Great steakhouses of the West: our picks for the places that offer the sizzle and the steak

Sunset, Oct, 2002

At the risk of telling you something you already know, the steakhouse is back. Or did it ever leave? Almost everybody secretly loves a good steak. It stands to reason that the West, with its legacy of the open range, would have some of the very best in the land where beef is still king. We've sought out prime steakhouse choices, from the truly old-school (one was founded around the time of the Civil War) to the new. What they all have in common is great atmosphere and, above all, fantastic steaks--thick, juicy, and prepared exactly as you like them. In case you can't get to one of our picks soon, we've also included recipes for making a great steak--and the sauces to enhance it--at home.--Kate Washington

* Balboa Restaurant & Lounge, West Hollywood, CA Los Angeles's steakhouses have long been the stomping grounds of big-shot entertainment types. But times have changed. "The classic joints were our parents' hangouts," says Lee Maen, one of Balboa's partners. "We needed one of our own." Balboa delivers the flash and sizzle Sunset Boulevard used to be famous for, as Hollywood's hippest meat eaters clink glasses of Shiraz over bass-thumping acid jazz. But the real attraction is the meat. The 40-day dry-aged New York strip steak is quite simply one of the best in America, the 28-day bone-in filet runs a close second, and Caesar salads are spun to order tableside. 8462 W Sunset Blvd. (at the Grafton Hotel); (323) 650-8383.--Brad A. Johnson

* Acme Chophouse, San Francisco Here's a steakhouse that ties America's past--make that pastime--to a healthy future in a way that's pure San Francisco. Acme Chophouse, a new venture by executive chef and partner Traci Des Jardins and director of operations Larry Bain, at the corner of the Giants' Pacific Bell Park, combines a warm, sleek dining room and a build-your-own menu with a conscience. Most of the ingredients are organic, and the steaks are described in terms of their green credentials--grass-fed or grain-finished. But the bone-in rib eye is the standard by which all rib eyes should be judged. The bearnaise is textbook-perfect (see page 90): the red wine--shallot sauce and chimichurri are close seconds. And the scalloped potatoes, creamed spinach, and macaroni and cheese almost make you forget you came for steak. Acme is worth a trip south of Market even when the Giants aren't in town. 24 Willie Mays Plaza (at Third and King Streets): (415) 644-0240 or www.acmechophouse.com.

Sara Schneider

* The Buckhorn Saloon & Opera House, Pinos Altos, NM

The Buckhorn Saloon in the mining ghost town of Pinos Altos, 7 miles north of Silver City on State 15, serves up hefty portions of history along with its steak. A thick-walled adobe structure with hand-hewn timbers and converted gaslights, the Buckhorn first swung open its doors 140 years ago, give or take a decade. Try the Buckhorn Specialty, a tender New York strip with green chili and cheese, or stick to the old-time favorite rib eye or the succulent 3-inch-thick filet (served butterflied) with all the fixings--about as legendary as the bar itself. 32 Main St.; (505) 538-9911.

Sharon Niederman

* El Gaucho, Seattle

Longtime Seattleites recall the original El Gaucho, which stood at Seventh and Olive for decades, famed for elaborate service and flaming shish kebabs. That tradition lives on in Belltown, where the restaurant came back to life in 1996. It's reminiscent of an elegant dinner club of yesteryear, with midnight blue walls, subtle lighting, and live piano. Prime steaks star on the menu, grilled to perfection over charcoal. The downstairs Pampas Room (open Friday-Saturday) serves much of the same menu in a nightclub setting, but upstairs offers the flourishes of grand tableside service. 2505 First Ave.; (206) 728-1337.

Cynthia Nims

* Maddox Ranch House, Perry, UT

The Sputnik-like sign ringed with glittery letters spelling out Maddox Fine Food stands out like an exclamation point on U.S. 89 in the tiny northern Utah town of Perry. Operating since 1949, this family-owned landmark is a casual, down-home place. Think knotty pine decor and a menu that offers "Deluxe Dinner Plates," with baskets of pillow-soft dinner rolls and tasty corn pone. Some of Maxxox's beef is homegrown and hormone-free; all of it is aged on site. There are endless pitchers of icy well water, but no alcohol. 1900 S. U.S. 89; (435) 723-8545.

Virginia Rainey

* Emil-Lene's Sirloin House, Aurora, CO

Located on a dusty road out near Denver International Airport, Emil-Lene's Sirloin House is more Western than the stock show, There is no menu here. Instead, the no-nonsense waitresses--and you don't want to mess with them--rattle off the evening's choices: steak, steak, and more steak, with a few fin, fur, and fowl dishes thrown in. All of the beef is prime, and your slab arrives with abundant sides-fresh vegetables, spaghetti, soup or salad, and a baked potato with all the fixings. 16000 Smith Rd.; (303) 366-6674.

Lori Midson

* The Hitching Post, Casmalia, CA The Hitching Post II, Buellton, CA