Nashville eats a lot of steak. Some of it is in glass towers with a view of the whole city, and some of it is in an old house in Midtown where the Kelly family has been pouring whiskey since the Depression. These are the ten we'd send you to, from the big-night splurge to the neighborhood room where chefs go on their night off.
Bourbon Steak
Michael Mina's steakhouse sits at the top of the JW Marriott, and it's the room people book when the night has to go right. Windows on the whole skyline, and wagyu that earns the bill. It's been the city's big-occasion steak since it opened in 2018.
- What to get
- The trio of duck-fat fries lands on the table for free. Then a butter-poached wagyu cut, like the Australian wagyu ribeye, and the Maine lobster pot pie for the table.
- Local move
- Book just before sunset and ask for a west-facing window. Not ready for the full dinner? The bar stays open later than the dining room, and a bourbon with that view is the move before a show.
Jimmy Kelly's Steakhouse
The Kelly family opened its first supper club in 1934, and Jimmy Kelly's has been Nashville's old-school steak dinner ever since: white tablecloths, a big Victorian house on Louise Avenue, hand-cut steaks and a generous pour. It's the one locals take their parents to.
- What to get
- The corn cakes. They come before the steak and they're the reason people come back. Then a hand-cut filet or ribeye, with something stiff from the bar.
- Local move
- Happy hour runs 4 to 6 PM, Monday to Saturday, and the upstairs patio (new in the 2022 renovation) is the nicest seat in the house on a warm night.
- Good to know
- Dinner only, from 4 PM. Sunday closes early, at 8.
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Prime + Proper
The newest name on the list. Detroit's Prime + Proper opened its second location, and its first outside Michigan, on the ground floor of the Grand Hyatt in February 2026. The Detroit original is on the World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants list. They butcher and dry-age in-house, the wine cellar is serious, and a lot happens tableside.
- What to get
- The cowboy ribeye, aged with whiskey from Leiper's Fork Distillery, or the Dover sole if someone at the table doesn't want steak.
- Good to know
- It's a splurge: the big shareable cuts run about $160 to $200. Save it for the birthday.
Sperry's
Open since 1974 and proudly unchanged: walls covered in Nashville history and bow-tied waiters who've seen it all. The salad bar comes before dinner, and the twice-baked potato has been on the menu for 50 years. Regulars hold a standing table every week.
- What to get
- A steak with the twice-baked potato, the salad bar with green goddess dressing, and bananas Foster flamed at the table.
- Local move
- Go to the Belle Meade original, not the Franklin one, and book ahead on weekends.
Halls Chophouse
The Charleston steakhouse came to West End in 2022, and locals who eat steak a lot tend to call it the most consistent in town. The service and the wine list get the raves.
- What to get
- The dry-aged ribeye with truffle butter, or the dry-aged New York strip.
- Local move
- It opens at 11 AM every day, which makes it the rare steakhouse that does lunch. Thursday to Saturday, 11 to 4, the Three Martini Lunch gets you three small martinis with a steak sandwich.
Harper's
The showy one. Harper's opened in 2023 with a glam dining room, a garden room and a menu that goes past beef. It's where you book when the group wants a bit of a scene with dinner.
- What to get
- The elk tenderloin, the hanging tomahawk for the table, and the crème brûlée torched at your seat.
- Local move
- Weekday happy hour, 4 to 6, for martinis and oysters. Skip the valet and use the garage underneath, which is $5 for two hours with validation.
Order the corn cakes at Jimmy Kelly's. Then order more corn cakes.
Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse
Dinner and a show. There's live music on a stage over the bar every night, the room is all Art Deco and polish, and the desserts come shaped like sneakers and handbags. It's been downtown since 2016, and it's the most fun of the big steakhouses.
- What to get
- A prime steak with the six-cheese baked mac, and the Air Ruby dessert if anyone's celebrating.
- Local move
- No reservation? Grab a drink at the bar while the band plays. It works before or after dinner somewhere else.
Urban Grub
The casual pick, and the one we hear chefs mention for their own steak night. It does its own butchery, the patio fills with neighbors, and flannel is fine. You'll spend less here than anywhere else on the list and still eat a great steak.
- What to get
- The dry-aged Creekstone ribeye, or the double-cut pork chop, and a pour from the bourbon list.
- Local move
- Walk in for a seat at the bar, even when 12 South is packed with visitors.
Kayne Prime
The Gulch's steakhouse from the M Street group, and a date-night and birthday standby for years. The steak's great, and the sides are the part people bring up afterward.
- What to get
- The New York strip with bone marrow butter, and the famous bacon with cotton candy for the table.
- Local move
- Reserve ahead on weekends. A drink at Bourbon Steak for the view, then dinner here, is a favorite local combo.
Char
The Green Hills steakhouse with a jazz piano in the lounge every night, played by Nashville Jazz Workshop regulars. It's the easy answer when you want a good steak without driving downtown.
- Local move
- Take a lounge seat early in the evening, when the piano starts. On Sundays a jazz trio plays brunch, 11 to 2.
- Good to know
- Two hours of validated parking in the Vertis garage, and no cover for the music.
Every steakhouse here is in Eat & Drink, with hours, prices and more to order. Hours and menus change, so check with the restaurant before you go, and book ahead for Friday and Saturday.
