Chicago has a rich, meaty history when it comes to steakhouses—one that dates back to the Union Stockyards and the city’s influential meatpacking industry, which helped shape the local culinary landscape.
From Gene & Georgetti, Chicago’s oldest and arguably most iconic steakhouse, founded in 1941, to Morton’s The Steakhouse, which opened in 1978 before expanding to 65 locations nationwide, and Chicago Chop House, serving locals since 1986 in a historic Victorian brownstone, the Windy City’s love of meat and potatoes runs deep.
It’s no surprise, then, that Chicago would earn three coveted spots on the recently released 2025 World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list. Managed and published by London’s Upper Cut Media House, the ranking is the work of “steak ambassadors” that take into account 28 specific criteria—from taste and quality of meat to restaurant ambiance, service, wines on offer and more.
In Chicago, Asador Bastian, an intimate Basque-inspired restaurant located in a historic townhouse built in 1883, landed at number 13. The eatery’s secret to success involves the meat masters’ ability to grill timeworn dairy cows over live embers to create distinct flavors that you can’t easily find anywhere else. With rich Spanish reds to whet your whistle, you can be sure that you’ll leave satiated and happy.
Located in the Fulton Market District, Swift & Sons, which is ranked at number 71, is a lively locale for celebration, especially if patronizing one of the private dining rooms, where you can be regaled by a tableside magic show, dessert trolley or bar cart. Popular with diners, the high-quality USDA Prime, dry-aged cuts—the New York strip and porterhouse specifically—are unfussy and grilled with skill.
Coming in at number 77, Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf stands out among the many steakhouses in Chicago’s River North. Under the direction of Brad Skougard, diners can enjoy fine dining with a seductive French flair, complemented by expertly curated wine pairings.
The best steakhouses in the world:
1. Don Julio Parrilla in Buenos Aires
2. Margaret in Sydney
3. Laia Erretegia in Hondarribia
4. I Due Cippi in Saturnia
5. Burnt Ends in Singapore
6. Bodega El Capricho in Jiménez De Jamuz
7. Casa Julian De Tolosa in Tolosa
8. Lana in Madrid
9. Ag in Stockholm
10. Cote in New York
You can see the rest of the list here.
