O'Donoghue's Steaks and Sea Food, Jefferson City

When Chef Sam Donehue bought the Kaullen Mercantile Company building, he was amazed at how many architectural flourishes remained intact from its original 19th-century incarnation. A scrolled iron balcony and fluted iron columns graced the 10,000-square foot facility, evoking the German Vernacular style as tastefully as the foyer’s countless still-life paintings of schnitzel. Chef Donehue opted to restore many of the other details, from the dining room’s cross-sawed red oak floors to the elegant gallery porch. With these renovations, O’Donoghue’s Steaks and Sea Food was born.

Today, Chef Donehue complements his restaurant’s classical décor with old-fashioned—yet ever-delicious—steaks and seafood entrees. Drawing upon 25 years of culinary experience, he crafts mouthwatering Kansas City strip steaks and grilled tilapia. His salads come with a choice of six house-made dressings, including sweet poppy seed and spicy honey jalapeño.