It’s time for me to incorporate some red meat into my diet and what better way to kick things off than a visit to a steak restaurant?

It makes sense that if you want a steak done well, or well done as the case may be, then head to a restaurant that specialises in cooking them.

Enter Chophouse Grill. The meat is hung on display at the door, although that doesn’t make it seem any more appealing to me, but it does create atmosphere. We are warmly welcomed by staff and shown to our table beside the floor-to-ceiling windows. The space is made up of timber and earthy tones and blends a rustic aesthetic with comfort. Napkins in lap and water and menus brought out: service is efficient and friendly.

Despite the formalities, the restaurant is convivial and full of cheerful diners who are glad it’s Friday night. 

The menu doubles as your placemat (keeping it real) and the selection is an assortment of steaks, ribs, burgers and other proteins. Believe me when I say you will not leave here hungry. Servings are generous and hearty. The wine list is quite comprehensive and makes a concerted effort to showcase local and national wines, plus a sprinkling from afar. 

A good place to begin your meal is with the Chophouse sampler. It features four of the entrees and it’s designed to be shared between two people, although depending on your appetite you could increase that number to four.

On it you’ll find blackened rib eye and chorizo spring rolls, spiced squid, wood-fired pork belly and smoked cheddar and jalapeño arancini.

Four wide pieces of squid are thickly crumbed with flecks of breadcrumbs, black sesame and chilli and thankfully missing any trace of rubbery overcooking.

Big, fat arancini sit on a sweet and rich black garlic aioli. They are filled with gooey cheddar and the pepper does carry some heat, but the rice counteracts nicely.

Two chargrilled pork belly slabs are fatty and tender and are perched on top of fried mac and cheese patties.

A zesty chimichurri offsets the succulence and I love the crunch on the outside of the patties against the softness of the macaroni.

The signature dish at Chophouse is the blackened slow-cooked rib eye (marinated and roasted for 18 hours to make it super tender). This meat stuffs the huge spring rolls, along with bitey chorizo. The chipotle mayo adds a lovely smokiness to complement the meat. 

Full yet? I did try and warn you.

Our mains arrive a little too quickly after our entree plates are cleared. I need some breathing space - a walk around the block would be nice - but a medium-rare scotch fillet waits for no stomach. 

As recommended by our waiter, the scotch fillet is a tender cut, without the thickness of the eye fillet. And minimal chewing is what I’m looking for.

The 300 gram steak arrives medium rare as requested and with skin-on chips, the longest house-made pickle I’ve ever had, cooked greens and a house jus which tastes like a nice salty gravy.

The steak is very tender, a bit fatty and with just enough grill marks to ensure it didn’t go past medium rare.

I pretty much ate the whole thing and enjoyed it the most of any steak I’ve had. 

WORTH A VISIT

THE BARN

THE KINGFISH

WIL & SONS

Ribs get a good look-in here as well. The pork ribs are especially tasty, marinated in a house Jack Daniel’s barbecue sauce adding sweetness and smokiness, plus a kick of whiskey flavour.

Get the ribs with a quarter wood-fired chicken to mix things up. The chicken is seasoned and cooked, but not to the point of crispiness. 

There is absolutely no room for dessert, which is a shame because the pecan pie with salted caramel gelato looked pretty tasty. 

While I probably haven’t fixed my iron levels with just one steak, it was great to find one that I actually enjoyed eating, cooked by a kitchen that knows how to handle them properly.