Rudy’s Prime Steakhouse Wins Hour Detroit’s 2026 Restaurant of the Year

Hour Detroit magazine picked Rudy's Prime Steakhouse as its 2026 restaurant of the year. The Clarkston spot earned recognition for what it brings to the table: a menu that delivers, drinks worth ordering, attentive service, and a wine selection that impresses.

Doors opened in 2024. Main Street in downtown Clarkston got a new tenant when owner Robert Esshaki transformed an old grocery store into this steakhouse.

Jean-Baptiste "JB" Caillet runs the show as general manager. His resume reads like a tour of top-tier dining: Harry's on Wall Street, Aquavit, and Balthazar in New York City, plus stints in Seattle and Houston. He even played professional polo in Argentina before landing here.

"It's not at all like it was in the '70s," Caillet said to Hour Detroit. "It was definitely a male-driven institution. All men sitting around drinking and eating. Those power lunches in the '70s."

Chef Josh Stockton commands the kitchen. Before this, he cooked at the Wynn in Las Vegas, worked at the Daniel Boulud Brasserie, and spent time at Gold Cash Gold in Detroit.

A 1,600-degree Montague broiler chars each steak. Brown butter finishes every cut. Try the Westholme Wagyu steak frites with coulotte—a piece carved from the sirloin cap—or go big with a 28-day dry-aged bone-in New York strip.

Stockton makes what he calls "overnight tomatoes" for the iceberg wedge salad, as per Hour Detroit. Cherry tomatoes simmer in extra-virgin olive oil for hours until they transform. His fried chicken gets brined in buttermilk, then paired with pepper vinaigrette.

Want a cheeseburger? It'll cost you $18. Wagyu beef, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and B&B pickles stack up between the bun. Happy hour knocks the price down to $16.

Ann Howard built the cocktail list as bar manager. Order an espresso martini, or try the Paper Plane—it comes with a tiny paper plane clipped to your glass.

Caillet wears another hat: certified sommelier. He assembled a wine list, pulling bottles from Napa Valley, Italy, Spain, and France. Each month, he hosts intimate wine dinners. About 12 seats. Winemakers show up to pour and talk.

No reservations are needed at the bar and lounge. First-come, first-served. Dim lighting sets the mood, and a quartz countertop anchors the space.

Hours shift throughout the week. Tuesday through Thursday, they're open 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday stretch from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday wraps up earlier: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday? Closed.