Everyone asks the same question upon entering this Santa Monica establishment, “How long has this place been here?” Since 1949, the Golden Bull has served stellar chops in an old-school dining room with serious Mad Men TV show vibes, stiff cocktails, and friendly service. Given the interrupted service due to the Palisades fire, the menu is currently much smaller than its usual but still have burgers, salads, a few steaks, and accompanying sides. Hours are also limited to Wednesday to Saturday service, though happy hour starts at 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Golden Bull [Official Photo]

A perennially busy option in Venice Beach for steak lovers, American Beauty excels because of its menu, ample outdoor seating, warm service, and striking midcentury space on Rose Avenue. Stop in for cocktails, dry-aged porterhouses, thick grilled bacon, and a mammoth hash brown stuffed with melted onions and sour cream. If going deep Westside isn’t ideal, a can’t-miss-it-if-you-tried American Beauty location is now open at the Grove.

American Beauty

The team behind wagyu restaurant Matu has opened its sister restaurant, Matu Kai, in Brentwood. The steak restaurant carries over many of the favorites from Matu, like set meals that start with a rich 24-hour bone broth, before bringing out tartare, rib-eye, beef cheek, and more. Like its sister restaurant, all the wagyu at Matu Kai is sourced from New Zealand’s First Light Farms. The restaurant offers a few dishes exclusive to the Brentwood location, including steak brochettes brushed with harissa spice, wagyu meatballs that could compete with any Italian restaurant in town, maltagliati pasta in a rib-eye ragu, and a Caesar with tahini. Pair meats here with a cocktail off the menu, or a glass of Matu Reserve.  — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest

Jeffrey Chan

This Sherman Oaks restaurant opened in November 2023 to Valley crowds hungry for a hip steakhouse. Step inside to find tables ordering multiple courses of BLVD’s petit filets, dry-aged 42-ounce tomahawk steak, or three types of wagyu. Order the caprese-inspired martini shaken with Grey Goose, Campari, tomato simple syrup with sherry vinegar, and a fresh mozzarella garnish. The team will add a second location in Calabasas in mid-2025 in the former Crossroads Kitchen space.

Head to the top floor of Eataly in Century City Terra and take a moment to observe the sprawling views with a whiff of smoky flavors emanating from the grill. Always take recommendations from the seasoned staff, but it’s best to start with burrata, grilled bread, and salads before moving on to grilled fish and meat skewers. The flavorful culotte bistecca and thin bone-in tagliatan are beautifully served on a cutting board. Or opt for the 45-day dry-aged wagyu tomahawk that should feel the entire table.

Matthew Kang

This Culver City landmark will live on after announcing that it had extended its lease in 2024. Revived by chefs Hans Rockenwagner and Josiah Citrin, the historic Frank Sinatra haunt was a throwback mid-century steakhouse with classic preparations and suave service. Expect strong martinis and well-grilled steaks to go along with one of the dimmest, most festive dining rooms in town.

Chef David LeFevre’s midcentury modern steakhouse uses a white oak grill to deliver outstanding steaks in Manhattan Beach. The Arthur J steak menu falls into two primary categories — USDA prime and certified Angus — though one can also score a deluxe Japanese wagyu beef rib-eye cap. Every night features a nightly special, including a beef bolognese lasagna on Mondays and roast beef French dip on Sunday nights.

Beverly Hills has one of the largest concentrations of steakhouses in Los Angeles. That’s no surprise for this exclusive area but these establishments just keep coming to the 90210. In early 2023, Mastro’s founders opened Steak 48 and spent a pretty penny on this sprawling and modern steakhouse with wet-aged beef sealed and aged in its own juices, hulking grilled chops, and a cadre of decadent sides like the corn creme brulee.

The steakhouse genre in Los Angeles tends to divide into three camps: The old-school midcentury style with stiff martinis and swift service; the California-inflected steak restaurant with seasonal ingredients; and the 2000s-era upscale steakhouse where celebrities tend to flock. Boa is in the third camp, and has been an epicenter of see-and-be-seen steakhouse dining for two decades. Its West Hollywood outpost, one of three in Southern California that includes Manhattan Beach and Santa Monica, continues to evolve with trends. Chef Brendan Collins, a veteran of LA kitchens, has crafted a bill of fare that caters to everyone, including seafood lovers. Plush, buttery Parker House rolls made from milk bread give way to tuna tartare and caviar cones filled with soft whipped potato. Grilled king crab, served with a Cajun-style sauce, works as a fantastic mid-course while the seasonal sweet corn agnolotti with juicy New Caledonia prawns primes the palate for the main event. (The tableside Caesar is also a great way to go.) The steaks are stellar, seared nicely on the outside but still evenly medium rare inside. Opt for one of the dry-aged cuts from Creekstone Farms or the newer Westholme wagyu steaks sourced from Australia; both exude an indulgent, tender complexity that’s not overdone by hot butter, as some other steakhouses tend to do. Do you need a “boujee” twice-baked potato topped with various kinds of caviar? Not really, but it tastes fantastic as a beef companion.

Matthew Kang

In Redondo Beach, this elegant steakhouse does beef exceedingly well with a wood-fired sear on the outside while maintaining a juicy, tender core. Chef Walter Nunez assembles a crowd-pleasing menu of clams casino, gnocchi with lobster, and lamb shank doused in rosemary. The main draw is an eight-ounce filet, bone-in tomahawk, but the wagyu flight showcasing two-ounce portions from the US, Australia, and Japan is equally great.

Matthew Kang

Chef Wes Avila’s bold Monterrey-inspired steakhouse is ideal for those seeking something non-traditional. Avila found inspiration from visits to Monterrey’s steakhouses and seeing expert grillers from the region. At MXO, the team prepares beef martillo using braised wagyu beef shank with marrow and consomé that feeds up to eight diners. The 12-ounce la carnita asada skirt steak is smoky, flavorful, and loveable thanks to the accompanying flour tortillas.

MXO Steakhouse

Beverly Grove’s Carlitos Gardel features Argentinian-grilled USDA prime steaks at attainable prices. Owned by a family that immigrated from Armenia to Argentina and eventually to Los Angeles, this 28-year-old restaurant has all the charm of a classic spot in Buenos Aires. The starters are fantastic, from the provoleta and empanadas to the grilled shrimp swimming in red chimichurri sauce. For wood-grilled meat, pick the shareable parrillada plate, which comes with skirt steak, short ribs, sausages, and sweetbreads to sample a little bit of everything. Always consult the sommelier for a rare Argentinian wine to pair with every cut.

Farley Elliott

Burbank’s 77-year-old Smoke House is a time capsule with deep cherry red leather booths, white tablecloths, a carpet that’s likely decades-old, vintage neon signs, and so much casual charm. The slow-roasted prime rib is the house specialty — served au jus for a reasonable $42. In fact, the Smoke House’s menu is one of the best deals in town, especially the tri-tip sandwich for $22.

A little over 10 years ago, Chi Spacca became LA’s first meat-curing facility to be certified by the Department of Public Health. This Italian restaurant specializes in bistecca Fiorentina, a 50-ounce dry-aged prime porterhouse. For those intimidated by that massive size, there’s the crostata alla Fiorentina, a prime dry-aged, bone-in New York steak that registers only 36 ounces. Spacca is an intimate space for those going all-out on the meats. Don’t forget to share the famous focaccia di recco to start, a cheesy flatbread perfected by chef Nancy Silverton.

Nick Solares

Part butcher shop-part restaurant, Gwen is chef Curtis and brother Luke Stone’s Hollywood meat sanctuary, which earned a Michelin star in 2022 for its overall excellence. The upscale steakhouse has more of a fine-dining feel with dishes like Josper-grilled squid with Thai chile or lobster tortellini leading into dry-aged cuts that are butchered on the premises. The wines and cocktails are also exemplary, but the real differentiator at Gwen is the service.

Gwen

Located on the same block as Clark Street and sourdough pizza maker Grá, Butchr Bar’s charming mauve-colored dining room serves outstanding wines, cured meats, and steak. Everything is organic, antibiotic-free, dry-aged, and butchered in-house by chef Danny Rodriguez (formerly of Cobi’s in Santa Monica) and sous chef Chianne Mallari. Ask what specialties are on the menu for the day, but one can always order the beautifully prepared dry-aged bone-in tomahawk at $6 per ounce.

Diamond Born Photography

Everyone asks the same question upon entering this Santa Monica establishment, “How long has this place been here?” Since 1949, the Golden Bull has served stellar chops in an old-school dining room with serious Mad Men TV show vibes, stiff cocktails, and friendly service. Given the interrupted service due to the Palisades fire, the menu is currently much smaller than its usual but still have burgers, salads, a few steaks, and accompanying sides. Hours are also limited to Wednesday to Saturday service, though happy hour starts at 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Golden Bull [Official Photo]

A perennially busy option in Venice Beach for steak lovers, American Beauty excels because of its menu, ample outdoor seating, warm service, and striking midcentury space on Rose Avenue. Stop in for cocktails, dry-aged porterhouses, thick grilled bacon, and a mammoth hash brown stuffed with melted onions and sour cream. If going deep Westside isn’t ideal, a can’t-miss-it-if-you-tried American Beauty location is now open at the Grove.

American Beauty

The team behind wagyu restaurant Matu has opened its sister restaurant, Matu Kai, in Brentwood. The steak restaurant carries over many of the favorites from Matu, like set meals that start with a rich 24-hour bone broth, before bringing out tartare, rib-eye, beef cheek, and more. Like its sister restaurant, all the wagyu at Matu Kai is sourced from New Zealand’s First Light Farms. The restaurant offers a few dishes exclusive to the Brentwood location, including steak brochettes brushed with harissa spice, wagyu meatballs that could compete with any Italian restaurant in town, maltagliati pasta in a rib-eye ragu, and a Caesar with tahini. Pair meats here with a cocktail off the menu, or a glass of Matu Reserve.  — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest

Jeffrey Chan

This Sherman Oaks restaurant opened in November 2023 to Valley crowds hungry for a hip steakhouse. Step inside to find tables ordering multiple courses of BLVD’s petit filets, dry-aged 42-ounce tomahawk steak, or three types of wagyu. Order the caprese-inspired martini shaken with Grey Goose, Campari, tomato simple syrup with sherry vinegar, and a fresh mozzarella garnish. The team will add a second location in Calabasas in mid-2025 in the former Crossroads Kitchen space.

Head to the top floor of Eataly in Century City Terra and take a moment to observe the sprawling views with a whiff of smoky flavors emanating from the grill. Always take recommendations from the seasoned staff, but it’s best to start with burrata, grilled bread, and salads before moving on to grilled fish and meat skewers. The flavorful culotte bistecca and thin bone-in tagliatan are beautifully served on a cutting board. Or opt for the 45-day dry-aged wagyu tomahawk that should feel the entire table.

Matthew Kang

This Culver City landmark will live on after announcing that it had extended its lease in 2024. Revived by chefs Hans Rockenwagner and Josiah Citrin, the historic Frank Sinatra haunt was a throwback mid-century steakhouse with classic preparations and suave service. Expect strong martinis and well-grilled steaks to go along with one of the dimmest, most festive dining rooms in town.

Chef David LeFevre’s midcentury modern steakhouse uses a white oak grill to deliver outstanding steaks in Manhattan Beach. The Arthur J steak menu falls into two primary categories — USDA prime and certified Angus — though one can also score a deluxe Japanese wagyu beef rib-eye cap. Every night features a nightly special, including a beef bolognese lasagna on Mondays and roast beef French dip on Sunday nights.

Beverly Hills has one of the largest concentrations of steakhouses in Los Angeles. That’s no surprise for this exclusive area but these establishments just keep coming to the 90210. In early 2023, Mastro’s founders opened Steak 48 and spent a pretty penny on this sprawling and modern steakhouse with wet-aged beef sealed and aged in its own juices, hulking grilled chops, and a cadre of decadent sides like the corn creme brulee.

The steakhouse genre in Los Angeles tends to divide into three camps: The old-school midcentury style with stiff martinis and swift service; the California-inflected steak restaurant with seasonal ingredients; and the 2000s-era upscale steakhouse where celebrities tend to flock. Boa is in the third camp, and has been an epicenter of see-and-be-seen steakhouse dining for two decades. Its West Hollywood outpost, one of three in Southern California that includes Manhattan Beach and Santa Monica, continues to evolve with trends. Chef Brendan Collins, a veteran of LA kitchens, has crafted a bill of fare that caters to everyone, including seafood lovers. Plush, buttery Parker House rolls made from milk bread give way to tuna tartare and caviar cones filled with soft whipped potato. Grilled king crab, served with a Cajun-style sauce, works as a fantastic mid-course while the seasonal sweet corn agnolotti with juicy New Caledonia prawns primes the palate for the main event. (The tableside Caesar is also a great way to go.) The steaks are stellar, seared nicely on the outside but still evenly medium rare inside. Opt for one of the dry-aged cuts from Creekstone Farms or the newer Westholme wagyu steaks sourced from Australia; both exude an indulgent, tender complexity that’s not overdone by hot butter, as some other steakhouses tend to do. Do you need a “boujee” twice-baked potato topped with various kinds of caviar? Not really, but it tastes fantastic as a beef companion.

Matthew Kang

In Redondo Beach, this elegant steakhouse does beef exceedingly well with a wood-fired sear on the outside while maintaining a juicy, tender core. Chef Walter Nunez assembles a crowd-pleasing menu of clams casino, gnocchi with lobster, and lamb shank doused in rosemary. The main draw is an eight-ounce filet, bone-in tomahawk, but the wagyu flight showcasing two-ounce portions from the US, Australia, and Japan is equally great.

Matthew Kang

Chef Wes Avila’s bold Monterrey-inspired steakhouse is ideal for those seeking something non-traditional. Avila found inspiration from visits to Monterrey’s steakhouses and seeing expert grillers from the region. At MXO, the team prepares beef martillo using braised wagyu beef shank with marrow and consomé that feeds up to eight diners. The 12-ounce la carnita asada skirt steak is smoky, flavorful, and loveable thanks to the accompanying flour tortillas.

MXO Steakhouse

Beverly Grove’s Carlitos Gardel features Argentinian-grilled USDA prime steaks at attainable prices. Owned by a family that immigrated from Armenia to Argentina and eventually to Los Angeles, this 28-year-old restaurant has all the charm of a classic spot in Buenos Aires. The starters are fantastic, from the provoleta and empanadas to the grilled shrimp swimming in red chimichurri sauce. For wood-grilled meat, pick the shareable parrillada plate, which comes with skirt steak, short ribs, sausages, and sweetbreads to sample a little bit of everything. Always consult the sommelier for a rare Argentinian wine to pair with every cut.

Farley Elliott

Burbank’s 77-year-old Smoke House is a time capsule with deep cherry red leather booths, white tablecloths, a carpet that’s likely decades-old, vintage neon signs, and so much casual charm. The slow-roasted prime rib is the house specialty — served au jus for a reasonable $42. In fact, the Smoke House’s menu is one of the best deals in town, especially the tri-tip sandwich for $22.

A little over 10 years ago, Chi Spacca became LA’s first meat-curing facility to be certified by the Department of Public Health. This Italian restaurant specializes in bistecca Fiorentina, a 50-ounce dry-aged prime porterhouse. For those intimidated by that massive size, there’s the crostata alla Fiorentina, a prime dry-aged, bone-in New York steak that registers only 36 ounces. Spacca is an intimate space for those going all-out on the meats. Don’t forget to share the famous focaccia di recco to start, a cheesy flatbread perfected by chef Nancy Silverton.

Nick Solares

Part butcher shop-part restaurant, Gwen is chef Curtis and brother Luke Stone’s Hollywood meat sanctuary, which earned a Michelin star in 2022 for its overall excellence. The upscale steakhouse has more of a fine-dining feel with dishes like Josper-grilled squid with Thai chile or lobster tortellini leading into dry-aged cuts that are butchered on the premises. The wines and cocktails are also exemplary, but the real differentiator at Gwen is the service.

Gwen

Located on the same block as Clark Street and sourdough pizza maker Grá, Butchr Bar’s charming mauve-colored dining room serves outstanding wines, cured meats, and steak. Everything is organic, antibiotic-free, dry-aged, and butchered in-house by chef Danny Rodriguez (formerly of Cobi’s in Santa Monica) and sous chef Chianne Mallari. Ask what specialties are on the menu for the day, but one can always order the beautifully prepared dry-aged bone-in tomahawk at $6 per ounce.

Diamond Born Photography