I compared a $120 wagyu filet at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant with a $69 steak. I preferred the cheaper one.

• Gordon Ramsay Steak’s wagyu filet was one of the most expensive cuts on the menu.
• But I preferred the cheaper steak from Papi Steak in Miami.

While Gordon Ramsay Steak offered a quieter, more traditional steakhouse experience, Papi Steak felt like a place where the atmosphere was just as much a draw as the food.

When it came down to steak, Papi Steak had Gordon Ramsay beat.

Despite all the theatrics — some of which felt a bit over the top — Papi Steak’s food lived up to the hype.

I ordered the 8-ounce USDA Prime filet mignon ($69), the least expensive steak on the menu. It arrived perfectly cooked with a deeply flavorful crust and an incredibly tender center.

The steak was served simply, with no sides and just a sprig of rosemary for garnish, but it didn’t need much else. The Gordon Ramsay steak also didn’t come with any sides, but at $69, I was more willing to overlook that at Papi Steak than I was with the $120 steak at Gordon Ramsay Steak.

Even without the flashy presentations that have made the restaurant famous, this steak could easily stand on its own.

I found that even the cheapest cut on Papi Steak’s menu outperformed the most expensive at Gordon Ramsay Steak.

Despite costing nearly half as much, it was more tender, just as flavorful, and delivered a better overall value.

The filet was cooked to a perfect medium-rare, with a deeply charred crust and an incredibly tender, buttery center. It was rich, smoky, and so easy to cut that I barely needed a knife.

At nearly half the price of Gordon Ramsay Steak’s $120 wagyu filet, I thought Papi Steak’s filet delivered the better overall value. It was worth making the trip to Miami for.