Where's the most impressive steak in town?

If I want a steak but my spouse has gone (inexplicably) vegetarian, where would we be happiest?

Whose staff will treat my mother-in-law like the royalty she thinks I think she is?

We're about to tell you.

Since 2007 brought a Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House and a second Ruth's Chris to town, it seems our upscale carnivorousness knows no bounds. We figured it was time to compare and contrast.

I went to 10 steakhouses with a companion. At each one, we ordered a bone-in rib steak (experts generally agree it's the most flavorful cut) and a crabcake appetizer, or the closest thing. (One place didn't have a bone-in steak, so I got the regular ribeye.) We also split a salad, two sides (one green, one potato) and a dessert. For all these choices, we relied on servers' recommendations, and also asked the server to suggest a glass of wine that could bridge the meal. (Unfair, maybe, but illuminating.)

Prices show you the total at each place before tax and tip (add 23 to 28 percent to cover those).

This is based on one visit. But budgets are budgets -- and if a place takes our hundred-plus bucks, it's OK to expect them to get it right every time.

The Rankings

Best Steak: 1) Morton's, 2) Del Frisco's, 3) Capital Grille

Best Non-Steak Options: 1) McIntosh's, 2) Palm, 3) Gallery

Best Service: 1) Del Frisco's, 2) Gallery, 3) McIntosh's

Best Drinks: 1) Del Frisco's, 2) Ruth's Chris, 3) Capital Grille

Best Dessert: 1) Mickey & Mooch, 2) Sullivan's, 3) Morton's