The 5 red flags steak-house owners look for when dining at a high-end steak house

Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, coowners of Voltaggio Brothers Steakhouse, said look out for dull knives and detailed menus at high-end steak houses.

• Steak-house owners shared red flags to look out for when dining at a steak house
• Prime reservations shouldn't be easy to get, and prices shouldn't be too low. 
• You should also be able to find information about how the restaurant sources its meat. 

Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, coowners of Voltaggio Brothers Steakhouse at MGM National Harbor, told Business Insider there are telltale signs throughout a steak-house experience that make it a unique luxury.

The former "Top Chef" contestants didn't grow up eating at steak houses, but they each had formative moments with the atmosphere as they were chefs-in-training.

"That's probably one of the most expensive experiences you're going to have," Bryan told BI in an interview ahead of Food Network's South Beach Wine and Food Festival.

Since it's such a financially indulgent meal, the chefs shared five signs diners can look out for to help them know whether they're in the right place.

A good steak house shouldn't be inexpensive or easy to book

Meat is expensive to source, Michael said, and the restaurant's price range should reflect that.

"Steak houses should not be cheap, and if they are, I would assume that they figured out how to cut corners somewhere," he said.

The younger brother pointed to rising food costs, and said it makes sense for everything from a side of spinach to a dish of mac and cheese to have a high price tag.

Additionally, Michael said to proceed with caution if it's easy to land a prime reservation.

"I think if you can get an eight-top last-minute at 8 p.m. on a Friday or Saturday night, that's probably a good reason to not go there," he told BI.

If there are multiple times available on a given night or week, that tells him there's not a huge demand for the restaurant.

There should be transparency in meat sourcing

Both brothers told BI that at a luxury steak house, you should be able to get the story behind what you're eating.

Bryan recommends getting inquisitive after the menu presentation.

"If you go to a place that can't really back up their sourcing and you're not really understanding where the meat is coming from, especially when they're charging a premium for it, then I would have concerns," the restaurateur continued.

Michael added that the same should be true for everything else on the menu, from seafood entrées to vegetarian dishes. Ingredient quality matters, he said.

Pay attention to the whole menu — especially the starters and salads

Michael said he can usually tell whether he's going to have a good experience from the first dish or two.

He calls starters a "first impression" and said it's a great sign if the restaurant treats them as such rather than an afterthought.

"If you're not getting the quality that you're looking for in the starters and salads," he added, "you can pretty much guarantee that lack of focus would translate into the meat as well."

So if you get a wilted salad or slimy shrimp cocktail to start your meal, he suggests pivoting your entrée selection. Maybe you change to one $150 rib eye instead of two, he said.

The chef also recommends looking at online customer reviews of starters and shellfish to see if there are notes on quality. Pay attention to which comments show up consistently and which are one-offs, he added.

"For me, that's the best resource to get legit information," he said. "If I can go somewhere and know that I can eat raw oysters there, then everything on the menu is gonna be good."

Beware of a chef who's overpromising

The Voltaggios said their menus are basic in writing, but the finished dishes are more detailed and meant to wow diners.

"We write 'shrimp cocktail' and just send it out," said Michael. "But we add puffed shrimp crackers, our cocktail sauce has our own little twist, and then we season the shrimp with Old Bay."

Although intricate menu descriptions aren't always a bad sign, Michael said if a chef consistently underdelivers on the first few dishes, the rest of the meal isn't looking promising for him.

If the knives aren't sharp, other service details may be dull

Both brothers agree that so much of the experience lies in the details, and Bryan said one of his biggest red flags at steak houses is dull knives.

It can just be a sign of a busy eatery, but the chef called it an important service element that shouldn't be overlooked. It gives him a peek into the restaurant's general attention to detail.

A dull knife can take away from diners' overall experience, he said, which is the main reason to go to a steak house to begin with.

Plus, Bryan continued, it can affect the texture of the steak as well as the way it tastes. "Having to saw at" a cut instead of getting a clean slice can impact the meat's ability to retain moisture throughout the meal.

"There's nothing worse than being in a high-end, high-check-average steak house and you're handed a dull knife," he told BI. "I'm not saying it has to be a razor, but I shouldn't have to work hard to cut through my piece of meat."