Clark’s Steakhouse carves its own place in beef-obsessed Buckhead

With the addition of Clark’s Steakhouse, Buckhead is officially steakmaxxing.

Atlanta’s most famous neighborhood is already home to Bones, Chops Lobster Bar, Hal’s, Little Alley Steak and chains like New York Prime, the Palm and the Capital Grille. Just this year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reviewed newcomers Luella and Koshu Club.

Judging by the crowds at Clark’s, Buckhead’s appetite for beef is not yet sated.

Clark’s stands out for its intense devotion to steakhouse tradition and attention to detail. The atmosphere is dark, intimate and clubby; the windowless dining room wraps diners in velvet the color of red wine. Jacketed servers push serving carts called gueridons down lanes of pristine white tablecloths, each one illuminated by a wisely placed light directly overhead.

Clark’s portrays itself as the platonic ideal of an old-school steakhouse — a risky gambit that leaves very little room for error. Diners know what to expect: The steak will be absolutely fabulous and the service will be impeccable. Anything else would be a disappointment.

What makes Clark’s more interesting than other traditional steakhouses is the way nearly every aspect of the experience gets a little something extra. The steaks are sourced from Meats by Linz, a purveyor that supplies several other top steakhouses in the area. But Clark’s buys Linz Heritage Angus beef, a higher-level product line that tracks the entire life cycle of the animal and the steak, including the butcher who processes it.

Those steaks are seared over a hickory-wood fire, giving every piece of beef a distinctive flavor and charred texture. I split the 24-ounce, 40-day dry-aged porterhouse with a dining partner and thought it was excellent. Whether it’s worth $185 is a matter of personal philosophy, but I couldn’t pick out a better American-bred steak I’ve had in recent years.

At the other end of the price spectrum, the C’s 8-ounce prime dry-aged burger drops a similar umami-bomb on your taste buds for just $32. The hefty, high-quality beef patty is slathered with immensely rich Coca-Cola caramelized onions that have the almost overwhelming savoriness found in miso.

Among the chilled seafood options, the Argentine Royal Red shrimp stood out for their clean, sweet flavor that carried surprising depth for the shellfish. Another cold appetizer, the foie gras torchon, was one of the few dishes that felt like modern haute cuisine rather than traditional steakhouse fare. The disk of gently cooked goose liver was surrounded with dashes of powder and dots of sauce like an abstract painting. The accouterments included brown butter powder, with a flavor almost like sesame, smoked pecan powder and dried apricot puree.

But the real star (for me, at least) was the house Manhattan, made with wagyu tallow-washed Whistlepig 6-year rye. The depth and texture imparted by the beefy fat wash perfectly complement the smooth, classic Manhattan — an extravagant addition to an already excellent cocktail.

The wine program is extensive and in-depth, with plenty of traditional options by the glass and a few interesting choices. I liked the Numanthia Tinta de Toro from Spain, a red that was sturdy enough to hold up to the intense flavors of the Clark’s burger. The steakhouse’s general manager, Gage Zeringue, also happens to be a sommelier. In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he said Clark’s has a wine bottle preordering program that allows customers to call ahead to select their bottle of choice. The advance notice allows the server to decant the wine and serve it at the perfect time and temperature.

That level of service isn’t just reserved for the people ordering expensive bottles of wine; once you’ve made it past the dress code, everyone is treated with professional care and attentiveness. During one of my visits, our server somehow missed that we’d ordered the small seafood tower (called the petite fruits de mer on the menu). When I asked about it, the error was quickly corrected and our server profusely apologized. At the end of the meal, he brought out not one, but two desserts to make amends — an unnecessary but thoughtful gesture. Though everyone at the table was painfully full, we still nearly finished the decadent white chocolate bread pudding.