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.
Harry’s exterior in Lower Manhattan. Photo: Meat Hause. Credit details. First pick · No.3 · Financial District
Harry's
A Favorite Meets a Difficult Night
A packed dining room, an ambitious steak order and uneven execution left a usually trusted steakhouse short of its potential.
Best for- Diverse Menu
- Lively Atmosphere
Delmonico’s exterior in Lower Manhattan. Photo: Meat Hause. Credit details. Second 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
The verdict
The case for each.
First pick Harry's
A trusted favorite on an off night.
Second pick Delmonico's
Go for the hospitality, the Seafood Plateau and the house steaks, and expect a polished, generous night.
From the Dish Rundown
What we'd order.
First pick Harry's
Worth Trying
Beef Wellington with Black Truffle Sauce
The unusual order, and one that paid off.
A Qualified Pick
Prime Cajun Boneless Ribeye
A longtime favorite that didn't quite deliver on this visit: good, but a step down from the incredible it can be. Worth judging for yourself on a quieter night.
Second pick Delmonico's
Worth Trying
Seafood Plateau
A generous opener that was really, really good and set the pace for the night: raw-bar seafood and shellfish.
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.
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.
Now, the numbers
The Steakhouse Showdown.
Official Council ratings, both on the Meat Hause Rubric.
Harry's
- Council rating
- 80.53/100
- Steak only
- 72.50/100
- Scorecards
- 3
Delmonico's
- Council rating
- 86.44/100
- Steak only
- 89.90/100
- Scorecards
- 5
- Council rating: Delmonico's +5.91
- Steak only: Delmonico's +17.40 (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.
Steak Experienceout of 40 points
Delmonico's +6.96 points
Harry's29.00 / 40 · 72.50%Delmonico's35.96 / 40 · 89.90%Appetizers & Sidesout of 15 points
Harry's +0.08 points
Harry's12.40 / 15 · 82.67%Delmonico's12.32 / 15 · 82.13%Atmosphere & Ambianceout of 12 points
Harry's +1.73 points
Harry's11.73 / 12 · 97.78%Delmonico's10.00 / 12 · 83.33%Service & Hospitalityout of 12 points
Delmonico's +1.01 points
Harry's9.87 / 12 · 82.22%Delmonico's10.88 / 12 · 90.67%Valueout of 8 points
Delmonico's +0.91 points
Harry's6.13 / 8 · 76.67%Delmonico's7.04 / 8 · 88.00%Beverage Programout of 8 points
Harry's +0.85 points
Harry's6.93 / 8 · 86.67%Delmonico's6.08 / 8 · 76.00%Desserts & The Finishout of 5 points
Harry's +0.31 points
Harry's4.47 / 5 · 89.33%Delmonico's4.16 / 5 · 83.20%
Harry's: 7 categories, 80.53 points in all.
Delmonico's: 7 categories, 86.44 points in all.
How to read this
- Both restaurants are scored on the Meat Hause Rubric, from 3 and 5 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.
Make your pick
Where are you booking?
First pick Harry's
Financial District
Second pick Delmonico's
Financial District