Kansas City’s cowtown days are long gone, but to food writer and Haterade author Liz Cook, our steak scene is still strong, and as popular as ever.
“I think whenever there's a lot of uncertainty in the world, people kind of pivot to nostalgia,” Cook told KCUR’s Up To Date. “And so I think the steakhouse has become a lot more popular among a new generation of diners.”
It’s a trend nationwide: Texas Roadhouse was named the largest fast-casual dining chain in 2025.
In Kansas City, today’s steakhouses generally fill one of two niches. Some are splashy, opulent and modern, while others are what Cook calls “historic.”
“It looks like they haven't shampooed the carpet since the Watergate hearings,” Cook said. “That's the genre of steakhouse that I love, and I think we do really well.”
Despite our overall strong restaurant scene, many Kansas Citians insist the best steaks come from their own homes, says Jenny Vergara, food columnist for IN Kansas City Magazine.
“The ongoing conversation in Kansas City about steaks is always ‘Why would I go out and pay the prices to have a steak, when I can find plenty of great butcher shops in town?’” Vergara said.
And Kansas City is really a top-class city for butcher shops. KCUR rounded up the city’s best butcher shops for the Adventure! newsletter.
Cook, Vergara and Adventure! contributor Shannon Carpenter shared their top picks for the best steaks and steakhouses in Kansas City. Plus, we collected listeners’ recommendations from Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Shannon Carpenter's recommendations
The Majestic is the classic Kansas City steakhouse, and ideal for a fancy date night. For those wanting to go all in, try the 24-ounce Prime Grade porterhouse steak. Afterwards, the jazz club downstairs has been a KC hotspot for years.
The Upper Cut is the place to experience picanha, a famous Brazilian steak cut that comes from the top rear of the cow. It has a nice fat cap that keeps the meat tender and packed with flavor. The wagyu burgers are amazing, too.
The Local Pig is where I go to get my Christmas tomahawk steak. The butchers are knowledgeable and will help you find the perfect cut of steak to bring home and cook yourself. Don’t forget the bone marrow butter to go with it, either.
Le Fou Frog’s steak au poivre is fantastic. The Kansas City strip steak is flambeed in Cognac with Madagascar green peppercorns, veal demi glace and cream, but it won’t leave you feeling heavy – a good thing because you’ll want to make sure to pick one of the incredible desserts, too. The Filet Le Fou is also a solid choice.
JJ’s Restaurant on the Plaza is a Kansas City classic. Their Wagyu KC Strip is pricey, but at 14 ounces, it’s plenty filling and done right. They also carry a petite filet that’s worth ordering.
Piropos has steaks seasoned with imported Argentinean salts and spices. The peppercorn-encrusted 8-ounce filet in a brandy cream sauce sounds like a piece of heaven to me.
Liz Cook's recommendations
The Golden Ox is the alleged birthplace of the KC Strip, and it’s an ideal spot to order one, along with the old-school classics like Oysters Rockefeller, creamed spinach, or a Pink Squirrel, a Pepto Bismol-pink dessert cocktail. But I also love the Kansas City steak soup, which I think is the best you can get locally without a time machine to travel back to eat at Plaza III.
Jess and Jim’s has one of the most fun and reasonably priced steakhouse experiences in town. The 88-year-old spot still starts every table with a platter of complementary house-pickled beets, and the meat is still hand-cut daily. Don’t skip the housemade onion rings or the carrot cake. Know before you go: The steaks are all served unseasoned by default, so ask for the “house seasoning” when you order.
Stock Hill serves Wagyu steaks for diners without price sensitivity. The restaurant has one of the best selections locally and the skill in the kitchen to prepare them the way you’d expect. The rest of us should flutter in for the seasonal pastas, like a recent standout featuring morels and ramps, or walk into the bar on Thursday nights for “girl dinner” – a martini, fries, and a Caesar salad.
Westport Cafe turns into one of the city’s best steakhouses on Tuesdays, when it offers its “steak night” special: a $22 top sirloin steak draped in maître d’ butter, swimming in bearnaise, and served with unlimited matchstick fries. If there’s a better deal in town for a meal that’s both this high-end and this good, I haven’t found it.
Barbacoa offers a reverent alambre, a cheffy, grown-up version of the steak fajitas I grew up eating at my hometown Mexican restaurants. Huge, succulent pieces of flank steak are served with grilled onions and peppers in a moat of melty cheese, with Carmelo flour tortillas on the side.
Jenny Vergara's recommendations
Acre’s steaks are hand-trimmed in-house, grilled on a custom hearth, and finished with special seasoning, roasted garlic and umami butter. I recommend the 16-ounce Kansas City strip, or one of the dry-aged steaks – they’re more tender with a richer, beefier flavor, but the price tag reflects it.
Pierpont’s Union Station has a steak for every palate. I recommend the center cut filet mignon. It’s certified Hereford beef, served with your choice of side. Choose your own adventure with 5-, 7-, or 10-ounce portions.
McGregor’s Butcher & Bistro offers a tasty steak flight: 3-ounce portions of filet, Kansas City strip, and American wagyu ribeye, served sliced with an arugula garnish. Or, pick up a steak from the butcher to bring home and cook yourself.
The Parker Hollow’s menu generally centers on seafood, but the USDA Prime Hanger Steak or USDA Prime Ribeye Steak is inventive and delicious. It’s served with a wild mushroom sauce, alongside a salad of red wine vinaigrette-dressed arugula and French fries.
Rye has a 10-ounce filet mignon that’s done right, hand cut from USDA Choice Creekstone Beef. Monday night is also steak night at the Leawood location – choose a soup or salad, steak option and side, plus a slice of pie for one price.
Green Dirt on Oak executive chef Jeff Workman whips up some delicious farm-to-table dishes, including the Kansas City strip that’s served with anchovy butter, cabbage and soubise, a classic French sauce.
Sierra Grill offers steak and frites that’s delightful and affordable. The Kansas City strip steak is served medium-rare, sliced over French fries, and served with a fresh and herbaceous chimichurri sauce.
Fox and Pearl uses the picanha or sirloin cap cut for their coulotte steak, served with arugula gnudi, a light Italian dumpling made from ricotta cheese, confit shiitake mushrooms and pearl onions, topped with bordelaise, a French red wine sauce.
Room 39 usually has a steak offering on the menu, and I like the filet au poivre, a steak coated in crushed peppercorns to create a crust. It’s served with a rich cream sauce made with beef stock and brandy or cognac, and has Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes on the side.
Your Kansas City steak recommendations
- Pollard’s Meat Market
- The Campground – steak frites
- Cafe Provence – Filet Mignon Sauce Bordelaise
- Farina – wood-grilled KC Strip
- The Upper Cut
