Las Vegas is known for its steakhouses — but you don't see much cattle in the valley. So where's the beef?
🐮 JT’s Steakhouse in Ely
At first glance, JT’s Steakhouse seems like a routine hotel restaurant at the Ramada Inn in Ely, a Nevada mountain town four hours north of Vegas. But here’s the cool part — the steaks are all sourced from a ranch owned by Terrill and Jess Trask, the same couple who operates the restaurant.
The Black Angus cattle are raised on Perigo Hay & Cattle Ranch in White Pine County. The owners believe that stress-free animals produce better quality meat, so the cows are treated with care, fed well, and given freedom to roam. “ We only feed them in the pen in winter,” says Jess, who manages the ranch. “In the summer, they're out in the pasture the whole time.”
Genetics play a role in the quality of cattle. All are naturally bred. No growth hormone is used. “ It all started with with the cows, and cows have just always been my true passion in life,” Jess adds.
There are no USDA butchering facilities in Nevada, so the Trasks process their cattle in Utah. “I do it because I love it,” Jess says. “Once we started supplying our community with beef, there's no way we can go back now.”
Guests at JT’s Steakhouse can choose between a ribeye, strip, or filet for dinner, plus a sirloin that’s available on the breakfast menu too. The steaks are grilled with clarified garlic butter for a nice sear, seasoned with salt and pepper, and finished to temperature in the oven. ”The quality of beef allows that fat to melt and create a juicy, tender steak,” according to Terrill, who runs the restaurant side of the business.
You can also order the beef online for shipment to Las Vegas.
🍔 Diablo Burger in Flagstaff
When driving across Northern Arizona, stop for a bite at Diablo Burger in Flagstaff. The beef is sourced from the Diablo Trust, a collaborative land management group founded by two ranching families in 1993. The Trust covers 426,000 acres of state, federal, and private land, fostering open-ranch cattle that’s free of growth hormones and antibiotics. The grass-fed patties at Diablo’s are charbroiled and served on English muffins with local produce.
🥩 Black Desert Resort in St. George
The newly opened Black Desert Resort has ambitious plans for Southwest Utah, combining a hotel with condos, a golf course, and soon to come — entertainment venues and outdoor shopping to match the scenery of the surrounding Red Cliffs Desert Preserve. The resort also wants to elevate the St. George-area dining scene, partnering with UT-47 to serve Utah-bred beef throughout its restaurants.
”We made that switch property-wide a couple of months ago,” says food and beverage director Ryker Brown. “It's really elevated everything and it's a much better, healthier product.”
Fine dining restaurant Basalt uses the UT-47 beef in a New York strip and choice of two ribeyes, including a bone-in cowboy cut. While not mentioned on the menu, the burgers at the 20th Hole sports bar use UT-47 ground beef and the fries are cooked in beef tallow.
🏜️ The Squire at Grand Canyon
Just outside the main gates of Grand Canyon National Park, the Desert Lounge & Grill at The Squire at Grand Canyon enthusiastically features local meats on the menu. Beef is sourced via 5 Star Beef from Tolleson, Arizona, about a 20-minute drive from Phoenix. The farm raises both grass-fed and grain-fed cattle, each offering its own distinct flavor profile. The restaurant also carries fun stuff like elk, wild boar, and game hen. The Squire hotel guests may find themselves nibbling on Saturday snacks from MAD Burgers and Sausage, a local meat company based in Phoenix.
Bonus: Let someone else do the road tripping and bring the beef to you. The Vegas Food Co-Op sources barley-finished beef from Christiansen's Family Farm in Fairfield, Utah, bringing shipments to Southern Nevada twice a month.
