Chain Restaurants With The Best And Worst Filet Mignon Steaks, According To Customers

Is it too much to expect a restaurant filet mignon to be good? We don't think so. This is one of the most tender cuts of steak you can order, and when it's cooked right, it's heaven: Buttery, tender, and rich in flavor, without being too heavy or fatty. Its succulence is why restaurants are comfortable demanding a high price for the meat, and we pay that in the hope that the filet mignon in front of us will be the best we've ever had.

The problem, though, is that nailing a filet mignon can be harder than it seems — and in chain restaurants, results can be patchy. In some chains like Ruth's Chris, Del Frisco's, or Mastro's, filet mignon steaks are generally both reliable and delicious. However, these chains are also on the more expensive end of the spectrum, and so it kinda makes sense that they'd get their filet mignon right. Where things go downhill is when chains are more affordable and widespread, and at joints like Texas Roadhouse, Logan's Roadhouse, and Outback Steakhouse, you may end up with a filet mignon that you regret ordering.

As ever, it's the customers of these places that will give the best impression of the truth about their filet mignon steaks. So we went to the source. We worked through countless customer reviews online to figure out which filet mignon steaks are worth ordering, and which ones you should skip.

Ruth's Chris Steak House is the kind of place you go when you don't mind spending a bit more cash, but in return, it's not unreasonable to ask for a good piece of meat. The good news is that amongst the Ruth's Chris house classics, its filet mignon delivers. The filet mignon has received rapturous reviews from customers, with multiple people saying that it's the best piece of meat that they've ever enjoyed, full stop. What Ruth's Chris particularly excels at is maintaining consistency across its branches. "I know it's a chain restaurant but I've never had a bad filet there. It's been 100% perfect every time, regardless of location," stated one customer on Reddit, with others chiming in, saying how much they admire the restaurant's steaks.

Ruth's Chris also gets its presentation just right. Its filet mignon is served elegantly and proudly, being given its own plate, which allows the meat to shine on its own. The heated plate also keeps it warm as you work your way through it, without unnecessarily cooking it further. At $61 for an eight-ounce petite filet and $69 for an 11-ounce filet (prices may vary by location), it's not the cheapest in the world, but you'll definitely be happy you ordered it.

Let's be real here: Most people aren't going to Texas Roadhouse and expecting Michelin-star filet mignon. Having said this, you can reasonably expect a little more than what you get at the chain. Texas Roadhouse's filet mignon is far from one of its best dishes, and there are multiple horror stories online about the accuracy with which it's cooked, and even whether what people are being served is a filet at all.

It's pretty sad because some reviews have pointed out that Texas Roadhouse's filet mignon (which is called a Dallas filet) tastes pretty good for what it is. It's just that its chefs don't seem to be able to get the cooking quite right. Most of the time, the filet seems to be overcooked, with orders of medium-rare steak coming almost completely cooked through, and looking pretty dry to boot. Elsewhere, people have posted pictures of steaks that are seared beyond comprehension and have no tenderness in them whatsoever. Customers have also suspected that the filet they're being given is actually a sirloin. With a level of ambiguity like that, is it really worth spending your money on? We don't think so.

The Capital Grille is generally a pretty safe bet when it comes to a quality steak meal. So, does its filet mignon stand up to scrutiny? The good news is yes, it does — and then some. Customers have heaped praise on its filet mignon, which seems to be universally admired for its excellent quality and taste. In certain reviews, folks have even gone as far as to say that The Capital Grille's filet mignon is the best there is. "It was, in fact, the best filet mignon I have ever had and I have had MANY, MANY filet mignons in the finest restaurants around the country," stated one particularly rapturous reviewer on Yelp. "This was tender, melted in your mouth and I just can't say enough about." Oh, and did we mention that the reviewer ordered their steak medium-well? For it still to be meltingly soft ... That's skill, y'all.

In other reviews, The Capital Grille's chefs have been singled out for their ability to cook the filet mignon with accuracy. Its service is also great across the board, which makes all the difference. Oh, and the restaurant has some great sides, like creamed spinach or soy-glazed Brussels sprouts, which go excellently with the meat. All in all, eating here's a win.

We always feel a little bit sad when a chef ruins a filet mignon. Unfortunately, that seems to be a common occurrence at Outback Steakhouse. The chain restaurant just doesn't seem to be able to get its filet mignon right, and the main problem appears to be what the chefs are doing with the meat. Multiple customers have complained that the filet they ordered has either come out of the kitchen not cooked to order, or that it just has no flavor whatsoever. In other reviews, people have flagged the poor quality of the meat itself. "I got the petite filet mignon. It was well done and flat and looked like a hamburger on TV," said one particularly scathing review on Trustpilot.

It's also worth pointing out that Outback Steakhouse's filet mignon, which we think we can all agree is a dish you should never order at the chain, doesn't exactly look that great. Diners have posted pictures online of grayish, oddly-shaped pieces of meat that have none of the appetizing nature you'd expect. If you're gonna spend money on a filet mignon, you may as well save up and go to a better restaurant.

It can take a lot to get a filet mignon right. This is a super lean cut of meat, and if you cook it incorrectly, it can toughen up quickly and become nearly inedible. You want to retain its tenderness while ensuring that it heats through enough — which can be hard at the best of times, and especially difficult in a chain restaurant setting.

Well, Saltgrass Steak House doesn't seem to have that problem. The tenderness of its filet mignon has been highlighted in multiple reviews, with one person on Yelp stating that their steak was "very tender and flavorful." The restaurant also manages to keep its steaks juicy and seasons them just right.

Importantly, too, its chefs seem to know how to cook to order. Diners have been quick to point out that their filet mignon steaks were seared exactly how they wanted them. This is all the more impressive considering that Saltgrass Steak House isn't one of the super-fancy restaurant chains out there; it's a good mid-range option for a touch of fanciness without an extortionate price.

LongHorn Steakhouse is one of those chains that you probably don't expect too much from. After all, its affordable price point offers steaks that won't break the bank, and generally speaking, the less you pay, the less you get. Having said this, customers should be able to ask a little more from its filet mignon. This steak has been stridently criticized by diners at the restaurant, many of whom have stated that its chefs just can't seem to get the meat right. Some people have ordered rare filet mignons that have ended up arriving well-done and super tough. In one comment on Reddit, one person even said that they "could damn near see the lines in the steak from the vac seal packaging," and that the meat had no char. Now, doesn't that sound depressing?

More worryingly, customers have taken to the internet to ask whether they've actually received a filet mignon at all, or another cut of meat. One person, when reviewing LongHorn Steakhouse, pointed out that their filet mignon was fatty. Given that this is a famously lean cut of meat, they were well within their rights to question it.

Want a killer filet mignon? Mastro's is the place to go. This steakhouse doesn't do things by halves when it comes to a filet: It has four options to choose from, ranging from its 6-ounce petite filet at $60 to its 18-ounce bone-in cut (which will set you back a whopping $99). No matter which one you go for, though, you'll be rewarded with a well-cooked steak. Customers adore the filet at Mastro's, and it's very clear that the chefs know what they're doing. Whether you opt for rare or medium-well, they know how to treat the meat, producing an excellent result each time.

Customers aren't the only people who have praised Mastro's, either: Chefs have also been quick to highlight the superior quality of the restaurant's steaks. When you combine this with an upmarket, moody ambience and sides that are both tasty and super generous, you're on to a winner. Sure, it may be a little pricier than other steakhouses, but hey, you're paying for a premium experience here.

Dear, oh, dear. When it comes to filet mignon steaks, Logan's Roadhouse kinda excels — if what it's excelling in is customer reviews that make you want to run away. Let's start with the positives: Logan's Roadhouse is a good choice if you want your filet mignon to be affordable. Unfortunately, that's kinda where the good stuff ends. Customers have almost nothing good to say about the filet from this chain, and in a fair few reviews, they acknowledge that they haven't been able to finish it. Diners have spoken of the meat being gray, with a strange texture, as though it had been frozen and thawed several times before it hit the plate. Gross.

What's even less forgivable is the way that chefs treat the meat, according to customers. People who have requested unbutterflied steak have been completely ignored and have ended up with tough, overcooked filet mignon that has no place on a dining table. That's if they were served filet mignon in the first place: Some customers have suspected that they're not actually getting filet mignon at all, due to the suspicious appearance of the meat. The bottom line? Avoid Logan's Roadhouse like the plague if you want a good filet.

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse may not get everything right, but one thing it does nail is its filet mignon. People aren't shy about saying how good the cut is at this restaurant, and the consensus is that Del Frisco's nails it, serving up a filet mignon that's cooked to perfection and tastes incredibly good. Certain reviews have stated that it's the best filet they've ever eaten in a restaurant, and others have picked out the bone-in filet as particularly excellent. It seems like you can't go wrong with this steak.

Elsewhere, customers have been slightly less impressed with some of the dishes from Del Frisco's. It seems that its side dishes might suffer from a lack of seasoning, while its lamb chops can be a little overcooked at times. However, we're all about the steak here, and when the reviews are as rapturous as this, it's hard to ignore them. You'll pay a little more for your meal here, but honestly, we think that it's worth it.

To determine which chain restaurant filet mignon steaks were the best and which were the worst, we looked primarily at customer reviews. We took these reviews from a broad range of websites, including Reddit, Facebook, TripAdvisor, Yelp, and TikTok. Looking at customer responses from many platforms ensured that we weren't only accessing reviews from one particular demographic, as certain diners will naturally drift towards certain platforms to comment on their food. This gave us greater confidence that the filet mignons themselves were being judged fairly.

All of the customer reviews that we looked at were written within the last year, which gave us the most up-to-date information about the current state of each restaurant's filet mignon. To assess each steak, our main criteria were how well it was cooked, the quality of the meat, the texture of the filet mignon, and, of course, the flavor. We also looked at how the experience of eating certain steaks was enhanced by their presentation or the ambience of the restaurant. All of this provided a broad picture of the dish itself and how good or subpar it is.