801 Chophouse

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

The Original Chophouse

801 Chophouse has its roots at 801 Grand Avenue in downtown Des Moines, where the 801 Restaurant Group — a family-owned company — opened its first location in 1993. That original address gave the steakhouse its name, and Des Moines remains the anchor of what has since grown into a multi-city group spanning Denver, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Omaha, St. Louis, and beyond.

The founding idea was pointed: the great American steakhouses of the 1920s — lively, meticulous, uncompromising — had largely faded, replaced by what the restaurant bluntly calls "watered-down facsimiles." 801 Chophouse set out to bring that standard back, not as nostalgia but as a working philosophy applied to every detail of food and service.

The Meat Program

The steakhouse centers its identity on an in-house meat program that sources exclusively from the top 1% of U.S. beef — 100% USDA Prime or better, served all day, every day. The kitchen operates its own bone saws and dry-age coolers, and proprietary aging methods are used to develop flavor and tenderness. The menu carries classic cuts — filet mignon, ribeye — alongside daily Wagyu offerings sourced from acclaimed Japanese prefectures at the A5 grade, the highest available, as well as select domestic Wagyu. Chicken, pork, and seafood are held to the same sourcing standard.

Alongside the beef program, a daily Fresh Sheet brings in fresh fish, oysters, live Maine lobsters, and seasonal produce, varying by location and season. An in-house pastry chef handles desserts, and the wine list — recognized with a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence — is described as carefully curated and award-winning, a fitting complement to the depth of the food program.

GreenCoat Hospitality

Service at 801 Chophouse is organized around what the restaurant calls its GreenCoat standard — staff trained to deliver personalized, attentive hospitality rather than a scripted sequence. The approach is built on reading each table's particular dynamic and guiding guests toward the right dishes and drinks for the occasion. The 1920s-inspired atmosphere — warm, energetic, detailed — frames the experience, whether the visit is a private celebration or a regular dinner out. Private dining rooms are available for more intimate gatherings.

For anyone serious about a steakhouse, the Des Moines original remains a clear benchmark.