Steakhouses

BOGART'S CHOPHOUSE AND BAR
Handsome, snug room features extensive beer and wine lists, sturdy cocktails and a winning way—far more than many neighbourhood steakhouses could hope to aspire to. The starters, well-made: calamari, oysters, and Caesar salads lead to grills of sirloin, New York strips, rib-eyes and chops. The prices range from $20 to $32 and the wine list has an ample selection in the $30 to $45 range. But the real hook: the jazz evenings from Thursday to Sunday, when the music of local and imported artists rings out over West Broadway. 1619 W. Broadway, South Granville, 604-733-4141. $$-$$$

GOTHAM STEAKHOUSE
Ogle great pieces of meat, be it a 24-oz porterhouse or a visiting Hollywood starlet, at this swank American steakhouse. The elegant room features high ceilings, sweeping murals and a mouthwatering array of perfectly marbled Canadian Prime cuts. Carve into a 24 oz. juicy bone-in ribeye ($49.95) and plentiful sides like fresh asparagus ($7.50) and Lyonnaise potatoes ($6.50). Private rooms, an expansive patio and a luxurious cocktail bar attract captains of industry and the professional wait staff will help you to navigate a wine list that’s as enticing as the slow-roasted prime rib ($38.95). 615 Seymour St., Downtown, 604-605-8282. $$$$

HAMILTON STREET GRILL
Chef-owner Neil Wyles’s Yaletown steakhouse features Angus steaks, seafood and braises. But insiders order the flavour-packed hanger or sirloin steaks, served with a whomp of roasted-garlic-mashed potatoes and a turn of seasonal vegetables. The roasted tomato soup carries a backsplash of aromatic gin. Prices compare very favourably with other Vancouver steakhouses: a grilled sirloin is $22, and a hefty 20-oz New York $38. Add a half pound of Alaskan king crab for $16. Don’t leave without sampling the house-made gingerbread pudding. And watch for wildly popular, bargain-rate wine socials featuring leading local and long-distance brands. 1009 Hamilton St., Yaletown, 604-331-1511. $$-$$$

HY'S ENCORE
Hy Aisenstat’s legendary spot (if these walls could talk...) still turns out one of Vancouver’s best steaks in one of the city’s authentically retro dining rooms. The colour scheme runs to black and red, and so do the main-event steaks, expertly trimmed and grilled. While the 22-ounce porterhouse may be a model of understatement, the Caesar salads, prepared tableside, are pungent and deep. Portraits of retired waiters line the walls; those still working are all pro. Wine list runs to U.S. and French reds. 637 Hornby St., Downtown, 604-683-7671. $$$$

MORTON'S THE STEAKHOUSE
The menu echoes the ’70s with the exception of your bill (about as hefty as the portions) and a few more national and local celebs added to the hallway’s photo gallery. Regional, local, sustainable—fuhgeddaboudit. Instead tuck into USDA prime aged, Midwest grain-fed beef shipped directly from Chicago (as is the richly classic New York cheesecake). All entrées ample enough to share from a 24-oz Porterhouse to a 14-oz double-cut filet mignon. Cajun ribeye steak is stand-out, especially with a side of creamed spinach and Lyonnaise potatoes. Colossal Shrimp Alexander aptly named; appies can double as entrées. Wine list has doubled, up to 240 selections, heavy on the California, Washington and Oregon reds. Terrific after-work beefwiches—on the house. 750 W. Cordova St., Downtown, 604-915-5105. $$$$

REX
All dark wood and leather, this American-style grill in the Bentall Centre courtyard has a country club feel, where corporate bigwigs press the flesh over slabs of AAA Alberta Prime. Chef Terry Multhauf’s showcase rotisserie stokes the fires of the power lunch crowd with 12-ounce cracked pepper ribeye with sweet corn succotash ($25) and the half rotisserie chicken with lemon rosemary pan jus ($16). Chermoula rubbed calamari ($10) and the sonoran albacore with chili aioli ($11) are grea ways to start. The evening specialty is thick cuts of juicy prime rib, in 8-ounce ($24), 12-ounce ($28) and “Rex-size” ($32) portions. Large patio is weather permitting and the room is available on weekends by special request. Three-course table d’hôte is a serious steal at $28. 1055 Dunsmuir St., Downtown, 604-683-7390. $$$

SALTLIK STEAK HOUSE
Another Fuller Bros. (Earls, Joey’s etc.) venture, this time tilted toward red meat and redder wine. The room is a vaulted playroom on the new Alberni strip of haute designer stores, a catch basin for tourists and financial district guys and gals. The room is understated and attractive, a retro look back at steakhouse decor but without the baronial bits. The food is modern; accompanying the Canada AAA steaks you’ll find inventive side dishes and now more settled service. 1032 Alberni St., West End, 604-689-9749. $$-$$$$

BACK TO REVIEWS HOME