{"id":904076,"date":"2026-06-30T22:55:34","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T22:55:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/904076\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T22:55:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T22:55:34","slug":"cheap-steaks-dallas-5-great-dinners-for-40-or-less-with-sides","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/904076\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheap steaks Dallas: 5 great dinners for $40 or less (with sides)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"a
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCharco Brolier is BYOB and will bring you a Styrofoam cup with your dinner. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

photo by Lisa Petty<\/p>\n

Meat costs so much right now. In fact, beef prices are an all-time high. This surge can be attributed to many factors, from inflation to drought to declining cattle herds. And, as shoppers feel the crunch at the grocery store, restaurant owners must add rising labor costs, rent increases, and a whole bunch of other stuff to the bill.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a real bummer when sometimes all a girl wants is a big, hearty hunk of meat.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And so, as a public service, we embarked on a craving-driven, city-wide search for a satisfying steak dinner that does not break the bank. The requirements: Quality beef, great flavor and less than $40 with sides (ideally, much less). Read on for the juicy gems and pro tips, in no particular order. Oh, and yes, we chewed through some tough customers, but we\u2019re sticking with the good stuff today.<\/p>\n

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THANK YOU!<\/p>\n

You’re all set.<\/p>\n

CLOSE\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\"TheCharco Brolier has strong following for a reason. <\/p>\n

413 Jefferson Blvd., Oak Cliff
You can\u2019t miss Charco Broiler<\/a>. Just look for the giant cow on the roof. After hearing its praises sung by several regulars, we learned for ourselves why the family-owned Oak Cliff spot has achieved cult-classic status since opening in 1963. Namely, it\u2019s fast, cheap and yummy. Plus, all the steaks are locally sourced Choice cuts (or higher), and the people-watching can\u2019t be beat.<\/p>\n

On our visit, we shared Charco Broiler\u2019s cafeteria-style dining room with a woman in choir robes, two cowboys in Wranglers, and a punk guy with gauged ears treating his mom to an early dinner. We ordered the 8-ounce strip ($14.49), which comes with salad, a loaded baked potato, and Texas Toast. The meal arrived in record time, and our tasty steak was cooked to a picture-perfect medium.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pro Tip: <\/strong>Charco Broiler is BYOB, and will happily provide you with classy Styrofoam cups for your booze.<\/p>\n

\"theDunston\u2019s is a popular place for closing business deals. <\/p>\n

8526 Harry Hines Blvd. and 5423 Lovers Lane
Established in 1955, Dunston\u2019s<\/a> proudly proclaims itself to be \u201cDallas\u2019 Oldest Steakhouse.\u201d From the open view of a mesquite-fire grill to leather club chairs, and an old-school salad bar, it sets a scene straight out of the \u201960s. And, while the prices aren\u2019t quite that much of a throwback, they\u2019re affordable nonetheless.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We struggled to decide between the 9-ounce bacon-wrapped filet ($29) and 8-ounce New York strip ($27). All of Dunston\u2019s steaks are sourced from family-owned Crystal Creek Cattle, and they all come with two sides and complimentary rolls for the table. We chose the strip, steamed veggies and the salad bar. Everything hit just right, including our well-seasoned, grill-marked, no frills, perfectly cooked steak.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pro Tip: <\/strong>The Back Door Bar at Dunston\u2019s on Lovers Lane is known as a go-to for closing big North Dallas business deals.<\/p>\n

Texas Roadhouse
\n\"TexasTexas Roadhouse ribeye with a a loaded baked potato is a humdinger of a deal in this economy. <\/p>\n

This national chain <\/a>operates 17 locations across North Texas, with a new outpost not too far from AT&T Stadium \u2014 um, Dallas Stadium. We revisited the Roadhouse<\/a> before FIFA madness descended on the city. In short, our 12-ounce Fort Worth ribeye ($24.99) was juicy, flavorful and well-seasoned. The beef is responsibly sourced, hand-cut and comes with two sides, rolls and honey butter. Consider this a solid, affordable steak choice, especially if you\u2019re feeding a large group.<\/p>\n

Pro Tip: <\/strong>The wait list is often very long, but the pours are generous: Wait for your table in the bar.<\/p>\n

\"aCrudo Taverna is a sleeper hit. <\/p>\n

We heard about this Frisco find<\/a> from a notoriously picky, food-focused friend. Also, it\u2019s in a strip mall, so how could we resist<\/a>? Inside, despite its suburban surroundings, Crudo\u2019s exposed brick walls, moody lighting, and long, polished bar give it a very clubby vibe. Squint your eyes, and you could be in the city.<\/p>\n

We ordered the hand-cut Certified Angus Beef ribeye ($43, slightly over budget), which proved to be another nice surprise. The steak was tender and well-seasoned, served on a bed of roasted Brussels sprouts and fingerling potatoes. Gorgonzola butter and demi-glace were served on the side, as was addictive complimentary olive flatbread.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pro Tip: <\/strong>Crudo hosts free live music every Thursday night.<\/p>\n

This pick is undoubtedly the sleeper hit of the bunch. As longtime fans of Gloria\u2019s<\/a>, we\u2019ve never thought to order the plain ol\u2019 steak. Pescado Acajutla has always been our go-to at the Texas-based Salvadoran chain, but on our latest trip we took a meaty detour for the sake of the mission.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nancy\u2019s Ribeye ($30) is a hearty plate that holds a 12-ounce steak with smoked red chimichurri sauce, saut\u00e9ed green beans and red onions, and fried yuca. The steak was one of the best we\u2019ve tasted in a long time, regardless of price. We asked servers the source of the meat and didn\u2019t get an answer. We\u2019ve reached out to the company and will update when we get a response. <\/p>\n

Pro Tip: <\/strong>Several Gloria\u2019s locations transform into salsa clubs on Saturday nights.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Charco Brolier is BYOB and will bring you a Styrofoam cup with your dinner. photo by Lisa Petty…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":904077,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5135],"tags":[5229,1596,152918,980,145002,358,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-904076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-america","tag-dallas","tag-free-cheap","tag-lists","tag-recommended","tag-texas","tag-tx","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116841528226873816","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/904076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=904076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/904076\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/904077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=904076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=904076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=904076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}