The 8 Best Chain Steakhouses To Eat At If You're On A Budget

For many diners, a steak dinner feels like a special-occasion splurge. Walk into a high-end steakhouse, and it's not unusual to see menu prices that climb well past $50 per entrée, with premium cuts like ribeye, New York strip, or filet mignon reaching $70 to $100 or more before sides, drinks, and dessert even enter the picture. At that level, a simple night out can quickly turn into a major investment.

But steak doesn't have to live in the luxury category. Across the country, budget-friendly steakhouses are redefining what "affordable" looks like, offering hearty, satisfying meals at prices that are far more doable. Many chains serve sirloins, grilled steaks, and steak-and-side combinations in the $15 to $25 range, making it possible to enjoy a flavorful, well-cooked cut of beef without blowing your dining budget. These value-driven menus often bundle salads, baked potatoes, or vegetables into the price, helping stretch every dollar even further.

Whether you're craving a casual weeknight dinner or looking for a wallet-friendly way to celebrate, there's no rule that says a great steak has to come with a sky-high bill. Below, we've featured some great steakhouse chains that won't break the bank. Note that prices are approximate, can vary by location, and are subject to change.

The Black Angus Steakhouse chain, with locations in Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Washington, has a partnership with Certified Angus Beef. All of its steaks are aged at least 21 days and are hand-cut in-house daily. Surprisingly, with this attention to quality, the steaks here are pretty affordable. Its 6-ounce top sirloin is just under $20, and even their most expensive cut, the bone-in ribeye, is about $48. Options like Filet Mignon Center Cut, New York Strip Center Cut, and Prime Rib fall somewhere in between. The best part is, the chain offers cowboy-sized portions, so you're really getting your money's worth.

The rest of the menu is affordable as well. Appetizers range from $13 to $20, and that's including the Wagon Wheel Sampler, a shareable platter with fried zucchini, chicken tenders, potato skins, and a shrimp cocktail. Prefer something other than steaks? Seafood plates go from $22 to $40, while burgers, sandwiches, and salads range from $12 to $21.

Black Angus Steakhouse also offers several meal deal options to help lower costs. Multiple surf-and-turf combos are available at prices between $41 and $56. You can also check out the deal for two, which includes one starter, two entrees, four sides, and a dessert, starting at $70, with additional costs for upgrades. If you're dining alone, a meal deal for one starts at $42.

Bonanza Steakhouse and Ponderosa Steakhouse were once separate companies, but today they operate using the same menu. At their peak, there were over 700 locations across the states, but today, there are only a few dozen. Despite this, the chains continue to offer low, affordable steak options to diners.

Several steak options at Bonanza and Ponderosa Steakhouses are on the menu for around $17: the 6-Ounce Sirloin, the Sirloin Tips, topped with onions and mushrooms, the 8-Ounce Chopped Steak, and the Country Fried Steak. The most expensive is the 12-ounce Prime Rib at $50. Other options, like the 10-Ounce Ribeye, 10-Ounce Sirloin, and Porterhouse, hover around $20. Sirloin combos are also available; you can get Sirloin and Chicken Monterey, Sirloin and Chicken Tenders, Sirloin and Grilled Shrimp, and Sirloin and Fried Shrimp for less than $20 a combo. If someone in your group isn't craving steak, there are options like BBQ Ribs for $20 to $25, chicken and seafood dishes from $17 to $20, and burgers from $10 to $16.

You don't have to leave the kids at home either (unless you want to) — their meals are just $8. Family meal deals are available as well, ranging from $48 for options like Top Sirloin and Chicken Monterey to $60 for Ribeye. Bonanza and Ponderosa locations also have buffets featuring staples like chicken, pizza, and spaghetti; folks on Reddit mention loving the salad bar, chicken wings, and deep-fried fish. Prices for the buffet are not available online. 

Logan's Roadhouse first opened in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1991. It currently has locations primarily in the southeastern United States, and is known for offering affordable steak and traditional American fare in a retro-style setting.

Like many of the restaurants on this list, the most affordable is the Center-Cut 6-Ounce Sirloin, priced about $19. This is a tender, juicy, USDA sirloin served with two sides. The most expensive steak at Logan's is the 22-Ounce Porterhouse, at $41. Other USDA-choice options fall in between, like the chain's signature "The Logan" sirloin at $26 and the flavorful, marbled Signature Ribeye at $35.

Logan's Steakhouse doesn't have the lowest-priced appetizers on this list, but they're still fairly affordable, from about $10 for hand-breaded pickles to around $18 for the wings. Seafood dishes range from $20 to $29, with popular options including mesquite-grilled salmon and salmon stacked with shrimp. Chicken dishes, including the favorite teriyaki-glazed chicken, all come in just under $20. Pastas, including the Logan's Steak Alfredo with tender steak and brown gravy, and the Cajun Chicken & Sausage, made with gravy, range between $18 and $22. Other favorites here include the mesquite-grilled pork chops for about $22 and the fall-off-the-bone ribs for $32. Kids have nine different options on their menu, starting at about $8 and going up to $13. And don't skip dessert — it's only $9 to $12 depending on what you pick.

Longhorn Steakhouse has over 500 locations across the U.S., and is in nearly every state. We've already ranked Longhorn Steakhouse steaks from worst to best, but we've got you covered on budget options, too. The Renegade Sirloin costs $17 or so for a 6-ounce and $20 for an 8-ounce. After that, prices jump a little, with signature dishes like the Flo's Filet, a tender center-cut, and the Outlaw Ribeye, a 20-ounce steak coated in char seasoning, at about $27 and $35, respectively. Surf-and-turf combos are also available for a similar price range. Despite this lower cost, the steaks here are great. As one Redditor says, "I've never once been disappointed by a steak from Longhorn."

Affordability is on the menu from start to finish at Longhorn Steakhouse. Appetizers start at just $8 for the spicy chicken bites, with the favorites like the Wild West Shrimp at about $13. For desserts, the Strawberries and Cream Shortcake is just over $9, while the decadent Chocolate Stampede tops the dessert prices at around $12. If you've brought kids along, you'll find the Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is the least-expensive option at about $7, while the Kid's Sirloin starts at around $12. All other kids' menu options are about $9.

Perhaps one of the most well-known chains on this list, Outback Steakhouse is an Australian-themed casual restaurant with over 1,000 locations worldwide. Steaks here start at just $19 for the lean 6-ounce Center-Cut Sirloin and top out at $38 for the extra-marbled 20-ounce Bone-In Ribeye. Multiple options, like the Teriyaki Filet Skewers, Victoria's Filet Mignon, and 12-ounce New York Strip, all come in under $30. Several steak combos are available to those on a budget as well, ranging from $27 to $40.

There are tons of popular Outback Steakhouse Appetizers that are pretty affordable. Prices range from $8 for the Three Cheese Spinach Dip to $16 for options like the Kookaburra Wings, which some say are unmatched. The famous Bloomin' Onion (probably the most popular appetizer here) is about $12. And if you've still got room after appetizers and steak, the desserts here won't set you back too much more, from the $9 Salted Caramel Cookie Skillet to the $13 Chocolate Tower for 2.

If, for some reason, you've brought a non-steak lover to Outback, they'll find chicken and ribs ranging from $17 to $24, seafood from $21 to $38, and burgers for around $15. Kids can come, too — the most expensive kids' item is the Joey Sirloin is $10, while options like the chicken fingers and Boomerang Cheeseburger are even less.

If you're on the West Coast, you may have never heard of Quaker Steak & Lube. Themed after retro-style service stations, it's a great option for an affordable steak dinner. Both the aged 8-ounce Thunderbird Sirloin Steak and the Smothered Steak Skillet are $19, while the extra juicy 12-ounce Choice Ribeye is $28 and the 16-ounce Choice Ribeye is $33.

But first, appetizers. Quaker Steak & Lube offers a wide variety of affordable starters that range in price from about $7 for basic chips and dip to $16 for the 4-Wheeler (a combo platter of onion rings, breaded pickle spears, mozzarella sticks, and soft pretzels). If you're finishing with dessert, that'll set you back anywhere from about $6 for the New York-style cheesecake to $8 for the Triple Rich Fudge Brownie.

Quaker Steak & Lube is also pretty well-known for its award-winning wings, which are served with your choice of sauce and range from $6 for a plate of five to $32 for a bucket of 20. Other options here include the Lubeburger, complete with bacon, American cheese, mushrooms, and hot sauce, for about $16, the GTO Gyro with pork and beef for $14, and the Baby Back Ribs for $16. On the kids' menu, dishes range from $7 to $8.

Saltgrass Steak House is the most expensive option on this list, but it's still budget-friendly for most folks. The chain has multiple locations across the U.S., most in the central and southern parts of the country. The Texan-style spot has several steak options on the menu, starting at around $24 for the 8-ounce Wagon Boss Center-Cut Top Sirloin and going up to $46 for the Bone-In Ribeye. Most other options, like the Maudeen's Center-Cut Filet, Texas T-Bone, and New York Strip, range between $30 to $40. Saltgrass even lets you build the steak of your dreams with multiple topping options. Surf-and-turf combos are also available, ranging from around $30 to $40.

For those preferring surf rather than turf, seafood options start at $24 for dishes like the shrimp and artichoke pasta and go up to $35 for the Salmon Oscar with crab meat, lemon butter, and fried asparagus. Baby back ribs and rib combos are also available here for around $30. Other entrees range in price from $18 for Tenders and Fried Shrimp to $28 for Prime Pork Chops.

Over a dozen appetizers are available at Saltgrass Steak House. The least expensive option, the Fried Onions, costs $11, while the most expensive, The Sampler with barbecue pork ribs, Range Rattlers, and brisket, tops out at $40. Commenters on Facebook recommend the Range Rattlers, made with jumbo jalapeños and shrimp ($16), and the Parmesan and ranch-dusted Fried Mushrooms ($12). 

As one Redditor says, "Texas Roadhouse is about the most consistently good experience getting a steak that I've found eating at their locations throughout the U.S." Food here is made from scratch, steaks are hand-cut, and it's still really affordable. The chain has the lowest-priced steak on this list, at just under $17 for its 6-ounce Hand Cut Sirloin. It has more expensive options, of course; topping the prices is the Porterhouse T-Bone at $38. Combo meals are available as well, ranging from $22 to $35.

The appetizers at Texas Roadhouse aren't the lowest-priced on this list, but they're pretty close: the least-expensive option is the grilled shrimp at $8, and the most expensive is the combo appetizer, with your choice of three appetizer options, for $14. The Cactus Blossom, their version of a Bloomin' Onion, is a popular pick and costs just $10. Desserts here are affordable as well — all for about $9. Seafood dishes range from $18 to $22, while chicken plates cost $17 to $19.

The low prices make Texas Roadhouse a great place to eat with family. Kids' meals cost less than $10, while "Ranger Meals" for older kids cost $11 or $13. It's also got the best family-style deal, with prices varying from $45 to $70. These family meals include a family-size salad, two sides, and freshly baked bread.

To choose which steak restaurant chains to compare, I started by narrowing down our criteria for chain steakhouses. To qualify, a restaurant needed to have a steak-forward menu and at least 10 locations across three states. After that, I narrowed down the list by looking at pricing and value. I considered all aspects of the meal, including appetizers, entrees, desserts, and kids' meals, with particular focus on steak prices.