This Green-Flag Label Indicates A High-Quality Steakhouse

Little is more disappointing than shelling out for what you expect to be an excellent steak at a restaurant only to be delivered something that you could have prepared better at home for half the price. So, anything that allows you to judge the quality of the beef before you order is welcome. That can mean looking at photos and reviews online before you arrive, but a good steakhouse menu should also have information about the cuts of beef offered. To help explain exactly what you should look for as a steakhouse customer, we sat down with Leandro "Lean" Gentini, known as the world's first International Meat Sommelier.

"Seeing USDA Prime on the menu is certainly a positive sign," Gentini says. "USDA Prime is the highest-quality grade in the United States, and primarily rewards abundant marbling, youthful cattle, and desirable lean color. That makes it an excellent indicator of premium grain-fed beef." Spotting that label on the menu is a sign of a quality steakhouse, and indicates the cut of meat on your plate will be an excellent one; but the question of quality is more complex than just looking for those words.

"Consumers should understand that many outstanding grass-fed beef programs naturally produce leaner meat with a darker lean color," Gentini explains. "Because of how the USDA grading system works, these cattle may never qualify as USDA Prime despite offering exceptional flavor, texture, and eating quality." The USDA beef cut grades are a helpful solution, but as he puts it, "it's only one piece of the puzzle," and a good steakhouse will offer more information about why a particular steak is worth ordering.

Similarly to how the USDA Prime label is only a starting point regarding the quality of a steak, so too is the USDA Choice designator. "USDA Choice is the grade below Prime and represents the majority of beef produced in the United States," Gentini says. "While excellent steaks can certainly come from USDA Choice cattle, simply listing 'Choice' on the menu doesn't tell us much about the restaurant's sourcing philosophy." The grading system is relatively simple, but "the world's best steakhouses go far beyond simply listing a USDA grade," Gentini says.

The steakhouses at the top of their game, Gentini explains, lean into selecting the best beef based on things like the breed and age of the animal as well as the aging process and cooking style of the meat. These establishments source from the finest farmers and producers, and are sure to pass on that information to customers, emphasizing transparently where the meat comes from, how it was harvested and aged, and the treatment that it gets in the kitchen before finding its way to your plate. As Gentini shares, "For me, that's the hallmark of a truly world-class steakhouse. It's not just about serving USDA Prime. It's about providing full provenance — telling the complete story behind the beef."

When you crack open a steakhouse menu and spot the USDA Prime label, know that what you get will be a high-quality cut of meat. However, if you are looking for a really great meal at the absolute best steakhouses, it pays to look a bit deeper.