When it comes to eating out, a juicy grilled steak sizzles up the tastebuds in a "New York minute." Splurge-worthy cuts of tenderloin, ribeye, filet mignon, sirloin, and porterhouse parade across platters in America's favorite steakhouses every day, leading to the inevitable question for your hard-earned evening out: Which is the best steakhouse chain? That's exactly the question Tasting Table asked readers — and the answers may be different than you'd imagine.

From a pool of 626 survey respondents, a clear consensus emerged. Given five choices, each person revealed their preference when eating out at an upscale version of a steakhouse chain. Options included well-known steak restaurants Morton's, Ruth's Chris, Fogo de Chao, The Capital Grille, and Fleming's. Each offers its own signature steak style, such as The Capital Grill's bone-in ribeye with 15-year-aged balsamic and a porcini mushroom crust, Morton's dry-aged, bone-in K.C. strip steak, and Fogo de Chao's churrasco-style picanha steaks. Meanwhile, Ruth's Chris touts its bone-in ribeye cuts, calling them their prized Prime steaks, and at Fleming's, it's all about classic and specialty steak cuts served with signature butters such as béarnaise, smoked chili, and herbed horseradish.

So, which one rises to the top amongst America's best steakhouse chains?

When choosing a restaurant for special occasions, date nights, or family outings, there's a lot to consider. Down-time dollars are one thing, but equally important come ambiance, service, and, most of all, the food itself. Steak cravings can be nuanced and personal, from the cuts of steaks to the seasonings, how long they're cooked, and whether they stray from traditional preparation methods. This makes survey consensus on the best steakhouses a bit unpredictable. 

But in this case, Tasting Table did find a clear favorite. Out of the 626 people surveyed, 201 chose Ruth's Chris as their preferred upscale steakhouse chain. That makes Ruth's Chris a solid leader at just over 32%. Trailing, but still capturing the tastebuds of 131 people, was The Capital Grille at almost 21%. Not far behind comes Morton's, with 122 votes and about 19.5% of those surveyed. Fleming's showed a survey fanbase of 100 diners, giving it just under 16% of the votes. And finally, the Brazilian specialty chain Fogo de Chao came in fifth place with 72 people, awarding it 11.5% of overall responses.

Ordering a sizzling steak plopped on a platter and served with gusto certainly signals a special night out. But so does grilling at home with family and friends — so check out some Tasting Table steak tips and recipes.