Just got back from Destin and we went to McGuire's. I got the 16oz. ribeye which was $37. I must say that was the best steak I've ever had. I've never been to a high end steak place so my question is, how does a McGuire's steak compare to those high end places? Mcguire's uses u.s.d.a certified prime which apparently very few restaurants use. It was far better than any chain steakhouse I've been to.
Anyone had the steak at McGuire's?
- Thread starter ohio#1nolefan
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It would rank somewhere near the top 60 steakhouses in Chicago. On a scale of 1-10, I'd give McGuires a 6.
I like it quite a bit. There are some chef owned places that are better (not "high end" big chains like Capital Grill, Shula's or Ruth's Chris although honestly I like the bison steaks at Teds Montana Grill about on par) but whenever I'm in Pensacola or Destin I consider it a must stop. Really good steaks, decent quality craft brew (Florida's first), great apps (I especially love the Reuben egg rolls) and the kitsch is fine for me.
Mcguires start with some of the best non-Japanese Kobe steak around. So while I make a great steak at home thanks to my homemade rubs and decent skill at the cookery, McGuires definitely gets better steaks than I can. And they do dry age it, but it's a young dry age I believe. There are definitely places out there that dry age for far longer which makes a huge difference. So those super long dry aged steaks will beat McGuires. And real Kobe beef always trumps American beef even the very best.
So I've had some steaks both Kobe and long dry aged that top Mcguires, but they do a great job and I have no complaints especially for the money.
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That's WAY too harsh. A 6 is basically an Outback or Longhorn steak and McGuires is WAY better than that. It's not a 10, that would be real Japanese Kobe beef and 140 day plus dry aged beef. But I'd say the steaks at Ruth's Chris and Capital Grille are an 8-8.5 so I'd give McGuires a solid 9 or so.
I had those egg rolls and those things were ridiculously good as well. We actually went there twice, once for lunch and once for dinner. I had some of the appetizer sampler and the fish sandwich(average) for lunch.
What kind of price does one pay for a kobe steak at a restaurant?
Do you think $37 is a lot to spend on a steak? If So, you don't want to know.
High grade Japanese Kobe beef costs thousands of dollars per pound so you usually get thin slices quick seared on hot stones or over kishu bincho-tan coals. I lucked out and ate at the Morimotos in Philadelphia when "Iron Chef" Morimoto happened to be in training his chefs in new dishes and had brought a full side of A5 marbling grade 10 with him back from Kobe so not only they could try it but some customers as well (the server actually showed us the noseprint and Family history of the cow in question plus its certified grade). Usually grades that high not only do not make it out of Japan but they seldom make it outside of the region plus Tokyo. They didn't sell it directly but we got a pretty hefty portion at least 2-3 ounces as part of our unknown chef's tasting menu of $200-250 each (I can't remember exactly what it cost at the time). Since Kobe beef of that quality would cost $1500-2500 a pound, we actually paid FAR less than it would have cost to buy it normally so it was a real treat and an example of a great chef rewarding his employees and a few lucky customers (he reserved it for those of us who "took a chance" and ordered the chefs choice menu).
I've had real Japanese Kobe beef also at Katsuya in Hollywood CA but it was much lower in grade more typical of what high end places in the US gets so it was more like a 7-8 in marbling and that cost $100 or so for just three small slices about a third or quarter what Morimoto gave us of the really good stuff. Most of the "American Kobe" would be closer to a 4-5 and I've had that far more often and it usually costs $100 or so for a small steak.
The ultra long dry aged beef can cost almost as much as the high end Kobe, especially if it's half a year old or older.
Yeah, an equivalent full size steak of real Japanese Kobe is going to set you back a grand. Even the low grade Japanese Kobe Beef that most American high end places get costs $50 an ounce or more, so for the little 3 ounce ribeye you're usually talking $200 or more for a tiny, medium grade real Japanese Kobe steak.
At most places if you get "Kobe beef" and it doesn't say expressly Japanese Kobe it's usually Australian or American wagyu (same breed as the Japanese but usually with some Angus or others bred in and the original stock was much lower grade not the champion lineages that create the 8 and higher marbling grades). That's much cheaper but still quite expensive compared to standard Angus beef.
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My dad bought half of a Wagyu cow a few months ago. Think it averaged out at $40 or $50 a pound including all cuts. I'm sure it's not as good as high end Kobe but man it's some good stuff.
I think Ruth's Chris is a 4. Capital Grille is somehwere between 5-7 depending on the location. Longhorn would be a 3 in my book.
I don't get the hype about Capital Grille. Maybe it's because the one we have in JAX sucks.
I don't know where you had "Kobe" beef here in the US, but there are only 9 places in the USA that actually serve the REAL thing.
They are:
B&B Butchers, Houston, TX
Teppanyaki Ginza, Honolulu, HI
SW Steakhouse (Wynn) - Las Vegas, NV
Nick & Sam's - Dallas, TX
Jean Georges Steakhouse (Aria) - Las Vegas, NV
Bazaar Meat (SLS Hotel) - Las Vegas, NV
Alexander's Steakhouse - San Francisco & Cupertino, CA
212 Steakhouse - NYC
Facts.
The rest is probably some Wagyu offshoot (still amazing, but not Kobe)
Not really. Those are the ones that have it year round. There's a decent number of places that get it periodically. For example I got the ultra high end at Morimotos but it was a one day thing that he brought in himself from Japan. Katsuya also had it as a special as they normally have non Japanese wagyu.
Bud, I am not sure where you got this list, but I do not believe it is correct. This could be who sell Kobe from a certain prefecture. There is a place in ATL, Bacchanalia, that serves Miyazaki Prefecture Kobe. They carry A5, which for this breed, is the highest Body Composite score. In their market, Star Provisions, you can regularly buy A5 for about $100 per pound. They have the certificate of authenticity on display with the cows nose print on cert. FSUTribe, it does not cost $1000 per steak. It is typically about $30-$40 an ounce in a steak house. My wife and I typically buy one or two steaks a quarter from Star. It is the best beef I have ever had in my life.
I was intending to say the marbling 10-12 cost a grand a pound retail. The lesser grades cost far less. And wholesale if you buy it by the 10-13 lb strip it's $1500-2500 for that grade.
For the record I never said or even implied that I've had real Kobe beef. Re-read my post. Wagyu is legit though.
I wasn't picking on you bruddah, I was just replying to the thread
And, as I said, there are only 9 Restaurants certified to have real Kobe beef on their menus in the US. Kobe beef has to come from Hyoto Prefecture.I wasn't picking on you bruddah, I was just replying to the thread
Everything else may be good, but it is not the real deal.
My client is one of the largest cattle outfits in the world, and I just had the conversation with him this morning.
Just the facts.
In Canada, there is only one restaurant that is certified as a true Kobe beef restaurant, and it is Park in Montreal.
Everything else is either an off breed, or is using wordplay to upsell you (American Kobe, Japanese Wagyu, Japanese beef, etc..)
That place is a perfect example of selling phony Kobe. Miyazaki is NOT authentic Kobe beef. Read up on it.
And the fact that nobody can tell the difference should tell us something...
Oh, you could. I personally do not like it. The taste is soft, and it is great, but there is something different about it than what I grew up with. Being from NY, I have had some amazing beef, and I just prefer it.
Yes but even in Japan Kobe isn't the end all be all. I've had Kagoshima A5-10 that was as good as the Kobe A5-10 or at least close to it that if you didn't eat it back to back you'd never notice.
http://hk.dining.asiatatler.com/features/the-best-wagyu-beef-from-japan
I would be able to tell the difference between a $9 sirloin from Publix and something from Japan regardless of how its prepared, but doubt I'd notice the difference in quality between a steak from the Hyoto prefecture, the Mizayaki prefecture or some other Japanese source. I suspect that they're all good. Isn't it likely that experience would vary much more based on the cook and his or her skill vs the actual type of beef?
And for anyone questioning my rating of McGuires or Capital Grille, I've been to 5 of the 9 places on this list and many more that do not sell Kobe beef that are just as good.
Well this thread took an interesting turn. I have never had Kobe but did have Wagu at La Bernardin when we were in NYC. It was fantastic!
Not compared to a $20+ steak at any low end chain like Outback or similar. By far worth the extra $10-$15...
I'd have a very difficult time spending $100+ let alone several hundred on a steak though. Not that I can't afford it but I just can't justify spending that on a piece of food. I would however like to try the kobe beef just to see what the fuss is about..
