The Major Steakhouse Chain With The Cheapest Ribeye On The Menu

Few steaks embody "big flavor, big price" quite like a juicy ribeye. It's one of the most naturally tender, marbled, desirable cuts on the cow. However, not every restaurant charges an arm and a leg for it. You can nab some chain restaurant ribeye steaks for surprisingly cheap. To find out which major steakhouse sells the most frugal ribeye, we compared prices from six of the largest franchises in America: Texas Roadhouse, LongHorn Steakhouse, Outback Steakhouse, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Logan's Roadhouse, and Morton's The Steakhouse. 

Food costs vary by area, so for all six of these chains, we compiled menu prices from each in Pennsylvania, New York, California, Texas, and Ohio locations. Though prices per plate are important, as that's what you'll pay up front, we also calculated prices per ounce for each steak. Since some of these chains sell differently-sized ribeyes from the others, prices per ounce are a better indicator of true value. The lower it is, the more beef you get for your buck, even if a dish's total price is on the higher side.

Our winner for the best-value ribeye proved to be Texas Roadhouse, famous for its affordable steaks. The lowest price we found for its 16-ounce ribeye was $28.99, which comes out to just $1.81 per ounce. That means every bite of this ribeye costs you less than you'd pay at the other restaurants in our matchup. If you're curious about prices per plate, though, as well as runners-up, read on.

Texas Roadhouse's Ft. Worth Ribeye doesn't taste as cheap as it costs. Customers love this steak, saying it's buttery-tender and full of beefy flavor. It even won third place in our ranking of Texas Roadhouse steaks. In addition to 14- and 16-ounce ribeyes, TR also sells a downsized 12-ounce portion, and the lowest price we saw for this smaller steak was $23.99. It's pricier per ounce at $2, but cheaper per plate, making it a solid option for smaller appetites.

Speaking of prices per plate, LongHorn Steakhouse's ribeye is the second cheapest at face value. The lowest price we found for its 12-ounce ribeye was $27.49. However, this comes out to $2.29 per ounce, and the dish isn't served in other sizes. The ribeye is LongHorn Steakhouse's best-selling steak and a good way to taste this cut for a surprisingly small bill, but Texas Roadhouse can give you a bigger steak for a lower rate overall.

Outback Steakhouse's 15-ounce Delmonico Ribeye had the third cheapest price per plate, as the lowest cost we found for the dish was $34.29, or $2.28 per ounce. However, we can't strongly recommend this steak, as Outback ranks dead last for ribeye quality. With both cheaper and better steaks available at other chains, you're better off dining elsewhere. On the other hand, if you'd rather not gamble on cheap ribeye, and instead want to save your cash for a top-notch version, we recommend The Capital Grille.

Though they only have locations in a limited number of states, we also looked at ribeyes from three more popular steakhouses: Saltgrass Steak House; Black Angus Steakhouse; and The Capital Grille. Both Saltgrass' and Black Angus' 16-ounce ribeyes cost $38.99 at the cheapest, or $2.44 per ounce. Meanwhile, Capital Grille had some of the highest prices per plate out of all nine chains, but don't write it off.

Capital Grille's basic ribeye is a 22-ounce, bone-in cut — no smaller sizes available. At the cheapest rate we found, the dish will cost you $74 ($3.36 per ounce). Some locations pump it up to $85 ($3.86 per ounce). However, The Capital Grille is the absolute best steakhouse chain to dine at, thanks to its great service, beautiful atmosphere, and delectable food. The bone-in ribeye also happens to be the most delicious dish at The Capital Grille, with countless customers saying it's the best steak on the menu, or even the best they've ever had.

Capital Grille's ribeye is worth the splurge, and it's not even the priciest ribeye per ounce. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse takes that cake (or steak?), as its ribeye is priced at $65 to $78, yet only weighs 16 ounces, leading to $4.06 to $4.88 per ounce. We also don't recommend Logan's Roadhouse's 16-ounce ribeye. It's affordable at $34.99 minimum, or $2.16 per ounce, but some customers say this steakhouse chain isn't worth visiting due to its inconsistent food and service quality.