Indy’s Eight Best Steakhouse Side Dishes

When steak is the main act, the a la carte extras have to work hard to earn their little corner of the plate. Which ones are worth the real estate? We dish up our favorite steakhouse sides.

Lobster Mashed Potatoes
$19, Ocean Prime
On a menu of sides as starchy as a dress shirt, these crustacean-laced spuds stand out. Whipped until they’re almost liquid, the buttery potatoes form a good base for a generous portion of seafood.

Lobster Mac ’n’ Cheese
$16, Prime 47
Expect everyone to go back for second helpings of this ultra-creamy campanelle pasta with both knuckle and claw meat.

Au Gratin Potatoes
$10.95, St. Elmo Steak House
Not your grandmother’s scalloped potatoes, these tender sliced spuds are served bubbling-hot in their own mini baking dish, under an oven-browned crust of Gruyere.

Waverly’s Creamed Spinach
$14, Mo’s … A Place for Steaks
Fresh spinach and cream combine with roasted butternut squash and a dash of toasted almonds for this ethereal take on the steakhouse standard, all served in a hollowed-out acorn squash.

Shaved Brussels sprouts at Sullivan’s

Shaved Brussels Sprouts
$8, Sullivan’s Steakhouse
The dreaded cruciferous veggie gets a decadent treatment in this savory toss of warm, slivered buds, caramelized onions, and thick-cut bacon.

Parmesan Truffle Fries
$9.50, Eddie Merlot’s
This decadent dish tosses fresh-cut deep-fried Idaho potatoes in white-truffle oil, freshly grated Parmesan, and sea salt.

Macaroni and Cheese
$10, Eddie Merlot’s
Cavatappi pasta lounges in a rich four-cheese sauce and heavy cream. The dish is topped with a butter gratinee and shredded Gruyere and cheddar.

Smoked sweet-cream corn at Peterson’s

Smoked Sweet-Cream Corn

$9, Peterson’s
Local corn mixes with cream cheese, corn stock, barbecue spice, brown sugar, country ham, and bits of corn truffle for an earthy spin on a comfort-food classic.

We love steak, any way you slice it. In Indianapolis, there’s a steakhouse to cater to every occasion and level of sophistication, and after months of dining like wealthy cavemen, we present them to you here, in juicy detail. A la cartes include a primer on the king cuts (for those who don’t know a porterhouse from a portobello), tips on the best cheap chops in town, a cattle call of beefy terms, and a stab at defining that common condition among steak-lovers—the meat sweats. You want a piece of this? Dig in.