12 Porterhouse Steaks From Steakhouse Chains, Ranked Worst To Best

The porterhouse steak is a colossal, beefy cut that combines buttery filet mignon (also known as tenderloin) and hearty New York strip, which are divided by a T-shaped bone. It's sometimes confused with the T-bone cut, though the porterhouse is a bit larger. It comes from the short loin of the cow, from the area just behind the ribs. Per the USDA, the tenderloin side has to be at least 1.25 inches wide, whereas the tenderloin on the T-bone only needs to measure 0.5 inches. A porterhouse can weigh more than 2 pounds, making it an impressive piece of meat often shared by two or more people.

You can enjoy all that a porterhouse has to offer by grilling the giant steak to perfection at home or ordering it from a top-notch steakhouse. Not all steakhouse chains offer porterhouse as an option, but many do, with cuts ranging from about 20 to 48 ounces, frequently meant for sharing. With a price range that can vary just as much, choosing the right steakhouse chain for a porterhouse feast with friends or family can be a challenge. We scoured online reviews to determine which steakhouse chains deliver a primo porterhouse and noted those that fell a bit short. Focusing on tenderness, chew, meat quality, flavor, and whether it was cooked to preference, we ranked the chains that customers felt met these criteria — often in spades, as many of the chains received a large percentage of five-star reviews.

Morton's The Steakhouse is a fairly well-known steakhouse that serves only the highest quality steaks. This high-end establishment, which has a dress code for dining in, offers a 36-ounce, dry-aged porterhouse at various locations across the country. Overall, Morton's receives positive feedback for its general menu and service, but we placed the chain lower on this list due to mixed reviews about the porterhouse.

Morton's porterhouse is dry-aged for 45 days, which creates a deeper, richer, beefier taste that doesn't always appeal to everyone. This aging process tenderizes the meat while intensifying the flavor. Some reviewers noted the porterhouse was perfect — juicy, tender, and flavorful – while others stated it was overcooked or just nothing special. Customers seem to prefer other dishes, like the Ocean Platter, and other cuts such as the New York strip, ribeye, filet mignon, and wagyu, more. 

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, with multiple locations across the nation, offers a 24-ounce prime porterhouse among its vast selection of high-quality steaks. Restaurant-goers generally rave about Del Frisco's upscale atmosphere and dining choices, but reviews for the porterhouse are mixed. Compared to other top-tier steakhouse chains, its porterhouse doesn't stand out enough to rank higher on our list, though many diners have said that it's an excellent cut that's cooked well. 

Customers at multiple locations have complained about their porterhouse being cooked incorrectly whether it was underdone, overcooked, or unevenly seared. A few patrons even questioned whether they had actually received a porterhouse, noting their steak seemed closer to a smaller T-bone. Mixed reviews showed customers describing the meat as tough and gristly, while others praised it as fork-tender, juicy, and delicious. Reviews were almost split down the middle, similar to Morton's, and for this reason, Del Frisco's didn't rank any higher on this list. 

Mastro's, which has locations across the U.S., enforces a strict dress code. This high-end restaurant, which offers an upscale dining experience, serves a prime 24-ounce porterhouse for patrons to share (or not). Though Mastro's offers other top-notch cuts, like dry-aged ribeye, Japanese wagyu New York strip, and filet mignon, the restaurant places relatively low on our list because reviewers indicated a difference of opinion as far as the porterhouse was concerned — some customers loved it, while others didn't favor it as much, citing it as inedible or just okay.

Still, most of the reviews were positive, describing Mastro's porterhouse as amazing, fantastic, exceptional, delicious, and perfect. Patrons frequently praised its tenderness, juiciness, and overall flavor. A handful of restaurant-goers even declared it the best steak they've ever tasted, stating it's worth every penny. However, there were a few customers who felt that while it was a good steak, they could find better elsewhere, including at the higher-ranked chains on this list. 

LongHorn Steakhouse might be one of the first steakhouse chains you think of, and for good reason. It's a long-standing, beefy icon in many neighborhoods around the country, and chances are you've eaten there before. Among its many offerings for meat eaters, which include seven different steak cuts, the popular restaurant serves a 22-ounce porterhouse.

LongHorn customers were mixed about the porterhouse, with some stating it was delicious and others claiming it was not a good experience. Some patrons called their porterhouse excellent, praising that it was cooked perfectly and recommending it to others.

In a ranking of LongHorn's steaks, we placed the T-bone – the smaller cousin of the porterhouse — in last place. It was a little tough and a bit dry, which is typical of this dual cut. The bone can create a challenge in achieving an even cook, and it's possible that's why the porterhouse also doesn't excite customers much. For this reason, LongHorn places in the middle to lower end of our list, reflecting a solid but inconsistent porterhouse.

Texas Roadhouse is one of our favorite spots to grab a ribeye, but how does its 23-ounce porterhouse T-bone stack up against those at other popular steakhouse chains? In Tasting Table's ranking of Texas Roadhouse's signature steak cuts, the tester declared the porterhouse a solid choice — impressive in terms of its size and visual appeal. There was a generous amount of tender, easy-to-slice meat on both sides of the T-bone, though our tester noted it would have been better with more marbling throughout and a fresher flavor, as it tasted slightly past its prime. They also found it a bit pricey for the overall quality.

Most Texas Roadhouse patrons agree the porterhouse is cooked perfectly and delivers a tender, juicy bite. However, as good as some felt the porterhouse was, not everyone shared that sentiment, calling it an overpriced T-bone that lacked flavor. Based on its moderate value and less-than-optimal experiences, Texas Roadhouse earns a middle spot on our list.

CUT by Wolfgang Puck operates seven locations in major cities worldwide. Not all CUT locations carry the porterhouse, but those that do receive mostly positive reviews. CUT places midway on our list — not because the porterhouse is mediocre, but because its certified Angus Nebraska 32-ounce porterhouse is only available in New York and the 36-ounce Washugyu porterhouse (an American-made Wagyu beef) is only offered in Beverly Hills.

CUT restaurant-goers marvel over the porterhouse steak, calling it perfect and one of the best steaks they've ever had. Customers were pleased that it was cooked to perfection, which resulted in a great sear and tender, juicy, and flavorful meat. The large porterhouse is meant to be shared, and patrons recommended the cut as a dining splurge — a quality steak worth its price.

Outback Steakhouse is a familiar name to many, with its Australian theme and the original Bloomin' Onion appetizer. With hundreds of locations across the U.S., Outback offers a range of signature steaks, including its hefty 22-ounce Melbourne porterhouse. But how does Outback's porterhouse compare to the other chains on our list? It lands in the middle because it's a solid steak contender that delivers satisfaction, though it doesn't quite reach stellar heights.

Outback's porterhouse is a generous, thick cut that's well-seasoned and charred. It yields a deep, beefy taste alongside a tender chew and juicy interior. The fat cap adds to the protein, delivering a good balance of flavor. But although it hits the mark for what you want in a steak, it just doesn't stand out enough to warrant a higher ranking.

According to Bobby Flay and hundreds of restaurant-goers, Peter Luger Steak House is the spot to find the best porterhouse. In fact, we previously ranked Peter Luger as one of the best steakhouses in America. Indeed, Peter Luger has received an overwhelming number of enthusiastically glowing reviews, placing it near the top of our list. Although one famous food critic in New York was less than thrilled by his 2019 visit, more recent reviews make it clear that steak enthusiasts disagree, rating Peter Luger Steak House a 5-star restaurant. Perhaps the restaurant learned from its past negative review and turned itself around to create what some patrons called a first-class experience with a well-deserved positive reputation.

Since it has only four locations — Las Vegas, two in New York, and one in Japan — Peter Luger didn't land higher on our list, but it appeals to those who enjoy dry-aged beef, which the restaurant ages in-house. Based on reviews, the porterhouse, which customers say is cooked perfectly and often declare the best steak ever, arrives hot and sizzling at the table. 

Already sliced and ready to serve, Flay revealed how Peter Luger manages to deliver such a masterpiece that diners called a standout, tender, and juicy steak that far surpasses any other cut. The chef at Peter Luger's allegedly removes the meat from the bone, cooking each side separately to achieve the perfect sear and cook before reassembling and serving it with the bone.

Saltgrass Steak House offers a 22-ounce silver star porterhouse among its range of premium steak cuts. Overall, Saltgrass receives good reviews for its food and atmosphere, but its porterhouse has made a big splash with meat-loving diners. Landing near the top of our list, Saltgrass wows customers with its "flawlessly executed" porterhouse, according to one Yelp reviewer. Other customers say it's one of the best porterhouses they've ever eaten. A few customers, however, noted that while they thought the meat was delicious, it was chewy and full of gristle.

With over 75 locations in the U.S., Saltgrass Steak House offers restaurant-goers an award-winning menu that features what diners have called an excellent, amazing, and great porterhouse. Some customers declared their porterhouse was perfectly cooked, noting that the juicy meat was tender and full of beefy flavor.

Worthy of a top spot on our list, The Capital Grille is one of the best steakhouse chains in the U.S. Restaurant-goers consistently rave about this steakhouse, leaving exuberant reviews about its 24-ounce, dry-aged porterhouse. The restaurant dry-ages its beef in-house for 18 to 24 days to create a tender, flavorful piece of meat. Although it has locations across the country, not every one offers the 24-ounce porterhouse, so check with your location before heading out to dine. 

Much like our other top contenders, we had difficulty finding negative feedback about the porterhouse from The Capital Grille. Like the top-five steakhouses, customers were highly complimentary, describing their meal as out of this world and the best porterhouse they've ever had. Some diners considered the porterhouse the highest standard for steak, while others agreed it was magnificent and superb. Beyond praising how perfect this steak was, they also noted it was delicious, juicy, and fork-tender.

Ruth's Chris Steak House is a favorite among steak lovers, consistently voted one of the best upscale steakhouse chains. With more than 100 locations in the U.S., Ruth's Chris offers restaurant-goers a variety of premium steak cuts, like ribeye, filet, and strip. Included on its beefy menu is the impressive 40-ounce USDA prime porterhouse for two. Generally, customers love Ruth's Chris, and its porterhouse shines as a standout, with many patrons declaring it the highlight of their meal and sharing that you can never go wrong with it. Naturally, it earns a top spot on our list.

Despite the daunting size of the 40-ounce porterhouse, which could pose a challenge to cook evenly, we struggled to find reviews that didn't boast about how it was cooked to perfection. Ruth's Chris receives glowing reviews across locations, with diners using descriptive words like awesome, fabulous, delicious, perfect, amazing, excellent, fantastic... you get the idea. Customers raved about the porterhouse's flawless sear, which created a beautiful crust, its deeply flavorful bite, and its magnificent size, resulting in delicious leftovers.

Smith & Wollensky, one of the best chain restaurants specializing in dry-aged steaks, has a number of locations in the U.S. and abroad and serves a 42-ounce USDA prime porterhouse for two, perfect for steak enthusiasts. For those craving a high-end cut with rich, marbled fat, this steakhouse is one of the few to offer the highly sought-after wagyu beef. For this reason — and of course all the high praise — Smith & Wollensky reaches the top of our list. The 38-ounce, gold-grade wagyu porterhouse for two takes the prize.

Restaurant-goers have nothing but great things to say about the porterhouse. Like the rest of our top five steakhouses, diners can't seem to say enough good things or express their joy to portray how much they loved their experience at Smith & Wollensky. Some customers described their porterhouse as on point, amazing, perfect, and delicious. Others noted the wonderful dry-aged flavor. And even more diners raved about it being the best porterhouse they've ever had, that it was cooked perfectly and was superb. We could go on and on about all the stellar reviews the Smith & Wollensky porterhouse has received. 

To start, we researched steakhouses in the U.S., narrowing the list to restaurants that had multiple locations across the nation — chains ranging from laid-back, pop-in steakhouses to upscale, dress-code establishments. After checking out every chain's menu to confirm the availability of the porterhouse, we scoured online reviews to see what customers had to say about this specific cut. We noted comments about tenderness and quality, flavor and seasoning, cooking preference and accuracy, portion size, and overall value. Additionally, we paid attention to the language used — how the excitement in their words stood out compared to regular praise, and how words like "outstanding" or "awesome" were used more than subdued words like "good" and "solid" in their descriptions.

Chains were ranked based on how frequently and enthusiastically reviews praised the criteria mentioned, with the top five receiving amazing reviews of their porterhouse, making it difficult to place one higher over the other. Likewise, there were many positive things said about all of the steakhouse chains.