Credibility on the Plate: Why Restaurants Should Be Honest About Their Steak

From My Observations (Prime American Beef Steaks as an Example)

I’ve noticed that many restaurants serving steak often claim their beef comes from the finest American beef.

First, let’s clarify something: there are actually two types of “American beef”:

1. Beef raised and processed in the United States.

2. Foreign beef from around 100 sources, packaged in the U.S.

Second, there is absolutely nothing wrong with beef from Japan, Argentina, or Brazil — in fact, much of it is packaged in the U.S.

Third, many restaurants simply use beef from the local market (butchers) in their area.

So, if I insist that my beef is from the finest American beef, I must ask: where exactly does it rank among the top U.S. beef companies? Most experts agree that “Top 10” is a meaningful benchmark for “the best” — if you claim “Top 50,” the word “best” loses its meaning.

Here are 10 U.S. steak brands often considered among the top in quality:

1. Porter Road – Pasture-raised, dry-aged beef from Kentucky and Tennessee.

2. Snake River Farms – American Wagyu specialists with high marbling.

3. ButcherBox – Subscription-based grass-fed and grass-finished beef.

4. Omaha Steaks – Widely known, offering a variety of meats.

5. Crowd Cow – Connects customers directly with small farms.

6. Creekstone Farms Premium Beef – Renowned for Black Angus beef.

7. JBS – Large-scale meat processing company.

8. Tyson Foods – Major meat producer with various beef products.

9. Cargill – Global food corporation with a beef division.

10. Rastelli’s – Premium meats with convenient delivery options.

And we haven’t even discussed whether the beef is Nelore, Angus, or Wagyu.

Sometimes, restaurants justify higher steak prices by saying:

1. It’s imported from the U.S.

2. It’s from “the best brands.”

But they avoid mentioning if it’s:

1. Locally sourced.

2. From non-U.S. origins like Argentina or Brazil.

I believe in credibility and transparency — especially in the restaurant business. I always encourage restaurants to clearly display, where customers can easily see:

1. The source of their beef.

2. The source of their chicken.

3. The source of their fish and seafood.

This not only builds the restaurant’s credibility but also reassures customers about where their food comes from. The steak example is just one case — the same principle applies to all ingredients in a restaurant’s kitchen.

— Eyad