Manhattan Steakhouse poll

[TMTTR]

I am a big Luger's fan -- but the best steak I have had on the island of Manhattan in the past 12 months was at Frankie and Johnnie's on 37th Street and that is not on the list.

You can never go wrong with S&W. Wolfgang's is also very good.

[The DaveR]

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All: I think Peter Luger is great, but somewhat overrated.


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I disagree. I think if anything Luger gets less praise than in deserves.

[NT!]

i went to ben benson's with killa and dr savage and was not blown away by it. i mean the food was good, but i spent more than i spent at P.L. and felt like i got less. plus i just hate eating out in manhattan, it is too crowded and loud and uppity.

luger plays right into my ideal type of restaurant (no frills, no BS, really good food and service) so take it FWIW, but it is by far the best experience i've had in an NYC restaurant.

[Tweety]

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The ommishion of Peter Lugers means you fail at Steak in NYC

yes I see you mention it but that doesn't mean it doesnt belong in this poll

same for Mortons, Ruth Chris or Ben Bensons.

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I was referring to Manhattan only, and I omitted Lugers because it's a one of a kind type restaurant, and there's no point in putting it in the poll because it will get at least 90% of the votes. I wanted to see where people stood on the Manhattan steak houses.

I've lived in NYC for 32 years and have been to Lugers at least 20 times and probably more like 30 times. I am aware of its greatness, trust me.

[Tweety]

For me it's honestly Sparks. I actually like the Post House for all the sides and extras, but for the steak itself Sparks rules Manhattan.

They also have a monster wine list and markup is pretty low.

[Tweety]

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i'm guessing houstons is too low brow to be included on this list? its a franchise and its not a nyc native but someone brought up ruths.

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Yup, too low brow for this list. I like going there from time to time but it's not in the same league as the restaurants in the poll.

[Tweety]

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Lugers is not located in Manhattan so maybe it should not be counted. Capital Grille is a chain and is mediocre imo ( someone mentioned this steak house) There are three which need to be considered. Benjamin's steak house is very very good, it is like a year old and is like a right off of e 42nd btwn Madison and Park, I believe someone from Luger's opened this restaurant. The porterhouse there is amazing. I also really like the rib eye at Frankie and Johnnys, it is in fact that best rib eye I have ever had. One other recommendation I would like to make for steak houses in NYC is Quality Meats on W 58th Street. They are also only a year or two old but I know it was named one of the 5 best new restaurants in NYC when it opened not too long ago.

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I've been to Quality Meats and it wasn't bad but you can do better for your money than that. It's a gimmicky restaurant that comes off as being better than it actually is.

Because of its novelty, it has a much better scene than any of the old school steak houses, but it falls well short of them when it comes to the meal itself.

[TMTTR]

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For me it's honestly Sparks. I actually like the Post House for all the sides and extras, but for the steak itself Sparks rules Manhattan.


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Problem with Sparks is that their sides are not even adequate -- they are terrible. Need something to eat with the steak, no?

[Tweety]

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All: I think Peter Luger is great, but somewhat overrated.

daryn: Peter Luger is sort of a "NY experience" thing in addition to the food. But if you don't care that much about that sort of thing and your friends are in Manhattan, I'd suggest Wolfgang's instead.

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I somewhat agree with this, although I didn't think Wolfgang's was quite as good as Luger's, and I'm fairly sure I could tell the difference in the blind between a porterhouse cooked in Lugers kitchen and one from Wolfgangs.

Lugers is an excellent meal, and that's pretty tough to debate. The rolls are awesome, the bacon is phenomenal, and the shrimp is also top notch. The steak itself, if you still have room, is pretty damn good too. Again, not refined, and if you want to look through a menu you're pretty much in the wrong place, but it's a great restaurant and not hideously expensive either.

I took a friend to Sparks on Wednesday night to pay off a bet I lost to him, and the bill was $550 for the two of us after the tip. Granted we got sucked into ordering great wine, but that simply would never happen at Lugers. I don't think i've ever spent more than $100 a head there after tip. Usually we just get beers when we go to Lugers and dont even bother with wine.

[Tweety]

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For me it's honestly Sparks. I actually like the Post House for all the sides and extras, but for the steak itself Sparks rules Manhattan.


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Problem with Sparks is that their sides are not even adequate -- they are terrible. Need something to eat with the steak, no?

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This is a very valid point, and I don't disagree. I was also disappointed that they couldnt put together a seafood medley for us- they made us order individual seafood appetizers instead of bringing out the nice circular raised tray like most places do.

So definitely good points- I just think the actual steak itself, which is the single most important factor, is superior to any of the other Manhattan restaurants.

The atmosphere is pretty beat- 75% tourists basically. Might as well be in Disney Land. But you're not really looking for a scene if you're going out for a steak, at least I'm not.