The Resy Guide to L.A.’s Standout Steakhouses

A red neon sign beckons customers with “Steaks, Cocktails, and Wine,” but this new-school Venice favorite offers more (much more). Chef Elisha Ben-Haim oversees an almond-wood grill, where he cooks blood-red dry-aged Prime ribeyes from Flannery Beef and hanger steaks and filets from Kansas favorite Creekstone Farms. The wine list runs deep, with more than 200 options from around the world, while cleverly named cocktails (try the ‘For No Reason’ with gin and cardamom or the ‘Muy Mona’ with vodka and turmeric) are slung from the centerpiece horseshoe bar. But it’s the steaks, finished simply with butter and salt, that are the stars of the show, served inside at an intimate dark corner, or on the sprawling outdoor patio with hanging lights and heat lamps to combat the Venice beach breeze.

If you like your steaks with a dash of Hollywood history, get over to Dear John’s, while you still can. Originally opened in 1962, this Culver City steakhouse was a favorite of Frank Sinatra, reimagined today under chef Josiah Citrin (Melisse/Citrin) and longtime hospitality players Patti and Hans Röckenwagner, for a limited time only. While it’s open, slide in to a booth in the dimly-lit, art-bedecked dining room that oozes Rat Pack vibes, as tuxedoed waiters toss Caesars tableside and drop Snake River Farm sirloins, brandt beef from California Prime, and prime steaks from Omaha Packing Co-Op atop red-clothed tables. Order a martini, soak in the history hanging on the walls, and tuck into a steak that would make Ole Blue Eyes proud.

Italian for ‘a person who cleaves’, Chi Spacca is, within the Nancy Silverton Mozzaplex on the corner of Highland and Melrose, a relatively small space that packs a seriously meaty punch. Giant slabs of steaks are grilled behind the eight-person bar and feature big-ticket Italian favorites like the bistecca Fiorentina, a 50-ounce dry-aged bone-in porterhouse, and the Australian-raised Westholme wagyu bone-in tomahawk ribeye, which has a hard time fitting on smaller tables. Or skip the steak and opt for the beef and bone marrow pie, a puffed-up puff pastry that’s reminiscent of an Italian torta di carne, filled with beef cheek, cippolini onions, and mushrooms, cleaved through the middle with a cylindrical bone dripping with marrow. For something a little less intimidating, there’s a lunchtime burger popup on the first Saturday of every month. 

The king of ‘if these walls could talk’ gems, 104-year-old Musso & Frank has been a Hollywood legend for over a century. Charlie Chaplin, Humphrey Bogart, and Marilyn Monroe have dined here, and John Steinbeck and Kurt Vonnegut were regulars. Younger diners may recognize the space from its appearances in Once Upon A Time in Hollywood and Ocean’s Eleven, among others. The menu is sprawling, but you can’t go wrong with a ribeye or an old-school grilled liver steak, served with an ice-cold martini (and sidecar) by the impeccably-dressed staff, many of whom have worked here for decades. 

Call 323-467-7788 for reservations.

A Santa Monica institution since 1949, Golden Bull keeps it as simple as their motto: “Chops, American Standards, and Cocktails.” But this old-school standby is more than just a historical footnote—the Bull was once considered a gay refuge for the likes of Rock Hudson, Greta Garbo, and David Hockney, amongst many others. Today, the mood is as classic as ever, with a menu filled with New York strips, bone-in ribeyes, eight-ounce filets, and a healthy dose of shrimp cocktails and fried calamari. Though the restaurant has been rebuilt over time (floods, earthquakes, etc.), the interior is all nostalgia, with plush leather booths, a roaring brick fireplace, and a small L-shaped bar that’s known for its rather perfect martini. 

Named for chef/owner Curtis Stone’s grandmother, Gwen is a refined Hollywood steak restaurant boasting a Michelin star. By day, Gwen is a butcher shop with slabs hailing from Creekstone Farms and imported Australian Wagyu from Blackmore in Victoria. By night, diners can decide between á la carte options or a five-course menu that features the greatest hits of Gwen’s fire-based cooking. Bucking any semblance of an old-school steakhouse, the menu has showstoppers like house-made charcuterie, Wagyu tartare served with lavash, and smoked brisket with fried leeks and potato mousse. Drink pairing at Gwen is no small feat, as a 37-page menu of cocktails and wines makes clear, though the gracious staff can choreograph your every move.

Thick steaks and tiki drinks? Yes, please. At Damon’s, Polynesian flair and hulking slabs of beef have been coupled together since 1937, providing locals with arguably one of the most fun steakhouse experiences in the city. The South Pacific-themed space is decorated with tiki-inspired murals, thatched ceilings, and rattan walls, with plenty of Mai Tais and Chi Chi’s on offer. Food-wise, there’s a slew of steak sandwiches, BBQ beef brisket, and oversized burgers, but the serious action comes from their 1855-certified Black Angus Beef, available as a 16-ounce bone-in New York steak or upwards of a 20-ounce prime rib (weekends only). 

Mun Korean Steakhouse takes what you think you know about Korean barbecue, sets it to some party music, and aims to impress with high-end steak offerings like wagyu chuck tail, toshisal (similar to onglet or butcher’s steak), and snacks like truffle shrimp and molten cheese kimchi pancakes. There’s a Mun’s Choice menu consisting of four separate meats (ribeye, toshisal, boneless short ribs, and chuck tail), a  variety combo that tosses in pork jowl and pork belly, or an a la carte option with beef tartare atop Korean pears and green onions. A full bar with signature cocktails and no shortage of soju, beers, and an impressive wine list rounds things out at this upscale twist on traditional KBBQ.

Located on La Cienega straddling the border of Beverly Hills, Lawry’s is an L.A. institution where multi-generational families routinely dine year in and year out. Everyone is here for just one thing: the classic prime rib dinner, which includes a giant piece of blood red prime, an iceberg-heavy spinning salad made tableside, buttery mashed potatoes, whipped horseradish, and puffy Yorkshire pudding. The cavernous space is built like a banquet hall and seats dozens of large groups who also regale in classic sides jumbo shrimp cocktail and lobster bisque. Lawry’s might feel a bit dated (it opened in 1938 and hasn’t changed much), but the cocktails are strong, the wine list is global, and the prime rib delivers every single time. 

Call 310-652-2827 for more info.

Does the prospect of having 16 different types of meat sliced off of giant espetos (skewers) directly onto your plate until you physically beg them to stop appeal to you? Then H&H is for you. This traditional Brazilian steakhouse, specializing in churrasco, serves meat straight from the skewer. For $69, you get an all-you-can-eat experience involving filets, tri-tips, bottom sirloins, ribeyes, lamb chops, pork ribs, and spicy chicken, with sides including Brazilian cheese bread (don’t fill up on this), mashed potatoes, polenta, plantains, and even pasta. There’s also an a la carte option, with A5 Wagyu from Japan, truffle filet mignon, and a burger, natch.

Do not call Matū a steakhouse. Matū is a “steak restaurant,” and one of the more unique experiences in Los Angeles. The beef here is grass-fed Wagyu from First Light Farms in New Zealand, and it’s showcased in a five-course menu for $85 that consists of bone broth, steak tartare, a center cut filet, an eight-hour braised beef cheek, and a 12-ounce ribeye with broccolini. There are smaller, less expensive three and four-course set menus, as well as an á la carte menu, but any which way, the focus is the on the beef, which is less fatty than Japanese Wagyu, though still surprisingly tender. The full experience is only available for dinner, but for lunch on Wednesday through Sunday, get a taste in cheesesteak form (only at the bar or to-go). 

Call 424-317-5031‬ for more info.

Inside the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel, Wolfgang Puck’s appropriately high-end steakhouse pulls out all the stops. Designed by famed architect Richard Meier, the walls are covered with priceless artworks by Ed Ruscha, Robert Rauschenberg, and John Baldessari, among others. The food is no slouch, either. Steaks are sourced from around the world – wagyu from Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan, Australian Wagyu from Stone Axe farms, filets from Creekstone in Kansas, and ribeyes from Snake River Farms in Idaho. Though it no longer boasts a Michelin star, the restaurant still offers a fine-dining feel, a long list of craft cocktails, and an endless bar featuring rarified whiskeys, gins, and amari from around the globe. 

Call 310-276-8500 for reservations.

If you can’t tell your sukiyaki from your shabu shabu, this Beverly Hills favorite is here to help. Using primarily Japanese Black cattle for their highly specific Wagyu selection, IMA allows you to cook your own A5 meat tableside, in either or both fashions. Both sukiyaki and shabu shabu are traditional hot pot style dishes using thinly cut steak. Shabu shabu is cooked in a pot with broth and involves dipping individual slices of beef or vegetables into the broth to cook, while sukiyaki is prepared in a shallower pan and eaten as a one-pot meal.  What separates IMA from more traditional hot pot restaurants is simply the quality of their beef— it’s all A5 wagyu from Yazawa Prefecture, and the price point more than reflects it.

Call 310-734-7829 for more info.