Top 10 Steakhouse Restaurant Menus in the USA (Design Deep-Dive)

By Dazzle Pixels — restaurant branding & print specialists

Looking for the best restaurant menu design ideas from America’s most beloved steakhouses? Below we break down the top steakhouse menus—what they do well, how they express brand, and what you can borrow for your own menu revamp.

1) Peter Luger Steak House — Old-World Confidence

Why it’s top-tier: A century-plus icon where the steak speaks for itself.
Menu design: Heavy typographic identity with a bold black masthead, roomy spacing, and a pared-back item list that centers USDA Prime beef cuts (famously, “Steak for Two/Three/Four”). The design’s restraint communicates heritage and certainty. (Peter Luger Steak House)
What to borrow: Minimal copy + big type for hero items; a single signature grid for cuts and sizes.

2) Keens Steakhouse — Classic New York Grandeur

Why it’s top-tier: A landmark known for dry-aged steaks and historic charm.
Menu design: Clean sectioning, classic serif hierarchy, and straightforward price columns underline tradition. The online menu foregrounds Keens Classics and dry-aged messaging—no gimmicks, just authority. (Keens Steakhouse)
What to borrow: Lead with one proven signature (“Legendary Mutton Chop”) and keep the rest disciplined.

3) Bern’s Steak House — The Scholar’s Menu

Why it’s top-tier: Revered steak program and a legendary wine program.
Menu design: Encyclopedic structure carrying through to a massive, beautifully typeset wine list—an identity statement in itself. The dense but navigable pagination sells depth and curation. (Bern's Steak House)
What to borrow: If your cellar is a draw, treat the wine list like a brand book—indexed, labeled, and proudly long.

4) St. Elmo Steak House — Story-First Structure

Why it’s top-tier: Indianapolis icon where the Shrimp Cocktail is a pilgrimage.
Menu design: Smart storytelling: the dinner menu opens by ritualizing that starter, then flows into steaks, sides, and lounge staples, making the guest journey obvious at a glance. (Stelmos)
What to borrow: Put your must-order signature in the pole position with a short origin line.

5) Pappas Bros. Steakhouse — Crafted, Daily, In-House

Why it’s top-tier: Texas hospitality with meticulous technique.
Menu design: Modern web layout with clear photography blocks and confident headline copy (“USDA prime beef, dry-aged in-house”), plus a full view for power users. The tone is polished yet warm. (Pappas Bros. Steakhouse)
What to borrow: Use sectional images sparingly to pace long menus and reaffirm craft messaging.

6) CUT by Wolfgang Puck — Minimalism Meets Luxury

Why it’s top-tier: A design-driven steakhouse where the room and the paper say “modern.”
Menu design: Minimal, plenty of white space, contemporary type, and a crisp hierarchy that mirrors the sleek interior aesthetic; private-dining and hotel pages reinforce that brand language. (Wolfgang Puck)
What to borrow: Luxe restraint—space is a design element. Let premium cuts breathe on the page.

7) COTE Korean Steakhouse — Playful Precision

Why it’s top-tier: America’s first Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse; BBQ theater meets prime steak.
Menu design: Bilingual headings, line-art icons, and themed sets like Butcher’s Feast and Steak Omakase build an at-a-glance experience guide. The layout is friendly yet high-end. (COTE Korean Steakhouse)
What to borrow: Package experiences (feasts/sets) in framed boxes with micro-illustrations for instant comprehension.

8) Bazaar Meat by José Andrés — The Showman’s Menu

Why it’s top-tier: An exuberant carnivore’s temple with Spanish flair.
Menu design: Expressive section names—The Jamón Experience, Meat Bar—and editorial quotes telegraph personality. Multi-column PDFs keep much choice organized without feeling chaotic. (Sahara Las Vegas)
What to borrow: Rename boring sections with brand-forward language; use subheads to guide discovery.

9) Hawksmoor NYC — Charcoal, Provenance, Purpose

Why it’s top-tier: UK legend exporting its dry-aged ethos to New York.
Menu design: Type-led pages that say what matters (“The key to great steak is happy cattle… Dry-aged and grilled over real charcoal”), plus succinct cut lists and sauces—clean and conviction-filled. (Hawksmoor)
What to borrow: Put your sourcing credo in a short opening paragraph. Values are a design element, too.

10) Smith & Wollensky — The Evergreen American Classic

Why it’s top-tier: Iconic brand language and Prime dry-aged identity, consistent across markets.
Menu design: Traditional serif system, clear cut taxonomy, and “note from our butcher”-style messaging on PDFs—a masterclass in consistency across locations. (Smith & Wollensky)
What to borrow: If you operate multiple stores, codify menu hierarchy and brand notes to keep everything aligned.

Best Practices We See Across the Top Steakhouse Menu Designs

• Lead with your legend (one ritual starter or signature cut). (Stelmos)

• Say your sourcing out loud (Prime, dry-aged, in-house). (Caesars)

• Design for scanning (boxed sets/feasts, short intros, bold section titles). (COTE Korean Steakhouse)

• Curate depth with structure (if you have a big wine list, index it like a library). (Bern's Steak House)

• Use whitespace like luxury (CUT’s lesson: less ink, more intent). (Wolfgang Puck)

Ready to Elevate Your Menu?

Dazzle Pixels can concept, design, and print menus that sell—from luxe leather covers and foil/emboss finishes to durable, wipeable inserts for busy service.

• Shop printing & finishes → pick paper stocks, laminations, and specialty foils.

• Menu Design service → strategy, copy, layout, and press-ready files.

(Tell us your hero cut and your sourcing story—we’ll build the rest around it.)

If you want, I can tailor this for VNailPro’s blog tone or add clickable CTAs to your exact Shop and Menu URLs.