Mesa ranks third among Arizona cities in terms of population. When it comes to its number of noteworthy restaurants, though, most East Valley residents would place it much farther down the list.So when readers started calling a couple of months ago to rave about EJ’s Steakhouse, a new restaurant in a northeast Mesa strip mall, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Is it really that good, or simply a notch above the city’s plentitude of mediocre eateries?

Steakhouses are on the rise again in Arizona, especially Scottsdale, where Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak opened last month and Laurent Tourondel’s BLT Steak and Sam Fox’s Modern Steak are scheduled to open later this year.

But we’re talking about Mesa, so instead of Bourbon Steak’s $190 Japanese “A5” Kobe steak, the most expensive cut you find at EJ’s Steakhouse — a 16-ounce prime bone-in filet — is “only” $42, and the top sirloin starts at $19.

Anyone from the Midwest probably will feel at home with EJ’s traditonal steakhouse décor. Dark reds, approximately the color of a rare tenderloin, dominate the palette. High-backed booths with velvet curtains provide a modicum of privacy, while elegantly set, white-tableclothed tables lend an air of polish to an otherwise casual atmosphere.

Appetizers yield no big surprises, although several — lobster corn fritters ($9), grilled chicken and pineapple kabobs ($8) and Maryland crab cakes ($12) — are above average. So, too, are bowls of minestrone ($6) and slightly spicy chili ($6).

But the emphasis, of course, is on steaks, which are cut daily in EJ’s own butcher shop next door (shown below). There are two tiers: U.S.D.A. Prime and U.S.D.A. Choice. All are lightly seasoned with executive chef Chris Darrow’s mixture of kosher and sea salt, white and black pepper and granulated garlic.

The steaks are excellent. The 12-ounce bone-in filet ($36, pictured above) is the equal of any similarly priced steak I’ve had in the Valley and the best steak I’ve ever found in Mesa, period. Like all prime cuts, the 2-inch-thick piece of meat is served unadorned by sauces and sides.

There’s not much of a drop-off in the choice-cut 8-ounce beef tenderloin ($26), which is butterflied, wrapped in bacon and encrusted with peppercorns. Such second-tier steaks, which also include a very good 12-ounce prime rib ($24), come with one of seven different sauces and a side dish.

Non-steak entrees range from pork chops ($22) to rack of lamb ($38) to grilled shrimp and artichoke fettucine ($22). None are outstanding, but none are disappointments, either.

Desserts, on the other hand, are another high point, particularly a dense New York cheesecake ($8) and a crème brulee ($8, pictured at left) so creamy it stops just short of runny.

The only letdown you’re likely to encounter is with the knowledge level of EJ’s otherwise enthusiastic staff. On one visit, my server insisted that the bone-in filet was seasoned with all-spice. On another visit, another server swore that no seasoning — not even salt or pepper — was used.

Another time, a server could only describe three of the seven sauce choices. And on two of my three visits I was double-charged for at least one item, although the errors were quickly corrected.

I guess when you’re operating in uncharted territory — such a quality steakhouse in Mesa — there’s bound to be a learning curve.

>> EJ’s Steakhouse, 5609 E. McKellips Road, Mesa, is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday for lunch, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily for dinner. (480) 985-2925.