Steak. Most of us love it, whether it’s blue rare to medium rare (sorry well-done lovers, you’re on your own), New York Strip or Cheesesteak. Cow meat, in all of its wonderful forms is something of a cultural staple the world over. Whether it’s on an open fire, grill, or broiled, steak is everywhere, with many people wondering what the best cut or who the best griller is. One way to measure the best is by how much people are willing to pay for a steak. Here, we’ll take a look at 10 of the most expensive steaks that you could buy in 2018- given you’re willing to get the airfare and reservations necessary. We’ll also feature the single most expensive steak ever recorded, with prices being per order. Let’s dig in.
Philadelphia is an amazing city. Not only is it the birthplace of the Cheesesteak Sandwich, one of the best inventions since sliced bread, but apparently also its mastery in this Barclay’s menu item. Made with the most tender, expensive steak available, as well as Foie gras and truffles and served with a fine glass of Dom Perignon, this isn’t the sandwich to drown your sorrow over the latest Eagles loss. At $100, this steak is a comparative bargain, and certainly a once in a lifetime experience.
9. The Wagyu Tomahawk – $109
Easily the coolest name on the list, this immense and tender steak is served at The Providence in Rhode Island. At a minimum of 30 ounces, rib included, this also is the largest steak on the list. Oddly, this is not a menu item for the restaurant. Instead, you have to order it Al a Carte, and only if you can spot it on the way out. You would think this game of bovine cat and mouse would dissuade customers, but the average sale is around 5 of these Tomahawks a day.
8. Zuma’s Wagyu No Sumibiyaki – $136
It’s only appropriate that a high-end London restaurant imitates a Japanese Pub in the most high-class way possible. Served with a topping of light citrus sauce and precut, this steak is notoriously tender and apparently worth the price if you can afford it.
7. Wagyu Ribeye – $144
Beverly Hills, California. The land of luxury, celebrity, and 8 ounce Wagyu Ribeye steaks worth more than a car payment. Found at the CUT, this Ribeye is flown in directly from Kyushu Japan and is one of the most exquisite dishes on the west coast. It should be no surprise that this restaurant, which happens to be owned by Wolfgang Puck, is also listed as one of the best places to eat in the world.
6. Wagyu Kobe Steak – $144
There is no such thing as a list of steaks without at least one mention of Texas. Tying with the previous selection for the most expensive steaks out there is the Wagyu Kobe Steak found at Nobu Steakhouse in Dallas, Texas. While known for their tableside grills where you can prepare the steak to your specifications, with a cut this expensive, you’ll want someone with some serious experience to be handling it. While it is served with seasonal veggies and dipping sauces, keep in mind that it’s Texas law that if you cover a steak with ketchup, you may be liable to get shot. Okay, maybe not, but do you really want to risk it?
5. Australian Wagyu Sirloin – $169
Given the name of this 10.5-ounce Sirloin steak, you’d think it’d be located in Australia. Well, think again, this expensive cut of beef is approximately 700 feet above Dubai, in the Muntaha restaurant of the Burj Al Arab Hotel. This hotel is a luxurious masterpiece in itself, being founded on an artificial island. Most of the rest of this menu features European cuisine and the high-quality Wagyu beef, including a similarly priced Wagyu Tartare. If you love ocean views, good food, and hate your wallet, the Muntaha may be the place for you.
4. Renga-tei Kobe Filet- $246
Cooked in a manner that supposedly Sumo Wrestlers used 200 years ago with boar, the Renga-tei takes a centuries old method of cooking a relatively new dish for Japan: Steak. This 5.6 oz Kobe beef filet is wrapped in fine paper before being put on a special grill and cooked to perfection and are served on traditional pottery. An odd bit of trivia is that the entire kitchen of Renga-tei is staffed only by women, in an effort to make an exceptionally welcoming environment.
3.Charbroiled Kobe Filet – $258
If you do only one thing, you have to do it well. The owners of Aragawa in Tokyo, Japan know this all too well, offering a simply seasoned 8 ounce steak made of the highest quality, local Kobe beef. The eatery itself is simple, unassuming, and quite frankly, you would not expect this quality of meat in it, but it is the one place to eat if you have enough money to. Many people do not leave their table without nearly a $400 bill per person though, so do be careful.
2.Fullblood Wagyu Tenderloin- $295
It’s rare that you get a steak from a restaurant who not only knew the rancher in charge of the cattle but had made a deal for a very specific lineage of cattle to be sold exclusively to them. Such is the case for the Prime Restaurant in Sydney, Australia. Their Fullblood Wagyu Tenderloin is just as described, a full 14.1 oz of pure Wagyu beef from David Blackmore, the best Wagyu Rancher down under. Each cut of meat has a marbling score of 9+, which is the highest one can get, lending itself to unmatched flavor and tenderness. Each beef cattle is raised on a pure, grain fed diet for 600 days in nearby Victoria, Australia before ending up on your plate.
1. A5 Kobe Strip Steak – $350
Topping off the list of the most expensive steaks in the world is a cut made right here in the USA. At the Old Homestead Steakhouse in New York City, you can order a traditional 12oz New York Strip with the highest quality beef Japan has to offer, A5 Kobe. Now, for those of you ordering this, you may want to skip the next few lines. It’s often joked that fear makes meat tastier by those who typically want to disgust vegetarians. While the above statement isn’t true, it may be for confinement. The cattle that make up the steaks are often limited from any real movement so as to prevent muscle from toughening up the cut, making it supremely marbled and tender. And, unlike what common myth would have you believe, they most certainly aren’t being fed beer (but are given the best grains and grasses) nor getting massages daily. According to one Wagyu farmer, nature does that tenderness all by itself.
Special Mention – Craftsteak Custom Wagyu Ribeye
While you can no longer order this steak, any list would be remiss if not mentioning the single largest and expensive steak of all time. Once ordered by a private group at the now-closed Craftsteak Steak House, this Wagyu weighed in at 40 pounds of Medium Well luxury. The cost? $2800 for the full steak.