Finally, a Steakhouse That Actually Gives a Damn About What They're Doing

Monty's Steakhouse, Woodland Hills ★★★★★

Where do I even start with this place? I've been to every overpriced, overhyped steakhouse from Beverly Hills to Manhattan, and most of them are serving you a $75 piece of meat that tastes like it came from the same distributor as Outback Steakhouse. But Monty's? This is what a real steakhouse is supposed to be.

Three Generations of Not Screwing Around

First off, this isn't some corporate chain that opened last year with a marketing budget bigger than most countries' GDP. The Levine family has been running this place since 1940 – that's 80+ years of figuring out how to do this right. And you can taste every single one of those years in the food.

You know what I love about family-owned places? They can't afford to phone it in. Their name is literally on the door, their reputation is on the line every single night, and if they serve you garbage, word gets around. Corporate chains can absorb bad reviews with marketing dollars. Family places? They die.

The Steak That Made Me Believe in God Again

I ordered the ribeye medium-rare, and when it arrived, I literally paused mid-conversation. This thing had a crust on it that would make Gordon Ramsay weep with joy, but when you cut into it? Perfect pink wall-to-wall, so tender you could cut it with a butter knife, with this deep, beefy flavor that reminded me why I fell in love with steak in the first place.

And here's the kicker – their sauces are made in-house. Not some from a pouch that their purveyor delivered two months ago (that every other place serves). Actual, made-from-scratch sauces that complement the meat instead of covering up mediocrity.

They Actually Know How to Run a Restaurant

The service here is what service used to be like before everyone decided that "casual dining" meant you should feel lucky if your server acknowledges your existence. These people are professionals who know their menu, know their wine list, and actually really care about whether you're having a good time.

Plus, they've got live music on weekends that isn't so loud you have to scream at your dinner companion. Revolutionary concept, I know.

The Kind of Place That's Becoming Extinct

Look, I get it. In a world of Instagram-worthy restaurants and trendy fusion nonsense, a classic steakhouse might seem boring. But you know what's not boring? Eating food that's actually good. Food prepared by people who've been perfecting their craft for decades instead of chasing the latest food trend.

This is the kind of place where they don't need to put truffle oil on everything or serve your steak on a piece of slate to justify charging you $60. They charge you $60 because they're serving you $60 worth of perfectly executed food.

Bottom Line

If you want to eat at a place where the third-generation owner still gives a damn about every plate that goes out, where the steaks are actually worth what you're paying for them, and where you'll leave feeling like you just had a proper meal instead of an "experience," go to Monty's.

The Verdict: This is what every steakhouse should aspire to be but most never will. Family-owned, uncompromising, and worth every penny.