The Best Steakhouses in Chicago

What RPM Steak Is and Whether It's Worth Your Time

RPM Steak, located at 66 W Kinzie in River North, is Lettuce Entertain You's upscale steakhouse, the kind of room that draws expense-account dinners and celebration bookings in equal measure. The menu runs from a 28-day prime dry-aged New York Strip (16 oz) at $108 to a 42 oz Queensland Wagyu Tomahawk at $270, with Japanese Wagyu available at $62 per ounce (2 oz minimum) for Matsusaka striploin. If you want a dry-aged prime cut in a polished River North room with valet parking, this is a reliable answer. If you want something with more character or a lower bill, there are better options in Chicago.

Hours run Monday through Thursday 4 to 9 pm, Friday 4 to 10 pm, Saturday 3 to 10 pm, and Sunday 3 to 9 pm. Valet parking is available at the 66 W Kinzie address. The room books out on weekends, particularly for prime-time Saturday slots, the venue does not publish a release schedule, so confirm availability directly with the restaurant.

How to Actually Secure a Table at RPM Steak

RPM Steak does not publish a formal reservation-release window. The venue does not disclose lead times or drop schedules publicly, so the practical approach is to check availability frequently and book as far in advance as your schedule allows. Weekend prime-time slots (Friday and Saturday between 7 and 9 pm) fill fastest; weeknight bookings and early-evening slots on Saturday from 3 pm are more accessible. The venue does not publish its booking platform by name, confirm the current reservation method directly with the restaurant or via the Lettuce Entertain You website.

For large groups, contact the restaurant directly rather than booking online. The venue does not publish group-size thresholds or private dining minimums; call ahead to confirm. Valet parking is available at the 66 W Kinzie location, which matters on a Chicago winter night.

If RPM Steak is fully booked, the alternatives below cover the same price tier and booking difficulty, with notes on where each one wins.

What to Order and What to Expect at the Table

The menu is built around dry-aged prime beef and imported Wagyu. The 28-day prime dry-aged Cowboy Steak (24 oz) at $138 is the mid-range anchor, enough for two to share if you're ordering sides. The Westholme Strip (12 oz) at $135 is the Australian Wagyu option for those who want the marbling without committing to the Tomahawk format. At the top end, the Queensland Wagyu Tomahawk (42 oz) at $270 is a tableside production, the format, not just the price, is the point. The Matsusaka Japanese Wagyu striploin at $62 per ounce is the highest per-ounce spend on the menu; order it if Japanese Wagyu is the specific reason you're here, not as an add-on.

The seafood tower is a credible alternative opener: the Petite Chilled Seafood Tower is $148 and the Grand is $275. For a table of four splitting a tower and two steaks, budget $150 to $200 per person before wine. The room skews corporate and celebratory; it is not the place for a quiet dinner for two.

Chicago Steakhouses Worth Booking If RPM Is Full

Bavette's Bar and Boeuf is the most direct alternative for atmosphere. Brendan Sodikoff of Hogsalt Hospitality opened it in 2012, and the room has held its following since. Prices are lower: a petite filet mignon is $50, sides like creamed spinach ($16) and truffle macaroni and cheese ($16) keep the bill manageable, and the grand shellfish tower is $165, $110 less than RPM's Grand. The smoked salmon Caesar salad is $13. Book via Bavette's booking page. Better than RPM for a lower-spend night with more personality; worse if you specifically want dry-aged prime cuts or Japanese Wagyu.

Maple and Ash competes directly with RPM on price and format. The 'I Don't Give A F*@k' chef's choice menu is $145 per person (whole table must participate), a fixed-format option that removes the ordering decision entirely. Book via SevenRooms. Better than RPM if you want a set-menu format; worse if you want à la carte control over your cuts.

Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse at 1028 North Rush Street has been open since May 1989 and is the Chicago steakhouse institution, the room politicians and sports figures have used for decades. No formal dress code beyond a ban on sleeveless shirts for men; valet available. Better than RPM for old-school Chicago energy and name recognition; the menu skews classic rather than Wagyu-forward.

Gene and Georgetti, founded in 1941, is the oldest steakhouse in the comparison set. Reservations through OpenTable; valet parking and a bar/lounge on site. Better than RPM for history and a more relaxed room; not the choice if imported Wagyu or dry-aged prime is the specific draw.

Boeufhaus, open since 2015, is the neighborhood option, smaller, less corporate, and bookable via OpenTable. Better than RPM if you want a quieter room.

For a Michelin-starred alternative at a similar price point, Boka offers a tasting menu at $195 with an à la carte option, bookable via OpenTable. Not a steakhouse, but the right answer if the goal is a high-end Chicago dinner rather than specifically beef. Atelier runs tasting menus from $185 to $210, bookable via their website.

If you want something newer, The Alston was brought to Gold Coast and River North by Esmé chef Jenner Tomaska in 2025, the most recent addition to the Chicago steakhouse conversation and worth tracking if you follow Tomaska's work from Esmé (opened 2021).

The Bottom Line on RPM Steak

RPM Steak is the right answer for a specific kind of Chicago dinner: a polished River North room, a menu built around dry-aged prime beef and imported Wagyu, and a format that works for corporate entertaining or a celebration where the bill is not the primary concern. The 28-day dry-aged Cowboy Steak at $138 and the Queensland Wagyu Tomahawk at $270 are the reasons to be here; if neither of those is the draw, the alternatives above offer more character at lower prices. Bavette's wins on atmosphere and value. Gibsons wins on Chicago history. Boka wins if Michelin-starred cooking matters more than beef specifically. RPM wins when the format, a serious dry-aged steakhouse with a wide Wagyu selection and reliable execution, is exactly what the occasion calls for. The venue does not publish a reservation-release schedule, so book as far ahead as your plans allow and check back for cancellations on prime weekend slots. For a city with this many credible steakhouses, RPM holds its position not through scarcity but through consistency, and that is a reasonable basis for a booking decision.