Ahead of DiningOut Atlanta’s upcoming RARE Steak Championship, some of the city’s top chefs who will be participating in the meaty competition are weighing in on a deceptively simple question: what’s the ultimate cut of steak? The answers, much like Atlanta’s dining scene, are anything but one-note.
From richly marbled ribeyes to precisely balanced New York strips and lesser-known favorites like picanha, each choice reveals something deeper about technique, taste, and the personal preferences that define a chef’s craft.
1885 Grill – Acworth
“My favorite cut of steak is the ribeye due to the marbling. With a ribeye, the fat runs through the meat and melts as it cooks, which creates a juicy and tender steak while giving it a rich flavor.” –Owner Michael Schroeder
Arnette’s Chop Shop
“My favorite cut used to be a ribeye, but as I have gotten older, I really love our USDA Prime 12-ounce New York strip. I love the texture, chew, and flavor that you get from the strip.” -Chef Stephen Herman
Catch 12
“12-ounce striploin is my favorite by far because of its fat content and flavor.” –Chef Morgan Starr
Cattle Shed
“My favorite cut is a ribeye because it has the perfect balance of marbling and flavor. The fat renders as it cooks, creating a rich, juicy steak that really showcases what great beef should taste like.” –Chef Olivia Hurst
El Valle Kitchen & Bar
“I love ribeye. I feel like it has the perfect amount of fat and marbling especially when dry-aging it, which develops a ton of flavor and helps it become extremely tender as well.” –Chef-Founder Luis Damian
Morton’s The Steakhouse
“My favorite is the tenderloin, because it is a very versatile cut. You can use it many different ways, and it always delivers.” -Chef Jason DeMarotta
The Copper Jacket at Governors Gun Club
“My favorite is Prime ribeye; I love the flavor and marbling.” –Executive Chef Larry Epps
McDaniel’s QN2 BBQ
“I just love a filet, and I don’t care what anyone says about it. I like it on the rarer side of medium rare. I also love a nice medium rare ribeye.” –Chef-Owner Glenn McDaniel
Kevin Rathbun Steak
“I‘m from Kansas City, so I do like a dry-aged Kansas City strip for the fat content and the chew. I’m a strip steak guy.” –Chef Kevin Rathbun
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
“Ribeye. I try not to eat as much red meat these days, but when I do, a well-marbled ribeye is hard to beat. That fat is where so much of the flavor comes from, and it keeps the steak rich and juicy.” –Chef Chris Gillis
Smoke and Friends
“Our favorite cut of steak is the top sirloin cap, also known as picanha. For the style of grilling we use, it’s the most flavorful cut. The fat cap renders beautifully over the fire, keeping the meat juicy while enhancing its natural flavor.” –Owner Gabriel Alarcon
Tio Luchos Peruvian
“I usually go for a ribeye. It’s just such a great cut of meat. When it’s well-marbled, a ribeye can stand up to stronger seasonings and still stay really juicy and flavorful. It’s also a little more forgiving if it spends a bit too long on the hot side of the grill, which doesn’t hurt. At home, it’s definitely the cut that gets the most requests.” –Chef Arnaldo Castillo
Parker’s on Ponce
“Ribeye, because it is the best! Fat content equals flavor, and the spinalis is unmatched in both.” –Chef Andrew Lewis
Marlow’s Tavern & The Woodall
“I’m a sucker for a killer wet-aged prime NY strip. I ran a fine dining steak house in Hollywood, Florida for years with 21-day dry-aged meat. I spent the first 4 hours of my day butchering and breaking down subprimals. That was sensory overload on dry-aged meat for me; now I stick to a wet-aged product.” –Director of Culinary & Purchasing Ben Krawiecki
STK
“My personal favorite is the 16-ounce Dry-Aged Delmonico ribeye. The marbling gives it incredible flavor and richness, and the aging adds the perfect balance of nuttiness and decadence. But a big shout-out to my other go-to, the bone-in ribeye—the bone helps the steak cook evenly while keeping it juicy. Cooked to your liking, but you get the perfect balance of a great crust and a tender interior… When in doubt, ribeye.” –Chef Robert Liberato
UP on the Roof
“My favorite cut of steak is ribeye. It’s known for its rich flavor and abundant marbling, which melts during cooking and helps keep the steak moist, juicy, and packed with flavor.” –Chef Travis Collum
Vanzant’s Steak, Seafood, and Bar
“My favorite cut of steak is currently American Wagyu Strip. More specifically, Snake River Farms’ Wagyu Strip. It is versatile and a nice intro to Wagyu without going all in on the marbling that is more accustomed to Japanese Wagyu.” –General Manager Justin Studdard
