I've just waded through all eight pages. Wow...A lot of recommendations and experience.
I was in D.C. a couple of weeks ago and had a real good bone-in rib eye at Sam and Harry's. Had some of the traditional sides such as creamed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes. The overall experience was very good. I'd put it on a par with what you expect at places like Ruth's Chris and Morton's.
I've never been to Peter Luger's but have placed it on the roster of "must do" restaurant experiences.
Personal favorites - a number of which have already been commented on - include:
El Gaucho - Seattle (with a location in Portland, OR). The atmosphere is purposely dark with a lot of red booth seating, stylized after 1920's New York supper clubs, according to the literature. The table side service is supurb. Downside? - The ala carte prices for the steaks now make those seen at Morton's and Ruth's Chris look reasonable by comparion.
The Steakhouse at Circus-Circus, Las Vegas - This has been mentioned a couple of times earlier. With LV now having at least one outpost of just about every upper end steakhouse in the country, the understated Steakhouse can get overlooked. That's a shame because the beef is very good and reasonable compared to the big casino, big name places.
The Ringside - Portland, OR. - The downtown location is the one to go to. The Eastside location doesn't seem to measure up.
Morton's and Ruth's Chris - I'm lumping these together. I'm surpised at the occasional mention of an unsatisfactory experience. I've been to a good number of locations for each, and have always found the steaks to meet expectations. At the prices they charge, one's expectations are pretty high.
JaK's in Seattle, with a suburban location - For overall value, including portion size and quality, these places are pretty hard to beat. A complete Porterhouse or rib-eye dinner (salad and potato included with the meal) can be enjoyed for slightly less than $30 dollars. By "big city" standards in this day and age, the value is hard to beat.
The Capital Grille in Providence, R.I. - Now a chain, the original was a very satisfying experience the few times I've been there. One of my dining companions had the largest piece of prime rib I've even seen at a restaurant. Just "eye-balling" it, it appeared to be in the 2 and half pound range. The CG is a favorite for the New Patriots during season, when they have the next day off. I was there one Monday night several years ago with about 8 or 9 of the Patriots a couple of tables away. The waiter told us that was a ritual during the season.
The Palm - Been to the one in Philadelphia. The prices for the huge lobsters are off the chart, but the steak I had made the experience well worth while.