The Best Steaks in Southwest Missouri

For Hyper-Seasonal Ingredients

Progress

2144 E. Republic Road, Springfield, 417-799-9388

Although Progress isn’t a steakhouse, the featured steak on their ever-changing seasonally updated menu is reliably delicious. At press time, Progress was serving its fall menu, which featured a 10-ounce ribeye that was dry-aged in-house and served with two kinds of sunchokes: pureed sunchoke and fried sunchoke. What will the winter menu hold? We can’t wait to find out. In the meantime, you can find us ordering the restaurant’s duck fat confit carrots with farro, pumpkin seeds and crispy mustard greens. The restaurant offers a new take on carrots with every new menu, and they are a great thing to pair with a juicy steak.

What to Order

Dry-aged prime ribeye.

Side to Try

Terrell Creek goat cheese with roasted beets.

For a Taste of the Delta

Doe’s Eat Place

935 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, 417-833-7818

Started in 1941 in Greenville, Mississippi, Doe’s Eat Place has spent 80 years building a reputation for enormous steaks served in a low-key, casual environment. But “big” isn’t the only thing to love about these steaks: They are the definition of simply delicious and are always perfectly prepared. The 2-pound sirloin can even be cooked to two different temperatures, for the ultimate sharing experience. The menu at Doe’s offers some Mississippi Delta flavors, too, in the form of hot tamales that come filled with beef and topped with chili.

What to Order

Bone-in ribeye in 2, 2.5 or 3 whopping pounds.

Side to Try

The sautéed mushrooms.

Editor’s note 02/21/2022: Doe’s Eat Place has closed since the publication of this feature.

For Sweet Island Flavors

Ocean Zen

4117 S. National Ave., Springfield, 417-889-9596

Everything on the menu at Ocean Zen has a little bit of Pacific Islands flair, and we love that about it. But while the flavors of macadamia nuts, pineapple and sweet Asian sauces make appearances on most entrees, the steaks feature more classic steakhouse tastes. Take the OZ Signature Surf N Turf for example. It’s a filet mignon served with garlic-herb roasted lobster tails, garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli—just the ingredients to let a quality steak shine. While you’re there, dig into one of Ocean Zen’s super-loaded sushi rolls, like the Hawaii 5-0 that’s topped with seared rare ahi tuna and a sweet-and-spicy pineapple salsa.

What to Order

1,600°F fire-broiled angus filet mignon with lobster mac and cheese, grilled portobello mushrooms, asparagus, port wine mushroom demiglace.

Side to Try

Tri-pepper seared rare ahi tuna.

For Steak Plus Slots

Red Oak Steakhouse at Downstream Casino

69300 E. Nee Road, Quapaw, Oklahoma, 918-919-6000

Downstream Casino & Resort and Red Oak Steakhouse are owned by the Quapaw Nation, one of their agricultural initiatives is raising and processing bison. That means it’s one of few places in the area where you can indulge in a bison T-bone. But that isn’t the only steak worth ordering here. Downstream also raises black angus cattle for steak and bees for honey, and it has greenhouses full of pesticide-free  produce for a truly farm-to-table experience. Before you dig into your steak, taste the pork belly appetizer served with pepper jelly, or the fried Brussels sprout Caesar salad.

What to Order

16-ounce bison T-bone, with optional barbecue bacon demi.

Side to Try

Lemon-scented pine nut basmati rice.

For Ozark Fine Dining 

The Finley

206 E. Elm St., Ozark, 417-582-1912

The Finley puts its steaks front and center on the supper menu’s entrée list, and for a reason. There’s a filet mignon with lobster and pink peppercorn bearnaise, a ribeye with steak sauce that’s homemade with black garlic, and even a linguini dish that features filet mignon tips alongside mixed mushrooms in a creamy sauce. Each dish is distinct, and each features just the perfect toppings. Plus, we love that The Finley includes ingredients from local farms and businesses, like the Edgewood Creamery Ozark Mountain Bleu cheese and arugula salad, or the meat from Black Gate Farms and Circle B Ranch.

What to Order

Grilled 14-ounce ribeye with homemade black garlic steak sauce, served with fried potato wedges and grilled broccolini).

Side to Try

Pear and arugula salad.

For Some Italian Flair

Avanzare Italian Dining

1908 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, 417-567-3463

When you think of Avanzare Italian Dining, your mind might go straight to some of the restaurant’s best pasta dishes, like the decadent ravioli aragosta (a lobster ravioli with a creamy, spicy marinara) or the rigatoni alla Tony with its shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, pecans, goat cheese and pesto. But this Italian eatery has a strong steak game, too. From the filetto porto with rich port wine reduction to the filetto al porcini with mushrooms and garlic white wine butter sauce, the menu offers five beefy entrees any steak-lover would want to try.

What to Order

Bistecca Rosemarino ribeye with white wine and gorgonzola sauce, roasted veggies and mashed potatoes.

Side to Try

Mussel al forno.

For a Steak Aged Just Right

Flame Steakhouse & Wine Bar

314 W. Walnut St., Springfield, 417-862-4444

Flame Steakhouse has been one of the top slingers of perfect steaks in Springfield since 2004, and its presence downtown has been steady over the years while other eateries come and go. There’s a reason for that. The steaks here are superb. Take the ribeye, which is wet-aged for 25 days and then dry-aged for another three weeks before it’s grilled at 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. The result: irresistibly juicy cuts of meat with the very best char. This spot is great for getting a little surf with your turf, too. The popular seafood platter features oysters, shrimp, lobster and king crab legs.

What to Order

Dry-aged ribeye topped (and add au poivre sauce if you’re in the mood).

Side to Try

Lobster macaroni and cheese.

For Steak with Stellar Service

Jimm’s Steakhouse & Pub

1935 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, 417-886-5466

Everybody raves about the super-fresh build-your-own salad bar at Jimm’s. Between that and the comforting French onion soup, salmon Caesar salad and famously addictive bacon-wrapped peppadew peppers (with their cheesy center and balsamic drizzle), you might forget that the biggest draw here is the beautifully prepared steak. Every one we’ve tried has been mouthwatering, but the prime rib is an old-school classic that never disappoints. It’s tender, juicy and beautifully seasoned. Jimm’s is also known for its wonderful service, which means your favorite cut of steak will come to the table with a traditional, classy steakhouse vibe.

What to Order

Jimm’s slow-roasted prime rib with a loaded baked potato.

Side to Try

Build-your-own salad bar.

For Something Unexpected

Haruno Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill

3044 S. Fremont Ave., Springfield, 417-887-0077

If you’re anything like us, you have trouble going to Haruno and ordering anything other than your favorites from their top-notch sushi selection. But take our word for it: Diving into the steak portion of the entrees menu is very, very worth it. The New York strip and the filet mignon both seem to have traditional steakhouse flavors at first glance (potatoes and asparagus on the side, cabernet demi-glaze, garlic cream), but they also feature sweet teriyaki dipping sauce for a touch of Japanese tastes. The Karai steak is the most unexpected, though, with cream cheese and grilled tomatoes that add a little hit of acidity that keeps you dipping in bite after bite.

What to Order

Karai New York strip steak with cream cheese, grilled tomatoes and a creamy garlic sauce.

Side to Try

Japanese miso black cod.

For Steak Plus a View

Osage Restaurant at Top of the Rock

150 Top of the Rock Road, Ridgedale

Are you in the mood for dinner with a view? Steak dinners are perfect for a special occasion, and we love Osage Restaurant because it combines a special meal with a special setting thanks to the incredible views of Table Rock Lake that you can take in from the floor-to-ceiling windows. The steak menu is populated with classics: a bone-in Kansas City strip, a bone-in ribeye and a dry-aged filet. But it’s the chef-selected cut that caught our eye; we always love to try something that we might not be able to get again. Regardless of which cut you choose, the accompaniments here are stellar. It’s not just blue cheese here, it’s bruleed stilton. It’s not just grilled shrimp, it’s citrus-garlic shrimp. So, what’s your pick?

What to Order

Chef-selected specialty cut, Oscar style with blue crab and bearnaise sauce.

Side to Try

Smoked pea bisque.

For a Classic Art Deco Setting

Wilder’s Steakhouse

1216 S. Main St., Joplin, 417-623-7230

Make sure you come hungry to Wilder’s, so you can order an appetizer to start your meal. They are comfort food at its best with options like smoked lamb lollipops, scallops beurre and a warm three-onion soup. But you’re here for steak, right? This steakhouse grills some of the best from a charming building that dates to 1908, with an Art Deco bar constructed in the 1940s. The restaurant itself opened in the 1920s, and anything that sticks around that long must be good. Go classic with a tenderloin filet that’s lovely on its own but can be spruced up with seafood additions like grilled prawns, jumbo scallops, lobster tail and more. There’s even a more uncommon protein on the menu: a New Zealand elk steak that’s served with horseradish.

What to Order

Wilder’s mignons with steak sauce, asiago cream sauce and crumbled applewood smoked bacon.

Side to Try

Cauliflower au gratin.

For a Creative Steak

Metropolitan Grill

2931 E. Battlefield Road, Springfield, 417-889-4951

While the menu at Metropolitan Grill is frequently updated to include a wide variety of dishes (from wagyu burgers to vegan meatloaf), the steaks are reliably well-prepared and—like the rest of the menu—always a little eclectic. Take the Norman steak tips for example, which feature a “sun-dried bloody mary Worcestershire sauce” and torched gorgonzola cheese. Even the sides are anything but basic. Gouda mashed potatoes are standard, but you can upgrade to asiago and bacon risotto—a flavor bomb in and of itself. But you don’t have to go wild. The Thompson tenderloin is more simply (but not too simply) dressed with roasted garlic and rosemary-whiskey butter.

What to Order

McConnville Cut filet, seared with brown butter and black pepper in a cast iron pan with bourbon demi and balsamic caramelized red onion.

Side to Try

The Fitchy Tuna.

For Surf and Turf

Crabby’s Seafood Bar & Grill

815 W. Seventh St., Joplin, 417-206-3474

Seafood and steak go hand in hand, especially at a restaurant like Crabby’s Seafood Bar & Grill that is known for delicious fish and shellfish dishes. Although the filet of beef tenderloin and the 45-day aged ribeye both sound delightful, it’s the surf and turf dish simply named Filet and Lobster that caught our eye. Eight ounces of hand-cut filet are complemented by 8 ounces of cold water lobster tail and all the classic steakhouse topping flavors: onion, mushroom and potato. It’s like comfort food but sophisticated and packed with flavor. If you’re really feeling that steak-and-seafood combo, you can even add additional shellfish options.

What to Order

Filet and Lobster entrée with twice baked potato gratin, grilled asparagus, crispy onions, mushroom ragout and veal sauce.

Side to Try

Baby vegetable and Parmesan risotto.

For Downtown-Chic Dining

The Order at Hotel Vandivort

305 E. Walnut St., Springfield, 417-851-5299

Hotel Vandivort is one of the chicest spots in Springfield, and it’s not just because of the well-appointed rooms. Drinks at Vantage Rooftop Lounge & Conservatory and meals at The Order fall into that super-classy category, too. And steak is one of the things The Order does especially well. We like the bistro steak for that smoked tomato relish, but there is also a filet mignon on the menu that features a dreamy black garlic smoked thyme butter. Order it with a smoked old fashioned for the full experience, and don’t forget a Hotel Vandivort bathroom selfie before you leave.

What to Order

Bistro steak petite tenderloin with pomme puree, wilted greens, smoked tomato relish and wild mushroom demi-glace.

Side to Try

Pork belly bao buns.