RPM Steak

Verdict: A high-performance Chicago steakhouse that earns its price — if sourcing depth matters to you

Expect to spend over $66 per person before wine at RPM Steak, and the bill climbs fast once you're pulling from a 6,525-bottle cellar with a $50 corkage and a list that leans heavily into three-figure Burgundy and Napa. That's the deal here. RPM Steak, owned by Lettuce Entertain You and holding a Michelin Plate recognition (2024) alongside a World of Fine Wine 3-Star Wine Accreditation, is not trying to be the cheapest steak in River North. It's trying to be the most considered — and on the sourcing front, it largely delivers.

What You're Actually Paying For

The sourcing rotation at RPM Steak is one of the more serious commitments in Chicago's steakhouse tier. The aging processes and cuts cycle through Japanese prefectural beef and American producers, which means the menu isn't fixed , it reflects what's available and what the kitchen is confident in at a given time. That's a meaningful distinction from steakhouses that run the same five cuts year-round regardless of provenance. If you're someone who cares whether your ribeye came from a specific regional producer or a particular Japanese prefecture, RPM is one of the few places in Chicago where that question has a real answer.

The food program is grounded in steak, shellfish, and sides, with dishes like steak frites, petite filets, and a cowboy steak that has drawn consistent attention , seasoned with a combination of fried and ground thyme, rosemary, garlic, and kosher salt. These aren't invented details: they come from the venue's own documented profile. The kitchen applies enough technique to justify the $$$$ pricing, but the experience is still fundamentally about premium product done well, not about tasting-menu creativity.

The Room and the Crowd

RPM Steak operates across two levels with a wraparound marble bar at its center. The décor runs black, white, and warm wood , a room that reads as polished without being stiff. Semicircular booths are the call for groups or anyone who wants to settle in and watch the room fill up. And it does fill up: a full house is the norm, not the exception, which shapes the energy considerably. This is a see-and-be-seen River North dining room, and that's part of the offering. If you want a quieter, more intimate setting, this is the wrong venue on a Friday night.

RPM Steak ranked #173 in the Opinionated About Dining Casual North America list in 2025 (up from #204 in 2024), which is useful context: it sits comfortably in a tier of credentialed, crowd-pleasing restaurants that deliver consistent quality without pushing into avant-garde territory. That upward movement year-over-year signals the kitchen is maintaining rather than sliding, which matters when you're spending at this level.

The Wine Program

The wine list is one of the most substantive in Chicago's steakhouse category. Wine Director Brennan Sopko and Sommelier Chris Farrell oversee a 1,200-selection program with an inventory of 6,525 bottles. Strengths sit in California, Bordeaux, Rhône, Burgundy, Italy, Washington, and broader France , a list built to pair with premium beef rather than to showcase novelty. Wine pricing is $$$, meaning many bottles land above $100. Corkage is $50 if you want to bring your own. For wine-focused diners, this is one of the better reasons to choose RPM Steak over comparable River North options like Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse or Chicago Cut, both of which carry strong lists but don't match the depth here.

How It Sits in Chicago's Steakhouse Set

Chicago has no shortage of serious steakhouses. Bavette's Bar & Boeuf offers a moodier, more atmospheric room at a slightly lower price ceiling and is easier to get into on short notice. Maple & Ash skews younger and more theatrical. Bazaar Meat takes a broader, more experimental approach to meat cookery. RPM Steak lands in a different position: it's the most wine-serious of the group, the most consistent in terms of sourcing transparency, and the most suited to corporate dinners or occasions where the room's energy and the wine list both need to perform.

If you're coming from outside Chicago, it's worth contextualising RPM against the national steakhouse tier. It doesn't operate at the sourcing specificity of a place like Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg, nor does it share the tasting-menu ambition of Le Bernardin in New York City , but it doesn't need to. Within its own category, it's a credentialed, well-run operation. For comparison, steakhouses at a similar international tier include A Cut in Taipei and Capa in Orlando, though RPM's wine depth exceeds both.

FAQ

• Is RPM Steak worth the price? Yes, with caveats. The World of Fine Wine 3-Star accreditation and Michelin Plate recognition back up the quality claim, and the rotating sourcing from Japanese prefectures and American producers gives the menu more depth than most steakhouses at this price. If you're spending $$$$ primarily for the wine program, it's a strong call. If you want the most technically ambitious food in Chicago for that spend, consider Smyth or Alinea instead.
• What should I order at RPM Steak? The cowboy steak is the most cited dish in the venue's documented profile , seasoned with fried thyme, rosemary, garlic, and kosher salt, cooked to pink. Steak frites and petite filets are also consistent anchors. Beyond that, the menu rotates with sourcing availability, so ask your server what's in from Japanese producers or notable American ranches on the night.
• Is lunch or dinner better at RPM Steak? RPM Steak is dinner-only, opening at 3 pm on weekends and 4 pm on weekdays. There is no lunch service. Book for early Saturday or Sunday if you want a slightly less pressured room before the full evening crowd arrives.
• What should a first-timer know about RPM Steak? The room fills fast and the energy is high, especially Thursday through Saturday. Budget for wine , the list is serious and the pricing reflects it. The sourcing rotation means the menu shifts, so treat the server as your guide for what's leading that week. Semicircular booths are worth requesting for groups of three or more.
• Does RPM Steak handle dietary restrictions? The database does not include specific dietary restriction policies. Contact the venue directly before booking if you have requirements , at this price and with this booking difficulty, it's worth confirming in advance rather than assuming.

More from Pearl

Explore more of Chicago's dining and hospitality options: our full Chicago restaurants guide, our full Chicago hotels guide, our full Chicago bars guide, our full Chicago wineries guide, and our full Chicago experiences guide. For other high-end American dining with serious wine programs, see Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Providence in Los Angeles, Emeril's in New Orleans, and The French Laundry in Napa.