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The Most Expensive Restaurants in Every State

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at USC chapter.

I may not have a lot of extra cash to spend on fine dining at the moment, but these 50 most expensive restaurants definitely have gotten me fantasizing and salivating. These are some of the country’s most expensive fine-dining establishments, and if steak and lobster aren’t exciting enough for you, they also have some of the best cocktails in America. 

Alabama

Perry’s Steakhouse Grill, Birmingham

Experience: Perry’s has multiple locations throughout the south, all of which include chops, seafood, wine & cocktails served in an upscale setting with a lounge & live jazz

Most expensive dish: Captain’s Chateaubriand ($55), carved table side with truffle Merlot demiglace, bearnaise, and peppercorn reduction sauces 

Cocktail I’d order: Cucumber Blueberry Martini ($15), Smirnoff Blueberry vodka is shaken with fresh lime juice, cranberry, and muddled cucumber

Alaska

Crow’s Nest, Anchorage

Experience: High-end restaurant offering French & New American cuisine, a huge wine list and a 360-degree view of the city 

Most expensive dish: Bone-in Bison Rib-eye ($68), herb and balsamic marinade, roasted leek and young onion, red potatoes, porcini butter, fermented garlic cream  

Dessert to die for: Foie Gras Semifreddo ($12)

Arizona

Bourbon Steak, Scottsdale

Experience: Michael Mina outpost serving butter-poached steaks in elegant contemporary Fairmont resort quarters

Most expensive dish: 32 oz. Prime dry aged porterhouse ($175)

Wine to break the bank:  Domaine de la Romanee Conti ‘Montrachet’ grand cru 2005, Chardonnay ($5083)

Arkansas

One Eleven at the Capital, Little Rock

Experience: Sophisticated, French-inspired American plates presented in a traditional, white-tablecloth setting

Most Expensive Dish: Grilled prime beef filet, Bordelaise sauce ($46)

Cocktail I’d Order: Chocolate-Pear Martini ($12), Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, Pear Vodka, Crème de Cacao

California

The French Laundry, Yountville

Experience: Chef Thomas Keller’s refined fixed-price meals continually draw food lovers to this stone farmhouse.

Most extravagant dish: Chef’s Tasting Menu is $310, not including the Soft Boiled Rhode Island Red Hen Egg with black winter truffle “Coulis”, sweet onion “Tagliatelle” and Shaved Australian Black Winter Truffles ($125 supplement)

Bottle of wine more than your student loans: 1992 Napa Valley Screaming Eagle ($17,500) 

Colorado

Matsuhisa, Vail

Experience: High-end destination for Japanese fusion fare & sushi, served in a posh setting with dramatic views

Most expensive dish: Lobster with wasabi pepper or spicy garlic sauce ($42)

Cocktail I’d order: Lavendar Margarita, Cuervo ‘tradicional’ Blanco Tequila, lavender honey, lime ($12)

Connecticut

David Burke Prime, Mashantucket

Experience: Steaks dry-aged on-site & playful American fare in a vast, glitzy space with a 3-story wine tower

Most expensive dish: Mustard Crusted Colorado Lamb Chops ($65) haricots verts, caramelized baby carrots, roasted garlic whipped, rosemary au jus 

Dessert to die for: Cheesecake Lollipop Tree ($18) cherry pink cashmere, triple chocolate tuxedo, toffee top hat

Delaware

Harry’s Savoy Grill, Wilmington

Experience: Steakhouse known for standards like prime rib, served in clubby space with dark-wood decor & patio

Most expensive dish: Grilled petite filet & butter poached lobster “surf & turf” ($58) Cous-Cous, baby carrots, Bercy butter, demi-glace 

Champagne: Cristal, Louis Roederer Champagne ’06 ($395)

Florida

Victoria & Albert’s, Orlando 

Experience: Each season has its own flavors and colors, and each day Chef Hunnel selects whatever is fresh at the market to create unique menus for the Dining Room, Queen Victoria’s Room and the Chef’s Table. With a wealth of resources from farmers, fishermen, and artisans, the kitchen sources pristine ingredients for dishes such as Spanish octopus with Iberico ham and sherry vinaigrette, or a whimsical poached local chicken egg with Florida corn and crayfish. Flavors shine as Hunnel melds tradition with innovation – it’s all about the joy of pleasing his guests.

Most expensive tasting menu: Chef’s table, $163 per person

Wine to break the bank: St. Julien Château Léoville Las Cases 1982 (Magnum), Cabernet Sauvignon ($6150)

Georgia

Bone’s, Atlanta

Experience: “Bone’s has been named Atlanta’s best steakhouse for 16 years in a row — it’s no wonder that it prepares all cuts of beef to perfection. It stays true to its Southern heritage with side dishes that include hash browns and grit fritters.” – Business Insider

Most expensive dish: Veal Rib Chop with Lemon and Sautéed Mushrooms ($50)

Dessert to die for: Warm Pecan Pie with Praline Sauce and French Vanilla Ice Cream ($10)

Hawaii

Alan Wong’s, Honolulu

Experience: Famed chef Alan Wong presents his innovative, colorful Hawaiian flare in an upscale, 3rd-floor space

What I’d order: Pan steamed opakapaka, short tail pink snapper with shrimp pork hash, truffle nage, gingered vegetables, tapioca pearls ($40)

Cocktail I’d order: Blueberry Hibiscus Strawberry Sangria ($15) –  Sparkling libation – blend of strawberry hibiscus nectar, fresh blueberries, mint, basil and fresh island watermelon macerated with Brachetto D’Acqui 

Idaho

Chandler’s, Boise

Experience: Top-shelf steaks & seafood served in a swanky, hip setting with live jazz & a martini bar

Most expensive dish: Wild Baja California Abalone Meunière with Mushroom Risotto ($95)

Cocktail I’d order: Pomegranate Mojito ($11)

Illinois

Alinea, Chicago

Experience: Chef Grant Achatz draws foodies with New American tasting menus featuring highly creative plates

Most expensive tasting menu: The Kitchen Table, $385 per person. Includes dishes such as steelhead roe with coconut, curry, and yuzu; king crab with passionfruit, heart palm, allspice; lobster with carrot and chamomile 

Interesting dessert: Helium balloon, green apple flavor

Indiana

St. Elmo’s Steak House, Indianapolis

Experience: Historic & stately wining a dining destination known for its steaks & seafood, plus cocktail lounge

Most expensive dish: Surf ’n Turf ($79) 8 oz. South African lobster tail and 8 oz. filet mignon

Cocktail I’d order: Elderflower Gin & Tonic ($13) Sipsmith Gin copper stilled in London and Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic 

Iowa

801 Chophouse, Des Moines

Experience: White-cloth destination for steaks with all the trimmings plus seafood, wine & cocktails

Most expensive dish: 24 oz. Bone-In Delmonico ($66) simply grilled or Cajun rub

Cocktail I’d order: Cat’s Pajamas ($6) 801 Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Luxardo Maraschino, Carpano Antica, Dubonnet, bitters

Kansas:

J Gilbert’s, Kansas City

Experience: Swanky farm-to-table restaurant & bar serving classic, upscale steakhouse fare & martinis

Most expensive dish: Cajun Spiced Pan Roasted Filet ($41) poblano au gratin potatoes, shiitake mushroom, port and sherry jus 

Cocktail I’d order: Espresso Martini ($10) Three Olives Vanilla Vodka, Kahlua, espresso, heavy whipped cream, shaved chocolate

Kentucky

Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, Louisville

Experience: Upscale steakhouse with ritzy digs & notable seafood options, including sushi & a raw bar

Most expensive dish: Steak & Lobster ($92) 12 oz. Herb roasted lobster tail & 8 oz. filet mignon

Cocktail I’d order: Peach-Blackberry Smash ($13) Old Forester Bourbon, peach mint syrup, lemon, blackberries

Louisiana

Commander’s Palace, New Orleans

Experience: Notable spot for refined Creole fare & an elegant jazz brunch in a chandelier-hung space since 1880

Most expensive dish: Market Fish Jardinière ($43) Covey Rise Farm summer vegetable ratatouille, confit garlic cloves, black olive oil, local legumes, basil puree and heirloom tomato chutney 

Cocktail I’d order: Port of New Orleans ($11.75) Tanqueray, Quinta Do Noval “Black” Porto, fresh lime, orange bitters and housemade pecan simple syrup 

Maine

Hugo’s, Portland

Experience: A cutting-edge American menu caters to carnivores & vegetarians alike in swanky environs

Most expensive dish: Pork Chop Bo Ssäm ($45) napa cabbage, peanut, gochujang emulsion

Cocktail I’d order: Silver and Diamonds ($12), honeyed gin, egg white, lemon, lavender, bubbles

Maryland

Charleston, Baltimore

Experience: Celebrated pick for New American plates & a well-curated wine list in white-tablecloth environment. There is a flat price for selecting 3, 4, 5, or 6 dishes off the dinner menu.

The six courses I’d choose: ($124) Maryland lump crab cake, Grilled veal sweetbreads, Pan-roasted magret of duck, Pan-seared Hudson Valley foie gras, Fresh buffalo milk mozzarella salad, Prime beef steak tartare

Dessert to die for: Passionfruit Crème Brûlée (Included in fix-pris) – vanilla shortbread, pineapple sorbet

Massachusetts

Menton, Boston

Experience: Chef Barbara Lynch’s French-Italian hybrid cuisine (plus tasting menus) in a luxurious setting

Most expensive dish: Wagyu Beef Ribeye ($48) bone marrow, peas, spring onions

Cocktail I’d order: Eagle Hill ($16) dark rum, punt-e-mes, almond ginger-lime

Michigan

London Chop House, Detroit

Experience: Classically elegant steakhouse established in 1938 with an English feel & accompanying cigar lounge

Most expensive dish: Australian Wagyu Grade A4 ($65)

Cocktail I’d Order: Southern Bell Martini ($6)

Minnesota

Murray’s, Minneapolis

Experience: Classic upscale steakhouse serving prime cuts & signature cocktails in stylish surrounds since 1946

Most expensive dish: Blue Cheese Crusted Filet ($50) 10 oz. bacon wrapped, caramelized pears, grilled spring onion, blackberry and port reduction 

Cocktail I’d Order: The Manhattan Project ($18) Maker’s Mark infused with Black Mission figs and sweet cherries, Carpano Antica, dash of port wine 

Mississippi

Char, Jackson

Experience: Southern-accented steakhouse in clubby digs with leather banquettes, warm woods & large bar area

Most expensive dish: Cowboy Ribeye ($54) 20 oz. bone-in chili rubbed, maître d’ butter

Cocktail I’d order: Mississippi Mule ($10.50) Served on the rocks with Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka, fresh lime, strawberry simple syrup and ginger beer

Missouri

Bluestem, Kansas City 

Experience: Low-key, white-tablecloth setting for serious New American cooking from set-price tasting menus. There is a flat rate for three courses, five courses, or ten courses.

Five courses I’d Choose: ($85) Marinated Cherry Tomatoes, goat cheese, saffron, garden herbs; La Belle Foie Gras, Missouri Peach, hazelnut, lemon thyme; Yellowtail Hamachi Crudo, cucumber, avocado, radish, chili, green tomato gazpacho; Holland Pork Belly, bing cherry, burnt bread, golden zucchini, spinach; Dark Chocolate Cremeaux, pistachio, rose, blackberry

Cocktail I’d order: Black Currant Milk Punch ($11) black currant tea milk washed vodka, combier, verjus

Montana

TEN, Billings

Experience: Posh place at Northern Hotel serving select American mains with a global twist & seasonal cocktails

Most expensive dish: Tomahawk ($65) 48oz Colorado Ribeye, brussel sprouts, steak sauce, roasted garlic whipped potatoes

Cocktail I’d order: Vieux Carre ($12) 1938 Monteleone Hotel, New Orleans Woodford Reserve Rye, Hennessy, Antica Sweet Vermouth, Bénédictine, Angostura Bitters, Peychaud’s Bitters

Nebraska

Gorat’s, Omaha

Experience: Local fixture with roots in 1944 offering steaks, salads & sandwiches in an old-school environment

Most expensive dish: Omaha T-Bone ($39) 22oz bone-in steak

Dessert to die for: Molten Lava Cake ($6) with caramel, whip cream and strawberries

Nevada

Joël Robuchon, Las Vegas 

Experience: Gourmet French tapas & tasting menus by Joël Robuchon served in a modern space with counter service, $230 per person

Most extravagant dish: Le Saint-Pierre – John Dory fish fillet with tempura of shiso leaf on delicate squid ink risotto

Dessert to die for: Le Papillion Chocolat Azelia (Included in fix-pris) – smooth hazelnut milk chocolate crémeux with coffee chantilly and praliné ice cream

New Hampshire

Hanover Street Chophouse, Manchester

Experience: High-end hideaway for steaks, seafood & diverse wines in an elegant backdrop with a clubby bar

Most expensive dish: Bone-In Filet ($58) 16oz center cut tenderloin steak

Dessert to die for: Kentucky Bourbon Crème Brûlée ($8) apricot butter cookie with spring berries

New Jersey

Cafe 2825, Atlantic City

Experience: Classy eatery featuring from-scratch Italian cuisine, a full bar & ample wines in an intimate space

What I’d Order: Veal Rollatini ala Tiana ($45) – tender rolled veal, filled with spinach, prosciutto (salty), cheese, natural brown sauce with mushroom risotto

Desser to die for: Homemade Coconut Cheesecake ($12)

New Mexico

Geronimo, Sante Fe 

Experience: Eclectic New American fare served amid elegant, minimalist decor in a circa-1756 adobe home

Most expensive dish: New Mexico Four Corners Grilled Rack of Lamb ($52) fresh pea puree, parmesan polenta cakes, roasted leeks & merlot lamb-reduction

Dessert to die for: Caramel Chocolate Decadence ($12) raspberry panna cotta, cassis sorbet, chocolate cake & wild strawberry sauce

New York

Masa, Manhattan

Experience: The most expensive restaurant in the country, Masa is a high-end Japanese restaurant offering a fixed-price sushi menu served in modern, elegant surrounds

Price per person: $585

Notable dishes: Fatty Toro Tartare with cavair; Wagyu Beef with truffle, Toro, Ika, and Uni 

North Carolina

Fearrington House Restaurant, Fearrington

Experience: The intimate dining rooms within the white-columned Fearrington House Restaurant welcome guests with exceptional service and a seasonally changing menu, four different menus are offered, 3-course, 4-course, vegetarian 8-course, and 8-course 

Four courses I’d order: ($115) Ono with Melon & Spearmint, crème fraîche, yellow wax beans, chilies; Seared Foie Gras with Garden Onions & Lime, chamomile, honey jicama; Rabbit with Burnt Orange & Poblana, wax bean, prosciutto, cherry, anise; Valrhona Cœur de Guanaja Chocolate Soufflé, hot chocolate sauce, whipped cream

Wine to break the bank: Château Margaux 2005 ($2495), French Bordeaux

North Dakota

40 Steak + Seafood, Bismarck 

Experience: Upscale venue serving surf ‘n’ turf in 5 rustic rooms, each referencing a period in ND’s history

Most expensive dish: Dry Aged Cowboy Ribeye ($65) King Cut 35 days dry aged

Fanciest Scotch: Glenrothes Scotch Flight: Select reserve, Vintage 2001, Vintage 1998 ($19)

Ohio

Orchids at Palm Court, Cincinnati 

Experience: Upscale hotel restaurant serving inventive & traditional American dishes in an ornate space. Tasting menu for 3-course, 4-course, 5-course, and 10-course

Five courses I’d choose: Burrata, strawberry, white balsamic, chia seed, pistachio; Escargot, ramps, parsley, ricotta, agnolotti, guanciale; Lamb, carrot, ginger, caramelized fennel; Strudel, maitake mushrooms, sunchokes, paneer, crisp lentils; Matignon, chard, wheat berries, artichoke, enoki 

Dessert to die for: Custard ($16) cream cheese, golden raspberry, lychee, almond hibiscus

Oklahoma

Bodean, Tulsa

Experience: Upscale operation with an on-site fish market, featuring fresh catch & wines plus regular live jazz

Most expensive dish: Kumamoto Wagyu Grade A5 ($123) 6oz tenderloin, roasted wild mushrooms, shishito peppers, ponzu sauce

Cocktail I’d Order: Jalapeno Pear Margarita ($15)

Oregon

Castagna, Portland 

Experience: Clean-lined, minimalist restaurant serving fixed-price, high-end modernist Northwest dinners. Two tasting menus, 7-course and 13-course

Chef’s tasting menu: 13-course ($165), snacks; Crab, grilled cucumber; Shima aji, tomato, ginger; Spot prawn; Orach, porcini, concentrate of halibut; Trout, potato, lovage, fava; Foie gras, strawberry, currant; Chanterelles, hops; Aged duck, gem lettuce, roquefort; Zabuton, society garlic; Strawberry, spruce, sansho; Dark fruit; Caramelized potato skin

Cocktail I’d order: ​A Sweet Notion ($11) dark rum, lime, chili, creme de cassis, turbinado

Pennsylvania

Abe Fisher, Philadelphia

Experience:  Elevated takes on foods of the Jewish diaspora served in a snug, minimalist space with a retro feel

Most expensive dish: Montreal Style Smoked Short Ribs ($60) served with pickles, mustards, breads, and spreads

Cocktail I’d Order: By the Way ($12) brandy, coconut, pineapple, amaro

Rhode Island

Mill’s Tavern, Providence

Experience: Upscale eatery in a historic building with seasonal steak & seafood dishes & an extensive wine list

Most expensive dish: 16oz Niman Ranch Ribeye ($48)

Cocktail I’d order: South Water Soother ($14) Thai Basil infused Tequila, Cointreau, coconut water, vanilla syrup, lemon & lime juice

South Carolina

Hall’s Chophouse, Charleston 

Experience: Sizable cuts of beef & seafood served in elegant surrounds, also known for its Sunday gospel brunch

Most expensive dish: Tomahawk Rib Eye ($98) 34oz 

Cocktail I’d order: Hot Pepper Martini ($13) house-made habanero infused vodka and passion fruit puree

South Dakota

Dakotah Steakhouse, Rapid City 

Experience: Steakhouse fare plus local game & fish in a handsome setting accented with dark wood & leather

Most expensive dish: Dry Aged Prime Rib-eye ($49.50) 12oz

Dessert to die for: Kuchen with Berry Topping ($8) South Dakota’s state dessert with berry sauce and fresh whipped cream

Tennessee

The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland

Experience: Elegant farm-to-table tasting menus served in a regal wood-beamed barn at Blackberry Farm

Courses I’d choose: $150 for 7-courses; Bacon Wrapped Quail, tomato, eggplant, basil and crispy quinoa; Painted Hills Beef Hanger Steak, smoked potatoes, creamed kale and grilled oyster mushrooms; Grilled Pekin Duck Breast, roasted fall vegetables, sweet tea gastrique and foie gras; Springer Mountain Farm Chicken, Carolina gold rice grits, forest mushrooms, garden greens and confit

Cocktail I’d order: Blackberry Farm Eggnog ($15) spiced rum, Tennessee whiskey, meringue and whipped cream

Texas

Killen’s Steakhouse, Pearland

Experience: Luxurious steakhouse serving rich starters, sides, award-winning prime beef & fine wines

Most expensive dish: New York Strip Flight ($175) Japanese A5 Wagyu from the Kagoshima Prefecture

Cocktail I’d order: Texas Peach Mojito ($8) rum, mint, peach, simple syrup, lime & a splash of soda

Utah

Powder, Park City

Experience: Contemporary eatery in the Waldorf Astoria hotel offers New American fare, cocktails & sleek decor

Most expensive dish: Guajila Rubbed Buffalo Tenderloin ($42) summer succotash, beetroot puree, huckleberry jus

Cocktail I’d order: Blackberry Bramble ($13) Bombay Sapphire Gin, St. Germain blackberry, lemon

Vermont

Guild Tavern, Burlington

Experience: Locally sourced, wood-fired meats, plus casual tavern fare & handcrafted cocktails

Most expensive dish: Filet Mignon ($48.95) 9oz

Cocktail I’d order: Goddess of the Underworld ($10) Tequila, pomegranate shrub, lime, ginger beer

Virginia

Inn at Little Washington, Washington 

Experience: Three different tasting menus, all priced the same ($218), pays homage to the lawmakers of Classical French Cuisine, reflects a belief in “the cuisine of today”, healthy, eclectic, imaginative, unrestricted by ethnic boundaries and always growing.

My pick: Here and Now, includes: Caramelized Catalan Custard with foie gras and orchard cherries; Chilled Scottish Langoustine with vichyssoise purée and Royal Osetra Caviar; Japanese Wagyu Beef Two Ways: seventy-two hour braised short rib and rib-eye sashimi with potato “noodles” in fragrant broth; A Grilled King Lamb Chop Perfumed with rosemary on lentils Dijonnaise with minted béarnaise

Cocktail I’d order: Bourbon Amoro ($18) Bulleit Bourbon, Averna Amaro, Moro Blood Orange and cucumber

Washington

Herbfarm, Seattle 

Experience: Fixed-price, 9-course menus paired with local wine at a bucolic culinary retreat attached to an inn. Menus constantly change with each season. Price per person $215.

Summer 2017 Menu: Nine Songs of Summer; Staff of Life summer savory brichoe rolls; Herring, Man herring in lovage tempura; Rabbit Redux boletus & rabbit sugo; Sour Cherry vegetables roasted in lamb fat with Montmorency Tart Cherries; Cheek Clique barbecued Wagyu Beef cheek; Currant Events Chimacum Valley dairy cheese; Cot, Cake, Cream woodoven-roasted Yakima Apricots; Raspberry Fairy raspberry & chamomile soup

Don’t forget dessert: Strawberry-filled chocolate, Smyrna Quince Macaron, DuChilly hazelnut pie, tangerine gem marigold milkshake

West Virginia

The Chop House, Charleston

Experience: Old-school eatery with plush furnishings offers familiar steak & seafood dishes plus a cigar lounge

Most expensive dish: Cowboy Steak ($54) 22oz blackened or barbecued

Cocktail I’d Order: $6 Apple Martini 

Wisconsin

Republic Chophouse, Green Bay 

Experience: Stylish chophouse with steaks, seafood & wine plus a lounge for signature cocktails & small plates

Most expensive dish: Bon-in Ribeye ($79) 22oz, prime, aged 30 days 

Cocktail I’d order: Salted Caramel ($12) caramel, butterscotch schnapps, Kahlua, Bailey’s, and a salted rim

Wyoming

Snake River Grill, Jackson Hole

Experience: Elegantly plated New American dishes in a refined log-cabin setting with a fireplace & a cozy bar

Most expensive dish: Cast Iron Seared Elk Chop ($69) grilled brown butter sweet potatoes, date-chipotle sauce 

Cocktail I’d order: Trout Saddle ($11) Stoli Cirtros Vodka, fresh orange and lime, cranberry juice 

Well, if you’re like me and, at the end of this, feel poor and crave a steak, at least you can take solace in the fact that the best cocktails in America average around $12!

I was born and raised in the DFW area! I moved to LA this January, and I'm so excited to explore this city and experience all it has to offer!