Best steakhouses on Long Island

Nobody goes hungry at a steakhouse. From petite filets to outsized tomahawks, serious carnivores will delight in dry-aged beefs and chops. While Long Island has plenty of traditional fine dining restaurants that have been serving the classics for decades, the best bets also include hidden gems for a more low-key evening out. 

Blackstone Steakhouse

10 Pinelawn Rd., Melville

There are few more inviting spaces than the fireplace-adorned stone patio at this landmark steakhouse. In some ways the crown jewel among Anthony Scotto’s meat palaces, it remains the go-to destination for its porterhouse for two or four, bone-in rib-eyes, sirloins and filets mignon. Over the years, however, Blackstone has established a reputation for fine sushi too — recommendations include the Wagyu beef number with lobster, as well as the Vietnam roll, with king crab, lobster, asparagus, avocado, chives, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha, wrapped in rice paper. Towering seafood plateaus feature the freshest ocean fare — from clams to oysters to lobster — while landlubbers ought not pass up the Kobe beef served with a shabu broth. And whatever your persuasion, Blackstone’s banana cream pie and Key lime pie are consistent charmers. More info: 631-271-7780, blackstonesteakhouse.com 

Bryant & Cooper

2 Middle Neck Rd., Roslyn

Bryant & Cooper has graced this corner since 1986, and even on weeknights the clubby dining room brims with regulars who know what they want before the menu even arrives. In season, stone crab claws are obligatory. Any time of year will do for the shellfish cocktail, clams oreganata or always excellent linguine with white clam sauce. The porterhouse for two, three or even four is the showiest cut of them all, but on equally rich footing are the sirloin, rib steak or filet mignon. You really can’t misstep with prime chops here, but shrimp stuffed with crabmeat or broiled lobsters also await. Meat and seafood eaters alike can convene over potatoes, delivered in almost as many ways as you can think of — mashed, baked, cottage-fried or Lyonnaise-style with crispy onions. Creamed spinach is also a surefire table pleaser. As at many steakhouses, the house bacon cheeseburger is a lunch-only affair — but all times of day are ripe for Key lime or pecan pie. More info: 516-627-7270, pollrestaurants.com

Churrasqueira Bairrada

144 Jericho Tpke., Mineola

Churrasqueira Bairrada, now with 30 years under its belt, is the king of Portuguese steakhouses on Long Island. Founded in 1992 by Manuel Carvalho, it was one of the first Portuguese restaurants on Long Island to specialize in rodizio: the tradition of all-you-can-eat grilled meats that started in Brazil. Devastated by a fire in 2019, it came roaring back the following year, its décor refreshed with new furniture and tiles imported from Portugal as well as a revived outdoor dining area. The menu has hardly changed in 30 years: a carnivorous onslaught of beef sirloin and short ribs, pork spareribs and loin, sausage, chicken and more brought to your table, direct from the charcoal grill and still on the skewer. For the fainter of appetite there are also grilled steaks, chops, chicken and fish. More info: 516-739-3856, churrasqueira.com

DOMA Land + Sea

490 Chestnut St., Cedarhurst

Brothers Boris and Eddie Safaniev did not grow up kosher, and when they opened DOMA Land + Sea in 2017, they were intent on challenging perceptions. Mission accomplished. The opulent restaurant sprawls over three dining rooms. The open kitchen turns out a thoroughly modern menu comprising dry-aged meat (because DOMA serves meat, dairy is verboten, so instead of finishing steaks with butter, a rich melted beef fat stands in. Grilled fresh fish, sushi bar and array of global starters, from barbacoa beef tacos to rockfish tempura round out the offerings. The kosher wine list is a revelation. Glatt kosher, supervised by the Vaad Hakashrus of the Five Towns and Far Rockaway. More info: 516-881-7712, domalandsea.com

Fogo de Chão

235 Old Country Rd., Carle Place (516-588-7100) and 160 Walt Whitman Rd., Suite 1108B, Huntington Station (631-382-6161)

For those unfamiliar with Fogo de Chão — a Brazilian steakhouse chain founded in 1979 — it’s advisable to skip breakfast (and lunch) to leave room for the unlimited grilled and skewered meats spirited through the dining room by uniformed gauchos in giant pantaloons and red scarves. These noir cowboy-esque figures (who sharpen their knives daily) will appear at your table whenever you turn a coaster from red to green, shaving slices of at least 13 different kinds of meat, from filet mignon, rib-eye and the signature picanha (or sirloin cap) to lamb steak and linguica sausage, as you grab each flap with little metal tongs. The experience can go on for as long as you like, and also includes unlimited trips to the central “market table” — an icy, glam, gluten-free salad bar in the middle of the room constantly refreshed with salads, hummus, cheeses, fruit, salsas and meats; nearby is a feijoada bar serving up Brazil's signature black bean stew. More info: fogodechao.com

George Martin Strip Steak

60 River Rd., Great River

All of George Korten’s other LI restaurants (George Martin The Original and GM Burger Bar in Rockville Centre, George Martin’s Grillfire in Merrick) make beef a priority, but none put it on as high a pedestal as does George Martin Strip Steak. The remote setting on the edge of Heckscher State Park, a few hundred yards from Nicoll Bay, brings to mind a Prohibition-era steakhouse — an allusion that the charming décor reinforces. Dry-aged steaks here include the eponymous New York strip as well as filet mignon, cowboy-cut rib-eye, chateaubriand (filet mignon with Cognac-peppercorn sauce) for two, porterhouse for two and the signature skirt steak with molasses-soy marinade. Starters, sides and non-steaks tend toward the classic (French onion soup, shrimp cocktail, wedge salad, potatoes in many guises, tuna, salmon and chicken). And you can’t beat the popovers that grace the bread basket. More info: 631-650-6777, georgemartinsstripsteak.com

Insignia Prime Steak and Sushi

610 Smithtown Bypass, Smithtown

The showiest of Anthony Scotto’s steak-sushi spots, Insignia announces itself with striking design, high-octane socializing, and steaks with presence. Here too, chops are rivaled by the seafood, especially finely cut sushi, pristine sashimi and specialty rolls that are riots of color and texture. But Insignia offers one menu item they don't — and neither does any other steakhouse on the Island: a plant-based steak dubbed the “Unbelievable Vegan Filet Mignon.” Shellfish cocktails and oysters on the half shell suit a round of cocktails, as does tender grilled octopus, or jumbo lump crabcake, or a generously scaled salad. An ample Kansas City sirloin leads the steak brigade, followed by bone-in rib-eye, T-bone or filet mignon. The porterhouse, of course, can feed the table, and the hefty alternative is a steamed two-pound lobster. Black truffle macaroni and cheese is a necessary side, and for dessert, blackberry-mascarpone cheesecake and honey-almond gelato baklava await. More info: 631-656-8100, insigniasteakhouse.com 

King's Chophouse

52 E. Main St., Bay Shore

King's Chophouse is a foil of sorts to the sprawling steakhouses of Nassau County: Dry-aged rib-eyes, steak fries as wide as two fingers and clear-as-day Gibson cocktails served in a 45-seat, almost noir-like space of ornate Art Nouveau wallpaper with a veined marble bar, moody lighting and polished details. If you care to gild those beefy lilies, King’s makes its own sauces (steak, au poivre and Béarnaise) and compound butters. Traditional sides — from creamed spinach and roasted mushrooms to potatoes every which way — are prepared with care. Steak avoiders will find happiness with excellent salads, seafood, chicken and a bang-up pasta primavera. There's also a raw bar. More info: 631-647-2688, kingschophouse.com

Off The Block Kitchen & Meats

501 Montauk Hwy. Sayville

When it opened in 2016, Stephen Rizzo’s free-standing establishment confused some diners: Was it a butcher shop with a small dining room attached? A casual bistro that also trafficked in prime beef? Or a new paradigm for what a steakhouse could be? The answer is clearly: All three. The menu changes seasonally but may feature pork-belly steamed buns, Korean chicken sandos, shrimp po’boys, Moroccan chicken or lamb malfadine pasta. There’s always a great burger and four dry-aged prime steaks available but you can also point to any steak or chop you see for sale in the shop and the kitchen will cook it to your liking. Keep in mind that everything is better with fries. The counter directly in front of the open kitchen is a great place for solo dining. More info: 631-573-6655, offtheblockmeats.com

Opus Steakhouse

4 Old Jericho Tpke., Jericho

There are few handsomer digs on the Island than this behemoth Scotto eatery and the former home of Mediterranean-focused One North. The atmosphere is elegant, chic, stylish and, well, loud, at least on weekend nights, when 500-plus diners make a pilgrimage to Opus’s cathedral of marble, leather and wood, a large percentage of them celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and the like. But the dining room is only part of this place’s appeal. Opus sources some of the finest quality meat out there — Australian Wagyu from Queensland’s Westholme; A4 Wagyu from Kita, Japan; American cuts from Idaho’s Snake River Farms, and more. Great steak demands great wine, and Opus boasts a wine list that runs to 600 bottles, 40 of which are available by the glass. Like all steakhouses, Opus can be expensive, but watch for weekly and happy hour specials. More info: 516-605-1400, opussteakhouse.com 

Peter Luger

255 Northern Blvd., Great Neck

The Great Neck location of the stalwart Williamsburg, Brooklyn steakhouse stubbornly remains in a vortex that makes a night here feel like stepping back in time. Brisk, white-coated servers orchestrate a dining ritual that varies little from visit to visit, as unchanging as the vaguely German castle-like décor of beams, oak-paneled walls, weathered oil paintings and leather banquettes. The porterhouse for two remains the star, an event you build toward via rounds of house bacon, shrimp cocktail and wedge salads. At the moment of truth, the dry-aged chop arrives sizzling and spitting on a hot platter, quickly sliced tableside and doled out plate by plate in succulent flaps. These steaks are funky with personality, crusty on the outside and impeccably cooked; the classic side orders of creamed spinach and slightly blackened German potatoes are a must — as is a debit card or cash, for credit cards are not accepted. More info: 516-487-8800, peterluger.com 

Prime: An American Kitchen & Bar

17 N. New York Ave., Huntington

Prime remains an 18-karat entry in Gold Coast dining, year in and year out. The porterhouse for two (or four) is as good as it’s ever been, same goes for the 40-ounce Tellers rib-eye (which makes reference to Prime’s fellow restaurant in the Bohlsen Restaurant Group). The filet mignon and New York strip steak, the latter dry-aged for 35 days, are terrific, as is the generous veal chop Parmesan. And everything seems just a bit more special from Prime’s outdoor tables, which deliver a delightful harbor view even as the well-appointed dining and oyster bar represent the high-end of Long Island eating with great skill and just enough flair. The kitchen excels at high-end hits like beef Wellington, but leavens the menu with a standout burger. More info: 631-385-1515, restaurantprime.com

Rothmann’s

6319 Northern Blvd., East Norwich

Rothmann's serves history as well as excellent food. The story begins in 1907. Charles and Franziska Rothmann ran a restaurant that counted former President Theodore Roosevelt as a customer. There have been name and style changes through the years, including a 1970s period when it was Burt Bacharach's eatery at the East Norwich Inn. Today, the stars include grilled octopus, kung pao calamari, seared foie gras with balsamic-glazed red onions and blueberry compote, shellfish cocktails, and both sushi and sashimi. The special sushi rolls are multiflavor mouthfuls, surprisingly harmonious. The leading steaks are the porterhouse and the “limited reserve” productions, among them the tomahawk rib-eye, filet mignon and bone-in strip steak. Roasted fingerling potatoes and creamed spinach are the primary sides, along with sauteed onions and hash browns. More info: 516-922-2500, rothmannssteakhouse.com

Tellers: An American Chophouse

605 Main St., Islip

Maybe it’s that roaring fire and gleaming copper bar in the lounge, or the bank lobby turned bustling dining room, with its impossibly high ceilings, 30-foot windows, glowing Deco wall sconces and artificial trees. Or the mammoth crustaceans boiled orange and beef Wellingtons and multitiered shellfish towers visible at all points in the dining room. Who are we kidding? You come to Tellers for the Celebration Strip, 20 ounces of the finest dry-aged, bourbon-tinged, carnal succulence that your canines have ever torn into, or the audacity of the 40-ounce rib-eye with 12 inches of clean white bone tomahawking out of it. Still, don’t overlook Tellers’ seafood offerings. Don’t miss the prix fixe lunch, a serious candidate for finest weekday bargain on the island. More info: 631-277-7070, tellerschophouse.com