10 Tips For Eating At A Steakhouse On A Budget

Most people love eating at steakhouses, but you know what most people hate about them? The cost. Although some steakhouses can be relatively affordable, generally speaking, they're pretty expensive places. If you want to eat at the best steakhouse in your state, you may have to fork out hundreds of dollars on the bill at the end. We understand why this is the case: After all, these restaurants make their money on offering customers high-quality meat in an upmarket atmosphere, and all of this comes at a price. Unfortunately, however, that price can be prohibitive for many people.

Well, we've got good news, folks — it doesn't have to be this way. It's entirely possible to eat at a steakhouse on a budget and to still get an awesome meal without taking out a bank loan. All it takes is to be a little bit savvy and to follow a few key tips. By knowing exactly when to eat at your local steakhouse, or how to spot its deals, you can keep your spending moderate and your smile fixed on your face. It's useful to know how to identify when you might be lured into spending too much.

Steakhouses may not be known for their low prices, but if we had to guess, we'd say that they've become aware of this. As a result, a good number of them out there are now offering some pretty amazing meal deals that can often be skipped over by customers, out of fear that they may leave you with a worse meal. Well, they won't. Taking advantage of these deals can provide you with significant savings, and you'll still get some great food.

At Outback Steakhouse, for example, you can opt for its Aussie 3-Course Meal, and grab a soup or salad, a signature entrée, and a slice of cheesecake for just $14.99. Logan's Roadhouse takes it a step further, with its Real-Deal Meal starting at $11.99, for which you can get a drink, a salad, an entrée, a side, and bottomless rolls. Want something a little more upmarket? Go to Fleming's on a Tuesday for its 3-Course Prime Steak Dinner for Two deal (appropriately called "Tomahawk Tuesday"). You and a friend can split a massive tomahawk steak, with sides, salads, and desserts, for $160.

Don't forget about family packs, either. If you're eating at Texas Roadhouse, you can grab an awesome deal on steaks, dinner rolls, and sides for the whole gang. The restaurant's family packs start at just $45.

Steak at a steakhouse is, of course, the star attraction, so it's no wonder that it can be the most expensive thing on your menu. The truth, though, is that it doesn't have to be. Steakhouse chefs are experts at producing excellent results out of any cut of meat, and although it can be tempting to opt for an ultra-pricey American or Japanese Wagyu beef, you may well have just as good a meal with something cheaper.

So, before you go to a steakhouse, take a look at its menu and figure out which steak will suit your budget. At upmarket places like The Capital Grille and Ruth's Chris, the NY Strip will usually give you the most beef for your money. At more affordable places, the sirloin may be cheapest, but not necessarily the biggest. Always weigh up price versus weight, and consider how hungry you are, so that you don't overspend on something too big. You may well be perfectly satisfied with a six-ounce sirloin from a place like Outback Steakhouse, and you'll definitely be happy about how your bill looks at the end.

At steakhouses, happy hour is your best friend. Most steakhouses have a dedicated happy hour, and a lot of them are way longer than their name suggests: At The Capital Grille, for example, happy hour can run from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., as it can at Sullivan's Steakhouse, and other places run from mid-afternoon right into evening service hours. During steakhouse happy hours, you'll usually get a pretty good deal on cocktails and wines, and some places may well offer two-for-one or discounted drinks.

However, that's not all. Many steakhouses have dedicated bar menus that they run during their happy hours, which give you access to dishes at a lower price. These dishes may be adapted from the standard menu, but generally speaking, they're both good-quality and very filling. Head to Ruth's Chris during its happy hour, and you can grab its Filet Sliders, which are normally $29, but have three dollars off the price from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. If you don't mind a slightly earlier evening meal, it's a great way to soak up the steakhouse ambience without spending all your money.

We're going to let you in on a little secret. You don't have to eat steak at a steakhouse. Okay, you probably knew this already, but it's worth repeating. Steakhouses are keenly aware of two things: That not everyone wants to have steak, and that not everybody wants to spend all of their money on their food. As a result, their menus are generally very diverse, and you can pick up chicken, fish, or even vegetarian options like salads.

Both affordable and upmarket steakhouses cater to every taste and price point. Take The Capital Grille, where you can order a roasted chicken breast with wild mushroom risotto for $43, or seared salmon for $49, both of which are cheaper than its lowest-priced steak. Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse does a roasted half chicken with whipped potatoes for $38, or you can opt for sesame-crusted ahi tuna for $40. These prices aren't exactly budget, but they're also a lot easier on the wallet than you might expect at restaurants like these. Plus, if you're going somewhere like Texas Roadhouse, you have a huge variety of options to choose from, from burgers to ribs. The choice is yours.

If you're not ordering sides and appetizers at a steakhouse, you're doing it wrong. Sure, the steak is the star of the show, but it's the little plates around it that are the all-important supporting cast, and a lot of them do some serious heavy lifting. However, appetizers and sides can quickly become costly, and steakhouses have a talent for charging the earth for them. If you're so inclined, at Ruth's Chris, you can sink $79 on a small chilled seafood tower (or $158 for the large version), and over at The Capital Grille, a bowl of caviar and onion dip with homemade chips will cost you $40. You can also drop $28 at The Capital Grille for a bowl of lobster mac and cheese as a side.

These all may be fancy, but are they worth it? Probably not. There are plenty of appetizers and sides at most steakhouses, which won't ruin your bank balance. At Ruth's Chris, the veal osso buco ravioli costs just $18 and is still a classy way to start your meal, while at The Capital Grille, a side of Parmesan truffle fries will set you back only $14. What's more, consider where you can get an upgrade for your sides at extra cost. At Texas Roadhouse, for example, if your dish comes with a side, you may be able to sub it out for a different one on the menu, free of charge.

Steakhouses are notoriously good at offering add-ons that will spike the cost of your bill. The biggest way they'll do this is through enhancements or complements to your steak, which are designed to make your meal a little more special, but can also cost the Earth. At Sullivan's, they offer a range of steak enhancements, from signature butters for $5 to royal Osetra caviar, which will set you back a whopping $90. Over at Ruth's Chris, you have the option of adding lobster tail to your entrée for $20, which seems reasonable, but you'll feel it when that bill hits the table. Remember, though, you probably don't need these for your meal to be good. 

Even if you don't opt to enhance your steaks or entrées, steakhouses will ensure that they arrive at your table as delicious as they can make them. Most steakhouses will also offer complementary sauces to go with your steak, which will elevate it without extra cost. Don't be tempted by those add-ons, and stick to the basics.

Like many restaurants, steakhouses try their best to give back to the community, and that includes looking after people who do some of the most important jobs out there. So, if you're a military member or veteran, a firefighter, a healthcare worker, a teacher, or a first responder, then you may be able to grab a discount on your meal. Steakhouses like Texas de Brazil, Black Angus Steakhouse, and Outback Steakhouse run 10% or 15% discounts for some or all of these job roles, provided that you can show a valid ID. Ensure you check with the steakhouse you're going to beforehand, about whether your profession is covered.

Steakhouses may also offer senior discounts to folks over 65, or who are in the AARP. In some places, this may be a percentage, while in others, it may take the form of a special, discounted menu, or meal deals that are exclusively available to older citizens. Just make sure you double-check any restrictions if it's the latter — some places, like Perry's Steakhouse & Grille, require you to dine before a certain time to take advantage of their discount.

What's a steakhouse meal without a good glass of wine? In our opinion, it's not much. The steakhouses know this all too well, and so not only do they offer an extensive wine selection on their menus, but the prices can be as extravagant as the tastes. Now, before any wine aficionados come at us, we know that some of these wines are both incredible and rare, meaning they're certainly worth what steakhouses charge for them. However, while the average customer likely won't need to spend hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars on a bottle of wine, it can be easy to be lulled into thinking that it'll complete your meal. Unless your palette is unbelievably refined and you have cash to burn, then it probably won't. 

We'd recommend ordering your wine by the glass, unless you're sure that you're going to get through a bottle and make the most of it. You can grab reasonably priced glasses of wine at even the most upmarket of steakhouses, and they'll still taste great. Do your wine research ahead of time, too, to avoid being upsold. If you know that a cheaper wine will do just fine, then you'll be less likely to be swayed by what the waiter suggests.

We know that it can be annoying to have a dozen emails a week from different restaurants. However, if you regularly eat at chain steakhouses, then it might just be worth it. Loyalty programs are commonplace amongst larger steakhouses these days, and a lot of them are worth your time. At restaurants like Ruth's Chris, Smith & Wollensky, Outback Steakhouse, and Fleming's, you can collect points every time you dine, which can later be redeemed for free items or rewards. These loyalty programs can also come with extra perks, like birthday or anniversary rewards, priority seating, or, as is the case at Smith & Wollensky, an amuse bouche every time you dine there.

You may also get some bonuses, even if you don't eat at steakhouses very often. Some loyalty programs, like Ruth's Chris's scheme, will give you a bonus just for signing up, in the form of a free appetizer. If your chosen steakhouse doesn't have a loyalty program, they may well have a newsletter sign-up scheme, through which they will periodically send out offers or discounts. Check those emails, folks, it's worth it!

If you're happy to eat a little bit earlier at a steakhouse, then you can save a pretty penny. Plenty of steakhouses open for lunch, and they're aware that it's a much less popular time for customers. As a result, they'll often run lunch menus that cost less than their dinner counterparts, but which are of the same quality. The selection may be slightly more limited, but you can still get a delicious meal without paying through the nose.

Some steakhouses may also have a small bites menu for lunch, to accommodate lighter appetites earlier in the day. Alternatively, they may run lunch deals that are a total steal. At LongHorn Steakhouse, its lunch plates start from just $8.49, and you can get a lot of food while spending way less than you would at dinner. Just make sure that you get there before 3:00 p.m., when the lunch service ends.