Steakhouse and Butcher shops... (Austin, West: houses, buying, restaurants)

[TCCK]

All things meat..... Where are the best places to buy great cuts of meat in Austin? Best Steakhouses?

My wife and I like to grill out a lot and I was wondering where most of the steak "aficionado's" get their meat from. We like Porterhouse, Filet Mignon and everything in between.

Up in NYC we have some of the best Steakhouses in the country. Does Austin have a good selection as well? BTW, I think Peter Luger's in Brooklyn was a bit overrated. Maybe all the hype of finally getting a chance to go made me expect too much from them. Other, less known places, I thought were better.

So, where do you go to get the best meat?

[EzPeterson]

I've had really good experiences buying steaks for home from Costco. One caveat is that they cut them HUGE, we often have to cut them down again at home to get a manageable portion. If you have a specific cut you like, they'll trim it for you right there.

There's also The Meat House (one on Bee Caves, and one in Avery Ranch) - they're spendy, but have a great selection, and even some hard to find game meats as well. Quality I've experienced is very good.

For steakhouses, III Forks has always been my go-to, and #1 on my list. ALC is top-notch as well. Vince Young's Steakhouse is also good, but a little gimmicky (they focus on local everything).

[Moonlady]

I'll second Costco. They carry both USDA Choice (think Outback) and USDA Prime (think high end steakhouse). We take a different approach to the larger cuts - we split a steak! The Meat House is good but about 2 to 3 times higher in price than Costco. Whole Foods and Central market also have good meat selections - but again, they are pricey!

[TexasHorseLady]

You can also check out some of the farmers' markets in town where meat is sold, or if you've got room in your freezer (or an extra small freezer), you can hook up with a farmer to buy meat straight from them.

[clarksvillemom]

The Meat House on Bee Caves, Lee's Meat Market on West 38th, by Seton Hospital

[TCCK]

Thanks for all the great replies! I am looking forward to checking all these places out.

[capcat]

I second Lee's meat market. I bought a marinated steak there once, and my husband said it was one of the best steaks he's ever had. Whole Foods downtown also seems to be a good place to buy steaks, with a variety of grades. For restaurants, there are the higher-quality "chains", like Perry's and Fleming's, and the local Austin Land and Cattle, not to be confused with Texas Land and Cattle. It's been years since I've visited ALC, but it was good when I went, and I see it recommended often.

[scm53]

I second the Meat House. They are expensive, but at least twice in the last six months they have had a 40% off Groupon - once in the past two weeks.