Golf will always be the first priority when travel is planned to an esteemed resort. But if a hearty, meat-focused meal is equally compelling, then these 12 resorts—and their flagship steakhouses—are all worthy of your time, not to mention the airfare necessary to get you there. Bon appétit!
Ghost Tree Grill at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort—Bandon, Ore.
Set just beyond the 18th green of the Tom Doak-designed Old Macdonald layout, the resort’s newest dining venue, Ghost Tree Grill, features floor-to-ceiling windows that deliver striking views of both the course and the Port Orford cedar for which the restaurant is named. The grill’s upscale cuisine is equally attention worthy, with cuts of beef sourced from esteemed Pacific Northwest ranches and crudos of Hokkaido scallops, which are native to the Pacific and prized for their sweet flavor and exceptional tenderness.
Litchfield’s at The Wigwam Resort—Litchfield Park, Ariz.
From its open, exhibition-style kitchen, this steakhouse specializes in pecan wood-fired beef. All of your customary cuts are available, but the very best thing coming off the grill is the restaurant’s 36-ounce Wagyu tomahawk chop. It’s a hefty order—both in terms of the amount of meat and the amount it costs—but the steak can comfortably serve three. Insider’s tip: Pay just as much attention to the menu’s side dishes; the bourbon creamed corn with peppers and tobacco onions, as well as the maitake mushrooms glazed in a soy caramel, are outstanding.
Cap Rock Clubhouse at Horseshoe Bay—Horseshoe Bay, Texas
From its 4,000-square-foot pavilion, the resort’s newest clubhouse offers 50-mile views in several directions, but just as impressive are the dishes coming out of the clubhouse’s foundational restaurant. The roasted, apple cider-brined tomahawk pork chop (served with crispy brussels sprouts and smoked cheddar Barton Creek grits) and the ribeye churrasco (featuring a mojo citrus marinade and served alongside crispy potatoes and guajillo chimichurri brussels sprouts) are both amazing, but if you’re the adventurous type, I recommend leaving the selection of your meal in the hands of Executive Chef Miguel Ortiz. You won’t be disappointed.
Colt & Alison at Sea Island Resort—St. Simons Island, Ga.
The signature steakhouse inside The Lodge at Sea Island Resort recently benefited from a dynamic makeover and is now awash with mossy greens and grays, not to mention a new porch seating gallery and other design accents that convey a familiar clubhouse feel. An elegant wine wall now welcomes guests to the Colt & Alison, which in some ways plays a bit of a spoiler to the restaurant’s 30-page wine list; however, the restaurant’s dinner menu is largely unchanged only because it already features many favorites shared by members and returning guests.
Linger Longer Steakhouse at Reynolds Lake Oconee—Greensboro, Ga.
If you’re hankering for a delectable steak, you’ll have to venture a little farther from the confines of the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee. A five-minute walk from the Ritz’s portico brings you to the Linger Longer Steakhouse, set inside The Oconee Clubhouse. It likely goes without saying that the Butcher’s Reserve—a 40-ounce Porterhouse with Foie Gras butter—is off the charts, but before you turn your attention to the entrees, make sure you order the restaurant’s “Bacon on a Wire” appetizer, which is comprised of strips of thick-cut, house-made bacon (smoked pork belly) that are coated in a rich bourbon-sorghum glaze and torched tableside for a final layer of caramelization. “We’ve elevated something that was rustic,” says Dennis Vanterpool, the restaurant’s executive chef, “and it’s become our signature dish.”
The Wisconsin Room at Destination Kohler—Kohler, Wis.
It’s easy to understand why The Wisconsin Room flies under the radar at times; it competes for guests’ attention inside The American Club—a luxuriously appointed hotel that features an elegant, fine-dining restaurant (The Immigrant), not to mention The Winery Bar and its jaw-dropping array of whiskies. But there’s reason to seek out a meal in the space that was once the original dining hall for the Kohler Co.’s immigrant workers, as it now features innovative, farm-fresh cuisine served in an elegant but comfortable atmosphere. The restaurant specializes in prime grass-fed steaks grilled over Wisconsin hardwood, and if you’re looking for an even greater indulgence, consider ordering your NY Strip, ribeye, tenderloin, or hanger steak “Rossini Style,” which includes a four-ounce accompaniment of seared foie gras and five grams of shaved black truffle.
Canyon Lake Steakhouse at Streamsong Resort—Streamsong, Fla.
Streamsong’s newest dining venue, Canyon Lake Steakhouse, is a carnivore’s utopia. The restaurant’s dry-aged beef, sourced from DeBragga—a century-old New York City butcher—will attract most of the attention, but don’t sleep on the wild game, especially the venison chop, which occasionally graces the restaurant’s list of specials. Don’t skip dessert, either. With its salted caramel ice cream, toffee crumbles, and caramel sauce—among other indulgent ingredients—the Belgian Waffle & Candied Bacon Sundae is divine. So plan accordingly!
Trick Rider at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort—Frisco, Texas
They say everything is bigger in Texas, and at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort just north of Dallas, that’s true—both for the resort’s pair of championship golf courses and its dining and drinking venues. At Trick Rider, the resort’s flagship steakhouse, beef is boldly on display. Tantalizing offerings include a Wagyu Beef Tartare; a 22-ounce, dry-aged prime ribeye; and—the ultimate in red meat revelry—a trio of Wagyu cuts (short rib, NY strip, and spinalis—a rare, ribeye cap) that are served with cowboy sauce, steak salt, and a chimichurri.
The Butcher’s Club at PGA National—Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
PGA National’s classically inspired steakhouse is conceptualized by Chef Jeremy Ford, the season 13 winner of Top Chef, and it sports an overall Art Deco–inspired aesthetic. More specifically, the restaurant’s swanky dining rooms evoke a luxury rail car of a bygone era, while hickory-shafted clubs displayed in the foyer and framed black-and-white golf photos hanging in the main dining room serve as a tip of the cap to the primary lifestyle that has drawn members and guests to the resort since it opened in 1980. As for The Butcher’s Club menu, offerings include indulgent Tomahawk and Beef Wellington experiences, as well as all of your expected cuts of steak.
Fawn & Fable at Nemacolin—Farmington, Pa.
If you’ve ever wondered how different treatments and varieties of beef influence the tenderness and flavor of the same cut of steak, the tomahawk trio for the table at Nemacolin’s newest dining establishment, Fawn & Fable, provides the answer. As its name suggests, the eye-popping offering consists of three tomahawk steaks—one wet-aged, one dry-aged, and a Wagyu example. If you’re looking for even more indulgence, we recommend starting your meal with the roasted oysters and bone marrow, which features half a dozen herb-roasted east coast oysters, roasted bone marrow, and a dusting of lemon-caper gremolata garlic breadcrumbs.
Jefferson’s Restaurant at The Omni Homestead—Hot Springs, Va.
Bone-in ribeyes and veal chops grace the dinner menu at The Omni Homestead’s flagship restaurant, but a visit to Jefferson’s Restaurant during the afternoon is equally rewarded, provided you’re a fan of wild game. If so, the wild game burger on the Jefferson’s Taproom lunch menu cannot be missed. The sandwich changes regularly based on the specific meat that can be sourced, including camel. Yes, you read that right. As it turns out, the camel burger is rich and robust with a slight smokiness, and it’s nicely accented with bacon and grilled onions.
Packard’s Steakhouse at Innisbrook Resort—Palm Harbor, Fla.
The flagship steakhouse at Innisbrook Resort reopened in April following a comprehensive makeover, one that swathed the dining space in elegant colors and an array of warm and inviting materials and finishes. The establishment’s menu was entirely reworked, as well, and now features traditional steakhouse dishes prepared with innovative twists. That said, Tuesday nights are the time to visit Packard’s, as the restaurant serves four different cuts of porcini-crusted prime rib. If you’re really hungry, order the 26-ounce, bone-in cut; you’ll assuredly leave the table fully satisfied.
Have you eaten at any of these golf resort steakhouses? Tell us about your experience in the comment section.
