Restaurants / Lists

Texas Dominates Best Steakhouses in America Rankings — See Which Houston and Dallas Spots Reign Supreme

Butcher Dreams, Pearland Power and Knife Visions

BY // 02.05.19

No place does steak better than Texas — and now there’s even more proof. Three Texas meat temples made the exclusive cut for the latest 31 Best Steakhouses in America rankings, proving they take their mighty meats and succulent steaks sear-iously.

Texas and California dominated the list, with three winning steakhouses each. Houston, Pearland and Dallas all rep Texas in the rankings. B&B Butchers, Killen’s Steakhouse and Knife all received major love in Thrillist’s rankings, validating their power on the carnivore circuit.

If you haven’t scored a steak at any of these restaurants yet, here’s your excuse to make your reservations..

Thrillist gives B&B Butchers major kudos for skyrocketing to the top of Houston’s foodie chain in just a few years since its opening. Its also quickly gained fans for its FortWorth locale.

“I think it just feels really good to be recognized for all the hard work everyone puts in,” owner Benjamin Berg tells PaperCity.

“We stand out, we also do things a little differently. We led with really fresh, different meats like Wagyu, Japanese.”

Set your Easter Table with Bering's

Swipe
  • Bering's Gift's Easter 2024
  • Bering's Gift's Easter 2024
  • Bering's Gift's Easter 2024
  • Bering's Gift's Easter 2024
  • Bering's Gift's Easter 2024
  • Bering's Gift's Easter 2024
  • Bering's Gift's Easter 2024
  • Bering's Gift's Easter 2024
  • Bering's Gift's Easter 2024
  • Bering's Gift's Easter 2024
  • Bering's Gift's Easter 2024

The food publication was taken with B&B’s spread of seared steaks ranging from A5 Kobe t0 Texas Wagyu and USDA prime, all cut in the in-house butcher shop.

Berg doesn’t hesitate when it comes to his favorite cut.

“My favorite is the Butcher’s Butter, which is the ribeye cap, American Wagyu,” he says. “It’s just so marbled and kind of cuts like butter. I actually made up the name. The real name is spinalis, which sounds like a disease. I think Butcher’s Butter is the stuff the butcher would take home.”

The fact that diners are welcome to pull back the curtain and get a peek at B&B’s butcher shop and dry-aging room surely helped snag the Texas steakhouse power a spot on the list.

It’s all part of the atmosphere, the ambience. “We’re a little more urban, contemporary, exposed brick in a historical building. It’s not really your dark leathers or dark woods,” Berg says.

Killen’s Steakhouse wowed with Ronnie Killen’s way with meat, from his honored steakhouse to his barbecue and burger joints. Thrillist heaps praise on the steakhouse, which migrated to a bigger space a few years back to satisfy steak lovers in more expansive digs. Especially those that’ll drop $12,000 on one epic meal.

More than anything, Thrillist revels in Killen’s for its extensive, hard-to-find selection of domestic and Japanese Wagyu.

“What we do, really bringing in beef from all over the world — no one really does that. We have small production ranches from all over. So I think a lot of people recognize hard work and everything we put into being more boutique style,” Ronnie Killen says.

“I think that kind of makes what we do special, because of that constant drive to carry the best stuff, the best steak, the best meats that are very small production and very flavorful and good. Stuff that you really can’t get.”

Killen credits the steakhouse’s continued success through its 15 years in part to its commitment to evolving. “We’re always pushing the envelope of flavor profiles and tastes. We try to be better and better all the time,” he says.

The competition is fierce in the Houston area, but that’s part of what makes it so fun. “If you can do it in Houston, you can do it anywhere,” Killen notes.

knife steakhouse dallas flat iron
Knife boasts 240 day-aged steaks.

Dallas’ Knife, with the one location in The Highland Hotel and a new restaurant in Plano, earned accolades for its mammoth bone-in ribeye and huge short rib, all cooked over red oak fire, alongside exotic options such as day-aged Creekstone ribeye.

Thrillist applauds Knife for sourcing meat from local ranches before aging it for up to 240 days, then serving the steak on communal tables. And there’s more than strictly steaks — think house-made charcuterie, pig haunches and even cigars with dessert.

So, what do you say? Is it time for a little Meat, Pray, Love?

You’re certainly in the right state for it.

Visit Dallas' premier open-air shopping and dining destination.

Highland Park Village Shop Now

Featured Properties

Swipe
X
X