Uncle Jack's (midtown)

Uncle Jack's overall score: 83

Uncle Jack's has three locations in New york. My buddy and I decided to give the midtown location a try. Overall the food was better than good. I'd definitely give another location a shot, especially since I was pretty hammered toward the end of the meal.

1) Flavor: 8

I had the ribeye, and my friend had the bone-in strip. Both were pretty good, though I liked mine better. There was a slight marinade flavor to the meat that I wasn't sure I liked too much, but the fat was good and melty, and there was nothing left on the bone when I was through with it. Can't complain too much.

 

2) Choice of Cuts & Quality available: 9

Uncle Jack's has filet mignon in 2 sizes, a big ass ribeye, 2 sizes of strip, porterhouse for 2 or more, and a kobe selection as well. Everything is USDA Prime, and dry-aged for 3-4 weeks. Top notch stuff.

 

3) Portion Size & Plating: 9

For the steak, the filet comes in puss-bag size (10oz) or awesome size (16oz). I must say, ordering a filet here is manly. That's a full pound of no-waste beef. The ribeye is 30oz (bone-in), the strips are 16oz bone-in or 16oz boneless, and the porterhouses start at 48oz (24oz pp). Everything is pretty much on the large side here, which is good.

4) Price: 8

The price is a bit high, with the ribeye at $55, but this seems to becoming all too normal in the NYC steak world. Inflation is hitting the industry hard. Our total bill for a dozen oysters, the two steaks, two sides, and several martinis was $240. One great thing I noticed was that on Sundays they offer a $99 price fix lunch for two that comes with a shared caesar salad; crab cakes; choice of 10oz filet, 16oz strip, or a 2lb lobster; 2 sides; and dessert + coffee or tea. Freaking sweet!

5) Bar: 8

The bar is a little small; not the kind of place that will generate a crowd. But the bartenders are really nice, and they mix a good cold, crisp martini ($14). They offer a nice bar menu with things like kobe meatball pops and kobe sliders. A bit expensive, but it is nice to see the quality. They also have a pretty good single malt scotch selection.

6) Specials and Other Meats: 7

On special there were some appetizer items, and a veal steak. As mentioned earlier, they had kobe offerings, which is fantastic. This place doesn't fuck around. On the entree menu there is NOTHING BUT BEEF (and lobster under surf & turf). Good for them, but not good for everyone. I like the boldness but I can't give full points when the only thing regularly offered is beef.

7) Apps, Sides & Desserts: 9

We had a dozen Bluepoint oysters, and they were creamy, crisp, cold and refreshing. The creamed spinach was fantastic too - just right with the creamy and savory balance. We also had the sauteed mushrooms, which went really well with the spinach when you mixed them together. We skipped dessert.

8) Seafood Selection: 7

Uncle Jack's has no real seafood entrees, aside from a surf and turf item. I am fine with that, but it's a good thing I have balls between my legs, otherwise I might have wanted something more gay, like fish. For apps, they have the usual smattering of shellfish and seafood cocktails, but I can't give a high review. See #6 above. Without anything to offer, I can't give full points, even though I dig their boldness for holding strictly to beef.

9) Service: 9

Our waiter was good - he knew his meat well. He talked about the need to cook ribeyes a little longer than strips, so that the fat has a chance to melt away a bit more. On the table we had a nice selection of warm breads and rolls. The butter was a bit hard though.

10) Ambiance: 9

Uncle Jack's has a nice "exposed brick" look on the outer walls; elegant but classy and old fashioned looking. There's a beautiful half-spiral stairway that winds up to a second floor when you first walk in, and it looks over the bar from the balcony railings. The downstairs has a patterned tin ceiling, and the upstairs has ornate molding and recessed trims with dark cherry and marble accents. They rock the traditional all-male wait staff with bow ties and vests, black and white. The crowd was slightly touristy based on the cougar count, and based on the fact that the older couple next to us was up from WV for a 3-play weekend. Bathrooms were nice and clean, and smelled like apples and cinnamon due to a huge glass bucket of potpourri.