The Statler Grill

The Statler Grill overall score: 75

Groupon recently had a sweet steakhouse deal: $49 steak dinner for two that covers $18 worth of apps, $114 worth of steak, and $18 worth of sides. That's a steal! It turns out the restaurant was The Statler Grill, a joint I had wandered past a few times near Penn Station and always wondered about.

1) Flavor: 9

I had the ribeye, which was partially boneless at about 22oz. Nice and flavorful, cooked perfectly through the whole way, nothing uneven, nice and tender and juicy, well seasoned, well rested... It didn't need anything, yet there was just something missing that I couldn't put my finger on; maybe it was the atmosphere (see below)? Whatever it was I couldn't give it the full 10. My wife got the lamb chops, which were amazing; nice crust, not too gamey, but full of great flavor.

2) Choice of Cuts & Quality available: 7

The menu has the basics: strip, filet, ribeye, porterhouse. All seem to be prime quality. No specials, but they did have lamb chops and a veal chop to mix it up.

3) Portion Size & Plating: 8

We were full, so the size was good; I estimate the ribeye to be about 20-24oz (there were no numbers on the menu), and about 3-4oz for each lamb chop (6 chops per order). Plating is basic; white plate with meat + a little green garnish. Nothing fancy.

4) Price: 8

I wanted to give this place a 9 or 10 for price, since we paid so little for our meal, but the menu prices were high for dining without a sweet groupon. The ribeye was $54, lamb chops $48. Kinda pricey for a place like this. The lobster cocktail was $18, and the smallish sides were $9 each. If the atmosphere was a little different (see below) if might be worth it at full price, because the food WAS cooked properly and tasted great... but for that price, head over to Keen's, Wolfgang's or Delmonico's for serious atmosphere. That said, our meal, with drink, tax and tip included, was $42 over the initial $49 I paid for the groupon.

5) Bar: 6

The bar is kinda small and junky. It probably gets some customers who are awaiting their LIRR train, so not empty. They do offer some interesting beers and wine selections, and their martini was made properly, but this isn't really the kind of bar I'd want to hang at for too long. Contrast with Delmonico's or Keen's and you see what I mean.

6) Specials and Other Meats: 6

No specials! That's fine; after all, it is a steak joint. The basic cuts are all that is required. Other than that they had veal and lamb, a good deal of seafood and chicken as well, for the wimps.

7) Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8

We started with the lobster cocktail; nicely cooked, accompanied by some dipping sauces: a kicked up, horseradishy cocktail sauce, and a spicy mayo type sauce. The lobster was split in two long ways to split the tail meat, and the claws were pre-cracked and ready to devour. The creamed spinach was certainly creamy. What it lacked in salt and savory it made up for in cream, so it served as a good cut to the well-seasoned meat. I found myself dipping fork fulls of meat into the spinach with every few bites. Only bad thing: the size was a bit small. The order of fries was good too; crispy ribbons, well salted. About 2 potatoes worth, so also a bit pricey for $9. We skipped dessert. If I was still hungry, I probably would have rounded off the meal with some oysters. One thing looked particularly interesting on the menu: the Dr. Olsen Salad - basically a cobb with a seafood twist.

8) Seafood Selection: 8

Chilean sea bass, grilled salmon, shrimp scampi, crab cakes, and seared sesame tuna graced the seafood menu. That covers most bases, though there was no lobster aside from the cocktail. They also offered oysters AND clams on he half shell as apps (oreganata clams too - and nice move offering both clams and oysters), as well as fried calamari, shrimp cocktail, lump crab meat, and app sized portions of scampi, crabcakes and tuna.

9) Service: 9

Our waiter was really friendly and outgoing to all his tables - an older man - and the waiters were dressed in the classic shirt & tie manner. Crusty bread was hot when it came to the table, and served with a nice basic whipped butter that wasn't cold and solid.

10) Ambiance: 6

This place could use a makeover. It is not BAD inside, but it doesn't have a steakhouse feel (see Lugers) OR a fine dining feel (see Mark Joseph). It feels more like a Heartland Brewery, yet at least in Heartland Brewery you know you have a kickass bar/drink selection. The floors are nice; dark wood, Ceilings are high with the exposed warehouse look, and tables are what you would see in any regular restaurant. Walls are covered with random stuff like trumpets, artwork, etc. I think they need a new space, or a new decor. Even the doorway seemed cheap; more like a bar door or a standard storefront shop. It could be the location - it is directly across from MSG and Penn Station, down 33rd street about halfway to 6th Avenue, so it lacks a certain character or uniqueness trait. The bathrooms, cleverly marked "Joseph" and "Josephine" for men/women, were standard bar bathrooms - not dirty, but not the kind you expect in a fine steakhouse.

Ruth's Chris (NYC)

Ruth's Chris (NYC) overall score: 87

Ruth's Chris is a well known steak house chain across the US. I took my buddy there for lunch because he scored me an interview which eventually landed me a new jobby job. That said, this review should be taken with a grain of salt since we dined from a low cost prix fix menu. REVISED: On the second trip here, things have improved.  See text in italics for new additions to the review. First, some commentary about this place being a chain: Many people would frown upon the chain aspect. But I disagree. A chain of this caliber allows the large company making big money to spend a little more and go that extra mile.  With places like Outback or Fridays, they often cut corners to keep more profit... but a place like Ruth's Chris is putting the extra $ into their decor (it looks nice regardless of whether it is "authentic" or not), into the quality of the product, and into the service. I have to say - I like this place. And if the food is good that is all that should matter, right? Right.

1) Flavor: 8

The steaks were good: tender, well seasoned, and a slight gamey flavor that was JUST the right amount - enough to remind you that you were eating a quality piece of meat, but not too much to the point where you feel like you are licking the peri-anal area of a barnyard animal. Downside? They overcooked both of our steaks; I ordered a 12oz strip, medium rare, which was surprisingly thick for a small portion. It was medium in parts, medium well in others, and medium rare in other parts. UNEVEN! Hey - what can you do - it was lunch in midtown. My buddy ordered the petite filet with shrimp, medium, and it was medium well to fully well. What a shame. The meat was good though, so I am only taking off three points. Butter. BUTTER is the secret here. Everything is soaked in it. I ordered the ribeye and the fat cap on it was delicious. The cut was nice and gamey from the aging process, just like last time. There was a strip or two that I couldn't eat, but for the most part this was a great experience. My wife loved the flavor too. They serve it on a hot plate, which I dislike in general, but I ordered my steak a bit under just to be safe. As it turns out, they cooked it just right regardless of the hot plate. They've got the system down.

2) Choice of Cuts & Quality available: 8

The lunch menu had tons to choose from. Ribeyes, cowboy ribeyes (bone in), porterhouses for multiple diners, t-bones (which I think they call their porterhouse for one), strips, several portions of filets, and lamb. They did, however, stick to the basics. No skirts, flanks or anything like that. The quality is all prime and aged. Very nice.

3) Portion Size & Plating: 8

We ordered from a prix fix menu: soup or salad; petite filet + shrimp or strip; creamed spinach or mashed potato; strawberry shortcake with hazelnut truffles. Even this lunch special had great portions, at 6 and 12 ounces for filet and strip. Their regular menu items are average to large sized, but I took points off for the "hot plate" style of plating that I despise. It ruins meat, and it MAY be why our meat was overcooked. Meat, after cooked, needs to rest! The size of the cowboy ribeye was probably about 20oz.

4) Price: 8

Ribeyes are mid to high $40s, which is normal for NYC steak joints. Our meal was $75 total with tax and tip (the prix fix is $28.95 for soup (gazpacho) or salad; petite filet + shrimp or strip; creamed spinach or mashed potato; and strawberry shortcake with hazelnut truffles). Total meal for two on the second visit was $243 including tax and tip, which was with several apps, sides, drinks, etc. Not bad!

5) Bar: 9

The bar is nice looking - dark wood, fancy looking. I'd definitely hang here for a martini, which I didn't get to try during work hours. And wine - WINE - everywhere. It is part of the decor, since almost every wall in the hallways are also wine racks, you can't miss them. The collection is beautifully encased in glass and wood cabinetry throughout the entire restaurant.

6) Specials and Other Meats: 9

This is tough to rate on a lunch meal, but they do have chicken (for pussies) and lamb (for half pussies). As for the prix fix - it was awesome for the price. Well worth it. This place has some really great specials on and off the EXTENSIVE menu. Really take your time to poke around, because there are really nice surf and turf combos and price fix deals. Also they will pretty much accomodate anything you ask for. 

7) Apps, Sides & Desserts: 9

The creamed spinach and mashed potato were basic - nothing fancy - but when you combined a fork-full it was spectacular. The salads were basic, but my blue cheese dressing was top notch, with real chunks of blue cheese and a nice cream. The dessert, also, was basic, but the flavor of it surprised me in a good way (strawberry shortcake with strawberry whipped cream and hazelnut chocolate truffles). We had some new items on the second trip. The mandarin arugula and crispy prosciutto salad with shaved parmasean cheese was excellent, and a big portion. The sweet yet peppery, bacon-scented dressing was a great way to open the meal. We also had the spicy lobster plate, which was essentially a lobster tempura with a spicy kick to it.  Yummy! Last, we had the amazing crabtini. Get it. Big juicy lumps of crabmeat dressed in a nice aioli. Totally worth it. My wife had a price fix deal that came with a side of broccolini. It was essentially steamed but then topped with a savory parmasean cheese crumble. Not too bad. For dessert we had some vanilla ice cream (rich and creamy), and our anniversary plate had some fruit + cream, a bit of ice cream, and a thick, rich, coffee-flavored chocolate cake.

8) Seafood Selection: 8

I have to be honest, I didn't even look, but I will leave the score as a default 8. Some fools behind us ordered salmon - assholes. May as well order a plate of grilled veggies or a tofu steak, as my buddy said. They had an almond crusted seabass and some scallops on a price fix special that looked really enticing. My wife had a special seafood plateau that came with pre-cracked Alaskan king crab, a half lobster, and shrimp. The lobster was a bit over-boiled, but all else was good. They also have a good deal of other seafood items on the regular menu by way of apps, but not much in terms of mains. As such, I am keeping this as an 8.

9) Service: 10

Service is good here. They have male and female servers, but all wear the classic white button down with a tie of some sort. I didn't quite get into it with the waitress about the meat, and she almost brought us a plate of fries on accident, but all-in-all I can tell they know what they are doing. Warm crisp bread, spreadable, home-made whipped butter, nice tables, etc. They pay close attention to the notes you add when you make your reservation online. They wished us happy anniversary multiple times, and they even created a special seafood plateau upon request, even though they don't have one on the menu. They also brought out a special dessert plate with "happy anniversary" written on it in chocolate. Nice touch.

10) Ambiance: 10

Going into a chain steak house, I was expecting much less than what I experienced. This place is fantastic inside. Really beautiful, elegant, dark, woody, manly, fancy, and comfortable. Nice mural paintings of old style urbanites adorn the walls, which are half dark wood wainscoting on the bottom and half elegant patterned wallpaper on top (where there are no paintings/murals). An elegant stairway leads up from the entryway to an unknown dining area of further fancifulness. I didn't use the shitter, so I don't know how good it is. The shitter is nice. They have green marble tiles, dark wood trim and thick disposable hand towels.