5 steak places to check out during 2019 National Finals Rodeo

All of that rodeo-watching tends to build up a big appetite, and the Las Vegas restaurant community offers no shortage of excellent choices to satisfy it. Here are five of the best spots in the vicinity of the Thomas & Mack Center, which will host several events of the National Finals Rodeo from Dec. 5-14.

Andiamo Steakhouse

The downtown Andiamo may, like the D Las Vegas itself, have roots in Detroit, but its tunnel-like, brick-lined entrance, intimate atmosphere and tuxedoed waiters exude Las Vegas glamour. Steaks, which come with a choice of three sauces (or you can splurge on all three) top out with a 32-ounce tomahawk, and you can get your beef Oscar-style or with a Gorgonzola Dolce crust, if you choose. Plus there are the steakhouse-standard seafood choices and a wide variety of pastas.

D Las Vegas, 800-274-5825, thed.com

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse

Just down the street from the NFR action at the Thomas & Mack, Del Frisco’s is a longtime anchor at the Hughes Center, a serene, elegant spot where you can get traditional caviar service to go with your steak, if you wish. The 17 beef selections include Japanese A5 Wagyu, a wagyu tasting and The Double Eagle 45 Day Dry Aged Double Bone Prime Ribeye. And be sure to see the James Bond table, which holds 18 custom wine bottles and is valued at $1.2 million.

3925 Paradise Road, 702-796-0063, delfriscos.com

Fogo de Chao

Brazil’s got cowboys, too, as well as excellent beef, and the theme of this churrascaria seems to be meat, meat and more meat. It’s brought to the table sizzling from the grill on sword-like skewers, so you can choose as much or as little of each as you wish. The Full Churrasco Experience comes with a visit to The Market Table, with salads and vegetables, and Feijoada Bar. If you prefer, there’s a 32-ounce long-bone dry-aged rib-eye that serves four, and a couple of fish entrees.

360 E. Flamingo Road, 702-431-4500, fogodechao.com

Golden Steer Steakhouse

This one truly qualifies as a Las Vegas legend. It dates to 1958 and was known to be a hangout of the Rat Pack; you can even sit in Old Blue Eyes’ booth. It’s decidedly old school, with tableside-prepared Caesar salads or desserts of Bananas Foster or Cherries Jubilee. Steaks abound, of course, as well as Chateaubriand for two, prime rib in three sizes, seafood, “Ship & Shore” combinations, Italian selections and a wide variety of traditional steakhouse sides.

308 W. Sahara Ave., 702-384-4470, goldensteerlasvegas.com

Lawry’s the Prime Rib

Lawry’s has built its reputation on the prime rib it’s served since it opened in Beverly Hills in 1938, and the elegant Art Deco decor of the Las Vegas branch carries on the tradition. Massive rounds of beef are brought to the tables on gleaming carts to be cut before your eyes and served with the legendary Spinning Bowl Salad, traditional Yorkshire pudding and other sides. In recent years the limited-menu concept has been expanded, with the addition of steaks, seafood and chicken.

4043 Howard Hughes Parkway, 702-893-2223, lawrysonline.com

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.