LongHorn New York Strip: The Steak That Sits Between the Sirloin and the Ribeye
Quick Answer: LongHorn’s New York Strip is a boneless, hand-cut strip loin steak grilled over an open flame with the chain’s signature seasoning. It typically comes in 12 oz portions priced between $26 and $30. It’s firmer than a ribeye, more flavorful than a sirloin, and the cut most regulars order when they want steakhouse-level beef without the heavy fat of a ribeye.
The New York Strip is the steak you order when you want a real steak but don’t want to commit to a ribeye. That’s the practical positioning of the cut on any steakhouse menu, and LongHorn is no different.
It’s the middle option. More fat than the Renegade Sirloin, less fat than the Outlaw Ribeye. Firmer texture, deeper flavor, and a chew that some people prefer to either of the cuts on either side of it. This guide breaks down what’s on the plate, how it compares to the rest of the LongHorn lineup, what’s actually different about the way a strip is cut, and the small decisions that separate a forgettable strip from a great one.
What Is the LongHorn New York Strip?
A New York Strip is a boneless cut from the short loin primal, taken from the longissimus dorsi muscle — the same muscle that runs through the ribeye, just further back along the cow’s spine. It’s the meat that sits between the ribs and the sirloin, which is why it shares characteristics with both.
LongHorn cuts theirs fresh in-house, hand-trims it, and grills it over the same open flame the rest of their steaks see. The signature seasoning goes on before the grill, and a strip of fat usually runs along one edge of the steak — that fat strip is part of the cut’s identity, not a defect.
The “New York” name is theater. The cut is just as common in Kansas City (where it’s sometimes called a Kansas City Strip), in Chicago, in Texas. The “New York” branding goes back to Delmonico’s restaurant in lower Manhattan in the 1800s, where strip steak was a signature dish. The name stuck for marketing reasons more than geographic ones.
LongHorn sources USDA Choice for their strip, same as the rest of the menu. That’s the right grade for the price point — Choice strip has enough marbling to deliver real flavor without the Prime markup.
What Makes a Strip Steak Different
A strip is structurally different from both the ribeye and the sirloin in ways worth knowing before you order.
Compared to a ribeye, the strip has less internal marbling but a tighter, denser grain. The fat is concentrated mostly in the cap along the edge instead of distributed throughout the muscle. That changes the bite — you get bigger contrasts between the fatty edge and the lean center, instead of the uniform richness a ribeye gives you.
Compared to a sirloin, the strip is more tender and has noticeably more fat. The grain is finer. The chew is shorter. You don’t have to work as hard for each bite.
The fat strip running along one side is doing real work. As the steak grills, that fat renders and bastes the lean center, which is why a strip can taste richer than its marbling score suggests. Some people trim the fat off before eating, which is a personal call — you lose some flavor doing that, but the steak still works.
Main Ingredients
Three components. The strip steak itself, boneless, hand-cut. The signature seasoning blend — salt, black pepper, garlic, paprika, and house spices. Open flame heat.
That’s the base dish. Toppings are optional: garlic butter, parmesan crust, mushrooms and onions, blue cheese crumbles. The strip handles toppings better than the ribeye does because there’s less competing fat, but it also stands fine on its own.
Taste and Flavor Profile
The strip has the most “steak” flavor of the three core LongHorn cuts, in the sense that it tastes most like what people imagine a steak tastes like. Heavier than sirloin, leaner than ribeye, with a firm chew that people who like to taste their food gravitate toward.
The char crust on a LongHorn strip is excellent because the surface is relatively dry compared to the ribeye — less fat dripping means the seasoning gets a cleaner sear, and the Maillard reaction has more surface area to work with. The bite goes: crackly seasoned crust, firm bite of lean muscle, then a band of soft rendered fat near the cap.
Texture-wise, the strip is the most consistent of the three cuts. Ribeye varies bite to bite depending on whether you’re in the eye or the cap. Sirloin can go from tender to chewy depending on the cook. Strip stays uniform — the whole steak eats the same way from one end to the other.
The fat strip on the edge is where people split. Half of regulars eat it. The other half cut it off. There’s no wrong move here, but tasting it once before deciding is worth the experiment — rendered fat on a strip is genuinely good.
How LongHorn Cooks the New York Strip
Open flame, gas-fired, around 500°F at the grate. The steak goes on dry. The seasoning crust caramelizes on contact, and because the strip has less fat than a ribeye, there’s less flare-up — which means a more even sear instead of the wilder char a ribeye gets.
The kitchen sears one side, flips once, sears the second, then moves the steak to a cooler zone to finish to internal temperature. Strip takes slightly less time than a ribeye of the same weight because there’s no bone and less fat to render through.
Then the steak rests for two to three minutes before plating. Resting matters as much on a strip as on any other cut. Cut into it too soon and the juices run out onto the plate, leaving the lean center drier than it should be.
New York Strip Doneness Chart
Strip is less forgiving than ribeye but more forgiving than sirloin. The window of acceptable doneness is wider than people think:
| Doneness | Internal Temp | Look | Best For Strip? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rare | 120–125°F | Cool red center | Fine — strip handles it |
| Medium-rare | 130–135°F | Warm red center | The sweet spot |
| Medium | 140°F | Pink throughout | Still juicy, fully rendered |
| Medium-well | 150°F | Slight pink | Edges get chewy |
| Well-done | 160°F+ | No pink | Toughens fast, not recommended |
The strip’s fat strip on the edge is what determines how forgiving the cut is. At medium-rare, the fat is soft and luxurious. At medium-well, the fat firms up and the lean center starts to tighten. Past well-done, you’ve lost the appeal of the cut.
A small note: strip is one of the few cuts where rare actually works. The lean center doesn’t need much heat, and the fat cap can be seared aggressively even when the inside stays cool. Steak purists sometimes specifically order strip rare for this reason.
Nutritional Information
| Size | Calories | Protein | Fat | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 oz | ~660 | 76 g | 38 g | ~1,400 mg |
These numbers are for the steak only, before sides or toppings. Variance is lower on strip than on ribeye because the marbling is more consistent cut to cut.
A few honest notes. The strip slots between the Renegade Sirloin and the Outlaw Ribeye on calories, fat, and sodium — which mirrors where it sits on the menu in general. It’s the moderate option. Not the lightest, not the heaviest.
Sodium is high because of the seasoning crust. Ask for lightly seasoned if you’re watching it.
Protein is solid. 76 grams in a single 12 oz portion covers most adults’ daily needs in one meal.
New York Strip vs Other LongHorn Steaks
This is the comparison people are running at the table:
| Steak | Cut | Marbling | Best Doneness | Price Range | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Strip | Strip loin (boneless) | Moderate | Medium-rare to medium | $26–$30 | Balanced flavor and texture |
| Outlaw Ribeye | Bone-in ribeye | High | Medium-rare to medium | $30–$36 | Rich, fatty, forgiving |
| Renegade Sirloin | Top sirloin | Low | Medium-rare only | $14–$25 | Lean, beef-forward, value |
| Flo’s Filet | Tenderloin | Low to moderate | Medium-rare | $28–$34 | Buttery texture, occasion |
| Porterhouse | Strip + tenderloin | Moderate | Medium-rare | $36–$42 | Two cuts in one |
The strip’s positioning is clear. More flavor than the Renegade, less fat than the Outlaw, firmer texture than Flo’s. It’s the most “neutral” choice on the menu in the sense that nobody hates it — but that also means it doesn’t have the strong fans the other cuts do.
A useful decision rule: if you can’t decide between sirloin and ribeye, the strip is the answer. It’s literally the cut sitting between them on the cow, and it eats that way too.
The Porterhouse is worth noting separately because it actually includes a New York Strip on one side of the bone. If you’ve ever ordered a Porterhouse and preferred the larger side of the steak, you were preferring the strip portion.
LongHorn New York Strip vs Other Chains
If you’re choosing between casual chains for a strip dinner, the picture is messier than it is for ribeye:
| Chain | Strip Name | Size | Price Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LongHorn | New York Strip | 12 oz | $26–$30 | Open-flame, signature seasoning |
| Texas Roadhouse | New York Strip | 12 oz | $22–$28 | Hand-cut, hot grill |
| Outback | New York Strip | 11 oz | $25–$30 | Seared on flat-top |
| Ruth’s Chris | NY Strip | 16 oz | $60–$70 | Prime grade, butter-finished |
Texas Roadhouse runs cheaper and serves a similar product. Outback’s strip is competitive but uses a flat-top instead of open flame, which gives a different crust character. Ruth’s Chris is a different tier entirely — Prime grade, served sizzling in butter, at roughly double the price.
LongHorn’s edge is the open-flame char on a Choice-grade strip. For the casual-chain price tier, it’s the most steakhouse-feeling strip you can order without crossing into white-tablecloth territory.
Why People Order the New York Strip
A few patterns show up repeatedly with strip orderers.
It’s the cut for people who don’t love heavy fat. Ribeye is too rich for some palates. The strip gives you steakhouse-level flavor without coating your mouth in rendered fat.
It’s the steak that travels well. If you’re getting takeout, the strip holds up better than the ribeye (which can taste greasy when reheated) and the sirloin (which dries out fast). The strip’s structure — lean center, fat cap — handles a 15-minute drive better than either alternative.
It’s the meal where you can actually finish the steak and the sides. A 12 oz strip is filling but not punishing. The 18 oz Outlaw defeats a lot of people.
It’s the cut steak nerds quietly prefer. If you talk to people who eat steak often and care about it, a surprising number of them order strip over ribeye. The reasoning usually comes down to flavor density per bite — the strip delivers more “steak” experience in less fat.
Best Side Dishes and Drink Pairings
The strip is the most flexible cut on the menu when it comes to side pairings. Less fat than the ribeye means heavier sides work without overwhelming the plate. More flavor than the sirloin means lighter sides still hold their own.
Loaded baked potato is the default. The butter and sour cream add a richness the lean strip doesn’t bring on its own. The texture contrast between firm steak and soft potato also works in your favor.
Steakhouse mac is a good pairing on the strip specifically, because the strip’s leaner profile leaves room for the heavy cheese without making the meal feel like a brick. This is the cut where mac actually shines.
Grilled asparagus or broccoli is the lighter route. Works fine, but the strip doesn’t really need cutting against the way the ribeye does. You can skip the green vegetable here without losing anything important.
Sweet potato with cinnamon butter is an underrated pairing. The sweet and savory contrast works well with the strip’s char.
For drinks, the strip is the most flexible LongHorn steak. Cabernet Sauvignon works but doesn’t need to dominate the way it does with ribeye. Argentine Malbec is excellent — its fruit-forward profile complements the firmer texture. Syrah is a less obvious choice that pairs unusually well, especially a peppery cooler-climate Syrah. On beer, a brown ale or amber lager is the move. Stout is too heavy here in a way it isn’t with ribeye.
If you’re not drinking, unsweetened iced tea works because the tannin in the tea echoes what a red wine would do. Sparkling water with lemon is also fine.
Variations and Popular Versions
LongHorn typically offers the New York Strip in a single 12 oz size. Some locations occasionally feature a smaller lunch portion, but the 12 oz is the standard dinner cut.
Toppings worth knowing:
Garlic butter is the most natural addition to a strip. The strip has less fat than the ribeye, so the butter actually adds something instead of layering on richness that’s already there. This is the cut where butter belongs.
Parmesan crust works better on the strip than on the ribeye. The crust gives a leaner cut more flavor density without competing with marbling. If you’ve been curious about the parm crust treatment, the strip is the right steak to try it on.
Sautéed mushrooms are a strong pairing because the mushroom’s earthiness matches the strip’s beefy directness. Onions are fine but less essential here than on the sirloin.
Blue cheese crumbles are divisive but work on the strip. The sharp tang cuts against the salt of the seasoning crust. Try it if you’re a blue cheese person — it’s a better fit here than on the ribeye.
Common Mistakes When Ordering New York Strip
Ordering it well-done. The strip’s lean center loses its appeal past medium-well. The fat strip crisps up, but the muscle tightens and the bite gets short.
Trimming the fat strip without tasting it first. People who cut off the fat before they eat are missing the best part of the steak. Try a bite with the rendered fat once before deciding it’s not for you.
Pairing it with a creamy steak topping and a creamy side. Parmesan crust plus loaded mac plus a heavy wine is too much in the same direction. The strip is flexible but not infinitely so.
Ordering it instead of the Renegade if you’re price-conscious. The strip is significantly more expensive than the sirloin and only moderately better for most palates. If budget matters, the Renegade gives you 80% of the strip’s experience for half the price.
Tips Before Ordering
Order it medium-rare or medium. The strip’s sweet spot is here.
Try it plain the first time. The strip’s character — firm chew, beefy flavor, fat cap — only comes through clearly when nothing’s covering it.
If you’re a butter person, this is the cut to add garlic butter to. The strip has room for it in a way the ribeye doesn’t.
If you have leftovers, slice the strip thin against the grain when reheating. The lean center can toughen on reheat, but thin slices stay tender. Low oven heat at 275°F for about eight minutes is the right method.
If you’re getting it for takeout through DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Grubhub, the strip is one of the better steaks for travel. It holds its texture better than the ribeye or the sirloin during a delivery window.
If you’re ordering for two and one person doesn’t eat much, the Porterhouse is worth considering instead — you’d both share a strip portion along with a tenderloin section.
Who Shouldn’t Order the New York Strip
The strip isn’t for everyone, and being honest about that matters.
If you specifically want rich, fatty steak, the ribeye is better. The strip’s leaner profile will feel like a downgrade if your favorite part of steak is the fat.
If you want maximum tenderness, get Flo’s Filet. The strip has chew. Some people want chew. Other people want their steak to fall apart on the fork. Filet is for the second group.
If you’re cost-conscious and the price gap between sirloin and strip feels real, get the Renegade. The strip is a real upgrade in flavor, but it’s not 2x better — and the pricing gap is closer to 2x.
If you only eat well-done steak, none of LongHorn’s premium cuts are for you. Stick with sirloin and accept that’s the cut your preference fits.
Key Takeaways
- Boneless strip loin steak, hand-cut, open-flame grilled with LongHorn’s signature seasoning
- Standard size: 12 oz — priced roughly $26 to $30
- USDA Choice grade — strong marbling for the price point
- The fat strip along the edge is the cut’s defining feature — taste it before trimming
- Medium-rare or medium is the sweet spot
- Sits between the Renegade Sirloin and Outlaw Ribeye in flavor, fat, and price
- The most flexible steak on the menu for side and drink pairings
- Better choice than the ribeye for takeout — holds up well during delivery
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the LongHorn New York Strip?
A 12 oz boneless strip loin steak, hand-cut in-house and grilled over an open flame with LongHorn’s signature seasoning.
How much does the New York Strip cost at LongHorn?
Roughly $26 to $30 for the 12 oz, depending on the location. Pricing varies by region.
How many calories are in the New York Strip?
About 660 calories for the 12 oz, steak only. Sides and toppings add more.
What’s the difference between a New York Strip and a ribeye?
The strip is leaner, firmer, and has its fat concentrated in a strip along the edge instead of marbled throughout. The ribeye is fattier and richer with marbling distributed through the meat. Both come from the same long muscle along the cow’s back — the ribeye is just further forward on the spine.
Is the New York Strip the same as a Kansas City Strip?
Essentially yes. The names refer to the same cut. “Kansas City Strip” is sometimes used for the bone-in version. LongHorn’s is boneless and uses the New York name.
What’s the best doneness for New York Strip?
Medium-rare (130–135°F) is the sweet spot. Medium also works well. Past medium-well the lean center starts to dry out.
Is the New York Strip gluten-free?
The steak and seasoning are. The parmesan crust topping is not. Mention celiac disease to your server if relevant.
Can I get the New York Strip for takeout?
Yes, through LongHorn’s online ordering, curbside, and major delivery apps including DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. The strip travels well — better than the ribeye for delivery in most cases.
How do I reheat leftover New York Strip?
Slice it thin against the grain and warm it in a 275°F oven for about eight minutes. Avoid microwaves on full power — the lean center toughens fast.
Closing Thought
The New York Strip is the LongHorn steak for people who’ve figured out what they actually want. Not the value play of the Renegade, not the indulgence of the Outlaw, not the occasion-meal status of Flo’s. Just a real strip steak, cooked right, at a price that makes sense for what’s on the plate. Twelve ounces, medium-rare, garlic butter on top, loaded baked potato, glass of Malbec. That’s the order. It’s the steak you settle on once you’ve stopped trying to impress anyone with what you ordered.
