Ari’s Best Steak House

When they say «Best Steak House» they mean «Best Steak House». I had the Boneless steak and it was just the right amount of Juicy and tender. The Toast was to Die for.

I hadn’t been back here in years. When I walked in, it was the exact same. Nothing had changed. And really why should it. It was awesome back then, and still is today. It’s cafeteria style, so let’s keep the expectations in check here. The service is old school, friendly, and I don’t believe he’s ever made a mistake. Even with a line out the door, he knows exactly what goes on your plate and the temperature you wanted it cooked at. When I say service, I mean the guy who greets you with a «hey buddy, what do you want today?» as you glide up and grab your tray and silverware.
Prices can’t be beat. Even though the sign says otherwise, it’s not the best steak I’ve ever had. But it’s hot off the grill and the char flavor and smell is killer. The fries are fresh cut and always hot from the fryer. Salad bar is kinda sad but it’s in keeping with the style of the place.
This isn’t going to be the place to bring a hot date. But if you want an awesome meal at a great price and don’t mind stepping back in time a bit, then go ahead and grab a tray and tell em to make it nice and bloody.

Best Steak Houses used to be all over the Twin Cities, or at least places like this with the same name. This one has been around for 40 years. When I started going to them, you could get a complete steak dinner, meaning steak, baked potato, salad and texas toast, for between $ 2 — $ 4. Today the range is more like $ 6– $ 12 on average, with some up charges and add-​ons available. I was in the mood for «chopped steak,» simply because you don’t see it on menus very often. (And after all, the name of the site isn’t «Steak, Dogs, & Pizza!»)
You wait in a line up front and tell the grill man your order, there is no discussion of «doneness» or anything. Move on down the cafeteria style line, pick up your tray, silver, and make a salad from the selection of fixins, which are not in abundance or up market. (Genuine face bacos!) But hey, this is value dining!
While the menu says each dinner comes with a potato, it means «baked potato» and there is a 99 cent up charge for fries, but why the hell not? They are fresh cut, cooked to order for each diner, and plopped on the plenty in quantity. Perhaps a pound?
I made my salad, paid, and you’re told to wait at the register for your order, it will be right up, and it is. One mystery to me was that some people got two slices of Texas toast, and others got one. Didn’t seem to coincide with any menu selection or price. I think I figured out it had to do with your politeness in line (I’m not kidding, some of the people are just damned nasty to grill guy). So anyway, I got two pieces, and if you’ve read this blog at all, you know I’m all about the Texas toast!
The meat was great, flavoful, and a host of condiments, steak sauces are on the table. I couldn’t finish the fries, but I’d be damned if I was leaving them behind! Seriously, some of the best fries I’ve had in a long time!
Best Steak House is kind of north and east of downtown St. Paul, open for lunch and dinner seven days, and you can get the whole dinner at lunch time for less than $ 6.00.
You should check them out. They also have fried shrimp, gyros, and burgers for the kids. Daily specials as well

I love this place, I would give it 5 stars but parking is always an issue because the parking lot is small and shared by other businesses. Once inside the food is wonderful, I have had numerous different dishes and all of them are

I had the steak shrimp and lobster tail. It was cooked perfectly. The meal was pretty filling. I ended up not finishing my baked potato. The self serve salad bar bowl looks pretty small at first but if you pile it high it’s actually allot. I also ordered a large coke and to my surprise it was actually quite large with round ice balls. There are better steak houses out there but for value for your money it’s hard to beat this place. The staff was friendly and the owner even took the time to personally ask how our dinner was.

I have been here many times. The only complaint and problem I’ve had is that they undercooked my steak once when I asked for well done. I always get fries with my steak and so it comes with Texas toast. Sure it may be greasy but it’s well worth it. At times the line can become long but they do an amazing job at remembering who’s order goes where without the help of electronics keeping track or even writing them down. Very nice people and very good cooks and waitresses. Sure it could be updated and it would be nice if it wasn’t in a rough neighbor hood but what can you do.

I’ve been going to Ari’s for over 20 years with my buddy Super Jer and love it.
Everyone knows us and were treated like family.
Food is great, service is great, value is great and they always yell out «Bye, thank you», as you leave.
Best place around!!!

I always get the ny strip medium rare with shrimp (lobster if it’s on the menu) $ 24.99 as seen in the picture is a steal in my opinion you’ll definitely need a food coma power nap! Protein and carb overload Maximus

Can’t beat it for the money spent. Went here and the owner is absolutely charming. Seems to know all the regulars and is inviting to new guests. The prices aren’t dirt cheap but cheap cheap for the quality of food you get. Yes it can be a bit greasy and the Texas toast is lathered in butter, but it’s all in all a good time with some amazing steak cuts. Went here twice, had the steak burger and steak with fried shrimp. If you’re on a budget 5.99 for steak burger baked potatoes (fries are extra) and a side salad is bomb anyway you slice it from here to California my friend.
The food is amazing. Extra care taken in a no bull type of attitude. No you won’t wear a fancy napkin here or take your high maintenance girlfriend, but they do steak damn well. High priced places like Ruth Chris, Mannys, or the Pinnacle of Burch; or the mid priced places where you can’t beat a steak from Erte /​Peacock lounge, but this place may raise my cholesterol for so many visits for steak.
Try everything. Maybe even get a slice of pie. It’s all good at Ari’s.

On Mother’s Day the line went out the door and down the sidewalk. But all the staff was friendly. My gyros sandwich was delicious, as usual. My Mom’s sirloin was a big chewy but flavorful. It looks like they’ve updated and freshened up the décor since I was last there. Big improvement.

I had a hankering for a year-​o, it’s Friday, and I drank too much wine last night, so I thought I’ll go ahead and indulge myself. I found this place on Unilocal of course, might be called «The Best Steakhouse,» but they have a gyro sandwich and plate on the menu so off I went.
It’s in a sketchy strip mall filled with people who can’t drive. No one seems to look when they pull in or back out of spots. Be careful not to get hit by a car… or go ahead get hit by a car then sue the bastard.
I walked in and could see clearly this place has not been updated ever. There’s a big ass board on the wall with the menu. Prices had been scratched off and replaced by stickers of new prices. I don’t know what I’m doing at this point. I don’t see a line. I see people at what looks like a salad bar, and then the cook behind the salad bar… oooo dawns on me its cafeteria style.
I go up and I just stare. The cook, very friendly guy, asks me what I want to order. I go with the gyro sandwich for $ 9.25. It comes with nothing so I add a side of fries because I’ve made up my mind that I’m pigging out. People are moving around me to get to the tiny salad bar, then there’s people piling up behind me shouting their orders in. We all just wait there until the food comes up.
I take my order to go. $ 11.25 after the side was added, and $.25 for an extra cucumber sauce. Steep for a gyro sandwich in my opinion. I hurry out, dodged all the bad drivers, and sit and smell the delicious meat all the way home.
The fries were awful. They were not cooked thoroughly, and they were soggy. The gyro sandwich was pretty good. I want to order it again, but I most likely won’t because I can’t afford it, and I do not want to go back and deal with the chaos.

«I’m going to take you to my favorite steak house today!» He said. That was the promise. So we get ready, we head out, and on our way we are.
I almost got clammy when we pulled up. I take that back, I DID get clammy when we pulled up. Strip mall. Busy. Dirty looking. We walk in, and the line is long. Why is there a line? Does he really think this is a steak house? The menu is stickered with steak cuts and a few specials. By menu, I mean menu board several feet overhead. The prices certainly reflect steak, though, and the man behind the far end of the counter accepts hollered-​out orders and returns for the next person. You wait in line, tell him what you want, get a tray and cutlery, and move on down the line. At this point, you have 2 options: Leave, or grab a dessert from the dessert case.
Onto the ‘Meat and Potatoes’ of the review:
Well, that’s all there really is. Meat, and potatoes. Their specialty is steak, a baked potato, a salad, texas toast, and for those who want surf and turf, some fried shrimp or a lobster tail. I believe they also have gyros and chicken. I was not happy with anything, and I will admit that. I don’t understand waiting in a cafeteria line for steak and potato, paying a pretty decent price, and sitting in a ‘adequately’ cleaned booth to eat it all. But after I got over my initial ‘upsetness’ and took it in for what it was, I was pleasantly surprised. My steak was cooked to a very perfect medium rare. I have had a hard time getting big-​buck establishments to achieve medium-​rare. The potato compliments the steak– of course! The fried shrimp were fine, and the toast rounded it all out. I don’t eat salad, but it comes in the price. You get exactly what you want, with no additional frills or skimping on flavor in the name of «home cooked».
Sometimes you don’t want a big-​chain Restaurant steak at a subsidized price. Sometimes you don’t want to have to dress up to indulge in the finer things in life. So, if that’s how you’re feeling, throw some clothes on and go have a steak.

Amazing, amazing, amazing! Worth it all the way, can’t go wrong with anything here.

«Great Steak House»!!! Very hard to beat the quality for the price. I can name only a few where you could get a good steak meal for $ 15.00. I do however need to advise staying away from the T-​Bone and Porterhouse. The Sirloin or Fillet would (in my opinion) be a better choice. That still doesn’t take anything away from the quality of the restaurant but it’s hard to find meat venders that can provide higher end steaks for a lower priced Steak House. I love this place…

I love this place! Have been going here for years. The food is good. I always go with the steak burger that comes with a baked potato and salad and Texas toast. Oh, the toast, is so damn delicious. It’s not Manny’s, but it’s great value for your money.

Great food, awesome prices, perfect amount of weirdness (Saran wrapped pieces of pie on plates, those tiny little juices you got in the grade school cafeteria, etc.)

3.5 Stars
I don’t know if Best Steak House is really the best anything, but I sure have enjoyed my meals here. If you are vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-​free you will want to dine elsewhere. But if you are a meat and potatoes kinda person, this is literally the place for you!
My boyfriend always gets steak but I’ve actually only ever had chicken breast. I would like to try the gyro at some point. Other entrée options include ribs, pork chops, fish fry, and shrimp. Every entrée comes with a side salad, texas toast, and baked potato. The salad bar is minimal and not that great, but it’s also not the point at this mildly ghetto steakhouse. The texas toast is painted with melted butter and cooked on the grill along with the meats. OMG IT IS SOOOO FREAKIN GOOD!!! Extra toast costs all of $ 0.60. The baked potato is a standard potato with butter, and you can add an extra one for $ 0.80. For a small charge, you can add cheese and/​or sour cream to the potato, mushrooms to your steak, or get a side of fries.
The setup at Best Steak House is a bit unique. You pick what you want off the menu on the wall, inform the grill guy — who is right out there and not back in the kitchen, build your salad on the way to the register, and then order drinks and extras and pay at the end of the counter. Then you seat yourself and they bring out your food when it’s done grilling. This seems to be a family-​owned business, and it certainly has the feel of a different time and place. The décor also seems to be from a bygone era, but it somehow adds to the charm. Nothing in here is new or fancy, and the place could use a bit of a cleaning, but the friendly service and low prices make it all OK.
I do suggest dining in because if you get takeout they pack everything in styrofoam. I will close this review by editing my opening statement: Best Steak House has the best smells of any business/​restaurant in the neighborhood.

Got the filet mignon special. It didn’t feel or taste special. It came with «jumbo shrimp,» but jumbo must have meant regular size. Meal came to $ 19.52 with a drink. They charged me for a drink when it’s included in the special!
The one on Victoria and University gives you better value for your money.
Owner was in the corner counting her money, and my drink was never refilled despite being empty.

Cheap steak location, excellent food for the price. Great value for your money.
Very friendly people !!!

Ok, why would I give Five Stars to a steakhouse located on a strip mall? You have to check it out before you judge the storefront. A hidden gem!
1. Simple. You enter, you review the menu on the wall, then you order.
2. The steak is cooked right in front of you.
3. This is cafeteria style. You grab a tray, your salad, select your drink, and wait for the steak.
4. Steak comes to your tray on a plate.
5. You find a seat and enjoy!
Best part is, portions are huge! What’s the cost? I paid $ 11 for my filet steak, toast, baked potato, and salad. My husband got the same with a lobster tail for $ 22.