The Type Of Steak You Should Always Avoid At A Restaurant

While getting a steak from a nice restaurant or steakhouse is almost always preferable to getting a burger, not every rendition of the timeless dish is created equal. We all have our favorite kind of steak that we like to order whenever possible, but to get the most out of a restaurant with a wide array of cuts on the menu, you'd be better off avoiding the sirloin whenever possible.

The reason for this isn't necessarily that sirloins are low-quality. In fact, according to Anthony Bourdain, the sirloin is among the very best steak cuts on the cow; however, it is often not quite up to par with other menu options. When we asked the owner and executive chef of R HOUSE, Rocco Carulli, about what cut of steak to be wary of, he zeroed in on the sirloin. "It sounds fancy — and restaurants love to dress it up — but oftentimes it's a chew-fest," Carulli explained. Furthermore, sirloins are considered one of the weaker high-quality cuts of steak by many, and the dish's price often reflects that. However, this lower price is another red flag, Carulli attributed to the cut, with the chef reminding, "If it's priced like a chicken breast, expect chicken breast energy."

Beyond just the cut of steak you're buying, the makeup of the dish itself can also inform you of its overall quality. Most notably, a steak that is served already doused with sauce might be a major red flag, depending on the sauce's use. Chef Rocco Carulli explained, "A good chef doesn't drown a steak unless they're hiding something [...] if it looks like mystery sludge poured out of a can? Abort mission."

Now, this rule does have its fair share of exceptions; some steak sauces are absolutely delicious, and we would never tell you to skip out on a steak with a great in-house chimichurri sauce if that's your thing. However, the fact that steak sauces can enhance even a poorly made steak is exactly why you must be cautious about ordering these dishes at restaurants. "If the sauce is the main event, you might want to check what's happening backstage," Carulli warned, "Maybe the steak was cooked yesterday."