America's Best Steak Cities Report

America’s Best Cities for Meat Lovers 2023

When it comes to juicy burgers, smoky BBQ and premium steaks, many cities offer a wide selection of options, but only a few can claim the title of "meat mecca."

As the premier independent meat purveyor, we know a thing or two about what meat lovers crave, so we analyzed cities from coast to coast to create our ultimate ranking of the best cities for meat lovers in America.

Our ranking looked at key factors for meat lovers, including meat destinations (steakhouses, BBQ restaurants, burger joints and butcher shops), meat quality (average Yelp rating as well as number of Michelin-star steakhouses) and meat demand (Google search interest for meat-related topics).

We compared each city analyzed using the aforementioned variables and graded each variable on a 100-point scale.

Key Findings:

• When it comes to the best city for carnivores, Miami reigns supreme with the highest number of meat destinations per 100,000 residents (102.3) and an overall high meat lovers score thanks to its two Michelin-star steakhouses and a whopping 18,222 meat-related Google searches per 100,000 residents.

• New York (10), Chicago (6) and Los Angeles (4) are home to the most Michelin-star steakhouses.

• Meat lovers in San Diego give the city’s meat destinations an average Yelp rating of 4.04 stars out of 5 – the highest rating on our list.

Which Cities Are the Best for Meat Lovers?

Whether you’re in the mood for a tender steak or you’re seeking a quality butcher shop, our list has it all covered. These cities provide the best opportunity for meat eaters to satisfy their appetites.

America's Best Cities for Meat Lovers 2023

Which cities provide the best opportunity for meat eaters to satisfy their appetites

Top Five Best Cities for Meat Lovers

1. Miami, Florida

If you’re seeking the ultimate destination to satisfy your craving for meat, look no further than Miami. The city is home to more meat destinations than any other city on our list. Overall, Miami has 84 steakhouses (19.1 per 100,000), 50 BBQ restaurants (11.4 per 100,000) and more than 250 burger restaurants (57.1 per 100,000). Along with accessibility, Miami’s meat quality score ranks high, with two Michelin-star steakhouses and an average 3.71 stars out of 5 for its meat destinations.

2. Las Vegas, Nevada

Even though the No. 2 city on our list is in the desert, it’s an oasis for meat lovers. Las Vegas has the second-most meat destinations on our list, with 98.2 destinations per 100,000 residents. What Vegas lacks in Michelin-star steakhouses, it makes up for it in its overall rating for meat destinations. According to Yelp reviews, customers give Vegas’ steakhouses, burger restaurants, BBQ restaurants and butcher shops an average 3.79 stars out of 5. Las Vegas is also the No. 1 city for most steakhouses per 100,000 residents.

3. Atlanta, Georgia

Move over peaches, the meats have arrived. Not only is Atlanta home to 60 steakhouses, but it also boasts more than 100 BBQ restaurants and more than 200 burger restaurants. Demand for meat in Atlanta is also high: On average, nearly 7,000 meat-related Google searches per 100,000 residents are conducted each month within the city.

4. Minneapolis, Minnesota

Along with ranking No. 4 on our best cities for meat lovers, Minneapolis also holds the No. 10 spot on our list of America’s top 10 best steakhouse cities. Overall, Minneapolis has 27 steakhouses (6.3 per 100,000), and nearly 15% of those steakhouses have received a high rating of 4.5 stars or more on Yelp. The average Yelp rating for Minneapolis steakhouses is 3.86 stars out of 5, which gives this city the distinction of a top steakhouse destination.

5. San Francisco, California

Rounding out the top five best cities for meat lovers is San Francisco. This city is all about high-quality meat. San Francisco is home to two Michelin-star steakhouses, and the city’s meat destinations have earned an average 3.9 stars out of 5, according to Yelp reviews. On average, more than 9,000 meat-related searches per 100,000 residents are conducted each month, which shows that demand for meat is high in San Francisco.

America’s Best Cities for Steakhouses

Methodology

In order to determine our rankings, we analyzed data from more than 17,000 steakhouses, burger restaurants, BBQ restaurants and butcher shops in the 50 most populated cities across the country. We compared these cities across eight weighted variables: number of meat destinations, average Yelp rating, share of highly rated meat destinations, number of Michelin-star steakhouses and average monthly Google search volume for meat-related topics. To keep our focus on high-quality meat, search terms related to fast food were not included within the analysis. Fast food restaurants were also not included within our Yelp review analysis. Each variable was graded on a 100-point scale.

Meat Accessibility (50 points)

Steakhouses (per 100,000 residents) - 12.5 points
Burger restaurants (per 100,000 residents) - 12.5 points
BBQ restaurants (per 100,000 residents) - 12.5 points
Butcher/meat shops (per 100,000 residents) - 12.5 points

Meat Quality (45 points)

Average rating out of 5 stars for steakhouses, burger restaurants, BBQ restaurants and butcher/meat shops - 30 points
Share of highly rated (4.5+ stars) steakhouses, burger restaurants, BBQ restaurants and
butcher/meat shops (with 10 or more reviews) - 5 points
Number of Michelin-star steakhouses (per 100,000 residents) - 10 points

Meat Demand (5 points)

Google searches (per 100,000 residents) related to meat topics such as cooking meat, meat recipes and meat destinations - 5 points

Sources: Yelp, Michelin Guide 2023

Fair Use: Feel free to use this data and research with proper attribution linking to this study.