There’s nothing quite like sinking your teeth into a perfectly cooked steak at your favorite steakhouse. The perfect caramelized crust from a searing hot pan or a firey grill, the mouthwatering aroma, and the juicy tenderness of a well-prepared steak is an irresistible indulgence. But while indulgence is one thing, it’s also important to keep an eye on the health factor. Steaks are usually served in massive portions (with over-the-top toppings) at most restaurants, and if you want to keep your health in mind, you need to be wary of the unhealthiest steak orders.
At Eat This, Not That!, we’re committed to helping you make informed choices when dining out, and that includes your steakhouse visits. That’s why Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Miami, Florida helped us uncover the unhealthiest steak at every popular steakhouse chain across the country. To make that determination, there were a few factors we considered: the portion size, type of cut, and what foods you pair it with.
- Portion size: “If you are choosing steak, it’s always a good idea to watch portion size. Limit it to just a 3-ounce serving, which is similar to the size and thickness of a deck of cards,” says Ehsani. “Most restaurants likely are serving you much more than just a 3-ounce portion, so be sure to share it with your fellow diner, or take the remainder home to eat at another time.”
- Type of cut: Besides portion size, the type of steak you order can also impact its overall nutrition profile. “The cut of steak is important; a filet mignon or sirloin is a much leaner steak cut option than a ribeye, for example, which is a steak cut that is marbled (meaning the fat is distributed throughout the entire piece of steak) and is not easy to just cut off,” adds Ehsani.
- Sides and toppings: Also, the sides and toppings you pair with your steak factor into how unhealthy your steak dinner can be. Is your meat served with a “slab of butter, crumbles of blue cheese, or gravy? Or is the steak cooked in butter or oil? These cooking methods or toppings will add unhealthy calories to your steak, too,” says Ehsani.
It’s worth noting that while having steak once in a while can fit into a healthy eating pattern, “If you are eating it frequently, such as a few times per week, the unhealthier it is for you,” Ehsani says. “Steak is a red meat, which has been linked to multiple negative health outcomes, including increased risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.”
From calorie, saturated fat, and sodium levels that could rival an entire day’s worth of meals, we’ve sifted through the data to ensure you know what you’re really consuming with that steak dinner. Read on for eight of the unhealthiest steak orders at popular steakhouse chains, and for more, don’t miss The Best & Worst Cuts of Steak—Ranked by Nutrition!
Per meal: 2660 calories, 217g fat (99 g saturated fat), 1880 mg sodium, 0 g carbs (0 g fiber, 2 g sugar), 175 g protein
The portion size of this Outback Steakhouse Prime Rib is what makes it the highest calorie steak on their entire menu.
“Amongst the other steaks at Outback, the classic prime rib 24 ounce is the largest portion of steak you could order and contains the highest amount of calories, total fat, saturated fat, and sodium as well,” says Ehsani. “This steak also should not be eaten just by one person, as it contains eight servings worth in one plate. Also, if you opt for your steak to be topped with roasted garlic butter, it will bump up the total calories, fat calories, and saturated fat even more.”
Per meal: 1280 calories, 96g fat (40 g saturated fat), 1570mg sodium, 16 g carbs (5 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 103 g protein
Besides the fact that this ribeye is high in both fat and saturated fat, it also contains a hefty amount of dangerous trans fats.
“The 16-ounce Ft. Worth Ribeye is the most calorically dense steak on the Texas Roadhouse menu. It contains over half of your days’ worth of calories, and over your days’ worth of fat and saturated fat,” says Ehsani. “Plus contains 8 grams of trans fat, which is a type of fat we should absolutely limit and avoid.”
Per meal: 1280 calories, 67 g fat (27 g saturated fat), 2450 mg sodium, 1 g carbs (2 g fiber, 1 g sugar), 150 g protein
Besides the massive amounts of calories, fat, and saturated fat, this steak from LongHorn Steakhouse exceeds the recommended sodium recommendation.
“The 22-ounce LongHorn Porterhouse steak is LongHorn Steakhouse’s biggest steak. It exceeds a person’s daily limit for sodium, hitting 2,450 milligrams, where the recommendation is no more than 2,300 milligrams a day,” says Ehsani. “It also contains double the recommended amount for saturated fat, the limit is 13 grams, and it contains 27 grams. This also doesn’t take into consideration anything else you add to your steak, what the restaurant may cook the steak with, and what else they serve it with.”
Per meal: 1620 calories, 108 g fat (41 g saturated fat), 702 mg sodium, 0 g carbs ( 0g fiber, 0g sugar), 162 g protein
Let’s be honest: you go to Fogo de Chao to chow down on the endless servings of steaks. Forget portion control. And if you choose a fatty (and massive) steak like the Tomahawk, it’s a nutrition disaster.
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“Eating at Fogo de Chao can be tricky as it’s an all-you-can-eat dining experience (if you choose the churrasco experience) where waiters come around with endless meats to carve at your table and place right on your plate. Therefore it can be tricky to know how much you are really eating, as you might be served multiple types of meats and unable to keep track of how much you’ve eaten,” says Ehsani. “If you opt for a full cut of meat, the tomahawk 32 oz is one to avoid. It contains three times the amount of saturated fat you need for the day, exceeds grams of fat for the day, and is almost a day’s worth of calories in just one steak.”
Per meal: 1092 calories (additional nutritional information unavailable)
A Porterhouse steak is a cut that is almost identical to a T-bone but with more tenderloin to it (i.e. a larger portion size.) And this one from Logan’s Roadhouse is the biggest on their menu.
“The 20 oz Porterhouse at Logan’s Roadhouse, is the largest steak on their menu and highest in total calories,” says Ehsani. “Steak lacks fiber, a nutrient most Americans fall short of consuming, and is high in total fat and the unhealthy kind of fat, mostly saturated fat. Intake of saturated fat has been linked to increased risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke.”
Per meal: 1370 calories, 113 g fat (50 g saturated fat), 1370 mg sodium, 0 g carbs (0 g fiber, 0g sugar), 88 g protein
Ruth’s Chris Steak House smothers their steaks in butter, which puts the fat content of this ribeye into an astronomical amount.
“Ruth’s Chris Steak House ribeye is served ‘sizzling with butter’ which doesn’t make for a healthy filet of steak– and you even have the option to ask for extra butter, a choice I’d not recommend,” says Ehsani. “Their 16-ounce ribeye is one of the unhealthiest cuts of steak, as it’s typically marbled with fat, which means it has fat throughout the entire cut of the steak, and you can’t easily cut the fat off or remove it from your steak. It also contains a whopping 9 grams of trans fat, the type of fat we should avoid at all costs.”
Per meal: 1270 calories, 86g fat (32 g saturated fat), 2190 mg sodium, 34 g carbs ( 1 g fiber, 5 g sugar), 82 g protein
Although this steak is on the smaller side at 12 ounces, it’s what it’s served with (bacon and shrimp) that pushes the saturated fat to an insane level.
“The 12-ounce NY steak at Sizzler comes with three bacon-wrapped shrimp, which really bumps up the total fat well above your daily limit and saturated fat amount,” says Ehsani. “It also nearly hits your daily sodium amount for the day, nearly hitting 2,300 milligrams. It’s best to skip the bacon-wrapped shrimp option and look for a smaller cut of steak.”
Per meal: 990 calories, 31 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 1060 mg sodium, 4 g carbs ( 0 g fiber, 0g sugar), 80 g protein
The Bone-In Ribeye at The Capital Grille is the biggest steak on their menu. If eating in one serving, it exceeds daily serving size recommendations seven times over.
“The 22 oz Bone-In Ribeye is the biggest steak you can order at The Capital Grille. Even if you decide to split it with your dinner date, it’s still a too large portion for one–it packs about seven servings in one (as a typical serving should just be 3 ounces),” says Ehsani. “High intake of red meat is linked to not only heart disease, but increased risk of other chronic conditions like cancer, diabetes and even premature death, per Harvard Health.”
