What are some of the most over-rated steakhouses in major US cities?(or anywhere else
Mar 21, 2011, 10:07 pm
#16
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I can't say either are a particularly aberrant phenomena in the US. Here "steakhouse" means overpriced meat and wine eatery where egoists take other egoists to impress them by spending lots of money.
Mar 21, 2011, 11:40 pm
#17
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^We are probably both going to be severely berated, but this is exactly how I feel about it for the most part. I have spoken almost those exact words to many over the years.
Mar 22, 2011, 7:53 am
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Pretty much any Palm restaurant (name the city) that I have been to has been a disappointment.
Keene's in New York City. A tasteless, dry (ordered medium rare) mess.
Del Frisco's in New York. The last time there, a bit of redemption was found. The steak was really good. The previous 2 times...not so much. The Dallas location is still very good.
Morton's in Los Angeles. How they managed to suck the flavor out of such a huge slab of meat was beyond belief. 2 years later....I'm still digesting that carcass.
My all time disappointment....Gene & Georgetti in Chicago. Simply overrated...by far. I've had better steak at the Texas Roadhouse (no joke) at a fraction of the cost. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that sucker was running in the 3rd race at Arlington Park before ending up on my plate. It was a really, really bad piece of meat.
Keene's in New York City. A tasteless, dry (ordered medium rare) mess.
Del Frisco's in New York. The last time there, a bit of redemption was found. The steak was really good. The previous 2 times...not so much. The Dallas location is still very good.
Morton's in Los Angeles. How they managed to suck the flavor out of such a huge slab of meat was beyond belief. 2 years later....I'm still digesting that carcass.
My all time disappointment....Gene & Georgetti in Chicago. Simply overrated...by far. I've had better steak at the Texas Roadhouse (no joke) at a fraction of the cost. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that sucker was running in the 3rd race at Arlington Park before ending up on my plate. It was a really, really bad piece of meat.
Mar 22, 2011, 8:52 am
#20
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Most of the Ruth's Chris these days. Long in the tooth and forgetting some of what made the chain well known and patronized. Sort of an upscale Outback sort of place.
Chicago? S&W & Gene & Georgetti's. S&W? Too bright, too loud, uncomfortable, and with a steak of marginal quality, certainly not up to the price. G&G? Simply over-rated. Were it not so crowded (and honestly a bit over-priced), Chicago Chop House has always been a favorite, while for a group, there's usually some appeal to Gibson's.
Chains: Morton's? Generally, the package and promo are better than the product. Palm? I'm not sure from whence comes the almost holy reverence. I can recall having a fine steak in the NYC Palm, a treat from a well to do uncle, back in 1963, but repeats have been less than stellar.
Multiple disappointments? Any Shula's, at least the three I recall...
Lamented in their passing? For several decades(until he retired/sold out), we enjoyed "Paul's Porterhouse", a Dallas spot run by a childhood acquaintance, low key, comfortable, careful service, always ready to handle at a moment's notice a group of a dozen, for groups providing not only the "regular" wheel of cheddar for an appetizer, but always serving a cup of quail soup and a small "Bananas Foster" dessert as part of the entree price. Paul had served his apprenticeship running one of the "Old san Francisco's", an early venture into steakhouse groups.
Best steak, product and service matching the price, in recent years? Dallas's Pappas Steakhouse just West of Stemmons. White linens (heavy) and all the trimmings, but the typically over-priced over-blown wine list. I don't expect "Two Buck Chuck", but restaurateurs fall into greivous error by not offering some of the many fine wines of modest label and provenance. I understand that for most steakhouses, expense account dining pumps big dollar bottles, but a thinking sommelier could make the same profit by enticing me to buy 2 bottles (or in my case, 2 wines) at realistic prices (totalling the same gross profit).
Chicago? S&W & Gene & Georgetti's. S&W? Too bright, too loud, uncomfortable, and with a steak of marginal quality, certainly not up to the price. G&G? Simply over-rated. Were it not so crowded (and honestly a bit over-priced), Chicago Chop House has always been a favorite, while for a group, there's usually some appeal to Gibson's.
Chains: Morton's? Generally, the package and promo are better than the product. Palm? I'm not sure from whence comes the almost holy reverence. I can recall having a fine steak in the NYC Palm, a treat from a well to do uncle, back in 1963, but repeats have been less than stellar.
Multiple disappointments? Any Shula's, at least the three I recall...
Lamented in their passing? For several decades(until he retired/sold out), we enjoyed "Paul's Porterhouse", a Dallas spot run by a childhood acquaintance, low key, comfortable, careful service, always ready to handle at a moment's notice a group of a dozen, for groups providing not only the "regular" wheel of cheddar for an appetizer, but always serving a cup of quail soup and a small "Bananas Foster" dessert as part of the entree price. Paul had served his apprenticeship running one of the "Old san Francisco's", an early venture into steakhouse groups.
Best steak, product and service matching the price, in recent years? Dallas's Pappas Steakhouse just West of Stemmons. White linens (heavy) and all the trimmings, but the typically over-priced over-blown wine list. I don't expect "Two Buck Chuck", but restaurateurs fall into greivous error by not offering some of the many fine wines of modest label and provenance. I understand that for most steakhouses, expense account dining pumps big dollar bottles, but a thinking sommelier could make the same profit by enticing me to buy 2 bottles (or in my case, 2 wines) at realistic prices (totalling the same gross profit).
Mar 22, 2011, 9:45 am
#21
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In Seatown I like the Buenos Aires, the Brooklyn and even Daniel's ahead of El Gaucho, which I think is a big, expensive show put on for locals who don't have enough reference points to understand they're getting taken. (El Gaucho expands into B-tier cities for this reason -- not NY, Chicago or Vegas.) Avoid Morton's and Ruth's Chris.
Mar 22, 2011, 10:54 am
#22
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Why is it that I am confused by this OP? He says that the steak at Peter Luger was "one of the best he ever had" and then complains that it was too expensive and by implication (found in his thread title) that Peter Luger is one of "the most over-rated steakhouses..."
Then he goes on to say that he does "not mind paying top dollars for great food.."
So what does this OP mean by this thread? Is it that since he got the one of the best steaks he ever had he begrudged the check that he got even tho he claims that the money is not important when the food is great?
Then he goes on to say that he does "not mind paying top dollars for great food.."
So what does this OP mean by this thread? Is it that since he got the one of the best steaks he ever had he begrudged the check that he got even tho he claims that the money is not important when the food is great?
Mar 22, 2011, 10:55 am
#23
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In Buenos Aires.... Cabania Las Lilas is the best example of over-rated and super over-priced in the dead/grilled cow department....
Mar 22, 2011, 11:04 am
#24
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Morton's has disappointed me twice on the (lack of) flavor of the steak itself in two different cities.
Abe & Louie's in Boston is a notch down in atmosphere and two down in steak quality.
Shula's in Portland is completely disconnected price vs. value (no excuse not to go to Ringside instead!)
Palm and Capital Grille are probably fairly-rated but overpriced in every city.
I've actually been pleased at Ruth's Chris in two cities (but it's been awhile...)
Favorites are Ringside mentioned above and LG's Prime in Palm Springs.
Abe & Louie's in Boston is a notch down in atmosphere and two down in steak quality.
Shula's in Portland is completely disconnected price vs. value (no excuse not to go to Ringside instead!)
Palm and Capital Grille are probably fairly-rated but overpriced in every city.
I've actually been pleased at Ruth's Chris in two cities (but it's been awhile...)
Favorites are Ringside mentioned above and LG's Prime in Palm Springs.
Mar 22, 2011, 11:34 am
#25
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In Seatown I like the Buenos Aires, the Brooklyn and even Daniel's ahead of El Gaucho, which I think is a big, expensive show put on for locals who don't have enough reference points to understand they're getting taken. (El Gaucho expands into B-tier cities for this reason -- not NY, Chicago or Vegas.) Avoid Morton's and Ruth's Chris.
I'm a fan of the mac and cheese at El Gaucho
Peter Luger was just OK. They did have some nice wine options though.
LOVE the Primehouse in Chicago.
Mar 22, 2011, 12:22 pm
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Mar 22, 2011, 12:26 pm
#27
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In Seatown I like the Buenos Aires, the Brooklyn and even Daniel's ahead of El Gaucho, which I think is a big, expensive show put on for locals who don't have enough reference points to understand they're getting taken. (El Gaucho expands into B-tier cities for this reason -- not NY, Chicago or Vegas.) Avoid Morton's and Ruth's Chris.
Mar 22, 2011, 12:33 pm
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Mar 22, 2011, 12:43 pm
#29
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In descending order of most over rated:
1) Harris' in San Francisco
2) smith and wolinsky everywhere
3) mortons
4) Capitol grille
5) palm
these places, howver are great:
del friscos
bourbon steak in San Francisco
house of prime rib in San francisco
city hall in Scottsdale, AZ
In descending order of most over rated:
1) Harris' in San Francisco
2) smith and wolinsky everywhere
3) mortons
4) Capitol grille
5) palm
these places, howver are great:
del friscos
bourbon steak in San Francisco
house of prime rib in San francisco
city hall in Scottsdale, AZ
Mar 22, 2011, 1:52 pm
#30
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I, however, thought that my steak was excellent and it did not seem to me to be overpriced for New York. The wine was also not terribly marked up and had been perfectly stored. No matter what this OP has to say about it, this is a very, very good steak restaurant.