Andrés transformed Bazaar at the Ritz-Carlton Nomad into Bazaar Meat, a steakhouse. Simon Oren’s Mozzernery rebranded from an American brasserie to a “modern steakhouse,” signaling a broader embrace of meat offerings.
National Restaurant Association board member Mark Bucher, founder of the Medium Rare group, reflected on advice from legendary French chef Paul Bocuse to serve customers what they want rather than chefs’ preferences. According to Bucher, for many Americans, including New Yorkers, “meat and potatoes remain central” despite culinary trends toward more exotic fare.
Contemporary steakhouses often complement their menus with high-quality seafood, pasta, and salads, while elevating beef selections with premium USDA Prime and Japanese wagyu blends. Sebastien Silvestri, CEO of Daniel Boulud’s Dinex Group, described today’s steakhouses as “more elevated,” highlighting La Téte d’Or’s French techniques applied to top cuts like filet mignon, porterhouse, cote de boeuf, and New York strip sourced globally.
Silvestri also pointed to the genre’s commercial strength, recalling his time working at Las Vegas casino hotels where steakhouses consistently ranked among the highest-grossing restaurants. This enduring popularity underscores the city’s deep-rooted affinity for steak as a dining staple.