Steakhouse and grill menu

Usual sections

A steakhouse revolves around the grill. The rest of the menu plays a supporting role:

1. Starters: steak tartare, bone marrow, prawn cocktail, burrata, Caesar salad.
2. From the grill: the steaks, from the big sharing cut to individual steaks.
3. Fish, if you grill it: one or two, or the catch of the day.
4. Sides: chips, onion rings, creamed spinach, mac and cheese, salad.
5. Sauces: peppercorn, béarnaise, chimichurri, blue cheese.
6. Desserts.
7. Wine, with prices by the glass and by the bottle.

If you have a lot of steaks, split them by origin or breed (British, Argentinian, Wagyu) or by size (sharing and individual). If you have only a few, a single “From the grill” section reads better.

Price by weight and by the piece

This is what raises the most questions, and what prevents the most complaints when it’s well explained.

• By weight: price with its unit, “12 per 100 g” or “95/kg”. Add the minimum weight (“minimum 800 g”) or the approximate weight of the cut (“1–1.2 kg”). In the UK, price by weight in grams or kilos; you can show ounces alongside for guests who think in them.
• By the piece: a set price, with the weight in the quantity field: “Sirloin 300 g”, “Fillet 225 g” or, in the US, “Rib-eye 16 oz”. That way guests can compare.
• Fish of the day: “market price” only if your staff tell guests the price before serving it. If you sell it by weight, a price per kilo on a board is better.

Make it clear whether the weight is raw. Meat loses water on the grill, and nobody should get a surprise on the bill. A section note solves it: “Raw weight: we’ll show you the cut before cooking it”.

If the steaks come with sides, say so in the same note. If sides are ordered separately, as in the template, give them their own block with prices.

How to describe the steaks

In a steakhouse, descriptions sell with facts, not adjectives:

• Origin and breed, if you know them: Scottish Aberdeen Angus, Hereford, Galician Blond, USDA Prime.
• Ageing: “dry-aged 35 days”.
• Cut and weight: rib-eye, sirloin, fillet, T-bone, tomahawk, picanha.
• How it’s cooked: “over charcoal”, “on the wood-fired grill”.

One line is enough. Your staff can recommend how each cut is best cooked; the menu doesn’t need to.

Rare steaks and the US consumer advisory

In the US, most states follow the FDA Food Code, which asks for a consumer advisory next to anything served raw or undercooked, or cooked to order: an asterisk on the item and a note such as “Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.” Check the exact wording your health department expects. A steak tartare or a burger served pink needs it too.

Allergens in a steakhouse

Grilled meat on its own contains none of the 14 allergens. They’re in everything around it:

• Gluten: bread, battered onion rings and gravies or jus thickened with flour.
• Milk: butter to finish the steak, creamed spinach, mac and cheese, blue cheese and peppercorn sauces, desserts.
• Eggs: béarnaise, mayonnaise, tartare and desserts.
• Sulphites: all wines, and marinades or sauces made with wine or vinegar.
• Mustard: if you serve it with the steak or use it in marinades or the tartare.
• Fish: anchovies in the Caesar dressing and Worcestershire sauce in the tartare.
• Celery: many stocks behind the jus.

Watch the shared grill: if you cook fish or toast bread on the same grill as the meat, there can be traces. Sausages and black pudding vary by maker: check each spec sheet before you mark them.

Wine on the same menu

In a steakhouse, wine is part of the meal. If you have only a few wines, put them in one section with two columns, “Glass” and “Bottle”, and the region in the description: “Mendoza, Argentina · Malbec”. If your list is long, a separate wine list works better, with only the wines by the glass on the main menu.

Writing tips

• No “subject to availability” on every line. If a cut depends on the market, one note is enough.
• The same unit throughout: if the sharing steak is priced per kilo, don’t price another cut per 100 g.
• Feature the big sharing cut. It’s usually why people come: give it the featured box.
• Plain sides: “Hand-cut chips” needs nothing more.

Format and style

• A4 in two columns for the table: starters and the grill on one side; sides, desserts and wine on the other.
• Booklet if you add the full wine list.
• A3 poster at the entrance or next to the dry-ageing cabinet, with the day’s cuts.

The template’s style is Embers, with vintage poster lettering, leader dots and fiery orange prices. Tablecloth suits a steakhouse with a traditional dining-room feel, and Bodega one where wine takes centre stage. More examples in menu templates.

Make it in MenuDesign

Open the steakhouse template, add your cuts with their weight or price per kilo, mark the allergens and download the PDF. Free, no sign-up, and saved in your browser for the next time the price of beef goes up.