Partner Spotlight: El Che Steakhouse & Bar 

At El Che Steakhouse & Bar, everything starts with fire. Recently named one of the city’s best steakhouses by Chicago Magazine and with John Manion earning 2026 Chef of the Year at the Jean Banchet Awards, the South America–inspired spot continues to raise the bar.

We caught up with Chef Manion to talk live-fire cooking, inspiration from Argentina, and why great beef makes all the difference.

What is the overall concept and inspiration behind El Che as a restaurant? 

The inspiration behind El Che is really time spent traveling, eating, and being in Argentina. When I was a kid, I lived in Brazil, and I was blown away by churrasco. The smell of fat dripping over charcoal is something that has haunted me from my childhood. 

When I was a young chef, I started going to Argentina and fell in love with Asado. I knew that’s what I wanted to do when I did my first restaurant, a Midwestern version of a classic Argentine Parrillada, like a steak restaurant focused on live fire and cooking meat over it. I’m very inspired by Argentina but, this is not an Argentine restaurant, it is a Midwestern restaurant inspired by those traditions that I try to honor every day. I love cuisine and I have the utmost respect for the technique and culture, but I’m not from there. 

What is your favorite dish on the menu and why? 

My favorite dish on the menu changes from day to day because I’m here a lot. 

One of the first things I look for in Argentina is a Tira de Asado, which is a chain of beef ribs cut about three-quarters to an inch thick. It’s not something we really do here in the United States. 

You grill ribs that you would normally braise. The complaint is that it’s chewy and fatty, to which I say, that is exactly why it’s on the menu. It is a niche dish, but for me, it’s brilliant. So, so good. 

What drew you or how did you come about working with Meats by Linz? 

Honestly, I’ve been aware of Linz for a long time. AJ our sales rep cold called us and it was a little bit of work for him to get in here, but he did and brought a lot of samples with. I was super impressed. 

It was really going to your ranch in Oklahoma that sold me. I noticed that we are so aligned as companies and brands in so many ways and that’s when I was sold.  I was absolutely sold again after seeing the [production] facility, the dedication to craft, and science that goes into it; I was blown away. 

The Linz Experience was truly an amazing experience. Everything I learned there was invaluable as a business owner. I could have sat and listened to the guy from Cattle Facts talk forever. Because the things he talked about are all rumors and innuendo to buyers. But when you are there with the people who raise the beef, who work on the science behind the husbandry, and truly understand the markets, it was incredible. 

I sat there, took notes, and when beef prices went crazy, I was like, okay, this is what’s going to happen. And surely, that’s what happened. But now I know not to panic. This is where we are in the history of this market. It’s going to change.  

What is your favorite part about working with Meats by Linz? 

It’s the quality. It’s consistency. It does not change. 

I don’t think there’s ever been a product that came in where we had to call and say the marbling isn’t right, or it’s tough or chewy. It’s the absolute dedication to quality and consistency that shows. 

What is your favorite from Meats by Linz? 

Two things from Linz. 

We use the Hanger Steak for our steak frites, and that has become a neighborhood favorite. It’s the workhorse on the menu. Oftentimes Hanger can be a little tough. This is not. It’s like velvet. 

We also have something on our reserve list from Linz, usually a Tomahawk or a Bone-In Ribeye that goes into our in-house dry ager. When we do have it, it sells out almost immediately. I try not to go longer than 35 days max. We want the beef to taste the most like what it is, Argentine style, so I don’t use pepper or any seasoning other than salt and tallow that we take from our trimmings. 

What is your best advice for a chef/restaurant owner when it comes to running a successful business? 

My advice, when it comes to running a successful business, is to be profits and losses driven. Understand on a daily, weekly, monthly basis where you are. Know where the money is going, how profitable you are, where you can save, and where you need to spend. And when I say nowhere to spend, if your core competency is steak, buy good f*****g steak.  

If your core competency is steak, buy the best steak that you can get your hands on. Not every customer is going to appreciate it, but the ones that do are going to come back.