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Meat Hause

The Steakhouse Showdown

Two steakhouses. One scorecard.

Pick any two restaurants the Council has reviewed. Meet them first, read each verdict and what we'd order, then see exactly where the points went.

Meet the contenders

Who's on the card.

  • Delmonico's rounded corner entrance at night, with stone columns, lit lamps and the restaurant's name carved above the doors
    Delmonico’s exterior in Lower Manhattan. Photo: Meat Hause. Credit details.

    First pick · No.2 · Financial District

    Delmonico's

    A Classic That Still Knows How to Host

    Seafood, serious steaks and old-school hospitality made this New York institution an easy night to enjoy, if not the Council's ultimate benchmark.

    Best for
    • Old-School Institution
    • Big Steak Spread
  • Gallagher's Steakhouse exterior with its vertical sign and red awnings in Manhattan, October 2024
    Gallagher's Steakhouse exterior in Manhattan, photographed October 17, 2024. Photo: ajay_suresh / CC BY 2.0. Cropped and resized for the web. Credit details.

    Second pick · No.1 · Midtown

    Gallagher's Steakhouse

    The Rib Steak That Set the Standard

    A packed Midtown dining room, a memorable aged rib steak, and a night that put Gallagher's at the top of the Meat Hause Index.

    Best for
    • Cocktails & Steak
    • Special Occasion

The verdict

The case for each.

First pick Delmonico's

Go for the hospitality, the Seafood Plateau and the house steaks, and expect a polished, generous night.

From our published review of Delmonico's. Read the full review

Second pick Gallagher's Steakhouse

The rib steak is the reason to go back.

From our published review of Gallagher's Steakhouse. Read the full review

From the Dish Rundown

What we'd order.

First pick Delmonico's

  1. Worth Trying

    Seafood Plateau

    A generous opener that was really, really good and set the pace for the night: raw-bar seafood and shellfish.

  2. The House Cuts

    Signature Delmonico Ribeye and Wagyu Côte De Boeuf

    The signature cuts, cooked well and served hot. Great all round, though no single plate reached the next level.

  3. A Qualified Pick

    Baked Alaska

    Spectacular theater when the flames were dancing, but merely okay to eat: the banana gelato seemed too frozen. Order it for the show.

Second pick Gallagher's Steakhouse

  1. Start at the Bar

    52nd St. Old Fashioned

    Old Grandad Bonded Bourbon, Old Overholt Rye, Demerara Sugar, Bitters; a great cocktail to start the festivities.

  2. Appetizers - burrata with peppers, house smoked bacon, and wedge salad

    Worth Ordering

    Burrata with peppers

    The best of the starters, in another league from the very good bacon and wedge salad beside it.

  3. The spread - Rib veal chop, porterhouse, and aged rib steak

    The Standout

    Aged rib steak

    The clear standout of three serious cuts, and the cut that put Gallagher's ahead of the field.

Now, the numbers

The Steakhouse Showdown.

Official Council ratings, both on the Meat Hause Rubric.

Delmonico's

Council rating
86.44/100
Steak only
89.90/100
Scorecards
5

Gallagher's Steakhouse

Council rating
91.90/100
Steak only
93.25/100
Scorecards
4
  • Council rating: Gallagher's Steakhouse +5.46
  • Steak only: Gallagher's Steakhouse +3.35 (already part of the Council rating, not ranked on its own)

Head to head

Where the points went.

Seven weighted categories. Each bar shows the share of that category's points earned; the points themselves add up to the official score.

  1. Steak Experienceout of 40 points

    Gallagher's Steakhouse +1.34 points

    Delmonico's35.96 / 40 · 89.90%
    Gallagher's Steakhouse37.30 / 40 · 93.25%

  2. Appetizers & Sidesout of 15 points

    Gallagher's Steakhouse +1.13 points

    Delmonico's12.32 / 15 · 82.13%
    Gallagher's Steakhouse13.45 / 15 · 89.67%

  3. Atmosphere & Ambianceout of 12 points

    Gallagher's Steakhouse +1.30 points

    Delmonico's10.00 / 12 · 83.33%
    Gallagher's Steakhouse11.30 / 12 · 94.17%

  4. Service & Hospitalityout of 12 points

    Gallagher's Steakhouse +0.32 points

    Delmonico's10.88 / 12 · 90.67%
    Gallagher's Steakhouse11.20 / 12 · 93.33%

  5. Valueout of 8 points

    Gallagher's Steakhouse +0.36 points

    Delmonico's7.04 / 8 · 88.00%
    Gallagher's Steakhouse7.40 / 8 · 92.50%

  6. Beverage Programout of 8 points

    Gallagher's Steakhouse +0.72 points

    Delmonico's6.08 / 8 · 76.00%
    Gallagher's Steakhouse6.80 / 8 · 85.00%

  7. Desserts & The Finishout of 5 points

    Gallagher's Steakhouse +0.29 points

    Delmonico's4.16 / 5 · 83.20%
    Gallagher's Steakhouse4.45 / 5 · 89.00%

Delmonico's: 7 categories, 86.44 points in all.

Gallagher's Steakhouse: 7 categories, 91.90 points in all.

How to read this
  • Both restaurants are scored on the Meat Hause Rubric, from 5 and 4 eligible member scorecards. Guest scores never count.
  • Bar percentages are for comparison only; the weighted points decide the official score. The steak-only rating is Steak Experience points scaled to 100.
  • Verdicts and dishes come from each published review; the numbers come only from the Council’s scoring.
How We Score

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