Chef
Megan Vaughan
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Boston, Massachusetts, United States
i. Biography
Boston’s high-end steakhouse format is built on beef, shellfish, heat, polish, and repeatability. From 2023 to 2026, Megan Vaughan worked that format at Encore Boston Harbor, bringing experience from exacting kitchens and coastal luxury into one of the city’s most prominent dining rooms. At Rare Steakhouse, the cooking was organized around locally sourced ingredients, expert preparation, and impeccable presentation: marbling handled with restraint, sear treated as structure, sauce kept clean, and plates built for indulgence without excess. The signatures carried the room’s sense of occasion, from Japanese Wagyu with Kolikof Osetra caviar, truffle, and foie gras butter to Wagyu Pastrami Sliders with Gruyere, secret sauce, and rye bread, alongside Lobster Mac and Cheese.
Formation
Formal culinary training at Johnson & Wales University gave Megan Vaughan a technical base before a run of kitchens where precision, timing, and presentation were daily working standards. The early progression moved through the controlled pressure of high-heat service: Executive Sous Chef at Maketto (2015–2016), Sous Chef at Wolfgang Puck CUT Steakhouse (2015–2016), Sous Chef at Wolfgang Puck CUT Steakhouse (2016–2017), then Executive Sous Chef at Wolfgang Puck's CUT in Beverly Hills (2017–2020). Across those posts, the work tracked the modern steakhouse register: grill discipline, pass organization, and the ability to keep richness in check. Coastal dining added another operating mode: brightness, ease, and leadership under service pressure. Vaughan continued as Executive Sous Chef at The Beach Club in Santa Monica (2020–2021), then Executive Chef at The Beach Club in Santa Monica (2021–2021). In 2022, the work broadened into a multi-room perspective through the Corporate Chef role at Mina Group (2022–2022), where the frame extended beyond a single service or one dining room. The steakhouse vocabulary continued at Bourbon Steak Seattle (2022–2023), where Vaughan led in a format defined by luxury ingredients, measured technique, and occasion-driven dining. The next post, Executive Chef at Rare Steakhouse and Medium Rare Lounge at Encore Boston Harbor in Boston, MA (2023–2026), added scale and destination-restaurant expectations: consistency, hospitality, and control across a larger platform. Today, Megan heads Four Sixes Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas (since 2026), continuing within the idiom of fire, beef, and refinement.
Where They Are Now
Rare Steakhouse at Encore Boston Harbor operated in the polished end of the steakhouse tradition, where luxury is only useful if the fundamentals hold: temperature, texture, seasoning, plating, and timing. Vaughan led that kitchen and described the move in service terms: “I’m excited to join the Encore Boston Harbor team. I’m thrilled to bring my commitment to creating memorable dining experiences to Boston’s highest-rated Forbes steakhouse.” The statement matched the room’s purpose: celebratory dining made to look effortless to the guest while requiring tight control behind the pass. Scale was part of the craft problem in the Boston role. Vaughan put it plainly: “I learned so much with them, but there, the steakhouses are little bit smaller. I was definitely ready to take on a bigger operation and have a little bit more responsibility.” That operating pattern runs through the résumé: each move widened the frame, adding more leadership, more consistency requirements, and a steadier hand over both food and team.
Signature
The signature work sits in two steakhouse lanes: luxury concentration and familiar form. Japanese Wagyu with Kolikof Osetra caviar, truffle, and foie gras butter puts high-value ingredients into a single composed dish, while Wagyu Pastrami Sliders with Gruyere, secret sauce, and rye bread translate Wagyu into a recognizable format with a sharper casual edge.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Megan
What is Megan Vaughan's current role?
Megan Vaughan is Executive Chef.
Where did Megan Vaughan train or study?
Megan Vaughan trained at Johnson & Wales University.
What is Megan Vaughan known for?
At Rare Steakhouse, she emphasizes locally sourced ingredients, expert preparation, and impeccable presentation.
