Golden Steer Steakhouse
Oldest steakhouse in Las Vegas with a legendary list of famous and infamous patrons
This may be the greatest steak house you've never heard of. It was a favorite of many famous celebrities, including Elvis Presley. But that story has a twist...
Countless Vegas celebrities would eat here regularly. When the Steer first opened, the El Rancho Vegas, first resort on the Strip that burned to the ground in 1960, was still standing. Sahara Avenue wasn’t even named yet – it was still called San Francisco Street. Back then they would even clean and cook food brought in from daily trappers including rabbits and rattlesnakes. And Vegas was still segregated – Sammy Davis, Jr. would come to the Steer after his shows when he was not allowed to dine at the venues at which he performed.
The phrase “if the walls could talk” was made for a place like this. Name plaques appear above the booths where people like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Joe DiMaggio regularly dined. The list of famous people and historic moments probably can’t be counted.
The Golden Steer also hosted many nefarious characters from the days when the Mob ruled Vegas. In fact, Anthony Spilotro from the Chicago Outfit ate here regularly and used the restaurant to hold “business” meetings. Rumor has it he even had his own rear entrance and private room. Spilotro’s “Gold Rush Jewelry” store was only about 100 feet from the restaurant which served as the headquarters for the “Hole in the Wall” gang depicted in the movie Casino.
And we haven’t even talked about the steak yet.
As countless reviews and websites will attest, the Golden Steer is a champion of steak. They bill themselves as having “The Best Steaks On Earth” and many industry critics agree. They consistently rank on the top lists of steakhouses and the city of Las Vegas has even declared a “Golden Steer Day” and “Golden Steer Month” by proclamation of Mayor Caroyn Goodman.
The steaks, seafood, ambiance and service surpass expectation in every way
Since VegasHistory.org is not a food review site, suffice it to say that a dinner served here tonight is one that could have been put in front of Ol’ Blue Eyes himself without hesitation. Whether you go for their various high-end cuts of meat, the seafood or even the Caesar salad your senses will be overloaded. You really cannot go wrong here.
Last but not least, the people.
The service at Golden Steer is top-notch. The people are professional and courteous, but also friendly and real. There’s a vibe here that is high-class while still being communal and fun. Some of the staff have been here for over three decades which adds to the feeling that there is a continuity of spirit, making this place an undeniable Vegas treasure.
The service at Golden Steer is impeccable
You mentioned a twist?
So it’s widely known that this was Elvis Presley’s favorite steak joint. So when I was sitting at the bar and Nikki was waiting on me, she asked which steak I was going to go with. I asked what I felt was an obvious question: “Which cut was Elvis’ favorite?” The answer shocked me!
According to her coworkers, that Elvis never ate the steaks. It turns out that Elvis loved the cheeseburger so much that he almost never ordered anything else! Even after Elvis “went away” for a while and eventually clean up his act, and upon his return to Las Vegas, he came back to the Golden Steer only to find out that hamburgers were no longer on the menu. He threw a fit and demanded that they make him one. Seeing this, the owner reportedly put the hamburgers back on the menu for some time to stay in Elvis’ good graces.
Som since I had no recommendation from The King on which cut to order, I turned to Rikki and although she looked like someone who eats healthy and might not eat meat, I asked her if she likes steaks. After some form of a “HELL YEAH” answer from her, I asked “which steak will blow me away?” Without any space between our words Rikki belted out “the ribeye” as if there were simply no reason to discuss it any further. How can you argue with that? And man, was she right.
Some relevant links for you to consider:
EatingLV Golden Steer article from 2012