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Culinary bliss. It's been a couple of years since I was last there so time might have embellished my experience to epic levels. I've done a lot of steakhouses in the Valley (Ruth's, Donovan's, Durrant's, Flemings, etc...) but the Filet I had at Mastro's was in a completely different league. It was like all of those other restaurants were toiling away in the minors compared to the major league taste that I experienced at Mastro's. The steak literally melted in my mouth....literally!
The price is up there it is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for the true red-blooded soul who wants to experience what steak should taste like.
I'm going to enjoy this review.
Let me first contextualize this review by giving you some background information:
-I have been to Mastro's, at least, over 50 times (very conservative estimate)
-I have had EVERYTHING on the menu
-I know nearly every employee there, from valet to kitchen.
So...let's begin.
I started going here about 8 years ago. People I know and associate with make this their destination of choice on a nightly basis and I frequently join them. This has given me the opportunity to try the entire menu and experience many nights of service.
SERVICE:
The service is great. No doubt about it. From the hostess to the bussers, their is a professional, cordial and attentive quality to the entire staff.
FOOD:
The appetizers are all great, but nothing innovative or spectacular. Any horseradish/shrimp fans should definetly try the shrimp cocktail. The shrimp are massive and the horseradish is the best you'll EVER HAVE. The seared ahi app is great too. Also, the mambo salad is great, as is the chop. Avoid the french onion soup.
The food is archetypal steakhouse fare. Sizzling, obnoxiously large, buttered steaks that come on an oh-so-hot plate. Sides that are decadent and come in huge portions.
The steaks are fantastic. Some of the best meat I've ever had in my entire life. My all-time fav is the Bone-in Kansas City strip. BUT you can't go wrong with the ribeye, porterhouse, new york...etc. I have been to Ruth's Chris, Flemings, Mortons, durants, donovans...and I still think mastro's has the best cuts in town.
The sides are a true treasure. You must absolutley get the Lobster Mashed Potatoes. Decadent and rewarding. The creamed corn is also excellent. The potatoes au gratin is also stand out. I'm also in love with the Gorgonzola mac and cheese. So creamy and rich its amazing. Heres a secret too, you can request to add, say, onions, tomatoes, bacon, jalapenos, into the mac n cheese...delecious.
The deserts are extravagant as well. The butter cake is hands down the best desert on the menu.
I could go on and on, but eh...i'll leave it at that.
People thought this was:
Everything here is the best of the best. You can't go wrong. My favorite restaurant of all time.
The catch?
Price.
However, if you're in the mood for something delicious and amazing without a worry as to cost, go get yourself Mastros. Now.
One of my favorite steak places and love the scene at the bar!
One of my favorite places to grab a thick juicy steak and martini. All the dishes I have had there have been great and the drinks are stiff. I also love the fact that the place is so dark the waiters have to use a flashlight to help you look at the menu. Careful!! Those plates are sizzling hot!! MMmmastros. I will be back again soon!
Great place is you have a very thick wallet. Steaks are beautifully cooked. NY peppercorn is my fav. Wassabi mashed potatoes, garlic snap peas and au-grautin potatoes round out the top sides for me. You can also enter the bar before 5 pm and order a house salad and ask to split it they are so large. Great way to save $$$ and enjoy the quality food. They are very accomodating. Butter cake for desert chocolate or vanilla bean are so rich you will need to share.
People thought this was:
There's no question that the beef here is first rate; you likely won't find a better steak in Arizona. But, you pay out the butt for it (is that a rump roast?). Clearly not a place you'd go to often unless you really like beef and hit the lottery recently.
So, why the 3 stars if the food is so great? At these prices I'd expect to be able to hear my dinner companion. The din is loud from the bar and the other tables. One word Mastro's: acoustics!
People thought this was:
I've been to Mastro's maybe four or five times now, and Saturday night was probably the best. As far as service is concerned, with the exception of some slow bartending, it's all very smooth. I'm typically not a huge eater, but somehow I managed to finish a 28 oz porterhouse. No idea how. And some gorgonzola mac n cheese (this is a must). There were lobster mashed potatoes. Seafood tower, lobster, crab, huge shrimp and oysters - I wasn't thrilled with the oysters but everything else was very good. Sorry, the details are all a blur, their bartenders pour a wicked Manhattan. My steak was cooked to rare plus and it was perfect.
What made this an extraordinary experience was the table - we had a glass window directly into the kitchen. Ask for this table. I've sat near the bar before - it's crazy loud and conversations are very difficult.
I have not had a bad meal at Mastro's.
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Ok, I'll admit it, I am a bit of a steak snob. You see, for many years I was a vegetarian and now I am making up for lost time- with yummy steak. Long story short, I send a lot of steak back for being over cooked. I don't like it raw, just cooked right. Medium rare- warm pink center. Not a crazy way to order a premium steak, no?
The worst offender for overcooked beef is Capital Grill, hands down. Not necessarily the Cap grills in the valley, they are actually pretty good. Beware of the Capital Grill in Detroit. Come to think of it, beware of Detroit in general. But I digress...
Saturday night I had the most perfectly cooked cow I can remember. A chunky delicious cut of meat with a seared crust and a very perfect center. I did not have the sides that night, but they are great. Drinks are plenty big and the bartenders know how to make a perfect Rob Roy which is a plus.
Finally, I think this location makes it even better. It is occasionaly a little crowded, but most of the time it is just about right. Enough folks around to make you feel like you are out on the town, but not so many you feel like you are at a middle aged college bar.
To Mastro's- well done! Uh...I mean medium rare...
People thought this was:
Awesome. Best steak in town. Better than Ruth Chris and The Capital Grille. We went late about 830 on a Friday recently. The steak came out sizzling in hot butter. The sides were quite good, and the drinks were well done. You must try the butter cake, it is like eating a piece of heaven. Great selection of breads they give you too.
It was not noisy when we went maybe because it was later, think we will stick to the later in the evening time in the future. Two people, two steaks, two sides, two salads, 2 wine, 3 margaritta cocktails = $250 with
tip. We will return for special occasions. That steak was amazing by the way.
People thought this was:
BEST STEAK OF MY LIFE!
I'm actually not a steak girl. I like fish, chicken and am even starting to experiment with tofu. But at Mastros, even the most avid vegetarian is making a major SLIP by not trying the steak.
You walk in and are immersed in the beautiful aroma of delicious steak (I almost cannot believe I just typed that but it seriously was a great smell!). We had a reservation and sat in a lovely dark room with really interesting decorations and lovely jazz music playing. The dinner was a celebration of the beginning of my school year and the end of my boyfriends summer semester and I really do not think we could have had a better meal to celebrate.
I began with the most amazing cantaloupe martini on the face of the earth-so cool and ooh so refreshing. We were then greeted with our bread basket full of a variety of lovely starches- pretzel rolls, olive bread, sour dough bread and crackers were all nicely arranged for our viewing and eating pleasure. Believe me; it is hard to not get carried away!
We each started with salads. I had half of a chopped salad and the bf had half of a Cesar. We were both very pleased! After the salads I had the salmon (SLIP SLIP) which was wonderful but nothing anywhere near as amazing as Brian's bone in fillet (recommended by the server over the fillet). For our sides we shared steamed broccoli and creamed spinach. I loved both although Brian claims that Morton's has better creamed spinach (but not better steaks). Between the two of us we had plenty of food and I even took half of my delicious salmon home-leaving no room for dessert.
The service was the best I have had. The valets even gave us bottled water for our drive home.
If you want to reward yourself or others with an amazing meal and all around perfect dining experience, this is your place! Where it lacks a view (like Elements) it makes up for in premium service and food!
People thought this was:
Our Cow, who art in cow Heaven, Meat be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in cow Heaven. Give us this steak our daily Meat, and forgive us our slaughter, as we forgive those who slaughter us. And lead us not into vegetarianism, but deliver us from hippies. For thine is the fields, and the Meat, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen!
The Meat Gods had really shined upon me this time. An all expense paid trip to Arizona with Mastro's as my first dinner. Sweet!! The hotel had called ahead to get us a table for 7 in the bar area, oops, they called the wrong Mastro's. Not a problem, as the staff here quickly made us a table.
Once seated our CEO ordered bottle of wine #1 and I got a Grey Goose tonic as well. That's when I notice the lounge singer! There was this guy in the corner of the bar just butchering every top 40 song from 1970-1990. Total American Idol first round reject, but mildly entertaining with his wretchedness. Our server was also a fun kooky guy, I wish I could remember his name to give a shout out, oh well.
We then got down to the nitty-gritty, the food. I smelled a few sizzling plates as they passed by and new anything I ordered would be top notch. I opted for the ever fatty and best cut of meat in my opinion, bone in ribeye. 22ozs of wonderfully marbled meaty goodness. Along with that our table ordered a half dozen oysters, giant shrimp cocktail, I got my own Caesar salad with anchovies, and there were some veggies that never made it to my end of the table.
- The oysters were spot on. Just a dash of horseradish, lemon and hot sauce perked them right up.
- The shrimp cocktail contained some of the largest shrimp I've ever seen! Just eating three of them would have filled up any mere mortal.
- My ONLY complaint with Mastro's was my salad. I love anchovies in my Caesar and they were happy to add them, but they gave me whole, oily fillets. The little guys needed a quick rinse and then should have been shredded in my salad. Oh well.
Next came the meats. Behold the power and the glory that are lumps of flesh sizzling on a 400 degree plate!
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Our server saw me trying to take a picture and he was gracious enough to shine a light on my prize so I could better document the momentous occasion.
The ribeye was as good as steak can get. The fat had rendered into the meat and made it extra tender and delicious. The edges had nice little crusty bits and just the right amount of seasoning. Oh lord it was good. Along with the meats, CEO man had ordered bottle of wine #2, I ordered vodka tonic #2 and servers were heaping portions of spinach, asparagus and mushrooms onto our meat plates.
As I neared the end of my hunk of sizzling love, I felt massive meat induced coma coming on. Thinking I would have no room for dessert, I ordered a white Russian to top off my meal and to send me into a tipsy meat sleep. But oh no! CEO man ordered 5 desserts for our table! And damn they were good! The chocolate cake was so good that we ordered a second slice as we finished the first one. Along with dessert, Italian CEO man felt that we should all have some Tuaca to top off dinner. I ended up having two since someone did not like theirs.
I left happier and slightly drunker than I've been at dinner in a long time. An absolutely spectacular dinner!
People thought this was:
If you live out in North Scottsdale and are shopping for a superannuated trophy wife, this is the place for you. Lets talk about the food. The waiters have the annoying habit of repeating and defining what it is you have ordered--describing the color and temperature of the inside of the steak. The meat is clearly prime-28 day wet aged no less I am reliably informed by my new pal Sean K, and frankly is excellent, but the overpowering sense of the roar of people meeing and congregeeting--its just not a place to go to eat. The novelty drinks far outnumber the bottles of wine. Maybe thats OK. Maybe not.
People thought this was:
Yuh remember my review of Hidden House & their $6 steaks?
Well, this ain't no six dollar steakhouse!
Mastro's food is excellent! Their service is excellent! The staff is very attentive without being intrusive.
HOWEVER, (and this cost them a star) it is NOISY! If you want to carry on a conversation over dinner, or you want a quiet romantic meal, DON'T go here. It's a loud as some rock concerts. If that's your thing, fine. But, be forewarned.
People thought this was:
My husband treated me to the steakhouse of my choice for Mother's Day this year. I've already been to Ruth's Chris and Durant's several times so I thought I would take a leap and go with Mastro's.
First off, we ended up driving to the BFE location in North Scottsdale. Silly me forgot there is a location on Camelback. After driving close to an hour (the 101 was closed) to get there, we were wishing we would have just hit up City Hall instead.
Once we arrived we were surprised to find the restaurant as busy as it was. Sure, it's Mother's Day and all, but we weren't expecting to dine alongside swarms of young children. The restaurant itself was very loud and the ambiance was left to be desired. Flashbacks of Durant's and Ruth's entered my mind, and I remembered a quiet, relaxed and private dining experience. Not so much here. The servers seemed very rushed and actually appeared to be a bit sloppy in appearance. I also felt somewhat overdressed (in heels, nice pants and a nice blouse) compared to our fellow patrons, which was sad considering. Perhaps it's because it was Mother's Day and mothers felt it was alright to dress down and relax, or whatever.
Now onto the food (and drinks). The hubs ordered the Perfect 10 martini and absolutely loved it. I opted out of drinking (after all we were an hour from home, who would drive?) and instead drank just water with lemon. We each ordered an appetizer salad: the caesar and beefsteak tomato with mozzarella. Both amazing. The tomatoes were flavorful and the mozzarella was very fresh. For entrees I ordered the 12 oz filet (the hubby doesn't eat meat) and we shared sides of steamed broccoli, sauteed asparagus, and garlic mashed potatoes. I ordered the filet medium and it indeed arrived medium, however, the plate was so flippin' hot that as I went to cut into the meat the plate sizzled and splattered all over me (and yes, I know this is how they do it, but maybe they could tone it down a few degrees?). Ouch?? The meat was very crispy on the outside and slightly difficult to cut into. Should I really need to saw into my filet and chew it until my mouth hurts? I don't think so. I much rather prefer the steak at previously said locations.
The sides were also lacking in....something. I'm not sure what it was, but they didn't quite hit the spot. The asparagus was overcooked and rather weak looking, the mashed potatoes lacked flavor, and the broccoli was served in two large crowns that were rather difficult to cut into.
While the servers seemed very busy, the service was actually impeccable. Probably the best thing about the evening. I also received a pink long-stemmed rose, which I thought was a nice touch.
We ordered dessert to go (the Three Layer Chocolate Cake and Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries) and both were divine.
We're thinking next time we go (if ever), we'll sit at the bar, order an appetizer and just kick back a few drinks. I won't take the time to drive back here again. At least not on a holiday.
This used to be one of my favorite restaurants :( We noticed that right after it changed hands the service wasn't as good as it used to be, but when we went recently it seems to have improved.
The food has always been superb- even if you aren't a steak eater, you are going to love their steaks (aged in-house)! I am also a fan of the spicey Mambo salad with wasabe dressing (Mastro's salad is also really good, topped with a big shrimp, mmmm), the chilean sea bass, and my all time favorite sinful splurge has to be the gnocchi side dish with cheese, lobster and truffle oil. Oh yes. The Mastro's potatoes are also nice and cheesy and one of my favorite sides.
The butter and lava cakes are also a nice way to top off the evening. Don't even think about getting a seat at the bar if you go on a weekend night at 7pm (and you will probably need to call in your reservations at least a week in advance during season), but you can do some good people watching- twenty somethings that think they are all that, ladies of the night looking for sugar daddies and sugar daddies abound! My father in law even ran into Jenna Jameson there (yes, it was an akward conversation :)
They have a really nice private dining room that looks in on the kitchen (really fun to watch them hoppin' in there!), but it has recently changed- be prepared to provide a credit card and commit to a minimum for the room these days. This is a great place for a special night out, a big celebration, or a fun place to have a nightcap after a crazy night.
So a good friend of mine calls me up late Friday and says, "hey, I had a great 2007 and I just got my bonus check. Let's go out on the town and hit it hard....on me." I'm like, seriously...um....ok....cool. Thanks for the invite."
So he, myself and another friend go to a wine tasting at my development, then off to Mastro's for a big meal afterward. So it's 9:30pm, no seats open yet, so we hit the bar. I'm all about premium bourbon; I loves me some Knob Creek. Sadly, Mastro's is just a 1 ounce pour place. Such is life, but $11+ for that 1 ounce? We chatted up some single, yet older women at the bar. Everyone's in a good mood, we couldn't stop laughing at the one-man band in the corner. The guy didn't sing, he emoted, sort of in the same fashion Eric Roberts acts. (ya know, that ardent, truthful, yet overtly cheesy way....)
Our waiter, Brock, was a good guy, great service (I just couldn't stop thinking, "Brock Landers" of Boogie Night's fame). We ordered an absurb amount of food/sides - 5 piece large shrimp cocktail (very good), crab cakes (not worth $28, but tasty), salads, a few other things I can't remember right now. I ordered the chef's choice NY Strip. It was quite large, it was cooked well, but quite honestly, it wasn't the best piece of steak I ever had. Especially for $48.50..... I miss Sparks in NYC.
$350+ later, we were well fed, we had enough alcohol to sound like 17 year old Irish kids from Long Island singing Billy Joel's "Piano Man."
We then headed off into the night, to a suburban cheesefactory, San Felipe.....
People thought this was:
I don't quite get it. Am I naive, not part of the "in" crowd or not tipping the right people? Our experience at Masto's started off a little rocky, but wound up being okay.
We arrived 15 minutes early for our 6:00 PM reservation Sunday evening, no problem because the place is dead, right? Not so fast! We get taken to the worst table in the farthest corner of the restaurant while passing by 80% of the tables that are empty. Luckily we noticed right away the table would be a good fit for 12 people not a party of two which we were. They graciously reseated us at a small table for two which was much better.
Now, after that you may think, why'd this guy give them four stars. Well they redeemed themselves a little later. My partner ordered an ice tea which they were temporarily out of. How does that happen by the way? Out of Ice Tea? But I digress, they wound up bringing him a complimentary Ice Tea once they had brewed a new batch.
I guess you probably want to know about the food. I started with the Beefsteak Tomato and Onion appetizer which was excellent, my partner loved his loved his French Onion Soup. We both had the Bone-In Kansas City Strip his was a little undercooked and mine was just perfect. We shared the Au Gratin Potatoes and Creamed Spinach...both were excellent.
We'll give it another try sometime when we're in the mood for steak so hopefully we can have a Five-Star experience.
People thought this was:
One of the best meals of my life! There was way too much food served, but the leftovers were just as good as the first time! Lobster mashed potatoes and snap peas were SO good. I ordered the Sea Bass and it melted like butter in my mouth! The seafood tower over dry ice was very exciting and delicious as well. This is a great place to celebrate something special or splurge BIG time!
I was down in Scottsdale for a conference for work. We had Saturday night to roam free. I was in a t-shirt, jeans, and flip flops after a long torturous day of stuffing binders. Definitely not dressed to impress, but dressed for a Ho Down at the BBQ place a block from the hotel.
My co-workers and I ended up driving to around and exploring Scottsdale where we decided to have steak at Mastro's instead. I have to admit I felt a little intimidated to go in at first seeing I wasn't too glammed up. However, once we were seated, the waiter was super nice and didn't intimidate us at all. I had the the 8oz porter and we ended up trading in our spinach for deep fried onions.
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"You're not allowed to have more than 3 martinis."
That was our rule for the bachelor, which we reminded him repeatedly during the 2 hours we were at Mastro's. We were in Phoenix for his bachelor party and didn't want to relive his last Mastro's experience in Beverly Hills which consisted of four martinis, little memory of the evening, and an $80 cab drive back from Beverly Hills to Pasadena.
This Mastro's is, like the ones in BH and Costa Mesa, dark, swanky, modern and upscale. But, there's something a little different. The Costa Mesa one is a little too hip for its own good, but the decor here fits the clientele. It's Scottsdale for Pete's sake - it's not THAT hip.
The martinis are HUGE. They'll fill your glass to the rim and give you the shaker which has almost enough for another full martini.
The steak I had here (bone-in ribe eye) was much better than the one I had (bone-in NY strip) at Costa Mesa. It came a little underdone - I asked for rare-medium rare - but that's much better than even a hint overdone. Still, it had good flavor, was well marbled, and came with a nice crust.
The sides are nothing home to write about. Don't get conned by the lobster mashed potatoes. It's a gooey mess of potatoes with overcooked pieces of lobster. The other sides are fine.
We had 3 bottles of the 2004 Chateau Montelena Cabernet (Napa Valley). The mark-up was about 100% of retail, but the wine was good. Rich and vibrant, solid fruit and nice acidity.
Most of the us (there were 10) were very happy with the food and the service was very good.
If I could give 1/2 stars, I'd give it 3 1/2.
People thought this was:
Run by the same folks who operate the Ocean Club, all I can say is Wow!!!! By far, the best overall dining experience I've had in Phoenix. The service was exceptional; the ambience reminded me of how you used to see people dining back in the 50's and 60's in the movies at a swank restaurant.
The escargot were wonderful, the shrimp perfect, the french onion soup was one of the five best I've ever had anywhere. And that brings us to the entrees and sides. My mouth is watering just remembering the meal. The steak I had (porterhouse) was done to perfection, the sauteed mushrooms were flawless, and then (and I'm not a mashed potatos person) we had the most amazing mashed potatos I've ever had... called lobster mashed potatoes, they were a side which was more expensive than several of the entrees, but I will have them every time I go back, and I intend to go back quite often.
Make reservations, this place is always packed.
There is a seperate more casual area with live piano music which we sat in briefly after dinner, but will definitely go back to.
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This is owned by the same people who own Ocean Club up in Kierland. Great food, very good service.… Read more »
I love Mastro's, BUT be careful if you want to go there for New Years Eve. Cost is 175.00 per person with a pre set menu.
I wish I could slam down 5 stars, and some day I may, but for now, I have to ding them for overcooking my $45 steak. In the tradition that Ruth's Chris started, Mastro's brings out your steak on a 1000 degre plate (or something like that). All that does, other than provide sizzle when the steak is delivered, is continue to cook your steak until a mid-rare ends up mid-well. Too bad because the flavor was great. We began our night at the bar, which was extremely slow, given the fact that it was not even busy. We sat down and our server was very good at trying to upsell everything. We had the seafood tower since there were five of us, and it was pretty good. Their lobster mashed potatoes are a must have. The wine list is priced very high. Most bottles are a minimum of 3x retail. I miss California and corkage. I have excellent bottles in my collection and would gladly pay $20-30 to bring them to a restaurant. The 2003 Margaux ran $3,600 a bottle, and it released around $899. That's crazy to me. Overall, I think I would go back and give them another shot, but I can't say this is the best steakhouse I've been to.
People thought this was:
Mastro's serves up the best steak in Scottsdale. They also offer delicious seafood and excellent side dishes. Prices are steep. After 10pm this place becomes a pick up joint for gold digging women seeking sugar daddy's.
People thought this was:
Of Fleming's and Mastro's in this area, Mastro's has the better steak and service. On a pure "best beef" level, The Grill at the TPC is probably the best, but it's also the most expensive. The new Capital Grille at FLW and Scottsdale is now my favorite for steaks. I got a bit tired of Mastro's rub (only because I ate there too often). Mastro's gets a one-star deduction for the noisy bar and for the back dining room (you don't want to get stuck back there). Great wine list.
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Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Shoe Stores
Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Steakhouses
Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Italian
Paradise Valley, AZ
Category: Restaurants
Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Steakhouses
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