Why Potatoes From A Steakhouse Always Taste Better Than Homemade

Whether it's celebrating a special occasion or just an excuse to fire up the grill, a steak dinner is always something to look forward to. You have likely selected which meat cut you will be enjoying — the next important choice is what sides you will be serving to go along with your juicy steak. Enter: potatoes. For whatever reason, steak and potatoes just seem to be the perfect combination. Maybe it's the mild flavor of mashed potatoes that soaks up the juice from your flavorful steak or it's the texture of a massive loaded baked potato next to your buttery filet. Or it could even be science. Some studies show that the fiber and vitamins in potatoes can actually help you digest red meat more easily. So steak and potatoes not only taste good, but maybe the combination is actually good for you ... in moderation, of course. 

If you're salivating for that steakhouse treat but want to recreate your meal at home, we've got news for you. It is entirely possible to make a meal that rivals your favorite steakhouse, but you can't just throw some potatoes on a plate. Steakhouses really know how to make their potatoes, not just a side dish, but a star alongside the meat. Some popular potato finds are loaded baked potatoes, creamy mashed potatoes, potatoes au gratin, or good ol' french fries. We've investigated why potatoes from the steakhouse seem to always taste better than they do in your kitchen and found some tips on how you can make spuds that shine.

One reason your potatoes may not be living up to the steakhouse quality starts with the potato picking itself. You can taste the difference in higher quality potatoes no matter how they are prepared. Chefs have that innate ability to pick the perfect produce and won't compromise on quality. If you're picking out your potatoes at the store, squeeze to find a firm option. Softness can be an indicator of poor quality. The skins on the potatoes should also be clean and smooth without cuts, dark spots, blemishes, or bruises. The coloring should also be natural with no green spots, which can happen due to sunlight. Another tip is to smell the potatoes — you may get some funny looks at the store, but it is for good reason. Good potatoes should smell earthy, like the soil they come from.

You also may notice that the potatoes at the grocery store do not seem as large as the ones you would get at a steakhouse. Restaurants like Ruth's Chris serve baked potatoes that are one pound. To put that into perspective, an average Idaho russet potato is 5 to 6 ounces. So you can scour your grocery store looking for the biggest potato, or try a wholesale store like Costco.

If you're a potato fanatic, you know there are many options to choose from, ranging from russet potatoes, to Yukon gold potatoes, and to small red potatoes. Potatoes are split up into types: Waxy (like a red potato), floury (russet potatoes), and in between with different textures and tastes. Le Cordon Bleu Adelaide chefs say you must also consider the moisture, sugar, and starch content pf the potato when preparing. 

Potatoes with a high sugar content won't fry up as well, while boiling a thick-skinned potato may result in it retaining too much moisture, causing it to break down. Golden Yukon potatoes are a good choice for fluffy mashed potatoes. Russet potatoes are known for being the best for french fries, while a similar variety called a round potato is so versatile it earned the nickname "Chef Potato." Red potatoes are firm with a vibrant skin color making them an ideal choice for roasting. Not all potatoes are created equal, so following guidelines as to which potato variety will be most successful in each dish can give you that delicious steakhouse-style side.

Another reason the potatoes you get at a steakhouse seem to be better than what you create at home is a little more obvious: There are just more options when it comes to preparation methods. At a steakhouse, not only do you get the convenience of not having to go through the cooking process yourself, but you get tons of selections to choose from. At home, you likely aren't going to offer your dining guests a choice from a loaded baked potato, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, or potatoes au gratin. If you do, then you are certainly a superb host and should look into being a line cook for being able to cook that many preparations on the fly. 

The versatility offered by establishments with a full kitchen of staff that has prepped for diners to make multiple selections is difficult to recreate in your personal kitchen. You certainly could focus on two different potato side dish preparations. For example, if you are firing up the grill for a steak dish with a Peruvian flair, consider a marinated potato option on the grill to complement the established flavors. You could also have some french fries on deck as a backup if you have pickier eaters or kids. Or if you have the oven on already for your meal, throw a baked potato in there too in addition to a more labor-intensive potato option. If your baked potatoes don't get eaten at dinner, a loaded baked potato makes a fine lunch the next day.

When you think of mashed potatoes, you may think of how your family made them for Thanksgiving dinner. A basic boil, peel, and mash assembly line with family members at their assigned station is more than likely not the same technique used by the chefs at a steakhouse preparing your mashed potatoes. There is some debate on whether you should boil your potatoes whole with the skin on or cut them into cubes and steam them, but the actual mashing technique of mashed potatoes seems to be the key. 

If you have ever mashed potatoes by hand with a potato masher and had difficulty getting those lumps out, you may be tempted to cut corners when mashing potatoes. But chefs say to avoid the blender or the food processor to keep your potatoes from getting a funky, gummy texture. Instead, there is a machine called a potato ricer that will process your potatoes and make them lump-free. If super smooth, almost silky, potatoes are your desired texture, chefs recommend passing your potatoes through a mesh sieve before moving on to flavoring them. Other options for mashing are using a stand mixer or food mill. And don't wait until the potatoes cool down to start mashing. Chefs say that mashing cold potatoes can yield an unappetizing, glue-like texture.

It's no secret that butter is beloved by many chefs. In fact, Julia Child once said, "With enough butter anything is good." That sentiment definitely comes into play when making steakhouse-quality potatoes, no matter what the preparation is. Copious amounts of butter are key to getting that rich flavor in your mashed potatoes. In fact, many chefs will recommend equal amounts of butter to potatoes to get super rich and tasty mashed potatoes. A chef tip is to add your butter cold for even distribution, as it melts slowly. You also will want to consider using salted butter instead of unsalted to season the potatoes at the same time. Other chefs like to melt the butter and mix it with the cream before putting the combination in your mashed potatoes, as it is an opportunity to add an extra seasoning like garlic.

If baked potatoes are more of your thing, butter is a key ingredient for that too — even if you plan on loading up your potato with all of the fixings. Some chefs recommend blending your butter with other seasonings like garlic and cheese. Rubbing melted butter or oil on your potato before it goes into the oven can also be a key step in baking a potato with a crisp exterior but soft interior.

You may be thinking that butter is a given when it comes to making any sort of potatoes. But there are numerous other rich ingredients that chefs use, in order to give diners potatoes bursting with flavor and also a great texture. Gordon Ramsay's recipe for pomme purée (the French term for mashed potatoes) calls for a ratio of 40% cream and butter to 60% potato. That cream is also infused with bay leaf and garlic, and then strained through a sieve to get the most flavor. 

Another non-traditional way to get creamy mashed potatoes is to add cream cheese. This is especially popular in twice-baked or make-ahead mashed potatoes. Temperature is key when adding cream cheese because softened will mean it will blend easier in with the potatoes (and make your mashing process easier). And, of course, what is a baked potato without sour cream on it? You can amp up that sour cream flavor even further with seasonings like chives or dill. Twice-baked potatoes are made even better with the addition of seasoned sour cream.

It's something that many of us have grown up doing ourselves at home or you may have been served a baked potato in foil while dining out (probably not at your favorite steakhouse, though). It is believed the baked potato started to be served wrapped in foil in the restaurant world to hide bruises or defects on the potatoes. Wrapping that big russet potato in foil and popping it in the oven for an extended period of time was thought to speed up the cooking process. While that may be true on a minimal basis, you could end up with a soggy potato because the moisture stays trapped in the foil, which further steams the potato. 

You also hamper your ability to see if your potato is overcooking if it is wrapped in foil. It can be understandable to want to use foil after the potato is already baked to keep it warm, but experts say a bread warming drawer or heatproof cabinet is ideal for storing a potato until serving time.

If you are craving a baked potato but don't have the time to bake it for an hour in the oven, you may find yourself opting for the microwave. While the microwave or even air fryer are non-traditional ways to get baked potatoes faster, you likely won't catch steakhouse chefs using those methods. A microwaved baked potato typically doesn't cook dense foods like large potatoes all the way through. You will likely end up with tougher skin than the perfectly crisp skin you get on the outside of an oven-baked potato. 

Instead, you will likely find chefs oven-roasting their baked potatoes ahead of time and storing them in some sort of warmer. But if you must use a microwave at home, cook your baked potato at half power to avoid overcooking the exterior while leaving the interior undercooked. And it's safe to say that if you are planning on fried potatoes like french fries or potatoes au gratin, the microwave is not the appropriate appliance (unless you want soggy potatoes).

The beloved french fry is one of the most popular potato preparations. In fact, you will find fries on more than half of the restaurant menus in the United States. While you may think of fries as a side dish only served with burgers or sandwiches, the fried potato also complements a steak. You may see that elevated version on menus listed as "steak frites" – an homage to its European roots. You will likely see many different chef takes on steak and fries, from truffle fries to loaded fries to garlic Parmesan fries. 

The cut of fries at gourmet restaurants like steakhouses may also vary, with options like shoestring (very thin-cut, extra crispy potatoes) or julienne-cut potatoes. But what most chefs and diners can agree on is that fries must have a great texture and ample seasoning. The perfect fry has a crisp, well-seasoned texture on the outside while being perfectly fluffy on the inside. It can be a two-day preparation to create fries worth raving over, but many of us (restaurants included) cannot dedicate that kind of time. A way to amp up your at-home fries without a ton of extra prep time is to serve them with an aioli sauce. You can let your creativity shine by making your own sauce with mayonnaise, garlic, and any seasoning or spice that you prefer. 

When all of the potato preparation is done, one element is left — the topping. It could be as simple as dusting light salt over fried potatoes or as complex as a multiple-step loaded baked potato, but it's safe to say that the steakhouse chefs don't skimp on the toppings on their potatoes. You likely will see loaded baked potatoes served almost as if it could be a meal itself with added cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, and chives. Even mashed potatoes get some love, with a dollop of butter, bacon, chives, or scallions for a loaded mashed potato. 

Homemade gravy is always a crowd-pleaser, as is some grated cheese. Some popular mashed potato cheese choices include Parmesan for bonus salt, Gruyère for a nutty touch, or even blue cheese if you enjoy the big flavors. This is also your opportunity to get creative. Bring some heat and texture to your mashed potatoes by topping them with a chili crunch. Even some unexpected spices like dusting with just a bit of nutmeg can give your mashed potatoes a subtle but delicious flavor. For fries with a luxurious twist, consider drizzling some white truffle oil — with a rich, juicy steak, it is a match made in culinary heaven!

Another bonus of having a steakhouse meal is getting to have rich side dishes in casserole form. Steakhouse chefs use superb knife skills and tools you may not have at home, like a mandolin slicer, to get their potatoes perfectly sliced for their potato dishes. Potatoes au gratin is different than a hash brown casserole or scalloped potatoes with its cheese selection, which is typically top-of-the-line at steakhouses. Grated cheese is mixed into the sliced potatoes in potatoes au gratin, then topped with shredded cheese and breadcrumbs.

You also may find the potatoes au gratin not having as thick of a sauce as scalloped potatoes, which are made with heavy cream and the sauce is thickened into a roux — sometimes incorporating onions into the mix — and is traditionally sans cheese. Chefs may take creative liberties when it comes to potatoes au gratin, with Ruth's Chris offering a three-cheese sauce that home chefs often try to replicate. Three cheese sauce is also the preference at Perry's Steakhouse, which mixes its diced potatoes with smoked Gouda, cheddar cheese, and tops them with Parmesan cheese. At Capital Grille, you get enough au gratin potatoes for the table with a blend of Swiss and Grana Padano cheese. Safe to say that you can expect a cheesy, delicious comfort food with steakhouse potatoes au gratin.

Sweet potatoes are a mainstay on many Thanksgiving tables. Though it can be divisive in regards to what toppings to choose, what's not to love about sweet potato casserole with a crispy nutty topping, or chock-full of marshmallows? But steakhouses go beyond the holiday season and offer some impressive sweet potato side dishes year-round.

Diners love Ruth's Chris sweet potato casserole topped with a brown sugar pecan crust so much that there are copycat recipes to recreate your own at home. Chefs may up the ante and make a sweet potato soufflé with a little more technique than the average side dish. This differs from a casserole due to the potatoes being pureed to a smooth texture with an added egg, then baked until they puff up and are topped with a crumble like pecans.

You also may see sweet potato fries offered on steakhouse menus for a twist on the classic steak frites. Sweet potatoes are often even offered whole and baked like a baked potato. Diners have raved about the baked sweet potatoes at Outback Steakhouse, topped with brown sugar, honey, butter, and cinnamon. When the craving strikes for sweet potatoes don't wait for the holidays — just head over to your favorite steakhouse to enjoy chef creations.