Highest-rated steak restaurants in the San Diego area by diners
Highest-rated steak restaurants in the San Diego area by diners
The French have their bistros. The English have their pubs. And the Americans have their steakhouses.
Going out for a steak has been a pivotal part of American culture for more than a century, but it wasn't always considered a high-class, expensive meal. In New York City in the 1800s, working-class folks would down pints of ale and feast on slices of beefsteak (usually without utensils and atop white or French bread) for celebratory meals. Sometimes, the "beefsteak banquet," as it was known, would be put on as a political fundraiser.
Soon, fine-dining establishments opened up to take those steak dinners up a notch, like Delmonico's in 1837, Old Homestead Steakhouse in 1868, and Carl Luger's Café, Billiards and Bowling Alley (now Peter Luger) in 1887. One thing has remained the same though: Dining at a steakhouse is still synonymous with celebration. It's the kind of meal used to mark milestone moments on the path to the American dream—get a job, buy a house, go out for steak.
The steakhouse experience has certainly modernized from the days of eating beef with your hands and slugging beers. Ordering a steak involves choosing the best cuts, like rib-eye, filet mignon, and New York strip. Then there are the starters—a shrimp cocktail, oysters Rockefeller, or a classic house salad with your choice of dressing. And of course, you can't forget all of the accoutrements—the potato (baked, mashed, or au gratin?), the vegetable (creamed spinach, sautéed asparagus, or roasted broccoli?), and a slice of classic New York cheesecake to finish it off.
More than a century after the steak dinner got upgraded in New York City, chain steakhouses started bringing this central part of the American culinary tradition cross-country in the 1980s and '90s with spots like Texas Roadhouse, LongHorn Steakhouse, Outback Steakhouse, and The Capital Grille. Today, with so many steakhouses to choose from, it takes high-quality service, top-of-the-line cooking, and of course, the best cuts of beef to stand out from the rest.
How will you choose where to live out this iconic American meal? To help, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated steakhouses in the San Diego area, according to diners' reviews on Yelp as of February 2025. Restaurants tagged as "steakhouses" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of San Diego were included. As a result, some restaurants featured may primarily serve other food items. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews were considered.
#30. Rei Do Gado Brazilian Steakhouse
- Rating: 4.0/5 (2842 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 939 4th Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Brazilian, Steakhouses, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#29. Morton's The Steakhouse
- Rating: 4.0/5 (943 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 285 J St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, Bars, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#28. Wood Ranch Mission Valley
- Rating: 4.0/5 (1275 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7510 Hazard Center Drive Unit 215 San Diego, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, Barbecue, American
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Puerto La Boca
- Rating: 4.1/5 (1193 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2060 India St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, Argentine, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Born & Raised
- Rating: 4.1/5 (3055 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 1909 India St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, Beer, Wine & Spirits, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Fogo De Chao
- Rating: 4.1/5 (4648 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 668 6th Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Brazilian, Steakhouses, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Stake Chophouse & Bar
- Rating: 4.1/5 (627 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 1309 Orange Ave. Coronado, California
- Categories: Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Turf Supper Club
- Rating: 4.1/5 (947 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1116 25th St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Ruth's Chris Steak House
- Rating: 4.2/5 (1985 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1355 North Harbor Drive San Diego, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, Seafood, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Cardellino
- Rating: 4.2/5 (434 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4033 Goldfinch St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Italian, Cocktail Bars, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Zama San Diego
- Rating: 4.2/5 (537 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 467 Fifth Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Latin American, Sushi Bars, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Greystone Prime Steakhouse & Seafood
- Rating: 4.2/5 (3616 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 658 5th Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, Seafood, New American
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Rare Society
- Rating: 4.2/5 (541 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 4130 Park Blvd. San Diego, California
- Categories: Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Huntress
- Rating: 4.3/5 (899 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 376 Fifth Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, Cocktail Bars, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
- Rating: 4.3/5 (1404 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 380 K St. At 4th Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Wine Bars, Steakhouses, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Lou & Mickey's
- Rating: 4.3/5 (2795 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 224 Fifth Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Sizzler
- Rating: 4.3/5 (510 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4445 Imperial Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Seafood, Steakhouses, American
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Cowboy Star
- Rating: 4.3/5 (2181 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 640 10th Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#12. The Amalfi Llama
- Rating: 4.3/5 (417 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 4575 La Jolla Village Drive Ste 1155 San Diego, California
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Island Prime
- Rating: 4.3/5 (2798 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 880 Harbor Island Drive San Diego, California
- Categories: Seafood, Steakhouses, American
- Read more on Yelp
#10. C Level
- Rating: 4.3/5 (5088 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 880 Harbor Island Drive San Diego, California
- Categories: New American, Seafood, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Eddie V's Prime Seafood
- Rating: 4.4/5 (2284 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 1270 Prospect St. La Jolla, California
- Categories: Seafood, Steakhouses, Lounges
- Read more on Yelp
#8. The Remy
- Rating: 4.4/5 (320 reviews)
- Address: 2445 Hotel Circle Place San Diego, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, Desserts, Salad
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Moe's
- Rating: 4.4/5 (303 reviews)
- Address: 3768 Mission Blvd. San Diego, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Eddie V's Prime Seafood
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1940 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 789 West Harbor Drive Ste 158 San Diego, California
- Categories: Seafood, Steakhouses, Lounges
- Read more on Yelp
#5. STK Steakhouse
- Rating: 4.5/5 (4059 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 600 F St. San Diego, California
- Categories: New American, Steakhouses, Lounges
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Cow By Bear
- Rating: 4.5/5 (135 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: San Diego, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, New American
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Galpão Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse
- Rating: 4.7/5 (519 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 789 West Harbor Drive Ste 134 San Diego, California
- Categories: Brazilian, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Adrian's Surf N' Turf Grill
- Rating: 4.8/5 (776 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 9353 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Ste L1 San Diego, California
- Categories: Seafood, Steakhouses, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Freddy's Chophouse
- Rating: 4.8/5 (445 reviews)
- Address: 554 Fourth Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: American, Steakhouses, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Kiersten Hickman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 302 metros.
