11 Steakhouse Chain Menus Hiding Budget-Friendly Options

Steakhouses have a reputation for being where budgets go to die. Between the $50 ribeyes, à-la-carte sides, and a check that could double as your phone bill, it's easy to forget that some of these chains actually hide solid deals in plain sight. You just have to know where to look.

These aren't the prix-fixe dinners meant to impress your boss or the overpriced surf-and-turf specials that add up before the bread hits the table. We're talking about the sneaky weekday meals, happy hour menus, and combo deals that let you eat like a steakhouse regular without the financial debt.

From a full three-course deal to happy hour sliders, each of these finds delivers big flavor on a smaller tab. Some even come with all those extras that other steakhouses love to charge for. Whether you're craving a legit sirloin for lunch money prices or want to dip into a place like STK or Morton's without committing to a full entrée, these are the meals that make steakhouse dining actually feel like a treat again, not a splurge you'll regret later. Note that all prices are accurate as of writing but are subject to change from restaurant to restaurant.

Texas Roadhouse might be famous for its hand-cut steaks and baskets of warm rolls, but the real value hero on the menu arguably boasts one of the worst names in steakhouse history. Despite its name, no, the Road Kill is not some mystery meat. Instead, it's a chopped steak smothered in sautéed onions and mushrooms, topped with melted cheese. It also comes with your pick of two sides, such as steak fries, seasoned rice, steamed broccoli, or buttered corn.

At $14.99, the Road Kill delivers a similar flavor to the pricier sirloin without the price tag. If you want to take it up a notch, you can also add shrimp as a sidekick for $7.99, which instantly turns your budget meal into a mini surf-and-turf situation. It's a clever way to hack the menu and get that indulgent steakhouse experience without committing to a more expensive entrée.

If you've got kids in tow, one of the many things that Texas Roadhouse does better than many of its competitors is going easy on the wallet with its Kids Eat Free nights at select locations. That's something that other steakhouses like LongHorn and Outback just can't match. Between the buttery rolls and the servers breaking out into line dancing shows (both of which are free), it's one of the few steakhouses where a family can get a full meal and fun experience without feeling like they have to finance a ribeye.

Logan's Roadhouse calls its value meal the Real-Deal Meal, and it's not exaggerating. The meal makes a strong case for one of the best steakhouse values around. For $16.99, you get a full sit-down spread that includes a 6-ounce center-cut top sirloin or beer-battered fish, a garden or Caesar salad, one hearty side — such as a buttery baked potato, fries, or rice — a soft drink or tea, and its signature bottomless rolls that could easily pass as a meal by themselves if you're not careful.

This is one of the few steakhouse budget deals that actually feels like a proper dinner. You can even level it up without totally wrecking your budget. For $4 more, you can get a crispy onion rings appetizer. You can also swap your soft drink for something stronger, like a pint of Bud Light or Miller Lite, for $3. Other upgrades include a 22-ounce pour of beer or a glass of its signature Roadhouse Tea (the restaurant's take on a Long Island iced tea) for just $4 extra.

If you happen to drop by a steakhouse but don't actually want steak, the Real-Deal Meal also offers mini burgers (aka the Original Roadies) or a chicken sandwich meal for just $11.99. In a world where prix fixe usually means, well, pricey, Logan's Roadhouse gives you the whole steakhouse experience without the hefty price tag.

At first glance, $69 might not sound like a budget deal, especially when that so-called "budget meal" costs more than a full dinner for two at Texas Roadhouse. But context matters. At a place that specializes in premium quality and where a single steak can cost over $100, STK's Steak Night America is practically a steal, taking the usual luxury steakhouse vibe and making it feel surprisingly within reach.

The $69 prix fixe menu (which is only offered on certain nights and isn't available in Las Vegas) can vary from location to location. However, it generally includes two appetizers like miniature burgers or a jalapeño pickled shrimp cocktail, a premium entrée — such as a 6-ounce Filet or a 12-ounce New York Strip — and two sides, such as truffle fries or creamy macaroni and cheese. You also get a dessert and some bubbles or wine, which makes the price tag feel a lot more reasonable once you add it all up.

You can still level up if you want with lobster tail, foie gras, or one of STK's signature sauces, but you don't have to spend extra to feel like you've treated yourself. Sure, it's pricier than the other budget meals on this list, but compared to STK's usual prices, it's still worth highlighting. It's a full-course steak meal and champagne, all for less than the price of one of its 14-ounce New York strips.

There's something comforting about knowing precisely what to expect at Outback Steakhouse: big portions, in a laid-back environment where you can order a steak in flip-flops and no one bats an eye. But even regulars might be surprised to find that one of the best deals in the house isn't hiding on the lunch menu.

The Aussie, Aussie, Aussie is a three-course meal, serving up a full dinner from just $14.99. The meal comes with a choice of soup or salad, followed by an entrée lineup that includes the Bloomin' Burger and several shrimp dishes, and a slice of New York-style cheesecake for dessert. Each course gives you the option to upgrade for even more options, but it'll cost you a few extra dollars.

In our opinion, the best part of the meal is that everything comes straight from Outback's main menu, so there are no smaller portions or off-brand shortcuts. If you ordered it all à la carte, you'd be paying more than $25, but here it's bundled smartly for much less. Outback might not be chasing Michelin stars, but with deals like this, it doesn't have to.

For anyone who grew up in the golden age of salad bars and all-you-can-eat everything, Sizzler probably rings a nostalgic bell. But the old-school restaurant chain isn't just surviving on memories; it's still serving up some of the best family-sized deals in the steakhouse world. The chain's Crispy Shrimp Family Meal feeds four people for around $48.99, which breaks down to just over $12 per person.

Each meal comes piled high with crispy fried shrimp, plus your choice of two family-sized sides. You can go classic with loaded mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese, or keep it lighter with a Caesar salad or spinach cranberry Salad. And yes, every meal comes with four slices of that buttery cheese toast that helped make Sizzler a cult favorite in the first place. Whether you're feeding a family, splitting dinner with friends, or just pretending it's still the '90s for a night, Sizzler's Crispy Shrimp Family Meal delivers a complete steakhouse spread without the steakhouse bill.

Ruth's Chris (yes, the restaurant with two first names) might be known for its pricey steaks, but it also hides one of the best happy hour deals around. For a steakhouse where entrées regularly crack $60, Ruth's Prime Hour is about as close as you'll get to a value deal. Offered exclusively in the bar and lounge, the happy hour menu starts at just $8, serving up the same luxury flavors you'd expect in the dining room, minus the white tablecloth commitment.

You can eat your way through truffle fries dusted in Parmesan or crispy onion rings for $8, then graduate to prime beef sliders or prime meatballs for $9. You can also snag tasty handcrafted cocktails for $8 apiece. The portions are generous enough to share, but good luck actually doing that once they hit the table.

There are no reservations needed and no prix fixe pricing. You just walk in, see if there's space, and you're set. You can easily build a full mini feast for under $30 — which, considering Ruth's Chris standard prices, is practically a power move. The menu is billed as packing the same flavor as non-happy hour offerings, just with a more palatable price tag. It's the best way to enjoy Ruth's Chris quality on a budget without ever feeling like you're cutting corners.

Black Angus Steakhouse has been around since the '60s, and is one struggling steakhouse that has really managed to turn things around. The chain is known for its flame-grilled steaks, cowboy-size portions, and the kind of nostalgic steakhouse energy that hasn't changed much since its inception. Its Dinner for Two deal proves that a full steakhouse experience doesn't have to drain your paycheck or require splitting a single ribeye. For $69, you and your dinner partner get to build a three-course feast that rivals most à la carte menus.

At a lot of chains, a three-course deal often means you're choosing between a Caesar salad or, well, another Caesar salad. Fortunately, the deal at Black Angus offers much more variety. For starters, you pick an appetizer to share from nearly a dozen options, like crispy hot honey brussels sprouts, crab cakes, or a surf 'n' turf quesadilla that feels like a mini-meal on its own.

The entrée lineup is just as generous. You get to choose two options from the likes of a 6-ounce filet mignon or a 12-ounce New York strip, grilled salmon, shrimp, chicken, or barbecue ribs, plus four sides to share, like au gratin potatoes, steak soup, or five-grain rice pilaf. To finish, there's a dessert to split (if you can) with options like fudge cake, crème brûlée, cheesecake, or Black Angus Steakhouse's towering Sky-High Mud Pie.

Smith & Wollensky isn't exactly the kind of place you associate with bargains, with some considering it to be one of the most overpriced steakhouse chains in the U.S. This is the white-tablecloth, steak-knife-heavyweight of steakhouses. But buried in the appetizer section at some locations is a loophole for anyone who's always wanted to visit the famed restaurant without committing to an eye-watering bill.

The wagyu carpaccio comes in at $26, and while it's technically an appetizer, it feels like so much more. Paper-thin slices of SRF (Snake River Farms) wagyu beef tenderloin are finished with pickled mushrooms, black truffle aioli, and shaved Parmesan. Sure, it's not the same as carving into a full wagyu ribeye, but it's the smartest way to experience what makes the chain's beef so famous: that silky marbling and deep, buttery flavor. At a place where the bill can easily hit triple digits, the carpaccio feels like the best-kept value secret on the menu.

At The Capital Grille, even lunch feels like it should come with a job promotion. Most entrées run deep into steakhouse splurge territory, but tucked into the sandwich menu are miniature tenderloin sandwiches.

For around $26, you get two hand-cut tenderloin sliders topped with roasted mushrooms and housemade herb cheese on soft brioche buns. It's like a steak dinner disguised as a sandwich order. The tenderloin stays juicy, the herb cheese adds just enough richness, and a side of fries (especially the duck fat ones) does more than hold its own.

This two-for-one tenderloin deal feels like a cheat code to dining at The Capital Grille because two is always better than one, even when they're smaller. That's just how math works. There is a dress code for dining at Capital Grille, but the miniature tenderloin sandwiches are totally worth it and prove that even at a white-tablecloth steakhouse, value isn't off the menu if you know where to look.

When you hear Morton's, you probably think power lunches. That's why it should come as no surprise that its Power Hour menu is where it's at. Most happy hours settle for ground beef sliders or whatever frozen apps they can drop in the fryer, but this is Morton's, so you know there's going to be a certain standard.

During select afternoon hours from Sunday to Friday, you can grab a seat at the bar and order petite filet mignon sandwiches for just $12. Each dish features sliced filet mignon layered on a soft roll with whole-grain mustard aioli. It's simple, elegant, and exactly what you'd expect from Morton's, just with a much lower price tag. It's the kind of happy hour food that makes you feel like you're getting away with something.

What makes it hit even harder is the setting. You're still surrounded by dark wood, soft lighting, all for the price of a drive-thru combo. Sometimes the best power move is clocking out early for Morton's Power Hour.

LongHorn Steakhouse is known for big steaks and even bigger portions. However, its salad special proves the chain knows how to do lighter fare and value pricing without losing any of that steakhouse magic.

We know salads aren't usually the kind of budget deal you brag about, but LongHorn's 7-Pepper Sirloin Lunch Salad isn't just any salad. For approximately $11.99, you can get a steak salad that includes a grilled sirloin coated in LongHorn's signature 7-Pepper seasoning, which gives it a nice kick. This is sliced and served over crisp field greens with tomatoes, croutons, and a crumble of blue cheese.

To personalize your salad, you can choose from a lineup of dressings such as ranch, blue cheese, white balsamic vinaigrette, honey mustard, and thousand island. The meal also includes a side or soup, with options like loaded baked potato soup, seasoned fries, or mashed potatoes. If you're on a greens kick, you can even add broccoli or a Caesar salad.