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Ten Great Old School Steakhouses in Los Angeles

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2008_10_hasmapsla.jpgLos Angeles is a city that has run on steak for decades. From Beverly Hills business lunches to thick late night slabs of prime rib, grilled meat has been a prime motivator for the L.A. restaurant scene for the better part of a century. And thankfully, many of the city's great old school steakhouses are still standing. From Torrance dive bars that double as prime rib joints to Glendale tiki spots, this is a special The Five Days of Meat edition of are ten of the city's best long-in-the tooth steak joints. —Farley Elliott

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Taylor's Prime Steakhouse

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First opened in 1953, Taylor’s Steakhouse moved to their current location on 8th Street in 1970, then watched as the the neighborhood completely shifted through the decades. This longtime Koreatown staple still serves their ten-ounce sirloin culotte steaks, and sitting in the red naugahyde booths is as fun as ever.

Taylor’s Steakhouse

Musso & Frank Grill

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A legendary Hollywood Blvd. haunt, Musso & Frank Grill has been cutting steaks since 1919. The decor hasn’t changed much since then, and the waiters still wear those bright red jackets, but for pure charm (and a great bar), it’s hard to beat.

Dal Rae Restaurant

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Time stops inside Dal Rae in Pico Rivera. Or, rather, reverts back to the 1950’s, when Baked Alaska, pepper steaks and hand-spun salads hit each table, and the room looks like a plastic jungle of fake foliage.

Damon's Steak House

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Tiki has been alive and well in Glendale since the 1930’s, at Damon’s Steak House. The prime rib is still the draw here, though the outrageously neon interior is its own reason to go.

Pacific Dining Car

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Possibly the most well-known name in all night steaks, Pacific Dining Car on 6th St. has been sizzling up steaks 24/7 since 1921. The interior still matches the name, too, complete with faux luggage racks and the wood-paneled feel of dining car days gone by.

Chez Jay

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For more than four decades, Chez Jay has served as a local divey hang for Santa Monica residents, who don’t mind also tucking into a tidy filet mignon and lobster tail combo.

Chez Jay, Santa Monica

Steven's Steak & Seafood House

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Commerce’s longtime corner spot known as Steven’s Steak House has been serving up thick plates of prime rib to late night diners for half a century, and still does brisk business with locals and the post-casino crowd.

The San Francisican

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Part local haunt, part karaoke bar and all steak-y kitsch, Torrance’s The San Franciscan has been dishing shrimp cocktails and signature three quarter pound slices of prime rib since 1963.

Smoke House Restaurant

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A true Burbank institution, The SmokeHouse came to be just as men were returning from World War II. Adjacent to the Warner Brothers lot, the place is still an occasional stop for hungry execs looking to fill up on tableside-carved chateaubriand.

The Dresden Restaurant

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Though of late a mostly hipster hang in Los Feliz that garnered fame via the movie Swingers, The Dresden has for more than six decades been a steakhouse with a mean center-cut pork chop and one hefty peach melba.

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Taylor's Prime Steakhouse

First opened in 1953, Taylor’s Steakhouse moved to their current location on 8th Street in 1970, then watched as the the neighborhood completely shifted through the decades. This longtime Koreatown staple still serves their ten-ounce sirloin culotte steaks, and sitting in the red naugahyde booths is as fun as ever.

Taylor’s Steakhouse

Musso & Frank Grill

A legendary Hollywood Blvd. haunt, Musso & Frank Grill has been cutting steaks since 1919. The decor hasn’t changed much since then, and the waiters still wear those bright red jackets, but for pure charm (and a great bar), it’s hard to beat.

Dal Rae Restaurant

Time stops inside Dal Rae in Pico Rivera. Or, rather, reverts back to the 1950’s, when Baked Alaska, pepper steaks and hand-spun salads hit each table, and the room looks like a plastic jungle of fake foliage.

Damon's Steak House

Tiki has been alive and well in Glendale since the 1930’s, at Damon’s Steak House. The prime rib is still the draw here, though the outrageously neon interior is its own reason to go.

Pacific Dining Car

Possibly the most well-known name in all night steaks, Pacific Dining Car on 6th St. has been sizzling up steaks 24/7 since 1921. The interior still matches the name, too, complete with faux luggage racks and the wood-paneled feel of dining car days gone by.

Chez Jay

For more than four decades, Chez Jay has served as a local divey hang for Santa Monica residents, who don’t mind also tucking into a tidy filet mignon and lobster tail combo.

Chez Jay, Santa Monica

Steven's Steak & Seafood House

Commerce’s longtime corner spot known as Steven’s Steak House has been serving up thick plates of prime rib to late night diners for half a century, and still does brisk business with locals and the post-casino crowd.

The San Francisican

Part local haunt, part karaoke bar and all steak-y kitsch, Torrance’s The San Franciscan has been dishing shrimp cocktails and signature three quarter pound slices of prime rib since 1963.

Smoke House Restaurant

A true Burbank institution, The SmokeHouse came to be just as men were returning from World War II. Adjacent to the Warner Brothers lot, the place is still an occasional stop for hungry execs looking to fill up on tableside-carved chateaubriand.

The Dresden Restaurant

Though of late a mostly hipster hang in Los Feliz that garnered fame via the movie Swingers, The Dresden has for more than six decades been a steakhouse with a mean center-cut pork chop and one hefty peach melba.

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