St. Elmo Steak House

What St. Elmo Steak House does

St. Elmo Steak House is a 120+ year-old fine dining steakhouse located at 127 S Illinois Street in Indianapolis, Indiana, established in 1902 as Joe Stahr's Tavern. Operated under the privately held Huse Culinary restaurant group and stewarded since 1986 by the Huse family (Steve Huse and son Craig Huse), the restaurant is renowned for its USDA Prime dry-aged steaks (including 45- and 60-day aged cuts sourced from corn-fed Midwest Black Angus) and its world-famous fiery Shrimp Cocktail — a trademarked signature dish served with a horseradish-based cocktail sauce whose recipe has remained unchanged since 1902. The restaurant serves affluent diners, celebratory groups, and corporate clients, supported by a Wine Spectator-recognized wine program with up to 14,000 bottles in cellar, and operates seven private dining rooms accommodating 12 to 70 guests. Premium menu pricing spans $9 sides to $155 for a 32oz Tomahawk Ribeye, with à la carte items including the $21.95 Shrimp Cocktail and Berkshire Pork Chop at $42.

The business generates revenue across multiple streams: full-service dine-in (reservations up to one year in advance plus walk-ins), private dining events, carry-out, third-party delivery via DoorDash and Uber Eats, and nationwide shipping through Goldbelly. A growing consumer products business extends the brand beyond the restaurant — bottled signature cocktail sauces, additional sauces, seasonings, and ready-to-pour cocktails are distributed through over 3,000 grocery stores nationwide and via dedicated e-commerce storefronts (store.stelmos.com and shopstelmococktails.com). Huse Culinary also operates a unified gift card system and Huse Honors loyalty program across the restaurant portfolio, which includes sister concepts Harry & Izzy's (launched 2007), The HC Tavern + Kitchen, and 1933 Lounge (launched 2011 and now operating standalone locations in Fishers, Carmel, and Indianapolis International Airport).

The company has accumulated prestigious industry recognition including the James Beard Foundation America's Classic award, Forbes "10 Great Classic Restaurants Well Worth Visiting," OpenTable Top 100 Restaurants in America (one of only two Indiana establishments), and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. With 251-500 employees and no disclosed external institutional investment, St. Elmo operates as a family-controlled, multi-concept restaurant group leveraging a 120+ year brand heritage to support both on-premise fine dining and packaged retail extensions.

Name

St. Elmo Steak House

Legal name

St. Elmo Steak House

Website

https://stelmos.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

St. Elmo Steak House is a 120+ year-old Indianapolis fine dining steakhouse under Huse Culinary, serving USDA Prime dry-aged steaks and its trademarked signature Shrimp Cocktail to affluent diners and corporate event clients, with a packaged retail line (sauces, seasonings, ready-to-pour cocktails) in over 3,000 U.S. grocery stores.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Steakhouse

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

Keywords

• Fine dining steakhouse
• USDA prime steaks
• Dry-aged beef
• Private dining events
• Craft cocktail sauce

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: Full-service fine dining steakhouse with table service. Revenue from food and beverage sales during dinner service hours. Includes Happy Hour at bar areas with discounted drinks and appetizers.
2. Private Dining Events: Private dining rooms and event spaces available for reservations. Revenue from group dining events, cocktail receptions, and luncheons. Multiple rooms with capacities from 12-70 guests.
3. Retail Products: Bottled cocktail sauce and retail products sold in restaurant, online at store.stelmos.com and shopstelmococktails.com, and in over 3,000 grocery stores nationwide. Includes sauces, seasonings, and ready-to-pour cocktails.
4. Gift Cards: Huse Culinary branded gift cards sold in restaurant and online, valid at St. Elmo, Harry & Izzy's, HC Tavern, and 1933 Lounge locations.
5. Delivery and Carry-Out: Carry-out orders placed by phone with full menu available. Delivery service through DoorDash and Uber Eats third-party platforms. Nationwide shipping through Goldbelly marketplace.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

St. Elmo Steak House operates a single-location fine dining steakhouse in Indianapolis featuring USDA Prime dry-aged steaks (45- and 60-day aged cuts), its world-famous spicy shrimp cocktail (a recipe unchanged since 1902), seafood, chops, and an award-winning wine program with up to 14,000 bottles. Beyond dine-in service, it offers private dining/event hosting for groups of 12–70 and a growing retail line of bottled cocktail sauces, seasonings, and ready-to-pour cocktails sold through its own e-commerce sites, third-party marketplaces (Goldbelly), and 3,000+ grocery and liquor stores nationwide.

Product overview

St. Elmo Steak House operates as a single-location fine dining steakhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, with a portfolio of complementary consumer products and related restaurant brands. The core offering is the in-restaurant dining experience featuring USDA Prime steaks, the signature fiery shrimp cocktail, seafood, and an extensive wine and cocktail program. Retail extensions include bottled cocktail sauce (the signature product), additional sauces, seasonings, and ready-to-pour bottled cocktails sold through grocery stores and online channels nationwide. The company also operates gift card and loyalty programs, and private dining/event services. Related Huse Culinary brands include Harry & Izzy's and The HC Tavern + Kitchen, while the 1933 Lounge operates as an in-house speakeasy concept with additional standalone locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Harry & Izzy's: A contemporary dining concept created by Craig and Steve Huse in 2007, paying tribute to former owners Harry Roth and Izzy Rosen, offering a more contemporary experience with an expanded menu.
• 1933 Lounge by St. Elmo
• The HC Tavern + Kitchen
• St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail

Products and services

• St. Elmo Steak House Restaurant Legendary Indianapolis fine dining steakhouse offering USDA Prime dry-aged steaks (45- and 60-day aged), seafood, chops, an award-winning wine program with up to 14,000 bottles, craft cocktails, and dinner service seven nights a week. Targets diners seeking premium, historic hospitality for celebrations and special occasions.
• St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail World-famous signature dish of jumbo shrimp served with a fiery, horseradish-laden spicy cocktail sauce. Available à la carte ($21.95), as event platters (25–250 pieces), and as a bottled retail sauce.
• Private Dining and Event Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 120 years in continuous operation at the same location
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Huse CulinarycoreOthersParent company that owns St. Elmo Steak House and operates sister restaurants including Harry & Izzy's, The HC Tavern + Kitchen, and 1933 Lounge. Provides centralized gift card system, careers portal, and corporate branding.
• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery platform partner for food delivery orders
• Uber EatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery platform partner for food delivery orders
• GoldbellyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarketplace for nationwide shipping of St. Elmo steaks to customers nationwide
• Harry & Izzy'scoreOthersSister restaurant concept created in 2007 by Craig and Steve Huse, carrying the spirit of St. Elmo with contemporary experience. Named after former owners Harry Roth and Izzy Rosen. Multiple locations in Indianapolis.
• 1933 LoungecoreOthersSpeakeasy-inspired lounge concept created in 2011 above St. Elmo, now expanded to standalone locations in Fishers, Carmel, and Indianapolis International Airport. Carries the same hospitality tradition.
• The HC Tavern + KitchencoreOthersSister restaurant brand under Huse Culinary, located in Fishers. Part of cross-promotional marketing and gift card network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Eddie Merlot's: Eddie Merlot's is an upscale steakhouse chain with USDA Prime steaks, a signature prime burger, and a full bar program. It competes with St. Elmo for the same affluent celebration and corporate-event customer, with similar private dining setups and event-driven revenue mix.
• Ruth's Chris Steak House: Ruth's Chris Steak House is the most directly comparable premium steakhouse peer, operating a national chain of fine-dining steakhouses with USDA Prime cuts, signature menu items, and event-driven private dining. Like St. Elmo, it centers a flagship dining experience on occasion-based visits and premium pricing, and has also pursued retail and gift-card extensions.
• Morton's The Steakhouse: Morton's is a classic American fine-dining steakhouse chain offering USDA Prime steaks, seafood, and chops in a full-service dining setting with extensive private-dining rooms. Its dining model, check size, and event-driven GTM closely mirror St. Elmo, and it represents the same category benchmark for the legacy-upscale steakhouse segment.
• The Capital Grille: The Capital Grille is an upscale steakhouse chain offering dry-aged steaks, an award-winning wine program, and private dining for corporate events and celebrations. It competes with St. Elmo for the same affluent diners and corporate-event spend, with comparable menu pricing and service format.
• Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse: Del Frisco's is a direct competitor in the high-end steakhouse category with similar menu pricing, premium dry-aged steaks, and extensive wine lists targeting the same affluent celebratory and corporate-event customer base as St. Elmo.
• Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse: Smith & Wollensky is a classic American steakhouse operator with premium dry-aged beef, full bar service, private event spaces, and a recognizable brand identity—directly comparable to St. Elmo in both menu and target customer.
• Mastro's Steakhouse: Mastro's is an upscale steakhouse chain known for its high-end steaks, seafood, and lively bar/cocktail program. It shares St. Elmo's positioning at the intersection of fine dining, premium spirits, and music-driven bar atmosphere, and competes for the same premium-check customer.
• Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse: Gibsons is a Chicago institution in the same legendary American steakhouse mold as St. Elmo, combining USDA Prime steaks, a bustling bar scene, private dining for events, and a multi-generational local heritage. Comparable in concept depth and event-driven business mix.
• Lawry's The Prime Rib: Lawry's is a heritage prime rib-focused restaurant group with a similar long-standing fine-dining identity, signature menu item (roasted prime rib carved tableside), and special-occasion dining positioning that parallels St. Elmo's signature shrimp cocktail and steakhouse status.
• Fogo de Chão: Fogo de Chão is a Brazilian steakhouse chain that competes in the same premium-meat, full-service dining category with private-dining and event capabilities, targeting comparable celebration and corporate occasions at similar price points.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@huseculinary/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/stelmosteakhouse
• Instagraminstagram.com/stelmosteakhouse
• Xx.com/stelmo

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. Elmo Steak House