Poll of the Day > Damn, can't get a good steak in Tampa without spending like $60...

(+) Yeah! (+)

I guess I should expect that when looking for "the best" in town but, sheesh, you'd think at least one highly rated place could do a ribeye for $40 or less...

1st world problems

Guy's gotta eat, even on vacation.

you're better off finding a Brazilian steakhouse. More bang for your buck.

BADoglick posted...

you're better off finding a Brazilian steakhouse. More bang for your buck.

Troo, I might. But we have one of those here in Melbourne so it wouldn't exactly be a fresh experience (although the quality of meat might still make it a local winner).

Only downside is you can't get stuff cooked to the temperature you want.

Just buy your own steak and grill it. Heck, recently I have been perfecting the art of making a good steak on a cast iron skillet. I used to be a grill snob and turn my nose up on cooking a steak on a stove top, but I'm getting pretty close to having just as good of a steak that way to be honest.

There are safeway stores in Tampa, where you can actually get decent ribeye steaks for 7-12$ a pound (depending if it's on sale). You can upgrade a bit by finding a good butcher shop though i'm sure, might be a bit more expensive but you can have them cut the steak how you like it.

Season the steak or marinate it, and let it rest to get up to room temp at least 30 mins before cooking it. I spread a bit of oil on my steak at this point right before grilling it as well (instead of putting oil in the pan if i'm not using a grill).

Honestly 90% of steak places don't make a steak as well, or at least the way I like it done (varied ideas of what medium rare means for instance). The most expensive steak places do a good steak, but it's still about as good as I make it, but it's 4x or more then making it myself.

There's a $80 steakhouse here (Canada dollars, so like a $60)... and they are pretty mid

I got bacon wrapped scallops and a kobe burger and they frankly were just... meh

wolfy42 posted...

Just buy your own steak and grill it. Heck, recently I have been perfecting the art of making a good steak on a cast iron skillet. I used to be a grill snob and turn my nose up on cooking a steak on a stove top, but I'm getting pretty close to having just as good of a steak that way to be honest.

There are safeway stores in Tampa, where you can actually get decent ribeye steaks for 7-12$ a pound (depending if it's on sale). You can upgrade a bit by finding a good butcher shop though i'm sure, might be a bit more expensive but you can have them cut the steak how you like it.

Season the steak or marinate it, and let it rest to get up to room temp at least 30 mins before cooking it. I spread a bit of oil on my steak at this point right before grilling it as well (instead of putting oil in the pan if i'm not using a grill).

Honestly 90% of steak places don't make a steak as well, or at least the way I like it done (varied ideas of what medium rare means for instance). The most expensive steak places do a good steak, but it's still about as good as I make it, but it's 4x or more then making it myself.

I would if I was at home. I've been grilling a fair bit lately (my dad got me a grill for Christmas and I bought another one for my other residence).

Solid_Sonic posted...

Only downside is you can't get stuff cooked to the temperature you want.

Every Brazilian steakhouse I've been to has offered meat cooked from rare to well done.

SunWuKung420 posted...

Every Brazilian steakhouse I've been to has offered meat cooked from rare to well done.

Really? Maybe I'm just not asking. I always thought it just comes as it comes.

Steaks across the board have gone up heavily at nearly every restaurant I have seen. The price of food in general has risen quite a bit over the past 3 years but prime cuts of beef have gone up the most.

I do like brazillian steakhouses but they vary greatly in quality.

More importantly most heavily salt all their food (which prevents people from eating as much).

While you can get a varried doneness level, and ask them to cook yours more etc, it's not nearly as exact as going to a good steak house, or making your own.

Also the cheapest are usually about $50 at this point, so same problem as above, you can buy a good ribeye, really nice sized, for half that or less, and then cook it exactly how you want it.

Texas de Brazil is the only one near me now, but I have gone to pretty much all the chain ones and a few random ones, along with one on the cruise I went on last year. The cruise one was by far the worst I had gone to though.

Now mongolian BBQ......that is worth going to for me, especially if they have lamb. So freaking hard to find though sigh.

Solid_Sonic posted...

Troo, I might. But we have one of those here in Melbourne so it wouldn't exactly be a fresh experience (although the quality of meat might still make it a local winner).

Only downside is you can't get stuff cooked to the temperature you want.

Hey, I'm in Brevard county too. Wouldn't have thought there was someone else in this area, even though it's pretty big.

Also which steakhouse are you talking about? I haven't been to a Brazilian steakhouse down here.

Estampa Gaucha at the Melbourne Mall (used to be called "Rodizio Grill" before they closed and reopened under their current name).

Nice, I'll have to check that out. Thanks!

You were right, they asked me the level of doneness I wanted.