How Far $100 Gets You At These 7 Steakhouse Chains

As a kid, $100 seemed like you could buy the world and then some. Now, it doesn't get you very far. We decided to check out a handful of popular steakhouse chains to test out how much you can buy for $100. We considered an approximate cost of $80 to $85 to factor in wiggle room for tax and tip. However, you may be over or under based on your location; these are based on prices in the San Diego County area (including San Diego city, San Marcos, Temecula, among others), as well as Chico, California. Prices and food availability may vary based on your location.

To keep things as streamlined as possible, we tried to find similar items at each place. We (generally) went for one (onion or veggie-based) appetizer, one sirloin main entree (but there is a filet mignon option as it was the most affordable at the respective steakhouse), one cheeseburger, one (chicken-based) salad, one steak or meat-based kids' meal, and one dessert. 

The most affordable steakhouse allows you to snag all of the above, while pricier ones mean you get much less; mid-tier means picking between kids' meal or dessert. We should also preface that you could do some customizations, so someone can pick a different entree or salad that best suits them. If you do a bit of budgeting, you can stretch your dollars a bit more — that said, this isn't the time to order the best steak order at the restaurant. But let's find out exactly how far a Benjamin can get you at these steakhouses.

Visit Texas Roadhouse when you're feeding a crew and want to stay in budget; it's the most affordable option on this list, allowing your family to feel satiated after leaving. You can get a hearty selection of items to feed multiple people. Let's start off with a Cactus Blossom appetizer for the table for $10.99, which is both tasty and impressive-looking. For a main course, get an 8-ounce order of hand-cut sirloin for $20.99; plus, it comes with two sides to make it more filling, but you can share with the table, too. We suggest a Caesar salad side, which is one of the basic side dishes at Texas Roadhouse but highly recommended by customers.

Pick how you want your meat cooked, but avoid any other customizations, as that ramps up the price. Then you'll grab the All-American Cheeseburger with a side for $15.49 as well as a chicken Caesar salad for $17.99. There are a couple of other salad options at the same price, so you can select something else if you want to go a different route. Your little one can order the Lil' Dillo Bites from the kids menu (it ranked pretty high on a ranking of Texas Roadhouse kids meals, by the way), which also comes with a side and a kids drink — all for $8.99. Round out the meal with a scrumptious dessert, such as the strawberry cheesecake or Big Ol' Brownie for $9.99. That brings our grand total to $84.44, allowing room for tip and tax.

If you find yourself near a LongHorn Steakhouse, you can get an appetizer, a sirloin entree, a burger, and a salad, but then you'd have to decide between a sweet treat to round it out or a kids' meal. One is a slightly better deal, and we'll tell you why shortly. To start, order the Texas Tonion for $11.79, which is onion petals or slices rather than rings, creating a fun eating experience. For the main, we'll get the 6-ounce Renegade Sirloin for $20.49, which comes with two sides; one of those is a small salad. So, while we budgeted for the colorful Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Salad for $19.79, you could get something else like the Chop Steak instead. 

The Half-Pound Steakhouse Burger is $15.49 with a side, given that you don't make any kind of upgrade. We're running low on cash at this point, so you have to choose between the Kid's Sirloin with milk and a side for $13.99 or THE cheesecake for $11.79. Although the kids' meal is more than $2 more, you also get a drink and side, which makes all the difference in feeling satiated. That brings the total to $81.55 or $79.35, respectively. Alternatively, you could pick from any of the desserts and remain in budget. The Chocolate Stampede is highly regarded as a steakhouse chain dessert that's worth saving room for.

A trip to Outback Steakhouse isn't complete without ordering a Bloomin' Onion, and if you're on a budget, you can always bring the appetizer home and successfully reheat a Bloomin' Onion in an air fryer. The impressive onion costs $12.99, and then you'll select the 6-ounce Outback Center-Cut Sirloin for $19.99. Pick two classic sides, such as a baked potato, Aussie fries, a house salad, or seasoned seasonal vegetables. We suggest the baked spud because you can load it up with toppings like sour cream, bacon, and cheese at no extra cost (just make sure you don't get the extra toppings) for a heartier dish.

The Half-Pound Outbacker Burger is $15.99 and allows you to get a side, which, in our opinion, is a solid amount of food for the price. Get the Brisbane Caesar Salad and add chicken for $21.49; it's an entree salad, so it's a good portion, but you can shave off a few bucks if you get the classic Caesar without added protein. To stay in budget, you'll have to make a decision between the New York-Style Cheesecake for $10.99 or the kids' Joey 5-ounce sirloin for $12.99. That brings the total to $81.45 with dessert or $83.45 with the kids' meal. You could select any of the desserts, but the Chocolate Tower is an epic choice and is considered to be one of the best chain restaurant chocolate cakes.

Let's check out Logan's Steakhouse to see how far our dollars can go. Continuing on the onion theme (who knew there were so many onion appetizers?), you'll want to place an order for the Onion Rings at $9.99. Up next is the 6-ounce USDA top sirloin at $23.99, which comes with two filling sides. Just make sure you get the standard sides, such as Cinnamon Apples or Roasted Corn, since some of them cost extra — we don't have the budget for that if we're staying under $100 in total. The All-American Cheeseburger rings in at $17.99. You can pick which cheese you want, but it only lets you get fries as the side when ordering online. 

Get your greens in the form of a Caesar Salad with chicken added for $19.79. You can choose from mesquite grilled chicken, blackened, or fried to mix up the flavors and textures. Last but not least, you can opt for the kids' Steak Tips with a drink, priced at $6.99 (making your total $78.75), or you could get the steakhouse's only dessert, the Big & Chewy Hot Fudge Brownie. At $9.59, the dessert route would get you to a total cost of $81.35. There's some flexibility at Logan's, though. All kids' meals are priced at $6.99 if you want something like mac and cheese or chicken from the grill. Most of the salads are similarly priced,as well, even if you add a protein like a shrimp skewer or brisket.

There are quite a few starters at Black Angus Steakhouse, but we wanted to stick with the veggie appetizer theme and opted for the Crispy Garlic-Pepper Zucchini at $12.99. But there are others, like Brussels sprouts or spinach and artichoke for $13.99. The 6-ounce Top Sirloin Entree runs $19.99 with two tasty sides like the five-grain rice pilaf — a great choice among all the other potato-based options (baked, potatoes au gratin, etc). Some come at an upcharge, so you have to be strategic and get the standard sides and don't get any toppers or butters for the sirloin either. For $17.49, The Original Outlaw Combo Meal (cheeseburger on a brioche bun, fries, and drink) is the best cheeseburger offering, but The Lasso Combo Meal is a couple of dollars cheaper.

Upgrade the Caesar Salad Entree with added chicken to get some protein into the mix. Crispy or grilled pollo will come up to $14.99, which is the most affordable salad on this list. Any dessert (except for the $25 Giant Chocolate Chip Cowboy Cookie) is $9.99, so that means you can get a cheesecake, rich fudgy cake with ice cream, or some other sweet treat. Hooray for options! Your total comes to $75.45, so that gives you a smidge of wiggle room if you want to change something up. We didn't see any kids' meals, but that would take you over budget anyway.

We've reached the final two steakhouses, and both are on the pricier side. That means you'll get much less than you've been accustomed to with previous options. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar makes it easy to stay under budget since we can only get two things. Rather than sirloin at all the other places, the Petite Filet Mignon is the cheapest cut on the menu at $61. This gets you 8 ounces of meat, and that's it. No side in sight.

Then you can select from the Caesar Salad for $18 (which has fried capers and fried prosciutto to give it an elevated spin) or the Fleming's Prime Steakhouse Burger, which comes in at $22. It has unique elements like red onion confit, Campari tomato, and Fleming's butter pickles to make the cheeseburger stand out from your basic eatery. As you might have guessed, there's no room in the budget for an appetizer or dessert, but you're free to make alternative choices that call to you. The filet mignon and salad cost $79, while the meat with a burger is $83. Instead of the burger or salad, you could get the French Dip Filet Sandwich, burrata starter paired with prosciutto, or a chipotle macaroni and cheese starter to stay within budget.

Morton's The Steakhouse gets us a similar entree, the Petite Filet Mignon, but this time we get 6 ounce for $52. However, you could opt for the 8-ounce that costs $62 and adjust the rest of your meal accordingly if you prefer more meat. Add the Wagyu Smashburger for $25 to your bill for a total of $77, or you can try to stretch it a little more with a salad and dessert. Caesar salad is $16; it's nothing too fancy, but it gives you some greenery to help break up the meat-laden monotony. Alternatively, you could get any of the other salads, like the Steakhouse Wedge Salad, for those who prefer something a little more unique and eye-catching.

The NY-Style Cheesecake is $15, but you could get the Peanut Butter-Banana Bread Pudding for the same price or pick from a couple of other slightly cheaper desserts. If you get the steak, Caesar salad, and cheesecake, the total comes to $83. There isn't as much flexibility at this steakhouse, but customers don't have to feel stuck with one option either.