A steakhouse, steak house, or chophouse is a restaurant that specializes in
steak
A steak is a cut of meat sliced across muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone. It is normally Grilling, grilled or Pan frying, fried, and can be diced or cooked in sauce.
Steaks are most commonly cut from cattle (beefsteak), but can also ...
s and
chops. Modern steakhouses may also carry other cuts of meat including
poultry
Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting animal products such as meat, Eggs as food, eggs or feathers. The practice of animal husbandry, raising poultry is known as poultry farming. These birds are most typ ...
,
roast prime rib, and
veal
Veal is the meat of Calf (animal), calves, in contrast to the beef from older cattle. Veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any List of cattle breeds, breed; however, most veal comes from young male calves of Dairy cattle, dairy b ...
, as well as
fish
A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
and other
seafood
Seafood is any form of Marine life, sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including Fish as food, fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of Mollusca, molluscs (e.g., bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters, and mussel ...
.
History
Chophouses started in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
in the 1690s and served individual portions of meat, known as
chops. The traditional nature of the food served was zealously maintained through the later 19th century despite the new cooking styles from the
Continent
A continent is any of several large geographical regions. Continents are generally identified by convention (norm), convention rather than any strict criteria. A continent could be a single large landmass, a part of a very large landmass, as ...
, which were becoming fashionable. The houses were normally open only for men. The oldest chophouse in London,
Simpson's Tavern is regarded as an institution, and retains its 19th century decor.
The steakhouse started in the United States in the mid-19th century as a development from traditional inns and bars.
Steakhouses can be casual or formal fine-dining restaurants.
The oldest continuously operating steakhouse in the United States is the
Old Homestead Steakhouse in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, established in 1868. Prior to that, there were chophouses in New York City such as Cobweb Hall, owned by David Pattullo, which was known for its
mutton chops and offered additional menu options such as
beefsteaks, lamb kidneys,
bacon
Bacon is a type of Curing (food preservation), salt-cured pork made from various cuts of meat, cuts, typically the pork belly, belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central in ...
, and
potato
The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...
es.
Today, steakhouses are found throughout the USA.
See also
*
Café de Paris sauce
*
Churrascaria
*
List of steakhouses
*
Seafood restaurant
*
Steak frites
References
{{Reflist
Restaurants by type