Skip to main content

Origins of the steakhouse

While the steakhouse is as quintessentially American as apple pie and Disney, its roots go back to chophouses in London that began appearing in the city in the 1690s. Catering only to men, individual portions of meat – or chops – were served to local workers as a hot and quick meal between or after shifts. The London chophouse made its way to New York. Dark and dusty, it was the only place to be fed outside of your own home other than taverns, though the food acted mostly as an absorbent for booze.

Then came the beefsteak banquet. Catering to the upper class, beefsteak banquets weren’t restaurants but funded for and by politicians to celebrate and show off one’s success. Beef tenderloin on white bread was where the menu began and ended.

The modern steakhouse came into being in the mid-19th century, combining the permanent location of the chophouse with the higher-quality cuts and atmosphere of the beefsteak banquet. When women got the right to vote, tablecloths appeared on the tables and vegetables went on the menus. At Belthazar, we attribute two great American cities as the inspiration for our iconic Cape Town steakhouse: New York and Chicago.

New York Icons

America began its love affair with beef when the railroad turned cattle ranching into an unparalleled force. By the early 1900s, Manhattan’s meatpacking district was receiving hundreds upon hundreds of cattle carcasses, and New York became the undisputed birthplace of America’s first real steakhouse.

Delmonico began as a confectioner in 1827, but by 1837, the Delmonico brothers extended a restaurant section in the Financial District, becoming America’s first fine dining experience. They introduced an a la carte menu – printed, no less – and were the first restaurant to introduce white tablecloths, as well as hire and serve women. For nearly two centuries, Delmonico has catered to royalty, society and presidents – Abraham Lincoln was a big fan of the potatoes. Peter Luger, also considered one of the city’s original steakhouses, has held the coveted spot of one of New York’s top restaurants, earning itself a Michelin Star. With on-site dry ageing facilities, they’re serving some of America’s finest beef cuts.

Chicago 

The rough and tumble city of Chicago was not an initial dining hotspot. In fact, a Chicago branch of New York’s famed Delmonico restaurant was shut down in the mid 1800s, as “practical-minded” Chicagoans refused to pay high prices for food. The dining scene remained fairly dismal, until the early 20th century when industrialisation transformed Chicago’s meatpacking industry into a massively efficient operation in need of new markets – steakhouses. Today, the city boasts a massive amount of high-quality steakhouses where beef is treated with reverence.

The Chicago Chop House began in the 1980s and became famous for its grand porterhouse steaks –  served between 1.3kg and 1.8kg! Morton’s began with the “Million-Dollar Hamburger” and quickly grew to a 65 restaurant operation. Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse is the only restaurant group in America with its own USDA prime certification: Gibsons Prime Angus beef. From celebrities, tourists, and loyal neighbourhood locals, these steakhouses have become landmarks of the windy city.

Honouring the legends that came before us, Belthazar takes inspirations from the very best steakhouses, bringing you a world-class steak experience with a distinctly South African flair.

 

Leave a Reply