Golden Steer Steakhouse

Las Vegas’ oldest steakhouse celebrates 54 years of operation, and gets its special day.

By ADAM ROBERTSON | July/August 2012

Deep in the heart of Las Vegas, not far from the Strip, lies an iconic establishment that has hosted the likes of Elvis Presley, Natalie Wood, Joe DiMaggio, and Tony “The Ant” Spilatro: the Golden Steer Steakhouse.

The Golden Steer has the distinction of being Las Vegas’s oldest steakhouse; opened in 1958, it recently celebrated its 54-year anniversary. To commemorate the occasion, on April 7, 2012, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman declared the day Golden Steer Steakhouse Day.

Golden Steer has maintained the distinction of being one of the city’s best restaurants, earning it the reputation of serving “the best steaks on Earth.” The fresh seafood and USDA Prime beef has turned many of its 50,000 annual customers into return visitors.

When originally opened by Joe Kludijan, the restaurant was much smaller, consisting of a bar and dining room. Over the years, the Golden Steer acquired the adjacent properties and has expanded into a spacious eatery.

A 1990s remodel gave the place a more contemporary feel, while retaining the ambiance of old Las Vegas, when the likes of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. were regular customers. Today, bronze nameplates mark where certain celebrities once sat, which can be reserved. In an interview with the L.A. Times (”Vestiges of Las Vegas’ Glory Days”; June 5, 2011), one employee said that the Elvis table is frequently requested.

The Golden Steer Steakhouse has been featured on the Cooking Channel and History Channel. The restaurant’s tuxedo-clad waiters have also been featured in national and international publications and TV shows. With some servers boasting more than 30 years of service, the experienced staff has earned a degree of fame in their own right.

The Golden Steer Steakhouse was operated by Kludijan until his death in 2001, when it was taken over by Dr. Michael J. Signorelli. One of the first people to receive a doctorate degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Signorelli has run Golden Steer for more than a decade and brought multiple licenses to the iconic restaurant.