phx - non-budget busting steak?

[winedubar]

hi all,

my friend said 'steak' to me now it's all i can think about. however - my recent vacay left my wallet in a sorry state.

where can i get a good to great steak without needing a second mortgage?

i'd be all over splurging if i could.

any thoughts?

[mrbigshotno.1]

What's wrong with Bill Johnsons for a cheap decent steak?

[emmaAmethyst]

Anybody been to Feeney's lately? That used to be a good contender in this category.

[Bill Hunt]

I like Mark Tarbell's "pepper steak." Always very good to great, and does not break my bank. Also, I like Chef Mark's wines and sides.

Hunt

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Tarbell's
3213 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85018

[wrightp]

Recommendation: Dry age your own steaks. It is not hard and it makes a big difference.

Need to have access to a refrig that is not used much and can be set for 40 degrees F. Go to Costco and purchase a whole piece of prime rib or sirloin strip (they have them from 3 lbs. to 10 lbs.). Purchase inexpensive white all cotton tea towels (you'll need a few) from anywhere (like Target) and launder them. Buy a cheap aluminum roasting pan that will hold the piece of meat and fit in the fridge.

On day one, remove the meat from the store's pkg. Blot dry with paper towel. Wrap the meat completely in a clean white tea towel. Place the wrapped meat in the aluminum tray and place in the fridge. Forget about it for 24 hours.

Day two: remove the meat from the fridge. Unwrap tea towel (it will have some pink stains from the meat). Re wrap meat with a clean tea towel. Place meat in tray and put it back in the refridg. Wash the dirty tea towel in your washer machine.

Day three: same as day two.

You can do this for a long time. I've dry aged steaks in my fridge for up to 24 days, but you can go less than that and still taste the difference. 10 days seems to be the minimum. When you're finished aging, cut the meat into steaks as thick as you like and grill them. Wrap and freeze any extras.

PW

[ejs1492]

AWESOME! Thanks for the tip. I will try this!

[wrightp]

Two things I failed to mention. Your meat will shrink slightly in size as it ages, which is to be expected. And when you are finished aging and preparing to cut, you will see that some of the outer layer will need to be trimmed off before cutting the steaks. PW

[tastyjon]

Look for happy hour deals as well. Doesn't one of the local steakhouses have free steak sandwiches during the bewitching hours?

[azhotdish]

Donovan's - I believe 4-7pm.

[Bill Hunt]

Wife just had a great meal at Donovan's. I have not been, and have heard some mixed reviews, but she loved it, and is not the carnivore, that I am.

Hunt

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Donovan's Steak & Chop House
3101 E Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85016

[Astrobob]

If you want to really impress, go to AJ's and get 4 filet's of Prime beef. Read up on the net on how to cook the perfect steak, and grill in your backyard with the perfect bottle of Cab. Save you a whole lot and you can get the conversation rolling..... If you need to go out, and don't want the high cost, some lower mid tier steak places that will cost you the same will do.... IE Outback, or Lonestar. While i hate them, they are always consistent with an average steak. I agree with Midwestern Meats. Pretty good. Flemings is always a great deal and is not as costly as Ruth Chris. For 4 people about 145.00 with out wine.

[firecracker]

Hit Hobe's on 16th just north of Bethany Home for truly great steaks to throw on a grill. Not cheap - simply terrific.

[JerryMe]

oooh! Hobe's! Yes! They have terrific products!

[furrybluecyclops]

I second the AJs recommendation. It's the best cut in town, bar none, and if you know how to prepare it, you'll have the best meal in town!

[winedubar]

thanks guys - there are some really interesting options here!! the closest ones to me appear to be lola, texaz, and phoenix city grille, which i always seem to forget exists.

i appreciate all the suggestions!!

its too bad cork is so far from me - i went once and was really impressed.

does the rokerij still do the half off entrees after 10 thing??

[andyeats]

Even though it is a mini-chain, we're fans of Firebirds...

http://www.firebirdsrockymountaingril...

[themis]

I like Firebirds, too.
There was that recent 4.5 star review on AZcentral -- the new bistro in Surprise that does hangar steak and frites, $15. Ah, here it is, Vogue Bistro:

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dining/a...

Hard to call yourself a 'hound if you won't drive more than a handful of miles for food that sounds that good, babe.

[hohokam]

Given the price of fuel these days, keeping it local could figure prominently into the goal minimizing the costs associated with the meal.

I remember thinking how great Sassi's summer pizza-and-wine special sounded until I figured out that I'd burn around $8 worth of gas (and over an hour of my time) getting up there and back. Suddenly, the $25 meal became a $33 meal--an increase of almost 33%. :-/

[themis]

Of course that's a matter of perspective. I would still consider that a screaming deal for Wade's pasta, and I'm happy to invest an hour -- or multiple hours -- in getting a good meal. It's a whole big world out there, if I just stuck to my own back yard -- well, I'd still eat pretty well -- but I'd be sad at all I missed out.

[ipsedixit]

How about Phoenix City Grille?

http://www.phoenixcitygrille.com/inde...

[hohokam]

I just remembered that Lola seems to have made steak an everyday menu item. I haven't had it in a while, but I think the last time I was in they were charging around $15 or $16 for it. If I was really jonesin for a steak, I would call ahead to make sure they were serving it.

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Lola
800 E Camelback Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85014

[johnseberg]

Whenever steak is mentioned, I think of all the budget busters, and quickly dismiss the idea. I'm pretty sure the last time I specifically went out to a steakhouse, it was 1980 something, and it was in St. Paul, where there were some pretty reasonable options. In Phoenix, I think of Rokerij or Stockyards as more reasonable options, but, I've never had steak at either.

Last winter I was on a bit of a steak bender, and I went to the grocery store for all of them. Mostly Frys and Safeway, but, I did go as high as the prime ribeye at AJ's.

I went to a group lunch at Chili's a while back, and ended up ordering the ribeye. I was pleasantly surprised. It was cooked medium rare, as specified, and didn't cost much more than everybody else's sandwiches and such.

I'll bet there are some hidden gems in town.

[aztami]

I have had the Filet and Ribeye @ Rokerij and they were both amazing. I am a BIG fan of that place.

[JWchef19]

I know Cork restaurant in south Chandler corkrestaurant.net offers a summer tasting special, salad, entree (yes filet) and desert, w/ glass of wine for $20. Keep in mind that it is a small plate restaurant so your portions will be smaller but for $20 its not a bad deal.

[aztami]

I had a great steak about a month ago @ Texaz Grill. I ordered the filet ($20) and it was seriously one of the best I have had. Order the home fries as your choice of potato. I could get addicted to them! They offer a lunch and dinner menu but you can order off either menu.

www.texazgrill.com

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Texaz Grill
6003 N 16th St, Phoenix, AZ 85016

[drewb123]

I second Texaz.

[JerryMe]

I 3rd Texaz Grill. Get the Shiner Bock to go with it!

[Firenza00]

Midwestern Meats or Vonhanson's and a nice grill? :)

[winedubar]

yeah but i'd pay 20 bucks in gas just to go round trip to either place from my house :-D

is there really no ground between at home and durants that isn't black angus? i shudder to think

[azhotdish]

you could always grab a friend and check out ruth's chris summer special.
http://www.ruthschris.com/Menu/Summer...

[hohokam]

Filet mignon (8 oz) with frites at Sophie's is $34. Not exactly cheap, but not as pricey as Durant's.

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Sophie's French Bistro
2320 E Osborn Rd, Phoenix, AZ