Classic Golden Steer Steakhouse Statue Makes Triumphant, Glittery Return

By Scott Roeben, on May 28 2015
2 min read 5 comments
Las Vegas Las Vegas Restaurants

The popular Golden Steer Steakhouse in Las Vegas has been without its iconic cow statue since July, 2014, but now it’s back and more Vegas than ever.

Golden Steer sign
Let the useless trivia begin! Cattle were one of the first livestock animals to have a fully mapped genome.

The Golden Steer Steakhouse opened in 1958, making it the oldest steakhouse in Las Vegas, and we’re pretty sure the restaurant’s gold cow statue has been around since day one.

Last year, however, the plaster steer fell victim to a traffic altercation involving a lobster delivery truck.

The struggle between surf and turf is real.

Here’s the backstory, expertly reported by, well, this Las Vegas blog. Trust us, we’re milking it for all it’s worth.

Golden Steer
The excess skin in a steer’s neck is called the “dewlap,” and does not resemble a human vagina in the least.

The Golden Steer’s mascot was spared and put into storage (photo below) until a week or two ago.

Golden Steer
The rope halter thingy was retired during the upgrade. Yes, that’s the technical term for it. Probably.

Many thanks to reader @StripCab for alerting us to the bovine’s return.

Golden Steer
Not to be a buzzkill, but steers are castrated bulls.

Why the delay in resurrecting the shimmering, quadrupedal ungulate mammal? Well, times have changed over the decades, and the permitting process took longer than expected.

In the end, the fine folks at Supreme Lobster and Seafood helped pay for a refurbish of the sign post and gold steer, complete with a new paint job and glitter. We’re waiting to hear back from Golden Steer about the cost of the new sign. We’re guessing $9,225. Want to take the over-under?

The old-school Golden Steer Steakhouse is west of the Las Vegas Strip, on Sahara Avenue.

Golden Steer Steakhouse
Some members of the Golden Steer waitstaff have been at the restaurant for 40 years or more.

It’s reassuring to once again see the golden steer in its place of prominence at Golden Steer Steakhouse, a Las Vegas institution.