Steak and Ale

Steak and Ale was an American chain of casual dining restaurants that went bankrupt in 2008. However the brand, recipes and other intellectual property associated with the former chain are currently owned by Legendary Restaurant Brands, LLC, the parent company for Bennigan's. Steak and Ale was founded as an independent restaurant chain in Dallas, Texas, on February 26, 1966, by Norman E. Brinker. On July 29, 2008, the chain's remaining 58 locations closed as part of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding. In 2014, Bennigan's CEO Paul Mangiamele announced their intended comeback for 2016, but as of August 2020, no locations have opened. Later, it was announced that the first new Steak & Ale location would open in 2021 in Cancún, Mexico. In 2018, Legendary Restaurant Brands kept the Steak and Ale brand alive by adding some of the Steak and Ale signature favorites to the Bennigan's menu in 2018 even though Legendary has yet to open a single Steak and Ale restaurant. In early 2023, plans were announced for Legendary to work with Kansas-based Endeavor Properties to open the first U.S. location since 2008, in the Minneapolis suburb of Burnsville. Fare Popular menu items at Steak and Ale included the signature herb-roasted prime rib, Kensington club, New York strip, filet mignon, Hawaiian chicken, and spicy grilled chicken pasta. The restaurant featured an unlimited salad bar or a choice of soup with most of its entrees on the dinner menu. It also featured free drink refills and a honey wheat bread. Steak and Ale also offered a lunch menu with many items for $6.99. During the mid-1990s, in an attempt to revitalize lagging sales, the "Early Evening" menu was introduced. In addition to lower prices, all the "Early Evening" fares included a free beverage and free dessert. Some of the complimentary dessert selections were strawberry sundown cake, twilight triple fudge cake, and spice cake. The restaurant also featured wine samples for only 25 cents.