Bustling supper-club-style steakhouse & bar serving corn-fed prime rib & seafood.
Marcus Pitts
If you’re searching for the best restaurant in Altoona, Big Steer deserves a spot at the top of your list. The food is consistently delicious, served hot, and the portions are generous. Everything tastes fresh and made with care, and you truly get great value for what you pay.
The staff is friendly, attentive, and makes you feel welcome from the moment you walk in. The atmosphere is comfortable and relaxed, perfect for a casual lunch or an easy dinner out.
For anyone looking for a great place to eat in Altoona, Iowa, Big Steer is a go-to. We’ll definitely be back!
… moreKent Prescott
My wife and I were first-time guests at The Big Steer for our anniversary, and we agreed that we will return for future special occasions! My neighbor said, “It’s the best prime rib in the state,” and we were not disappointed.
We arrived at 5:00 on a Tuesday evening, and we were seated immediately, but the tables were all filled within five minutes. Our server, Jinna, was delightful, professional, and highly attentive and engaged with us (and with the customers at her nearby tables).
The loaf of bread with whipped butter was a fun touch with our house salad, which was tossed in the tasty house garlic Parmesan dressing.
Our 12-oz. prime ribs arrived just the way we like them: medium rare, trending toward rare. (I added the two fried jumbo shrimp to my order, and it was a great decision.) We each ordered the sweet potato casserole as our (premium +$2.99) side, and we loved them! We also ate only half of our ample entrees and sides, so we took home leftovers.)
I ordered the Heath bar cake for dessert, and it was both massive and moistly delicious! We shared it and could only eat half of it! More leftovers!
The food was worth the trip, and our server Jinna made the atmosphere welcoming and relaxing and celebratory. She even delivered a cup of ice cream to accompany our cake as a surprise treat.
… moreDiane Wagner
We got a gift card for xmas to the Big Steer. We got there at 430 and were seated promptly! By 5:00 there was a wait. Popular place! I ordered the steak deburgo. It was fabulous! My partner ordered the prime rib and he loved it. Both were very tender and cooked perfectly! I had a dirty martini and it was well crafted. The service by Ethan was exceptional. Very impressive meal! I would recomend!
… moreMichael T Smith
When birthday party group of 4 I had the large prime rib, 3 had large ribeyes. Everyone thought the food was extremely excellent and as far as atmosphere we’re talking world-class. The artwork on the wall is Amazing. All was Amazing.
… moreDenise Rasing
Love love love! Enjoyed an awesome meal with my sister and her husband last night. Had the tomahawk. So good! Never had bad food or bad service. They are great! Breanne was great. Very attentive. 1000% recommend.
… moreAmber Mockenhaupt
Best steak dinner we’ve had in Iowa! Im a So.Dak. girl and have had some really fantastic steaks, so thats saying a lot! and these were seasoned perfectly and cooked to our liking. Its $100 for 2 people but well worth it of you enjoy a good steak. Absolutely delicious and will definitely be back!
… moreCrissy Patrick
Cole was our bartender and he was the best! He was funny and made the 2.5 hr wait, worth it. It was super busy since it was New Years, but our drinks were always full and our food came out quick. Food tasted amazing and we will absolutely be back!
… moreMicah Engle
We were really excited to finally come here, but sadly we were disappointed after hearing how great it was. The staff was great and the dining area was very clean. Sadly, both of our meals let us down. I ordered a special, the Oscar filet, medium rare. It was purple, rare at best, if the middle was room temp I would have been surprised. I opted not to complain as we were tight on time and I didn’t see a solution that didn’t involve preparing another dish from scratch because of the crab and sauce on top. My wife had the chicken parm which was decent, but the garlic bread was burnt and looked as though it would have been delicious if it was properly prepared. I was actually surprised they put it on the plate the way it looked. Definitely not the quality of food I expect for two people @ $115 (before tip)
… moreJane Burt
Hadn’t been here in years so thought we would try it for daughter’s birthday. First, I will say our waitress, London, was very helpful and polite. The bartender was also very courteous. But past that, not a place I would return to. Onion rings, although tasty, were very greasy. The chicken deburgo was lackluster at best. The au grautin potatoes were simply covered in American cheese, the French onion soup originally came out luke warm, after sending it back, I realized it was more cheese than tasty soup. The desserts are huge!! Again, not great taste, very dense and lackluster. It makes me wonder why there are so many high star reviews, have people lost their taste buds? The hostess was super nice and I would love to see a new head chef come in and update these recipes to keep it going but they probably feel if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it….but it is broken…you can do better with the food for sure.
… moreTYLER HATHAWAY
Great food, especially steaks and scallops. Old fashioned and Manhattan was not great. Not a deal breaker but nothing I would order again.
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