The 8 Best Porterhouse Steaks You Can Find At Chain Restaurants, According To Customers

Many options await at a steakhouse, but one stands out as truly indulgent. If you know cuts of beef, you know that a porterhouse steak is a special treat. Consisting by definition of two parts of the steak in one, a porterhouse can sometimes get as hefty as 2 whole pounds. That's right, you get both a filet mignon and a New York strip with a porterhouse. No wonder many restaurants list it as a dinner for two. If you're throwing a party, a porterhouse can feed a crowd. Don't think you have to go to the fanciest steakhouse with the biggest celebrity chef, though. Great porterhouse steaks exist at chain restaurants. In fact, some chains make the cut a point of pride. And why shouldn't they? The dish is a flat-out showstopper.

It's a hefty cut of steak with hefty prices to match, too. If you're going to be paying top dollar for the top cut of steak, you want to know which spots are doing it the best, right? Luckily, we've scoured customer reviews across the internet to find out which chain restaurants have the best porterhouse steaks.

People love to give nicknames to prized possessions, like cars, guitars, or even a good chef's knife. It's something beyond a term of endearment. It signals a kind of partnership between a person and an inanimate object. LongHorn Steakhouse likes to name its steaks: Flo's filet, the outlaw ribeye, the renegade sirloin. What nickname did the chain bestow on its 22-ounce porterhouse? The LongHorn. Before you ask, no, there is not some other cut named "the Steakhouse." Only the porterhouse bears the burden of being eponymous. No pressure there. It's a weighty title, but don't worry. The beef lives up to it.

Now, it's true that the porterhouse — ahem, the LongHorn — is the most expensive cut at LongHorn Steakhouse. That sure doesn't stop some people. One Redditor said that they have one every week — with a side of fries and asparagus, eat your vegetables, kids — and called it "worth every dime." Other reviewers praised the grill flavor and char marks. Proper cooking on a porterhouse is difficult and proper presentation is an absolute must, so LongHorn nailing those aspects means something.

In case you're planning a date night, we feel the need to give proper warning. As far as steakhouse chains go, Mastro's is on the end of the spectrum closer to "you could film a 'Goodfellas' sequel here," rather than "there are peanut shells in my boots." You'll want to dress nicely at this joint, but it's worth the effort — some reviews note that the service is as great as the food. Mastro's is an impressive steakhouse, and the menu here features an impressive 24-ounce porterhouse. Try not to get melted butter and beef drippings all over the white tablecloths, but honestly? We can't blame you if you do.

The prices are a little steeper than your neighborhood bar and grill, but the culinary prowess on display commands top dollar. One Redditor gave the steak a nine out of 10, saying that the hot plates on which Mastro's serves food helped finish the steak. Many reviewers note that portion sizes are huge here, so be prepared to split your meal or carry home leftovers. That's not such a bad thing. Steak and eggs is the breakfast that astronauts eat before going to space, after all. Turn your leftover Mastro's porterhouse into a moonwalker's breakfast.

At Pappa Bros. Steakhouse, bone-in cuts of steak get their own section of the menu. That's how you know you're in for something special when you order a 26-ounce porterhouse here. Sure, a porterhouse definitionally has a bone. It's that bone that separates the filet and the strip, everybody knows that. What's special about a bone? Well, bones and fat are where flavor live. Pappas Bros. giving bone-in cuts their own menu section implies that the kitchen knows to break out the big guns with these cuts. It should also serve as a big flashing sign to you, the diner. Direct your eyes and appetites here, please, if you want to truly eat.

One Facebook commenter, under a picture of the restaurant's perfectly cooked porterhouse, said that Pappa Bros. Steakhouse is the best steak in the city. With that cut dry aged and then seared until just right, we can believe that claim. When people ask what to order at this restaurant, the first recommendation is often the porterhouse steak. It is the dish to settle debates, after all. If you're trying to decide between the mouthwatering tenderness of filet mignon or the flavorful fattiness of a cut like the New York strip? Porterhouse has both! It's a win-win.

If you're looking for a chain restaurant with tasty beef? Maybe check out the one with the name that invokes the state most known for cowboys and cattle. One of the best chains to get a steak, Texas Roadhouse has a 23-ounce porterhouse. The dish comes with two sides, but the menu doesn't specify that it's meant for two people. So go wild if you want to. The fine people at Texas Roadhouse certainly aren't here to judge.

Customer opinion is important, but for what it's worth? The Daily Meal did an ultimate ranking of Texas Roadhouse steaks, and the porterhouse stood on the podium with a bronze medal. Coming in third place behind prime rib and bone-in ribeye is more than respectable — it's a third place that's also a badge of honor. Customers like this dish, too. First timers at Texas Roadhouse have come away saying they were amazed by the porterhouse. Food reviewer Guy Bubby George referred to the filet mignon portion, with its luscious tenderness, as akin to dessert. If you're one of those people whose idea of dessert is seconds and thirds of dinner, consider the porterhouse — a steak with a built-in dessert.

Peter Luger has had a rough few years, beginning with a zero-star review in the New York Times in 2019. Bad breaks culminated in the restaurant losing a Michelin star in 2022. Listen, though: Restaurants lose Michelin stars all the time. The honorific is evaluated annually, and keeping one is incredibly difficult and exacting. Does Peter Luger, after more than 100 years in the business, suddenly have a bad porterhouse? No. Things change over time, and that makes some people upset. As far as The Daily Meal is concerned, Peter Luger is one of the steakhouses that serves the highest quality steaks. The beef is dry aged on the restaurant's own drying box, and you can even buy cuts to cook at home.

One Redditor, after listing various upscale restaurant excursions, claimed that Peter Luger was still the best steak in New York. They specifically singled out the dry aging as something that the restaurant does better than anyone else. Getting the right combination of richness and funkiness in an aged steak is an art, one that Peter Luger helped to introduce in New York when the restaurant was founded in 1887. Other reviewers have called the porterhouse here the best porterhouse they'd eaten in their life. Pretty high praise, right? 

This spot is something like an evangelist for porterhouse steaks. The restaurant helpfully includes a history of the cut and home cooking tips on the Ruth's Chris website. Of course, the actual product that the restaurant offers is important, too. Coming in at a whopping 40 ounces, the porterhouse at Ruth's Chris gets seasoned and broiled. Then, at the table, diners are brought hot plates with warm melted butter. This allows the steak to baste on the plate and completely finish seconds before you start chowing down. One Redditor said the porterhouse was their favorite steak, and lamented the fact that the r/steak subreddit wouldn't allow a video. Evidently, the full effect is auditory. Pictures are enough to get our mouths watering, though.

You can find people on the internet who say that a porterhouse at Ruth's Chris is an excellent treat for a birthday or other special occasion. YouTuber Atxandchill said that their partner loved the porterhouse, while raving about the aroma of melted butter on hot plates. Honestly, if a steakhouse smells like melted butter the moment you walk in? You're in the right place. One of the secrets to a great steak is copious amounts of butter. It's one of the most important components. Ruth's Chris understands that.

Smith and Wollensky is another high-end steakhouse chain for diners who enjoy the finer things. Is a 42-ounce porterhouse for two among the finer things? Yes, please. Satisfied diners across the internet agree, the dish won't disappoint. Blogger Mitzie Mee said that this luxurious steak felt like a cheat meal, since many of their friends had recently gone vegetarian or vegan. If you're going to indulge in some beef, might as well be the most decadent cut on the menu, right?

If you want a great steak, you want Smith and Wollensky's. People recommend the porterhouse here, with one Redditor saying that the technique and quality of beef is perfect. That person also called it one of the best five steaks they'd eaten in their life. Making the top five is nothing to sneeze at. A top five ranking usually means that you're still thinking about your steak dinner for years after you eat it. That's the kind of impression we'd want a porterhouse to make. Especially a porterhouse for two.

If you want a place that cares about good beef, this is your spot. The Capital Grille offers butchery services, selling good steaks that you can cook at home. We want to focus on the 24-ounce dry aged porterhouse the kitchen at the restaurant makes, though. The beef is sliced on a serving plate, so that you and your dining companion can help yourselves to whichever portion of the filet or strip you like. It's a gorgeous presentation, and that matters. You eat with your eyes first, after all.

So yes, if you've never been here and are wondering what to order at Capital Grille? Try the porterhouse steak. One commenter on Facebook called the porterhouse "the best of both worlds," in reference to the strip and filet. Not a bad deal, being able to taste two types of steak in the same dish. A big piece of steak with the perfect char on the outside and the exact doneness you want on the inside? There are few experiences like it.