Before Kinzie Chophouse became known for its signature wet- and dry-aged steaks, a partnership was taking shape behind the scenes. In the early nineties, Kinzie connected with Meats by Linz, a family-run purveyor respected across the Midwest for its aging program and uncompromising approach to quality. What started as a supplier relationship quickly became one of the most defining parts of the Kinzie menu.
For more than thirty years, Meats by Linz has been the source of the prime cuts that arrive at Kinzie each morning. Their team hand-selects beef specifically for the restaurant, aging it with the same level of care Kinzie brings to the plate. Guests may not see the craft happening in the Linz aging rooms, but they taste it in every steak – the deep, developed flavor of a ribeye, the tenderness of a New York strip, the richness of a perfectly seared filet.
It’s a partnership built on mutual trust. Kinzie relies on Linz for consistent quality and a standard that never wavers. Linz trusts Kinzie to showcase their product with technique, respect, and just the right amount of flourish, whether that’s a classic tableside presentation or the first slice that reveals a perfect medium-rare center.
Three decades later, this relationship continues to shape the Kinzie experience. It’s part of what makes the restaurant unmistakably Chicago. Independent. Quality-driven. Rooted in long-standing relationships. And always aiming higher.
As the restaurant heads toward its 35th anniversary, the Kinzie and Linz partnership remains one of its strongest anchors. A great steak doesn’t start in the kitchen. It starts with who you trust to raise it, age it, and deliver it. For Kinzie, that trust has belonged to Meats by Linz since the beginning – and it’s not going anywhere.
