Though this Pasadena steakhouse offers the widest selection of wagyu beef in the LA area, it’s much more than that, with composed starters like the uni-topped French toast. The wines, cocktails, and service are also top notch, making this one of the best places to eat steak in LA. Just be prepared to pay a hefty price for the experience.

Part butcher shop and part restaurant, Gwen is Curtis and Luke Stone’s fiery temple for all things meaty in Hollywood. The upscale steakhouse has more of a fine dining feel with dishes like grilled octopus and squid ink tagliatelle leading into dry-aged cuts that are butchered on the premises.

Carlitos Gardel features Argentinian-grilled USDA prime steaks at prices that are exceptionally reasonable. Opt for the parrillada plate as a first-timer, since it comes with skirt steak, short ribs, sausages, and sweetbreads for a sampling of all that’s grilled and glorious. And don’t forget the chimichurri.

This Beverly Hills classic does the simple things well, from a massive wedge salad laden with blue cheese and bacon to a textbook chicken pot pie. When it comes to steak, go for the prized ribeye aged for 28 days and grilled over oak for a seared finish. Save room for the fudge brownie pie or key lime pie for dessert.

Wolfgang Puck has had his finger on the pulse of luxury for more than three decades, and CUT is his minimalist masterpiece. His original steakhouse, located in back of the Beverly Wilshire hotel, features an upraised exhibition kitchen, wood tables without tablecloths, and art lined white walls. No matter the source or cut, all of the meat is grilled over hard charcoal and finished in a 1200-degree broiler.

Located in the Westfield Century City mall, this latest restaurant from the Del Frisco’s team serves up hand-cut steaks, seafood, and more than 2,000 wines. Weighing in at 32 ounces and dry-aged for 45-days, “The Double Eagle,” a double bone prime ribeye, is fit for two and worthy of a splurge. One of the top places for lovers of dry-aged beef in LA.

The Taylor family started the restaurant in 1953 and has been anchored to the same Koreatown location since 1970. People slide into black and red booths and disappear into times past with help from martinis and high-value steaks. Taylor’s prepares dry-aged, prime beef in a 700-degree gas broiler, including the culotte, a three-inch thick, center-cut top sirloin. Prime sirloin pepper steak is another popular choice for anyone looking for less heft and a different flavor profile.

Malibu has a new steakhouse to know about called Lucky’s, which comes by way of Montecito. With poised white tablecloth service and an excellent menu of buttery grilled steaks, the more low-key Lucky’s is destined to be the locals pick over the more flashy Mastro’s over by the beach.

Dear John’s is a collaborative effort between two already famous Los Angeles chefs: Hans Rockenwagner and Josiah Citrin. The two are turning the place back in time with bright red tablecloths, dark booths, and dishes with a classical edge. There’s a punchy shrimp cocktail and a rich chicken parm on offer, plus cocktails like martinis and manhattans for all to enjoy. In short, Dear John’s is back, and may indeed be better than ever. But like all classic films, it’s only a matter of time before the final credits roll. Dear John’s just extended its lease until April 2022, though its future beyond that is uncertain.

Brothers Kevin and Lorin Smith own this Pico Rivera institution, which their father and uncle founded in 1958 and named for racehorse Sir Dal Rae. The restaurant houses big black leather booths, umbrella shaped lanterns, and wood and mirrored walls. Still, Dal Rae is more than just a time capsule. Beef remains in high demand, particularly the pepper steak. Whether it’s filet mignon or prime New York, both cuts are lavished with spicy pepper sauce.

One of the newer additions to LA’s scene, Bull and Butterfly comes from longtime restaurateurs Alan and Heidi Jackson, who have opened this modern California steakhouse in Playa Vista. In addition to more familiar steakhouse cuts like New York strip, there’s a Santa Maria-style asada portion of the menu for anyone looking for California’s oak-grilled specialty.

Longtime Brazilian barbecue Green Field is back in action after closing for parts of the pandemic. With unlimited cuts of chicken hearts, short rib, garlic beef, and picanha, plus a wide salad bar of heart of palm salad and vinaigrette (a diced salad of onion and tomato), Green Field is a Long Beach classic for steak lovers.