Izzy's Steak & Chops
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
91 reviews
Palo Alto, CA
"Last night was my first real Brazilian dinning experience and I loved it. The decor of the restaurant was sophisticated and 1st class…" read more »
91 Reviews for Izzy's Steak & Chops
Not quite sure why this place has 3 stars I really loved this place the food and service were excellent I had (salmon and my b/f had lamb) the hot goat cheese salad is the best I've ever had. I will be going back.
I must say I was pretty impressed. My first Izzy's experience was in the SF location and it did not go well. So I was a little guarded walking in to the Peninsula locale.
With four people ordering four different cuts of steak, I thought the kitchen might be thrown off a bit. Especially when you add that all four were requested to be cooked differently. (MW-M-MR-R)
Ordered were the filte mignon, the NY steak au poivre, a rib-eye, and a prime rib. All were cooked to perfection. I was especially nervous for two of the people in my group...PIIIICKYYY!!!! They ate there steaks without a sigh, shift, or comment. I ordered the prime rib and I actually liked it better than SF's HouseofPrimeRib. One of my sides was brought out wrong but it was okay because I secretly wished for it anyway! Izzy's own potatoes are HELLA good and highly recommended.
The ambience is somewhat classy. Very darkly lit room. But it works for the location. Huge parking lot is a bonus. Friendly service all around. I'll return for sure.
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**WARNING** This review is about their bar, since obviously to anyone who has consumed alcohol with me knows fully well that when I drink, I don't eat. The night usually ends up with me in a fucking mess, BUT, you know, kinda cool.
-_-;;;
Last night my company decided it would be cool to celebrate a deal they just landed at Izzy's. Of course, staff were invited and that means Jaime gets free drinks. Which is good AND bad. Mostly bad.
We're sitting around, and being the little attentionwhore I am, I order a Kir Royale--no one knows what this is. NO ONE. So they ask. EVERYONE asks. "Oh, you're a bartender? WOW, that's so cool!" Uh huh, sure. Because serving drinks to a plethora of drunken assholes at 2am and having to break the news that the tequila is gone is SO glamorous. But I smiled and continued to drink.
And lookie here, there's another Kir Royale in front of me!
Oh! And another one! Then by the end of that, I pointed to my drink and said "Empty", to one of my coworkers. Like a helpless lamb or something.
By my fourth glass of effervescent Operation Let's Make It So Jaime Blacks Out Tonight, I was doing a lot of *points to crotch* and screaming "THIS IS NOT FOR SALE".
Then I called a bunch of people cunts and next thing you know I'm waking up in bed wondering what the hell happened.
The drinks were pretty consistent--they used Domaine Chandon Brut, and I'm quite familiar (plus a fan) with it. So is my liver, apparently.
I'm pretty sure that I left my dignity here, too. Scattered on the floor somewhere along with what remained of my consciousness last night.
Um, 4 stars. Yay?
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I went there last night with my g/f for dinner..the place wasn't packed, thank God, so service wasn't too much of a problem
--I ordered the NY steak and my g/f had the prime rib..my g/f said her food was okay but she's had better
--my steak didn't taste like anything special to tell you the truth..I know how steaks are supposed to taste when they're aged 26 days and this one wasn't
--granted I do order my steak medium well so it's a bit tricky to get between medium well and well done but it's been easily done at finer restaurants
--the baked potato is pretty small..the asparagus wasn't bad but nothing special...the plate presentation seemed a bit ovewhelming in terms of space..the dish seemed a bit crammed, which could have been rectified had they chosen a larger plate
--I also had a glass of red wine and for 8 dollars a glass was poured a decent amount so i'll give them that
--I just feel that after tip and drinks, a tab of a little over 70 bucks could have been spent elsewhere for better quality food
--i'll give this place 2 1/2 stars
I am shocked at all the 3 star reviews!!
This is, hands down, the best steak house I have EVER been to!
I always get the brandy cream sauce fillet, with izzy's potatoes and creamed spinich. It is quite possibly the most heavenly meal to grace my mouth. In fact I am salivating right now thinking about it......
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I've been to Top Rated Steakhouses such as Peter Luger in NY, Charley's Steakhouse in Kissimmee. I know a great steak when I eat one.
I had the Rib Eye Steak $32 and was not impressed. It was dry and not aged. The creamed spinach was not creamy. The baked potato was small and looked cheap. Come on, get a big Russet Potato, it only cost pennies more.
Bad service. Servers name was: Suey, a young Chinese woman. She ignored us during the meal and was super-silent. I overheard a blonde waitress asked her table if they wanted Horseradish sauce, wow, wished Suey had asked that. Got more help from the runners.
Will not come here again, I suggest you don't either.
I went here with my friend from work. I was told that they are known for their prime rib. It was good, but it like any other prime rib. For the price, I expected more.
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Hmm, I love steaks, but somehow I couldn't get satisfied with the experience from Izzy's. Maybe I should give it another try.
So a friend of mine said we had to try Izzys. It was ok at best. I had the Filet while Ian had the Ribeye. I felt both steaks needed a little more salt and pepper but the Izzys potatoes...wow....soooo good. Overall it was B-.The vibe was kinda dull and dead. Kinda like a mafia movie, I was waiting for someone to get whacked.
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We went to have dinner here as we had heard the steaks here are pretty good. So we decide to give it a try.
My Husband, mom, dad and I walk in. We did have a reservation BTW. Were given odd looks by the staff. Ok whatever we are here for the food.
We are seated and were given menus. 15-20 mins later they come to take our drink order, we try to give them our food order. The waiter said no I will be back. Another 20-25 mins he comes back to take our order. Food arrives 30 minutes later and is mediocore at best. Overall the staff was rude and unprofessional. For the record we did not dress up and went in business casual.
However when a group of men walked in with suits the staff fell over themselves helping them.
When I complained to the manager he quickly said oh its not because you are Mexican we have Mexicans working here. WTF? I never said anything about race dude. And yes I know proabably 80% of your kitchen staff is Mexican. Still 100% uncalled for, his comment made me think they have had these kind of complaints before.
I will not be back. If the manager thinks you are complaining due to the color of your skin they don't need your business.
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I've lived in the area for most of my life, but I've never been to Izzy's before. When I want to go out to eat, I never think "steakhouse"... both for budgetary reasons and just because it's not my tendency. My dad barbecued many weekends of the year when I was growing up, so I never had to look elsewhere for flavorful chunks of meat, and he always fixed different cuts of meat than the "fancy" ones so I never know what the heck all the cuts are like at restaurants anyway.
Anyway, so I went to Izzy's with a large group of people for a friend's bday. I was happy to see marinated skirt steak on the menu, since my dad did make that cut of meat and I know I like it. Also, it was one of the cheapest cuts. :D It didn't disappoint.
I also had creamed spinach and Izzy's potatoes. The creamed spinach was only OK, but the potatoes were excellent. Somehow I finished all the meat (there was more beef there than I probably eat in 6 months) and all the vegetables. I was quite full, but didn't feel as bad as some other more gluttonous members of the crew. ;)
We all got a taste of the massive slice of cheesecake with strawberries they brought out for the birthday boy, and it was pretty good!
The service was friendly, but since we were kind of hidden away in a separate room, it could have been more attentive. But we left happy, even if some of us were a bit discomforted.
How could something so good, go so wrong? My roommate and I prefer this location to the one in San Francisco, ONLY because of the parking lot. Even though she works in the Marina, at a place with a parking lot, where we can park for FREE! Why don't we just park there, you ask? Well, it's a WHOLE two blocks away. She does not walk. I think she will now.
One day last week, we both were craving some good steak, and immediately thought of Izzy's. This used to be our favorite place, but a few things happened. This place just isn't as good as the SF location.
We began with a new appetizer they have; Cornbread, baked in a cast iron skillet. We had our requisite Cesar Salad, and it seems a lot smaller, even though we split it. French Onion Soup was the soup of the day, so of course we had to have it. This was very good, and one of the best I've had.
I had the "Cowboy" Steak, a bone in Rib Eye, but it really didn't do it for me like a Rib Eye should. As the SF location, you get two sides. Note that they removed the Roasted Carrots and Onions ... one of my favorites, and replaced it with Roasted Root Vegetables. They were NOT good at all. The Izzy's Potatoes were fine, but the missing carrots and onions overshadowed that.
Roommate had her usual New York, Izzy's Potatoes, and steamed asparagus. She reports it was good, but a bit off. I agree.
Combined with our favorite side dish being removed, everything being just a bit off, this places merits NO MORE than three stars. This location is a bit larger, and a bit more upscale than the club-y type atmosphere in San Francisco.
Well, TWO for the food, and one more star for the good service. Looks like roommate is going to have to learn to walk two blocks for a good steak!
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Finally! After living in San Carlos for almost 5 years, I made it to Izzy's. Some of my former Weight Watcher buddies had warned me about their potatoes (au gratin style)...in a devil on my shoulder kinda way. I can hear them now, "if you're going to Izzy's you HAVE TO GET THE POTATOES!".
I ordered the lamb- haven't eaten lamb in 24 years- hated it then and LOVED it now. Perfectly cooked and a thick cut- nice. I ordered asparagus and a baked potato as my sides. I know what you're thinking...wait...she DIDN"T order the infamous potatoes or spinach?! Don't worry, I tasted off of my mother's. Yum for those who like it rich.
We shared Creme Brulee for dessert and left satisfied in every aspect except....
Service.
What happened? Do I have a knack for getting the new servers? Does my server not want to sell more to get a bigger tip? There was NO upselling. Not a suggestion for starting with an appetizer or a salad. I would have added a salad but forgot. I actually kinda missed it but decided the cold basket of bread would have to do. Why wasn't I offered another alcoholic beverage? I assure you I wasn't falling over drunk, acting obnoxious or hitting on the staff after just one. Why wasn't I offered coffee with my dessert? I would have enjoyed that too. Ahhh... how I long for the restaurant that will give me a discount if I do half the server's job. I LOVE good service. I am a crazy good tipper.
I will return to Izzy's and hope for a better service experience. At least I learned that I like lamb now...and only a mile from home...maybe I'll bid on the 4-H County Fair lambs next year. Yummy.
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After reading so many mix reviews on Yelp, I am going to be as fair as I can on my review after my visit to the restaurant 2 days ago.
I was very impressed by their service. The staffs were friendly, attentive and were checking on you frequently to make sure everything is ok. Even the bust boy had a smile on his face the whole time and was extremely polite.
I purposely ordered steak to see if they really are good as a steak house plus the waiter enthusiastically recommended their ribeye. Result: I know I should have ordered medium rare instead of medium, but the dryness and the bitterness of the ribeye steak was just unforgivable. The famous Izzy's potato certainly lives up to it's hype. It was creamy, tasty and super delicious. It's not very common that I get more impressed by potato than steak, but that's what happened to me at Izzy's.
They don't have a big dessert selection, but the quality was decent. My creme bulee was very rich and vanilla-ish while my friend couldn't stop complimenting about her chocolate cake.
Overall the experience was pleasant even though the bill was quite... unpleasant. For the $$$ you pay, I would probably expect even better quality steak or a nicer selection of wine list. Will I come back again? I might if somebody else is paying for it ;-)
5 star service + 3.5 star food + 1 star for the $$$ bill = average at 3.1666666666666666666666667 stars
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My 2nd time there, first time was a slow Thursday night, food was ok at best service was bad. would have given it a 1 star. Was part of a party there again last Saturday evening, what a difference. Steak was great, side were even better. This time would have got a 5. If I had one word of advise, order your meat a bit less cooked than you would like it. Both times meat was just a bit over med rare, which is what I ordered, but still the second time was worth the first. I will give overall 3 stars and after another try I hope to come back and increase to 4 or 5.
Not too shabby...even by Montana standards. I had the special when I went...which was apparently a side of beef described as a ribeye steak! I swear my head weighed less! But very tasty (though not really better than ones I've barbecued at home) and the taters and creamed spinach were yum yum yum. Nice atmosphere and good food. A bit pricey, but I'm finding that ribeyes are apparently worth as much as their taste proclaims! Filet mignon be damned...I'll take a ribeye any day!
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I love this place. Let's just get that out of the way from the beginning. I order the izzys potatoes and creamed spinach as my sides every single time, although the piece of meat varies. Most recently it was the prime rib (10 oz) and it was awesome. I will agree that sometimes their creamed spinach can be runny, but not always or even usually. The drunken shrimp appetizer is awesome, it and the calamari are all I ever order.
I'm not a fan of a lot of the nicer restaurants in the area, so I always come here when its a special occasion. I also always ask for Joachin as my server, I have had 2 others and they were miserable servers. Joachin is the best, he is on top of his game and he makes sure to take care of all of your requests and/or needs.
Lots of love from me for this place, but different strokes for different folks.
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Ok so like the people that gave this place bad reviews have obviously been smoking some bad crack. I was hesitant about coming here based on some of these reviews, but I'm glad I did.
The place was packed (that should tell you something??) but we were able to get a table next to the kitchen, which doesnt bother me at all. The waitress was EXCELLENT. So friendly, knowledgable and just all around pleasant. The bread was delicious and the drinks were to die for. I've never had a better lemon drop martini!! My boyfriend had a long island iced tea and he said it was perfect.
You must get the New England Clam Chowder. Omg it was SO good and I dont even like clams. I could have eaten my boyfriends whole bowl. Next time I know to get my own!
The wait for the food was minimal at best. My bf had the ribeye and wow that is a HUGE steak! Cant complain about the portions thats for sure. I had the baby back ribs which were very delicious and tender. The house potatoes are fabulous, I definately recommend them as a side. I had steamed broccoli as well and my bf had the baby vomit spinach, or whatever you guys called it. It actually was not that bad.
So all in all I was very happy, impressed and full with Izzys. Just when everything was perfect we heard two servers talking and I heard one tell the other about a lady at a table and the other guy said "Ask me if I give a shit". So that wasnt very pleasant. I really believe that it just depends on which server you get. I think some of the yelpers here may have gotten this guy as their server!
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I usually order the Rack o Lamb and ask for a side of the butter sauce. No complaints with the lamb and the portions are nice. My last two trips to Izzy's I have tried a Ribeye and a Filet, for a steakhouse they could do better.
Izzy's is passable but it has several serious flaws which I am all too happy to highlight for you.
1. Their appetizers suck.
2. Lobster Bisque is thinner than one of the Olsen twins by herself.
3. Their salads suck.
4. Most of their sides suck.
So why have I been there many times? Well, the location is great. For a while it had no local competition. Now there is Town, Porterhouse, and Outback all within a short drive from Izzy's.
If you just want a steak and potatos, get the Cowboy Ribeye and Izzy's Potatos. This is always pretty good and has been the special every time I have been there for years. Everything else pretty much sucks.
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I took my mom to Izzy's for her bithday on May 8th. We love Izzy's! Never once had a problem. So like usual I made a reservation with my favorite server for 8:30 that night. We get there and they tell us that he wasnt working that night. So we didnt think much of it , we were there mostly for the food anyway.
We sit down, no water was served, no bread, no drinks were refilled. The server was a stuck-up asshole; if I remebered his name I'd post it online so people would know to aviod his dumbass. And even the bussers were idiots.
So dissapointing! Service was terrible! I would never go back if it wasnt for our favorite server being there.
WARNING: Be careful eating here if you arent white.....
For some reason, the sign for this place has always been a "turn off." The signage is cheap and makes it look like a western sizzlin' BUT I went here with a famiy friend and was actually pretty pleased. The inside is much more pleasing than expected and we were seated immediately (on a Saturday night - not always a good sign!).
I had a burger and it was pretty good. I likes the garlic mashed taters and the steamed broccoli, as well. Not the best burger I've ever had, but it was tasty, for sure. Everyone else seemed happy with their food too. Pleasantly surprised by this place!
So i really haven't had steak for quite a while and i'd always seen this place from the freeway and since the sign looked cheap i assumed it was a stop for truckers or something, well i was wrong and its a semi fancy steak house. The filet mignon was good but not great, their rib eye probably isn't worth getting, "izzy's potatoes" are basically scalloped potatoes and would be the side of choice in my opinion. for an appetizer we had a goatcheese salad which was honestly the best part of our meal, we also had cajun fried clams which were tasty except that i almost chipped a tooth on one of them because they left the shell on which is honestly inexcusable but i dont' like to make waiter's lives harder so i didn't complain. On another note the service was great.
Decent steak, good scalloped potatoes, unremarkable baked potatoes and mashed potatoes.
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Ambiance: It has an old original steakhouse feel to it.
Order: Prime Rib, Garlic Mash Potatoes, Asparagus
Quality of Food: Prime Rib was cooked very well (Medium rare), Garlic Mash was up to typical standards.
Size or Portion: GYNORMOUS! Get ready to unbuckle your belt
Service: Avg
Overall Score: 3 1/2 stars
Comments: If you are looking for a hardy, simple, decently priced steakhouse. This place is for you.
Okay....It's a steakhouse. It's not the best, but for the price I think you're getting a pretty good deal. I think I'm a bit biased because it's close and I can wait for my food to go or eat at the bar while watching ESPN.
I'll start with the the pros....1. the bar 2. the bar and 3. yeah, you got it! The bartenders know their stuff and have a solid 'customer is alway right attitude.' They are creative and generally pour solid drinks. Decent wine list and about 12 beers on tap.
Let's move to the appetizers....I think they rock also....My favorite is the roasted mussels...you'd better love garlic. Use the bread to sop up the juice, you'll be happy. Fat, fat, happy happy fat, fat!
OK... The steaks...The original Izzy's on Steiner Street in SF is a whole different ambiance and the food may be a little better just 'cause it's original... but the SC Izzy's still has it's good points.They have one in San Ramon now too. Probably still working out the kinks.
The New York Steak Au Piovre.....Au Poivrie...Au...Awww..fuck it...The one with the brandy cream sauce! Or do the filet medallions au whatever....! I know I preach that we should revel in our fatnesss....(a.k.a. whatever makes you happy) but I would bathe in this sauce!....Dip the sourdough bread in it....you'll be happy/sorry.... Anyway, other great dishes are the chicken picatta, the pork chops and and the rex sole. The wedge salad is good but it could use some bacon and/or red onion.
But find a prime steak dinner that includes the sides for 25 bones anywhere around the .Bay area... and I'll...well, I don't know what I'll do but I'll be impressed! The deserts serve their purpose, nothing special.
Great atmosphere, plenty of parking...give it a shot. Be fat, be happy!
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After hearing about Izzy's from a number of friends I decided to take my wife, son and his wife for a red meat dinner. I came away feeling that this place was just ok. First of all, the waiter never informed us of the specials that night but he did remember to inform some of the people who came after us. By that time, we had already submitted our orders. This outfit tries to be a Smith and Wollensky wannabe but just doesn't make it. Sure, their prices aren't clost to S and W's but their quality isn't either. My wife and son ordered the 10 oz. prime rib and even though it was done to the correct pinkness, it was tough! I mean, how does an outfit, whose specialty is supposed to be steaks, chops and prime rib screw up a prime rib??? At $18.95 a copy, it was poor. We would have gotten a better prime rib at Mime's at a fraction of the cost. I will say however that their roasted mussels were outstanding. The service was fine as was their way of stacking all the condiments on a small ledge on the wall off the table. That was very clever! Will I give Izzy's a second try? I doubt it. Not for what they charge and the quality that's not there.
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The "Izzy's" sign that you see from the freeway is deceiving. It's actually quite nice inside. I don't eat red meat so I ordered their only fish on the menu. I did not like it at all. But my companions ordered the New York steak and the bone-in prime rib. They really really liked it. Also I think the fried calamari is good. It tastes better than Macaroni Grills'. Their entree comes with several choices on the menu just avoid getting the creamed spinach (they were runny) and the Izzy's potatoes (which is the scalloped potatoes) I did not like at all. Maybe next time I'll try the fried oysters and fries.
This is a great place that serves up traditional steaks, chops, fish and a few other dishes. The sides were great, I ordered steamed asparagus and broccoli and it was very good, not mushy or loaded up with butter. The atmosphere is nice, good place to take family or friends, not too loud so you can have conversation but also not too quiet.
I have to say the one downfall to this place is the location. Its totally in an odd area and that is the reason it has taken us so long to try it out. Both my husband and I were surprised by it though, the inside of the restaurant is so much nicer than it seems from the outside. Its totally worth the try!
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Don't let the sign from the freeway fool you.... Sitting in between a Burger King and a small airport, I thought this joint was going to be an old runned down place, but to my surprise, it was a bit fancy and inviting inside.
My coworkers and I had dinner here and I ordered the pork chops while the majority of my coworkers ordered the filet mignon. My $18 pork chop was nice and thick with perfect grill marks however, I must say, I was a bit disappointed when it didn't taste as good as it looked. Throughout my meal, I was envious of my coworkers rare cooked filet mignon.
On a positive note, the service was great and my Izzy's potatoes were the highlight of my meal. Plus, my boss expensed the entire bill!!! I would rate them with 2.5 stars and would consider going back to see if they can really earn that full 3rd star.
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Izzy's is a mid-level steakhouse. Wife and I stumbled in here aware of what we were getting into. Wife had the New York for $25 which includes two sides and I had the crab cakes for $18. Wife asked for medium rare and she got medium. The second time around it was more rare than medium rare.
The creamed spinach looked very runny like a baby got sick kind of runny. A loaded baked potato gets you sour cream, some chives and butter. No fake bacon to be found. The crab cakes were okay, but didn't know they would be fried. The bread pudding was a welcome surprise and the best choice of the night.
Considering what you get, Izzy's is a decent value but I would not recommend it for upscale steakhouse dining and honestly what you're getting is reflected in the price. The consistency in the quality and taste of the meat has been up and down the times we have gone.
The saving grace for this visit was our server Tisai. She was extremely nice in making our visit as good as possible despite the mishaps with the steak. I would recommend her.
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i reside only a few miles away so when my buddies wanted to get together at this restaurant i had very few objections. i did check yelp first so my expectation levels were set knowing that the prices were fair.
against the warnings of my fellow yelpers, i selected the correctly identified sub-par prime rib. however, i was still disappointed by how sinewy and chewy it was. my friends seemed pleased with their ny sirloin and rib eye, but i suspect it was out of politeness.
the special potatoes weren't so special. the only reason i would give it two stars was that our waiter was extremely amicable and attentive. we sat around chit-chatting and he didn't even rush us. we ultimately gave him a fat tip and parted ways.
This steakhouse was out in the middle of nowhere (my thought when we arrived, hehe...). I would never imagine a steakhouse in such a location. It's right next to San Carlos Airport, along Highway 101 off of Redwood Shore PWY exit. And did I forget to mention Burger King is on the other side of the parking lot? hehe...
We were there for dinner. Dim light, pretty romantic. But I guess all steakhouses are pretty much the same =) Service was pretty good except one little incident. Our waitress ran into another server and ice water got spilled on her shirt and she used the "F" word in the middle of the dining area to the other server, and followed with some mean comments, which caught my attention... I can understand how she can have such a reaction, but I thought her response was a little inappropriate considering where she was standing... but that's more of a management issue, not mine =(
NEW YORK AU POIVRE ($26.95) - with cracked pepper, cream & brandy, medium rare. It was a very THICK piece of steak. Very juicy and tender =)
PRIME RIB (10 oz. $21.95, 14 oz $25.95) - I had the 10 oz and it was enough for me. Medium rare, and prime rib never go wrong for me. I was happy =)
All dinners come with two sides, except the "Light Choices" dinner, because it's smaller portion and cheaper in price.
The overall FOOD experience was nice, but it was a little pricey. I might return, maybe for special occasions, hehe...
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I am not a red meat fan, my husband is and loves a good steak so we went to Izzy's for his birthday dinner. I loved the decor inside, very red and decadent...and their steaks are too! And it was packed busy with people on a Saturday night. My husband had the New York strip, my brother had the Cowboy steak which was the special of the night. I did'nt want to order seafood at a steak restaurant so I had the Prime Rib (well done for me.) All the steaks were very good but I especially loved the creamed spinach and the garlic mashed potatoes. All in all, it was good but not spectacular...I give them 3 stars.
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Izzy's is fine as steakhouse's go, though its quality varies highly from very good (but never excellent) to occasionally poor. One standout is the bar - fantastic bar and good barkeeps - not a bad place for a traveler to pop in and get single service late in the evening.
I used to live up the street from this place and I had the pleasure of conducting informal interviews here on the company's bill. The food wasn't bad. I liked the streak, the salmon and the drinks were flowing too. My servers were great and very accommodating. They didn't do that "hey can I get that" over and over, and they did make sure all was well.
It looks nice on the inside with sort of a dark but classy look. The inside is sort of split into a few areas. There is a quiet room in the back for a large group or if you just want some privacy. Very close to the little san carlos airport and just right off of 101 so the location is really nice.
However the second time I came back though it was a personal visit. I sort of ordered carelessly the same way I did previously. However the bill was mine this time. It stung, it stung real bad. Not worth the price but definitely worth a try.
I know, it's near the SC airport. Does that mean they have bad steak? no.
As a matter of fact, I ordered the 14 oz (small by my standards, but it looked bigger than usual to me) Prime Rib, medium rare, natch, and loved it. With a side of cream spinach, and some asparagus (I am going full bore Atkins lately, screw potatoes, they create Jared-from-subway-like freak shows).
My companion had a large salad, and liked it enough to take a doggy-bag home. No, they are not versed in creating tin foil swans, so 1 star deducted :-)
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I'm a big fan of steak places, but I'm not a fan of this place. I do enjoy the potatoes here though. Avoid the steak.
I love Izzy's but only give it four stars because many of my friends don't. It's not terribly vegetarian or fishatarian friendly (but what do you expect from a place called "Steaks & Chops").
I personally love the Drunken Shrimp as an appetizer (ask and they'll do it) as it has hints of Killer Shrimp in Los Angeles.
You really can't go wrong with a steak here. The sides are great, too. Especially the ones recommended by the restaurant (Creamed Spinach and Izzy's Own Potatoes) though they are definitely not for the light diner.
One of my personal favorites about this place is the bar. Great bartenders that know how to mix an excellent martini and don't shy away from pounding out some mint for Mojito's.
Izzys is the place of choice for my co-workers/college/high school friends to go for birthdays and celebrations.
It's located in a peculiar place in San Carlos.
Off to the east side of 101 and right in front of a landing strip and right in back of a Burger King!
Once inside, you get that old school steakhouse vibe w/the dark woodtones white table cloth and girls in white button shirts and aprons.
Once seated you see a series of older retired folk enjoy their last or second to last steak..adding on to their cholesterol intake.
You can get LOST in this place! My one high school friend (who we called Special E)tends to disappear in the bar area and just sit and forget that he has a dinner to go to! Well I guess that's not Izzy's fault. Special E loves to get lost anywhere! =)
Okay back to the restaurant.
The prices are in the 20-30 range..around the same as Cattlemens.
They cook things in a totally different way. Instead of outdoor grilled flavor like Cattlemens...Izzy's steak is old fashioned skillet grilled.
I wouldn't call Izzy's the fanciest, or the best, but they are def not the worst. They are a good steakhouse and have some good flavors.
My coworker who went w/me to Cattlemens's agree w/me in that we both prefer a steak w/some sauce and flavorings on it.
Izzy's has that w/the Peppercorn Cognac Encrusted NY strip steak. It's full of peppered goodness.
I have mine cooked medium and it was a very juicey/flavorful steak. It doesn't have the hickory flavor of more old west BBQ style steakhouses, but it does have full flavor in it's own right.
Izzy's is good for what it is. I just hate when people complain about what it isn't.
Is it GOURMET? NO.
Do you expect great service? NO..Adequate is fine.
Do you expect steller side dishes? NO..again..Adequate is fine.
Should you try and compare this w/a 5 star establishment?
Absolutely not and don't TRY.
It's always the crowd of people who expect their waiters to wait right next to them and run over to fill water after every precocious sip that have something to complain about. It's again an indication about their own iniquities than the institution they criticize.
Izzy's is good old fashioned food. Leave it at that.
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