From old-school, mahogany-filled steakhouses to seafood spots right by the ocean, the US has some seriously upscale restaurants for diners looking to spend big on a special occasion. We’ve scoured the country for the most expensive restaurant in every state that is genuinely worth a blowout, basing our picks on the priciest main course or tasting menu, and avoiding spots with just one very expensive dish.
Click or scroll through to discover the restaurants where it’s worth blowing your paycheck for an unforgettable meal.
All prices are correct at the time of publication. Our selections are based on price data, genuine user reviews, awards and accolades, and the first-hand experience of our team. They're also regularly checked and updated.
Birmingham has a few high-end restaurants (with high prices to match), although small steakhouse chain Perry’s tops the lot with its bone-in tomahawk rib-eye at over $130. Thankfully it’s as mouth-watering as the cost is eye-watering, so it’s worth the splurge for a special occasion. There are plenty of other pricey plates to choose from, including the New York Strip Flight, which includes pieces of Texas Kobe-style wagyu, Nebraska prime, and Japanese A5 wagyu, and comes in at almost $100.
A 28-day dry-aged New York strip steak with pommes frites and a decadent bone marrow butter is the priciest main dish on the menu at Crow’s Nest, which itself nestles in the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage. It’s priced at over $60, though specials such as king crab legs, sold by market price and weight, often cause more wallet damage.
With the likes of wagyu spring rolls and caviar donuts on the appetizers menu, it’s no surprise that Bourbon Steak goes big on the luxury. Once again, it’s steak that breaks the bank at this spot inside the sleek Fairmont Scottsdale Princess hotel. The restaurant has options from an 10oz flat iron steak, $53, right up to the dizzy heights of the 3oz Japanese A5 and 4oz American rib-eye, clocking in at almost $170. It is a hefty size though, so you may have some leftovers to make the best-ever steak sandwich the following day.
A filet of Australian wagyu beef goes for $160 at Arthur’s Prime Steakhouse, whose menu focuses on prime meats and seafood. This is definitely a special occasion place with an atmosphere as classy as the food. Tables are tucked in alcoves and corners for a cozy, exclusive feel. The place also offers a swanky surf and turf with Japanese Kobe and lobster tail, at market price. (In other words, if you have to ask...)
California is home to some of the most expensive restaurants in the country, including famous Michelin-starred spots like French Laundry, where chef Thomas Keller’s meticulously crafted tasting menus will set you back around $350. However, three Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn, in San Francisco, narrowly beats it in the pricing stakes, charging almost $400. The stunning restaurant is led by chef Dominique Crenn, and offers a multi-course tasting menu that showcases her inventive and poetic approach to cuisine, drawing inspiration from nature and art.
Colorado has plenty of steakhouses serving wagyu guaranteed to put a dent in your bank balance, but to get the most bang for your buck, Denver locals love Beckon. This tiny reservation-only chef’s counter releases quarterly multi-course tasting menus in concurrence with the lunar phases, bringing the best of Colorado’s seasons to your plate. The Scandi-cool restaurant has just 18 seats, and you can watch the team of chefs craft beautifully presented dishes before your eyes. Prices vary by season, but expect to pay around $180 for an unforgettable dinner.
Cooking steak is treated like an artform at this glitzy restaurant from Iron Chef star David Burke, known for its ostentatious three-story wine tower and sprawling dry aging room. The priciest main at here is the 16oz boneless Japanese wagyu sirloin, at over $220. There are a few other menu items creeping up not far behind, though, including the delightful combination of caviar and tater tots, costing as much as $200.
With its ambiance of a bygone era, The Brandywine offers the kind of old-school hospitality you don’t get much these days. Here, the priciest main is the luxurious Lobster Crab Imperial – a seven-ounce Maine lobster tail stuffed with jumbo lump crab – which costs almost $90, with the option to upgrade your order with a six-ounce filet mignon. You can also splurge on overflowing seafood platters, caviar, and decadent sides like fries smothered in fresh truffle.
Walt Disney World is famous for its candy apples and giant turkey legs, but did you know it also has a spot where you can spend over $400 on dinner? Victoria & Albert's, the jewel in the crown of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, shows there's something for everyone at the House of Mouse. It's highly acclaimed, earning the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Rating for 2024. Here, guests buckle up for an epic four-hour experience, complete with delicate patisserie, melt-in-the-mouth wagyu, and multiple bread courses. The tasting menus start at around $300, but can be over $400.
Georgia’s state capital isn’t lacking in spendy steakhouses and sublime seafood spots, but those in the know say Bacchanalia is the place to go for a once-in-a-lifetime meal. This fine dining staple has been wowing diners with its four-course prix fixe menu since opening in 1993, and has a solid reputation for dazzling dishes made with organic ingredients from Bacchanalia’s own farm. The menu clocks up at a pricey $125 per head, but it’s so worth it to feast on dishes like the signature foie gras terrine and butter-poached lobster over gnocchi. If you really want to push the boat out, there’s a caviar service, too.
Freshly caught seafood, sold according to market price, tends to be the most expensive thing on offer at this classic, long-running spot helmed by Japanese-American chef Roy Yamaguchi. Off the usual menu though, the honor goes to the grilled 14oz ribeye with a yuzu Cabernet demi-glace, or the filet mignon served with a Dungeness crab mac 'n' cheese, both costing around $80.
Chandlers specializes in top-quality steaks and seafood, so it’s unsurprising that the menu is on the steep side. Meat doesn’t come much more flavorsome, butter-soft, and expensive than the Bull’s Eye Rib-eye, $110 for 10oz. Add some sides and one of the aptly named ‘over the top’ embellishments like the à la rossini, a sauce made with foie gras, wild mushrooms, and a port reduction, and one plate can easily push past the $200 mark.
If you’ve got cash to splash in Chicago, there are countless high-end spots for a really sensational meal. However, it’s hard to beat three Michelin-starred icon Alinea, located in the city’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. This trailblazing spot is loved for its innovative approach to modernist cuisine and artful presentation – complete with edible balloons, clouds of dry ice, and edible art. A meal here is as much about the food as the overall experience, but prepare to pay handsomely for the pleasure, as your multi-course meal could cost as much as $500 a head.
The history of St Elmo is enough to justify its steep prices. The classic steakhouse has been going since 1902 and many of its dishes, such as the signature shrimp cocktail, have been served here from the very beginning. It’s long-standing for a reason, with even its priciest main – the tomahawk rib-eye for $150 – worth a splurge. For the ultimate surf and turf, you can add lobster tail for an extra $55.
Splash by name, splash by price tag. The signature Royal Surf & Turf plate, combining a tender 8oz filet steak with lobster tail and Alaskan king crab leg, will set you back $159. Surprisingly, it isn’t the priciest thing on the menu. The colorful restaurant’s Oyster Bar also has some real wallet-busters, such as caviar (up to $200) and shellfish platters for $140.
Stylish yet welcoming, The Restaurant at 1900 isn’t cheap by any means, but it’s good value when you consider the quality of ingredients and cooking. The menu features produce-led modern American cuisine from award-winning chef Linda Duerr, with influences of her native New England, as well as nods to Italian and French food. The priciest main is the veal rib-eye tomahawk chop with black trumpet and chanterelle mushrooms for $65, followed by a tenderloin of venison with a foie gras butter for $55.
Jeff Ruby’s is a small chain with various sites in the region, and the Louisville location is a favorite with people celebrating special occasions and get-togethers. The dining room is suitably glitzy and glamorous, with vintage-style artwork on the walls and sultry low lighting. The prices are anything but low though – a 6oz wagyu filet mignon will set you back $168, and that's without a side order of the spot's signature (and must-try) lobster gnocchi.
The 12oz bone-in filet mignon with bone marrow butter is the priciest main at R’evolution at $75, although other choices like the spiced lamb chops, $60, come pretty close. Like all of the food served at this plush restaurant, the meats are infused with Louisiana Creole flavors, and cooked perfectly. Other decadent dishes include a house-made pasta with black truffle and roasted quail gumbo. Love caviar? R’evolution sells a pot for a whopping $400.
Anywhere that serves a lobster tasting menu is bound to leave a dent in your wallet, but locals say the hefty price tag at White Barn Inn is money well spent – and the list of awards it has won is pretty exhaustive. This elegantly rustic restaurant has been a New England staple for over 50 years and is set inside a centuries-old white clapboard barn, with live piano music and a dramatic picture window giving gorgeous views of the gardens. The ever-changing seasonal menu is utterly sublime, making delicious use of the region’s tastiest produce. The prix fixe menu starts at $165, while the Chef’s Eight Course Blind Tasting will set you back almost $300.
As suggested by the name, Bygone is inspired by another era: the 1920s. The glamor drips from every inch of decor, while the location, on the top floor of the Four Seasons with views over the city, adds to the sense of occasion. Which is just as well, because the prices on the classic seafood and rotisserie menu are also sky-high. The most expensive main is the Maine lobster, stuffed with blue crab and drizzled with butter seasoned with Old Bay, at market price.
The Japanese art of omakase – where guests leave their menu choices in the hands of the chef – is executed to elegant perfection at this wildly popular Boston spot. For $295, guests are served up 20 delectable works of art, consisting of unique nigiri, sashimi, and various cooked dishes. You never know quite what you’re going to get, but expect singular treats like the A5 wagyu tartare hand rolls, Kona abalone with yuzu and foie gras nigiri. The experience doesn’t come cheap, of course, and it's another $160 for the drinks pairing.
This swanky, modern spot has suitably swanky prices, with a wagyu strip steak costing a hefty $95 for 4oz. Slightly more affordable is the porterhouse, $149 but big enough to share, and the dry-aged duck a l’orange, $59. These are quality ingredients impeccably prepared, so nothing is cheap, but there’s a variety of wood-fired meats, raw bar specialties, burgers, and seafood to suit slightly smaller budgets too. On the obligatory caviar menu, you’ll pay between $45 and $275 for an ounce of the good stuff.
A table at this tiny fine dining spot from acclaimed Midwestern chef Gavin Kaysen is the hottest ticket in town – and reservations are pretty hard to come by as there are only 20 seats. Demi is an intimate tasting-menu-only affair, where guests sit around the open kitchen and watch as endless artful plates of food are elegantly cooked and presented. Provenance and seasonality are at the fore, and you can expect dishes like sweet potato tart with pickled kombu, bacon-wrapped pheasant with juniper sausage, and grilled bison rib-eye. Prices vary, but expect to pay between $150 and $300, plus extra for drinks.
It’s the steaks that are high once again at BR Prime in Mississippi’s popular coastal area, Biloxi. The restaurant, inside the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, specializes in top-quality cuts of beef prepared by the in-house butcher, as well as some excellent seafood like lobster tails, oysters, and hand-dived scallops. A bone-in rib-eye will set you back over $80, while a 40oz tomahawk rib-eye – enough for two – is around $150. You can even top your steak (and top up your check) with some lobster or crab meat.
This elegant restaurant, inside Kansas City’s Union Station, dishes up small plates, seafood dishes, and prime cuts of meat such as the co-called Kansas City Strip, a bone-in rib-eye steak priced at $95. It’s the priciest main dish at Pierpont’s, although steeper still are the seafood towers, costing up to $220 – generous enough to share between at least two.
This plush restaurant, part of the Northern hotel, focuses on regional, seasonal ingredients and flavors for its dinner menu, where the priciest main is the aged rib-eye steak, a hefty $79 (and extra if you want more than one side or an upgrade of scallops, or roasted mushrooms). TEN also serves some more unusual creations, such as its Cajun-spiced radiatori pasta with andouille sausage and shrimp.
At old-school steakhouse 801 Chophouse the JPL Seafood Platter will set you back $265. For that, you do get the best of the best: a 2lb lobster, 12 jumbo shrimp, a 1lb king crab, and 12 delicious oysters. You’ll have to fork out extra for sides though, with choices from scalloped potatoes to lobster mac ’n’ cheese sold separately at this small Midwest chain.
It’s not surprising that there are many glitzy, high-rolling restaurants tucked within the bright lights of Vegas. Located at the iconic MGM Grand, Joël Robuchon Restaurant is the only three-Michelin-starred restaurant in the city, and you’ll certainly pay handsomely for the pleasure, with the signature tasting menu clocking in at $525 – plus a whopping $995 extra for the Grand Cru Wine Pairing. But for a true old-school Vegas experience, complete with flowing crystal chandeliers, marble floors and Art Deco opulence, it’s certainly unforgettable.
You do get sides with the prime bone-in rib-eye at Hanover Street Chophouse, which takes some of the sting out of its $70+ price tag. It’s the most expensive main on the menu, although a few others – including the $69 surf and turf, with filet mignon and lobster tail – come pretty close. Diners with more money to burn might want to start the meal off with a seafood tower, $112 for the ‘colossal’ size.
New Jersey has an impressive number of high-end restaurants to rival New York’s scene, and Restaurant Latour at the exclusive Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg is said to offer an eating experience unlike anything else in the state. With a seven-course tasting menu for $195 it’s certainly one to save for the most special occasions, but diners rave about elegant, flavor-packed dishes like the cuttlefish risotto and Kurobuta pork Wellington. However, it’s the breathtaking mountain views from the dining room that really seal the deal, as well as the amazing wine cellar.
Chef Fernando Olea’s cooking at Sazón is influenced by his Mexico City roots, as is the decor. The warm, off-white paint is brightened by beautiful paintings, sculptures, and ceramics, all of which are for sale. You might be tempted if you have any cash leftover after forking out for impeccably cooked dishes like Popocatepetl, an Angus tenderloin encrusted with spicy black pepper and served with snow peas and jasmine rice. At $55, it’s the most expensive main dish, while the multi-course Chef’s Degustación Menu will set you back a cool $150.
New York City is home to some of the world’s most expensive restaurants including Masa, a dizzyingly brilliant Japanese restaurant with equally dizzying prices. This storied spot offers a 26-course omakase menu for an astonishing $750 per person, or if you really want to splash the cash, a seat at the sushi counter costs $950. Masa takes its food so seriously that guests are asked to limit the amount of fragrance they wear, so as not to interfere with the experience of other diners.
For once, the priciest steak on the menu isn’t wagyu beef, although that will set you back $75 for 3oz. At steakhouse chain Del Frisco’s, it’s the Prime Tomahawk that takes the crown as priciest main dish, costing $130. You can save a little cash by making it a meal for two with side dishes, an extra $20. Although steak dominates the menu here, other dishes include Double Bone Lamb Chops ($77), high-end seafood, and lump crab cakes for $55.
Fine dining in Fargo is a surprisingly casual affair, and even the city’s priciest joint is pretty affordable compared to some of the big hitters on our list. Maxwells is a cozy and welcoming spot with generously sized meals at various price points, ranging from a burger for under $20 to the Pepper Seared Elk Tenderloin, the most expensive main at $56. You can also treat yourself to luxurious dishes like the lobster fettuccine or roasted garlic lamb rack, both around $45.
The grandeur of the setting makes dinner at Marble Room worth the hefty check. Tables are arranged around marble columns and beneath the original pressed ceiling of a 19th-century former bank building. The food is suitably fine too, with a range of seafood dishes, steaks, and raw bar treats including caviar, an ounce of which will set you back $199. Of the main courses, the Miyazaki Wagyu Strip Loin, is the most expensive at $144 for the minimum 4oz serving.
Fancy French restaurant Fait Maison is a go-to for special occasions. If you have plenty of cash to splash, that is. A filet of wagyu beef, flambéed with cognac and port wine, costs $98, while a Maine lobster will set you back $105. Considering many of the appetizers are over $40, the five-course tasting menu for $125 is actually relatively good value. Every plate is infused with rich, well-balanced flavors and prettily presented, though, so it feels worth the money.
Tasting menus are the norm at many of Portland's fanciest restaurants, and one of the city’s finest is served at this subtly elegant New American joint. The vibe inside Quaintrelle may be cool and pretty laid-back, but the prices are anything but – the seasonal five-course tasting menu is a hefty $155, while the seven-course feast comes in at just under $200. Of course, fans say the price is justified considering the amazing service and fantastic quality local ingredients, cooked with style and fun in dishes like beef fat confit beets and scallops with Mountain Rose apple.
Philly cheesesteak is, of course, the city’s most famous culinary creation, but how about a super-posh take on the fast food favorite that costs a cool $140? The Barclay Prime Cheesesteak is one of the priciest mains on the menu at this elegant, library-style restaurant in Rittenhouse Square. Mind you, the beef is wagyu rib-eye, the cheese is truffled, and it’s topped with foie gras. For an extra touch of luxury, it comes with half a bottle of Champagne too. At the even higher end, there are various Japanese wagyu steaks on the menu for over $200, plus a seafood platter for $185.
Steaks and seafood dishes infused with regional, seasonal flavors are the focus at Mill’s Tavern, a chic, warmly lit restaurant that’s particularly popular for special occasions. Its prices are on the special side too, with the 32oz wagyu tomahawk rib-eye steak a whopping $197. By the time you’ve added starters, side dishes, drinks, and maybe desserts, you’re facing a pretty hefty check.
Swanky Halls Chophouse, which has five other locations, serves some incredible cuts of meat – and it’s the quality and preparation that customers pay through the nose for. The priciest is the 16oz Australian Westholme New York strip, as butter-soft and richly flavored as one might expect for $165. Sides from asparagus with hollandaise sauce to mac ’n’ cheese are $14 each, while you’ll also pay extra for sauces.
You can share The Delmonico, a hefty bone-in rib-eye, but at $105 for two people the signature dish isn’t quite the most expensive main course on this popular restaurant's menu. That honor goes to the dry-aged ‘On Green Dolphin Street’ rib-eye, served with peppers, mushrooms, caramelized onions, and a creamy sauce for an eye-watering $76. It does come with soup or salad and a choice of sides, at least. Delmonico Grill also has seafood dishes like the grilled octopus ($62), plus a few vegetarian options.
This stylish Arts District steakhouse (a sister location to Kentucky’s most expensive restaurant) is a favorite special occasion spot thanks to its elegant atmosphere and excellent, hand-crafted steaks. Meat this good doesn’t come cheap, of course. The priciest option for a main course at Jeff Ruby’s is a 6oz wagyu filet, $168. You can always splash out a little more by adding embellishments like red king crab or Louisiana crawfish too.
Monarch in Downtown Dallas only opened in 2021, but has already garnered a reputation as one of the city's hottest eating spots, known for its wood-fired, modern Italian food with a luxury twist. The restaurant is on the 49th floor of The National building, and diners rave about the incredible views from the floor-to-ceiling windows. For a special occasion splurge, The Royale Menu ($299 per person) offers the best the menu has to offer. You won’t know what’s coming until it lands in front of you, but expect a caviar service, Alaskan king crab legs, whole Maine lobster spaghetti, wagyu strip steak and all manner of delicious desserts.
Known for expertly prepared steaks, which are dry-aged in-house for 18-24 days, a process that achieves incomparable flavor and tenderness, The Capital Grille is adored by customers, but is a pricey option. If you love seafood The Grand Plateau will set you back $125 and includes jumbo lump crab, North Atlantic lobster, shrimp cocktail, and oysters on the half shell. Meanwhile, other expensive meat treats on the menu include the double cut lamb rib chops ($60), encrusted with honey, and served with a white wine and shallot jus.
This cozy, tavern-style restaurant set inside a Victorian farmhouse looks pretty humble from the outside, but venture into the gorgeous dining room and you’ll eat some of Vermont’s most exciting cooking. The seven-course tasting menu ($145 per person) is a real feast for the senses, making innovative use of the freshest seasonal produce available that day, from the best-quality meat and seafood to ingredients taken from the restaurant’s own kitchen garden. If you can afford it, the wine pairing for an extra $100 is said to be out of this world.
Trailblazers of the farm-to-table food movement, this stunning 100-seat restaurant is set on a working organic farm within Appalachian Virginia. Lush herbs, edible flowers, fruits and vegetables grow in abundance here, and seemingly humble ingredients are transformed into some seriously sophisticated dishes on the restaurant’s nine-course tasting menu, which costs $185 per person, plus an extra $100 for paired wines. It's pricey, yes, but this is destination dining at its most magical.
The Met, as it’s known, has a prestigious location inside the 1903 Marion Building in downtown Seattle. The menu is suitably prestigious too, with an emphasis on expensive cuts of meat. The priciest main course is the Olive Beef Filet – 6oz of Japanese A5 beef for $195. A cheaper option is to share the classic, and very delicious, chateaubriand for two, carved at the table and with sides, $190.
The Charleston outpost of this small (and rather posh) regional chain specializes in top-quality beef such as its filet mignon, the most expensive choice for a main at over $50 for 11oz. There are slightly pricier steaks that are big enough for two (or as an extra treat for the table), while the classic beef Wellington – tender steak swaddled in flaky puff pastry with a wild mushroom duxelles and goose liver pâté – will set you back around $50 as well.
There’s steak, and then there’s steak. Carnevor serves the latter, and diners pay top dollar for it. The priciest on the menu is, unsurprisingly, the Japanese wagyu A5 filet mignon, at a vertiginous $168. And that’s before you’ve added posh sides, sauces, and luxurious toppings like foie gras or king crab. You can also order a dry-aged rib-eye, big enough to share, for $125.
Gun Barrel goes beyond the usual steakhouse fare and instead focuses on game meats. The popular cowboy-themed restaurant has a range of chops, ribs, and sirloin. The specialty – and the most expensive main dish on the menu – is the Mixed Game Grill, priced at $72 for a feast of elk steak, bison prime rib, and a venison bratwurst.