Well done: These southwest IL restaurants serve the best steak, according to readers
The thing I like most about our online restaurant polls is watching how they play out.
Will the winner be a restaurant that has the lead from start to finish? Is there a back-and-forth between two big contenders? Will an underdog work its way to the top?
In an update earlier this week, I reported that by Tuesday afternoon Valentine’s was in the lead with 159 votes, followed by Texas Roadhouse (98 votes), Andria’s Steakhouse (32 votes), Popeye’s Chop House (27 votes) and Mascoutah Steak House (26 votes) followed by five other restaurants that each had fewer than 10 votes.
What a difference two days can make!
Since the update, readers rallied hard to up the number of votes for the restaurants who landed the top three spots.
Here’s how it all played out:
First Place – Texas Roadhouse, 364 votes
I usually prefer to not include chain restaurants in our polls. But Texas Roadhouse received the third highest number of nominations from readers when I started to compile the list for this poll. And who am I to dismiss what our readers clearly want?
Despite the restaurant’s name, Texas Roadhouse is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. The restaurant’s founder and chairman, Kent Taylor, opened the first location in Clarksville, Indiana, in 1993. (And now I have “Last Train to Clarksville” in my head. I love that song.)
The restaurant touts itself as famous for their “Hand-Cut Steaks, Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs, Made-From-Scratch Sides, Ice-Cold Beer, and of course, our irresistible Fresh-Baked Bread,” according to the website.
Steak options on their menu include the USDA choice sirloin, Ft. Worth ribeye, Dallas filet, New York strip, bone-in ribeye, road kill (not literally), steak kabob and filet medallions.
With this many steak options, it’s no wonder they were voted the favorite in the poll.
Texas Roadhouse in Shiloh is located at 1412 Central Park Circle.
Hours are 4-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call 618-628-8811 or visit texasroadhouse.com.
Second Place – Valentine’s Restaurant, 243 votes
“Wow! That’s Awesome,” said Lani Parker when I called to tell her that Valentine’s took second place in our poll.
Valentine’s was already an existing restaurant known for its fried chicken when the late John Brown purchased it in 1976.
Brown’s wife and Parker’s mother, Silulu Brown, told the News-Democrat in 2017 that she didn’t care for fried chicken and decided to turn it into a steakhouse.
“My mom and I run it together,” said Parker. “I have [other] family members that work here.”
She also said that they’ve been lucky with the longevity of their employees, most of whom have been there long enough that they’re considered family.
They’ll get together for dinner on Mondays when the restaurant is closed or go out after hours, according to Parker.
And the 46-year-old restaurant continues to receive high praise from customers.
Many of the comments on the restaurant’s Facebook page are about the steaks.
“The Ribeye steak was juicy and cooked to perfection. It was the best steak I’ve ever had.” — Yomeko S.
“First time visit and loved it. … Steak was awesome and service was amazing.” — Lorrie S.
“Fabulous food and superb service! … The food was so delicious ….” — Christa M. (This reviewer provided photos of a few dishes that all included steak.)
“We had the steak, and it was amazing! Juicy, tender, flavorful just down right yummy.” — Gwen L.
“I would really like to thank everybody” who voted for Valentine’s, said Parker. “I feel very honored.”
Valentine’s is located at 205 S. State St. in Freeburg.
Current hours are 4-8(ish) p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday and 4-9(ish) Friday-Saturday.
For more info, call 618-539-9169 or visit their Facebook page.
Third Place – Mascoutah Steak House, 238 votes
Mascoutah Steak House takes third place, missing out on second place by only five(!) votes.
I hoped to get a reaction and a few other comments from the restaurant, but the message I left was not immediately returned.
(It serves me right for trying to get them on a Friday just before opening. Lesson learned: Set restaurant polls to end after and not before the weekend.)
As I was saying, Mascoutah Steak House takes the third-place spot in our reader poll.
Already recognized statewide for their burgers and steaks, this restaurant has one of the top five best burgers and top 10 steaks in the state, according to contests held by the Illinois Beef Association over the last seven years.
Mascoutah Steak House made the top five burgers list in 2019 and 2017. They were named to the association’s top 10 steaks list in 2016 and 2015.
Steak items on the menu include the cowboy ribeye, porterhouse, filet mignon, Kansas City strip and several other options. Multiple toppings and compliments for your steak are also available.
You can even have steak for breakfast there on Sundays. Wash it down with a mimosa or two. (Hey, this is what weekends are for.)
Mascoutah Steak House is located at 1415 McKinley St. in Mascoutah.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
Call 618-566-2400 or visit mascoutahsteakhouse.com for more information.
Here are the vote totals for the other restaurants in the poll:
Andria’s Steakhouse, 52 votes – 6805 Old Collinsville Road, O’Fallon. 618-632-4866.
Popeye’s Chop House, 42 votes – 17910 St. Rose Road, Breese. 618-526-7369.
Longhorn Steakhouse, 10 votes – 6115 N. Illinois St., Fairview Heights. 618-394-8540.
Moussalli’s Prime, 7 votes – 7415 IL-143, Edwardsville. 618-656-0281.
1818 Chophouse, 6 votes – 6170 Bennett Drive, Suite A, Edwardsville. 618-307-9300.
Mungo’s Italian Eatery, 4 votes – 100 E. Main St., Collinsville. 618-632-6864.
Lotawata Creek Southern Grill, 2 votes – 311 Salem Place, Fairview Heights. 618-628-7373.
What did you think of this latest poll? What kind of restaurant poll would you like to see next? Share your thoughts in an email to newsroom@bnd.com.
