Gallagher's Steakhouse

Gallagher's was overflowing, the kind of crowd that tells you a place is doing something right before a single plate lands. Members were arriving at different times, which in a room this full could have been a problem. Instead the bar became the first good decision of the night: the group gathered there over cocktails, and the Old Fashioned was very, very good. By the time everyone had arrived and moved to the dining room, the evening already had momentum.

The server set the tone from there: friendly, knowledgeable and happy to steer. The house-smoked bacon came recommended as a must-order, and it earned the billing, with shrimp and lobster dumplings ordered alongside it. Burrata with peppers and a wedge salad joined them, and the bacon, burrata and salad were all very good, but the burrata was in another league: the best of the starters, and the plate that made it clear the kitchen meant business.

Then the steaks: a porterhouse, the aged rib steak and the rib veal chop, one of the house specialties. The porterhouse was good, a reliable benchmark. The veal chop was satisfying and genuinely interesting to try, if not spectacular. The aged rib steak was something else entirely, the clear standout of the night and the cut that put Gallagher's ahead of the field. On a night with three serious cuts on the table, that is a real distinction. Tree counts it as a contender for one of the best steaks he has ever eaten, and it is reason enough to come back: a seat at the bar, the rib steak and an Old Fashioned would make a complete night.

The supporting cast did its job. Creamed spinach and crispy Brussels sprouts were both good, and a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon stood up to everything on the table. Wine and cocktails both had their place at this table. Dessert did not hold back: espresso martinis, New York cheesecake, and pecan pie with vanilla ice cream, a finish built for lingering.

None of it came cheap. Gallagher's is expensive, as every steakhouse on this list is, but the money bought a genuinely great night out. The room, the service and the food all pulled in the same direction, and by the end of the evening Gallagher's already looked like the one to beat. A return visit is an easy call.

The scorecards made it official. Four Council members scored the dinner independently, and Gallagher's finishes at 91.90, first among the opening four restaurants on the Meat Hause Index. The steak did the heavy lifting: Steak Experience earned 37.30 of 40 points, the strongest steak mark of the four.