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Budget-Friendly Steak Frites Are Trending in Atlanta
is an award-winning lifestyle journalist and writer who has now been writing about food for about half the time she's been able to eat it. She has covered travel, restaurants and chefs, dining trends, cultural identity in food, and references for the home cook.
If you're noticing more steak frites specials around town, you're not alone. Despite rising food costs, steak has become an unlikely affordable luxury in Atlanta, and restaurants are hoping it'll reel in more diners. Enter steak frites, the latest trend in value-tagged specials.
The Atlanta metro area ranks among the slowest to inflate in the country at 1.9 percent year over year versus a 2.4 percent national average, but no bones about it — every cook and diner is feeling the heat. Traditionally cheap proteins, like eggs, remain at a historic high price despite recent drops, and chicken thighs are now surpassing the price of chicken breasts. But an unlikely protein hero has emerged for the budget-conscious: beef.
Brad Johnson, CEO of Verde Farms, the exclusive supplier for nutrition-conscious restaurant brand True Food Kitchen, says, 'Today's consumers aren't turning away from beef. They're leaning in. The category continues to grow, and we're seeing particularly strong momentum in better-for-you options, with steak sales leading the charge.'
At Steak & Grace, find an 8-ounce hanger steak with herb fries for under $30. Steak & Grace
Lately, chefs in the region are finding ways to satisfy both budget and quality meat to jump on the cattle wagon. Steak frites have been on many a traditional French restaurant and steakhouse menu for eons, and kicking off the trend in 2023 was Ford Fry's Bar Blanc, a prix fixe steak frites-only concept that 'strikes the balance of being special and quality-driven without the steep price tag for guests'. But it wasn't until recently that we've been seeing more of it across restaurant types and advertising for bargain hunters.
Jeb Aldrich, the opening chef for Tiny Lou's, now executive chef at Relais & Chateaux retreat Cataloochee Ranch, explains that restaurants typically balance it by 'generally using secondary cuts of meat that are more cost-effective for both the operator and consumer — butcher's cuts, like Denver steak, hanger, bavette, coulotte, and flank,' as opposed to primaries such as ribeye, New York strip, or filet mignon. Chef Mark Alba of Hartley Kitchen & Cocktails adds that teres major and skirt steaks are good modern choices, too, noting that offered grades are typically not Prime or varieties like Wagyu. However, diners can still expect 'great quality beef packed with bold flavor and incredible texture and density,' he assures, most often at prices close to cost to keep it relatively affordable.
Across Atlanta, this dish averages $40.18, dipping to as low as $20, even though 'costs on those cuts have risen considerably as they become more popular, so it's harder to get a better margin than other steaks,' Barry Mills, owner of Steak & Grace says.
Related The Best Restaurants Around Atlanta for a Steak Dinner
This is a gamble chefs make to get diners in the door. 'We see it as an investment, both in encouraging new guests and offering our regulars something special,' Pendolino's chef-owner Kevin Maxey says.
L'Antoinette's co-owners, Leonardo Moura and chef Jamie Adams, say the special is losing the restaurant money, since theirs is unlimited and inclusive of bread and salad courses. 'But the traffic and attention it has gotten us is worth it at this time,' yielding not only new customers, but community engagement through questions about the deal, restaurant, and food.
Unlimited steak frites may not be a sustainable special for restaurants. Alba says, it '[doesn't] meet the food plate cost budget, but it's more a matter of the quantity of sales.' In other words, patrons who order dishes from the regular menu can offset the lost profit. For L'Antoinette, still in the early stages of their promo, it bears watching, especially as Aldrich reveals, beef prices reset during the summer grilling season and holidays. Yet places like the Woodall keep it on their regular menu, 'pricing it affordably as a complete meal as opposed to a la carte' to 'offer great value for the guest while maintaining reasonable margins for the restaurant,' chef John C. Metz says.
But for now, it's worth getting while the getting's good. Here are some of the best steak frites deals you'll find around Atlanta in ascending price order.
Nearly every weeknight has a white collar blue plate special here. They started with Birdies and Bubbles (fried chicken and a glass of sparkling wine for $20) and became one of the first — and cheapest — steak frites values when Unwin(e)d Wednesday launched, which is paired with a glass of CVNE Cune Crianza Rosa for just $20. Since then, it's become a crowd favorite, executive chef Mark Alba says. 'We take it to the next level by hand-cutting and oil-blanching fresh potatoes so that their taste has no comparison to frozen. We serve the [8-ounce] steak with fresh chimichurri and veal demiglace that takes 48 hours to complete under constant supervision.'
One of the buzziest new spots in Atlanta is also among the biggest bargains for steak frites specials. Prices vary by cut, but you can score a coulotte or hanger steak on a Saturday or Sunday for as little as $25 until sold out — keep an eye on their Instagram for each week's details. It's part of the strategy to 'drive additional business during lunch and pre-dinner hours on the weekends … to keep neighbors engaged and more likely to stop in on a day they may not have planned to,' says a spokesperson for the team. 'Fries are made in-house like everything else except our sourdough,' which is brought in from Colette. Pair it with a $10 Tuxedo, the other half of the promo.
An Italian restaurant may not be the most obvious pick for a steak frites deal, but chef-owner Kevin Maxey says, 'We wanted a way to entice diners to come out and celebrate at the beginning of the week' and jazz up Mondays, which 'are quieter for most restaurants' and typically industry nights. At $30 for a 10-ounce New York Strip topped with black peppercorn-marsala sauce, hand-cut fries, and half off select bottles of wine, it's certainly tempting. A casual, informal environment keeps the tone low-key and just right to reward you for making it through the toughest day of the week.
All-you-can-eat ribeyes and fries are well worth a drive out to Milton, especially for $49 a person, inclusive of a baguette, choice of salad, and fancy French dinner vibes. It's a gamble, especially with a primary cut on the table, but 'we think that we have an edge with offering a full menu for people who may want something else, such as our Classic Consomme a l'Oignon, Sole Meuniere, Boeuf Bourguignon and more,' the co-owners tell Eater. Additionally, they say, it's a great introduction for a new demographic looking for a favorite French spot, as they're excited to welcome younger couples and become that generation's go-to.
'I've always loved hyper-focused menus that offer one thing done really well. L'Entrecote, a concept from Paris, has always been on my mind, and steak and fries are one of my favorite things to eat,' Ford Fry says. 'With the Bar Blanc space' — upstairs from Little Sparrow — 'as small as it is, I knew we needed to keep it simple, and this classic French concept just fit perfectly.' The $49.95 per person price tag for crusty sourdough, a simple green salad, a 7-ounce Prime New York Strip from Creekstone Farms, and endless decadent, hand-cut beef tallow-fried Belgian frites keep these seats in high demand. For $20 more, guests can upgrade to an 8-ounce American Wagyu strip from Chatel Farms.
Fancy a more traditional prix fixe and a little flexibility around your steak frites night out? This Sandy Springs restaurant offers three courses, including a steak frites main option for $53, Mondays through Thursdays. That second course is pepper-crusted and comes with green beans and fries, but three other entree choices are also available. Your choice of four select appetizers and three traditional desserts are also included in the bill of fare.
Steak Frites Fixtures
In addition to these specials, there are several restaurants across Atlanta that keep full steak frites dinners on their everyday menu. At Steak & Grace, you can get an 8-ounce hanger steak with demi-glace sauce and herb and cheese fries for under $30. The one at the new Brasserie Margot in the Four Seasons offers a 7-ounce flat iron steak with sauce Perigueux for $35. Bistro Niko offers two options: hanger with bearnaise for $37 or a 14-ounce Prime ribeye for $52. Oak Steakhouse's 5-ounce cut also comes with bearnaise, plus truffle fries for $32. Swap the sauce for bordelaise at Kevin Rathburn Steak for $40 or Painted Park, for a 6-ounce hanger with hand-cut fries for the same.
If you prefer au poivre, Anis Bistro does it with a baby green salad for $38; The Woodall swaps that for French green beans for $53.
For something green but a little different, Tiny Lou's 13-ounce New York strip with ramp chimichurri and watercress is $55. A version with salsa verde is available for $49 at The Betty, and for $48, you can get a 12-ounce New York strip with tomatillo and chili morita, shoestring fries, and woodland mushrooms at Reverence at the Epicurean Hotel as part of their revamped menu.
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