Bohanan’s is an independent, high-end steakhouse in a world of chains. To set himself apart, owner and chef Mark Bohanan does everything on a grandiose scale, from the country-club chic dining room perched above downtown Houston Street to the array of steaks offered. Not content with serving only prime beef, Bohanan offers a line of premium-priced Akaushi cuts that come from Texas-raised descendants of Japanese cattle (they’re spectacular, but prices start around $100 per steak). Wild salmon and Alaskan halibut are among the seafood options, but the mesquite-cooked steaks are the true stars, as are the decadent, à la carte side dishes, including lobster macaroni and cheese. The extensive wine list offers an abundance of choices to go with every dish.

If all this seems to be too good to be true, it can be. Service is sometimes somewhat awkward, the overriding attitude occasionally pretentious. A few of the appetizers and sides come across as merely adequately prepared. Plus, prices are high—there is no getting around that aspect of dining here.

Downstairs is the new Bohanan’s Bar with its rich woods, old-school posh setting and a drinks menu emphasizing pre-Prohibition cocktails made with care. The setting is sumptuous in ways the dining room upstairs doesn’t quite capture, there’s a less-Lucullan lunch menu here, and food pairings with beer and spirits can be both fun and revealing.