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Category: Steakhouses [Edit]
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South SideMarcy Ave (J, M, Z)
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 12:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
"Ate here the other night and it was so great! Our waitress was wonderful, extremely friendly and always stopping by to check in and was…" read more »
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Honestly, I'm slightly worried that I'm going to end up on a hit list somewhere for giving Peter Luger's anything less than 5 stars. Or I'm going to wind up on a do-not-serve (steak) list, which might be worse.
How do you review a place that already has 622 reviews? Honestly, that's how.
I've been coming to Peter Luger's with my parents and my younger brother once a year for at least 6 or so years now. Only once a year because it's WAY out of our price range. That's not why I'm subtracting a star.
This year, we made our reservation in Great Neck. My mom's friend, who SWEARS that there is only one Peter Luger's, convinced us to put our names on an in-case-of-cancellation list in Williamsburg. Because you cannot get a reservation there within a month. You just can't. And that's not why I'm subtracting a star.
We did get a last-minute reservation in Williamsburg and once there and parked (free parking across the street) we didn't have to wait long for a table. I had more than enough time to read the million Zagat review plaques hanging in the bar area, each proclaiming this place the best steak in the universe. Agreed.
I love the atmosphere. I love the dark wood paneling and the huge windows. I love that you can smell this place a mile away. I even love the gruff waiters who you often have to flag down to get a menu. Whatever. It's all part of the atmosphere. The place doesn't take credit cards, isn't big on customer service, and doesn't care. They don't have to. You can take your money elsewhere if that bothers you, because they have people waiting a month for a reservation. Again, that is not why I'm subtracting a star.
We ordered the sliced tomato and onions with steak sauce ($12). Where do they get these huge, juicy, beefsteak tomatoes? Heaven? Although I have to say, you are paying more per ounce for the tomatoes than you are for the steak. We also did a garden salad to share for the table. My brother puts steak sauce on that too.
And now for the piece de resistance.... the steak for 4..... comes out sizzling, pre sliced, scooped onto your plate and topped with "juice" (butter and steak grease? can i have some extra heart attack with that?) by the waiter. I'm in cholesterol, melt in your mouth, heart attack heaven.
But here's the minus one star part - the portion sizes have gotten noticeably smaller throughout the last few years. Steak for 4 used to be enough for 4. Now it's not. It's interesting - if you look at the Zagat plaques in the bar area, it tells you how much it used to cost roughly per person throughout the years. $45, $49, $55, $69..... Of course the price of things goes up, I expect that. But should portion size go down as well?
Not sure if this will fit into the family budget next year, which is a shame. If your wallet and arteries can afford it, go Peter Luger's Steakhouse or go vegetarian.
So it's good. But I felt that they didn't live up to all the type. Maybe I went there with really high expectations? Went there with my boyfriend and they seated us shortly after we arrived (we made reservations). The service was good and the decor and staff is very old-school, which I liked. The staff was very polite and friendly, contrary to all the warnings I've read. We got a steak for two, german fries, and canadian bacon. The bacon was okay. The fries were kinda gross..really salty, covered in orange grease, and really nothing special (should've gotten the spinach!). Okay, so the steak. Yes, it's a great steak: well-aged, good quality meat, cooked accordingly. However, I won't say it's the best piece of beef I've ever eaten blah blah. I was disappointed.
Bottom line: Good stuff, but not amazing. I guess it's something everyone should experience. I would go again if a friend wanted to go, but I don't think I'll be craving it.
This isn't a review of Luger's. It's a review of the people that have reviewed this temple of beef.
First off, if you give this place anything less than 4 stars, don't let service be the reason. The waiters here are professionals at what they do. If you want great "service" try TGIF or Johnny Rocket's.
Secondly, question the reviews of those that give 3 or fewer stars. I'm guessing that they gave 5 star ratings to Jamba Juice, Krispy Kreme or some all you can eat sushi place.
It just doesn't sit well with me when anyone can give this place anything less than 5 stars. However, I understand that extenuating circumstances can knock a star off, but not 2! The steak here is a phenom. The Porterhouse aka "best of both worlds" and Ribeye are best bets.
Professionals dine here. Professionals wait here. Professionals broil here. If you're not a professional, then maybe you should think twice before eating here.
Thanks...
This place is not too far from the subway station in Brooklyn and easy to locate. While we were walking toward the restaurant, the streets were beautiful and reminded me of a sex in the city episode. As we entered the restaurant, it was nice and cozy and full of people. There is a large bar when you enter and it was crowded with men having a drink or two at 2pm in the afternoon. We had made reservations and were about 30 minutes late, but the restaurant was still able to accommodate us!
When we sat down, we asked the bust boy for a cup of coffee and he said "no that's only until after lunch" and walked away. We were all kinda stumped since we weren't sure if he was kidding or not. As we got our bread, we asked our server if we could have coffee and he went to get us cups. I thought that was kinda an odd thing for the bust boy to say.
Anyways, since I'm not a big steak fan, I ordered the salmon (medium) and the rest of my friends got the steak for 3 (which was split with 4 people). The portions were enough for everyone and we also got the creamed spinach as a side to share. I really liked the salmon and it's probably one of the best salmon's ever eaten. My dish also came with 1 whole steamed potato and a side of cream spinach. The salmon was cooked crispy on the outside and nice and fluffy soft on the inside. The creamed spinach was ok.
As for the steak, I liked the way the servers had served our table. They came in a team of two people and started serving meat and creamed spinach on everyone plate. I tried a bite of the meat, but I didn't think it was too great.
Overall, I think I liked the restaurant because of the salmon, but since the steak was ok and this is a steakhouse I gave Peter Luger's a 3 star.
First off, the only reason there is minus one star, the crazy Q just to be seated with reservations, second, side dishes, not great. BUT, the steak was the best ever. I mean EVER. If I ever get the chance to go again, Steak (porterhouse) and Caesar salad!! The Jumbo shrimp salad looked really ono, however, I am glad we didn't get it. What we had was plenty and sooooo good. If you go to New York, go there. Cash only, not fancy, make reservations. It was worth the trip.
Service was really good, I always find, if you are nice to the waiter, make him smile, you are good to go.
The desserts where insane too, sadly all I could squeeze in was a bowl of fresh whipped cream!!! side car, coffee. lol
This place was definitely one of the best ways I've celebrated the day of my birth, right up there with seeing Pokemon: The First Movie exactly a decade ago.
Our server was pretty good, albeit a little absent, but then again the restaurant was totally full, so its not unforgivable.
Steak was heavenly, not a single piece left, or a drop of the sauce. I loved the bread, and the creamed spinach, and the ice cream sundae for dessert. One complaint, the German potatoes were slightly burnt, but I dont know if thats the way they're supposed to be.
All in all, after my metabolism and monentary units recuperate, I shall return.
I'm a little scared I'll be struck by lightening for giving Peter Luger -the Godfather of steakhouses- anything less than 5 stars. I'm even questioning it myself. But if I'm honestly writing about the experience, I have to give 4 stars for only one reason: the steak.
That's correct... the bread, bacon, tomato and onion salad, creamed spinach, German potatoes, onion rings, cheesecake, AND ice cream sundae were all insanely good (highlights: spinach, bacon, onion rings). The steak sauce is unique and tasty. The service was surly, yet somehow appropriate. Our table was great. We only had to wait 5 minutes for our reservation. But the steak -the coup de grace- was not my favorite.
We had one steak for 3, prepared MR. It was enormous and cut into pieces (as I had been expecting). What surprised me was the range in quality from piece to piece. Everyone got at least one great piece from the steak, but many were fatty, slightly tough, and markedly worse than the good pieces.
It could be a matter of taste... I usually order leaner steaks... but I have enough confidence in my palate to detect and appreciate all well prepared cuts of meat. I don't eat Kobe ribeye and spit it out crying, "Eeek! Too fatty!" There's good fat and bad fat. The pieces no one wanted were most definitely bad fat.
Speaking of fat... in case you can't get enough in your diet, they also ladle the rendered beef fat on top of your steak as they're serving you. Wouldn't want to miss out on that liquid gold!
Onto desserts: Cheesecake and ice cream sundae were awesome. If you actually have room for dessert, I'm impressed. None of us had room- we MADE room. Because that's what a real food lover does, baby! Prepare yourself mentally for the food coma of ages.
(Note to the ladies: don't wear your Herve Leger bandage dress. Trust me.)
You have to eat here. I think it's on the Top 100 things to try before you die. Whether or not you come back is up to you. 4 out of 5 doctors would recommend only trying it once... maybe twice if immediately followed by Lipitor and a marathon.
After reading all the hype from many, many resources. From co workers to restaurant reviews it would be tough to say that my expectation of the steak here would be no more that next to Godly. And needless to say that after I went here a few days ago for my birthday they are all right!
The decore needs something to be desired. Tables kinda rickety. Love the wood pannelling and love the classic bar as you enter. We sat in a corner and had no problem with the service what so ever. The server was there when he needed to be and not all in your face. We started to the BACON and let me be I'm sure not the first or the last to tell you that the bacon was amazing. Truly one of the best pieces of pork I have eaten and let me tell you I have eaten my fair share.
The steak came out cooked to perfection mid rare, and the sides were great too. German potatoes and onion rings. Crispy onion rings even towards the end of the meal. Love the way the steak comes cut off the bone and then drizzled with a little bit of the rendered fat from the plate.
Truly in a nut shell you come to Peter Lugers for the steak, and what a great one it is. Come hungry and leave happy.
I ate here years ago and it was one of the best steaks I have had. I came back 10 years later and it's still one of the best steaks I have had. We came at lunch and had the T-bone steak medium rare and it was awesome. I don't understand the ratings of less than 4 stars. It's clear that people like Lisa V. should not be eating at steakhouses if she orders Salmon, please Lisa don't eat at Peter Luger's anymore I'm glad you didn't like it so people like you don't take up reservations and tables.
How do you sum up the feeling of satisfaction where at the end of the dinner, you just prop your seat back and rest your two coupled hands on your now (2 notches on the belt loosened) belly while you let out deep breaths.
It is kind of comforting yet disturbing at the same time how a long historical steakhouse (where the ownership has changed frequently) that the place is so dressed down and family oriented, yet its priced pretty up there. Makes one wonder.
Regardless of the rugged service, and slapping the meat in a tin plate right dab in the middle, it just beckons for the animal inside us to tear up this porterhouse like savages. The porterhouse is their popular cut, and interestingly, its the cut that has one large side of the New York Strip and a small side of the filet mignon, both very tasty. When we told them meduim rare, it came out perfectly with a red center, often very difficult to cook due to the bone.
And the Peter lugers sauce (I still think its ketchup and jam) goes on everything, like anything you can see on the table deserves a slab of that good sauce. I had ordered the beefy tomatoes and onions, but realized it was just big cuts of raw tomato and onion.......slab on that sauce and it was all good.
I don't know if its because I rarely order porterhouse, but for this specific cut here, I am a fan.
I was so excited to come here that I was a bit disappointed on the food. Upon entrance, everyone seemed as if they were from the mafia (ie: dressed up business suits, tough exterior...granted I've never met anyone from the mafia). Anyway after my experience at Wolfgang's, I had an idea of how the service would be here. You would think that with so many employed busboys and waiters, that I wouldn't have to literally wave my arms to our waiter twice just to get a refill on coffee. Also, i had called the hostess twice to alert her that my friends and I would be late for our reservation. She basically said, "Okay okay fine fine whatever". I was super shocked but figured they were probably busy.
As we ordered, we asked the waiter if we can get a round of coffee since we were really tired and needed it immediately. The waiter then said, "When dessert comes," and then winked at me. I smiled at him thinking he was joking because who would deny us something we wanted right now as we were paying patrons? I also thought he was trying to suggest we should get coffee after eating the steak so we can fully experience the flavor. However, he wasn't joking!! HOW WEIRD IS THAT? So we didn't get our coffee until mid-course because we requested a 2nd time.
The bread was cold but good. There was a bread that had onion flavor in it, and another bread that was salted well. I think the bread would be better if it was hot but it was really yummy. Anyway, so our steak came and they served it like Wolfgang. (The server recommended porterhouse, and though I usually eat rib-eye, we took the server's suggestion since it was recommended.) Steak for 3 was good enough for 2 girls and 2 boys. My friend got the salmon, medium, and it was SO GOOD. Definitely a place for people who don't eat beef. Took a bite of the steak and I didn't say a word. It didn't taste terrible, but it wasn't amazing. Perhaps for a porterhouse it was amazing, as it was pretty juicy and pretty flavorful compared to other porterhouse that I've eaten. I wish I got a rib-eye steak so I can compare to what I usually eat. The spinach was really good and definitely the best I've ever eaten.
Next time I'm in NY, I'll probably go back and get the rib-eye. I won't completely write this off as a place where I wouldn't go back, but I wasn't really impressed with the service, or the steak.
Service: Horrible. They were polite but Balthazar's service just beat this place out of the water. I had to literally wave my arms in the air twice to get our waiter's attention to get a refill of coffee. Additionally, while I was trying to flag down our waiter, another waiter had saw me, stopped in his tracks, and then WALKED AWAY. WTF? Not mad as I had expected this but at least pretend that you didn't see me.
Two days before running the NY marathon, my husband was binging for carbs and protein so we decided to have dinner here.
Granted, the reservation was made a month in advance, so we were pretty excited. I was especially excited because despite living in NYC for 5 years, I never had the chance to go until now!
Well, the steak was good but truth be told, I WAS NOT WOWED. We asked for the steak medium rare, but it was seriously dripping red, and most of the center next to the bone was raw. I don't know about you folks, but medium pinkish red I can do, this I had a very hard time swallowing.
My husband (who always orders med rare) completely agreed. The sides were okay. The tomatoes and onions were a nice fresh veggie complement to our meal, but only after mixing it with the steak sauce.
We had the PL signature wine. Full Bodied and a good pairing. The waiter kept pressing us to order the spinach and potatoes and practically just put the order in himself. Spinach was good, but I'd pass on the potatoes.
I wanted to be impressed but unfortunately just found it to be good. I'd definitely prefer Maestros, Cut, or Lawrys..... 3.5 stars!
Really? Do I have to write a review? I mean.. c'mon, it's PETER LUGERS!!!
Yes, it's in a dodgy neighborhood, but if you can't handle it, don't come, it'll open up reservations for me & my tummy =)
#1 thing you MUST try is their bacon. 1 slice per bacon lover. My bf and I shared one, and I was eying his half the whole time.
Porterhouse for 2 comes sizzling hot in it's own grease and they cut it for you before it comes to your table and serve you the first piece.
Reservations are a must, a month in advance for dinner, a couple weeks for lunch/late afternoon meals. 2:45 was a good time to go, not too much of a wait, and we were done in time for a little shopping before our 8pm show on Broadway.
As everyone has said before, they only take cash and peter luger cards. About $150~$175 for 2.
Oh, did I mention the Peter Luger chocolate coins? yum yum.
Kat approved!
Good not great. Had better steak before. We had the porterhouse for 4 with the creamed spinach and bacon. The bacon which gets rave reviews was too much. Also the atmosphere was very touristy. Its an experience
What's all the hype about?? I gotta say I was not impressed -
The location is in a neighborhood just a bit too scary for me to have a girls night out. I made the mistake, and wound up with a bad case of the paranoids... what was that, who's there?? ...ack!!
The decoration is beyond outdated, its just plain lazy.
And lastly, I've actually tasted better steak on a good day at Outback... seriously. Nuff said.
The best food ever! I've always wanted to come here, but you HAVE to know someone to get it!! Period. I mean you can wait 6 months for ridiculous reservations or get a hook up. Anyways, I had the latter and as soon as we walked in the bar area was packed and we gave our names. Within 30 seconds we were seated. I gave this 5 stars because of the food, not because of their ethic.
They tell you only 2/3 times available to eat because the dining room is empty!!!! Then at 5:30 and 10:30 they fill the dining room so you don't see the trick. They want you to buy drinks at the bar for your 3 hour wait. I got dirty looks from the mob standing in the lobby all night. Not my fault, but seriously...it's worth it!!! Besides the shady practice, the food was to die for. Put this on your things to do before you die list in the top 10.
The steak was ordered for 2 medium. It was a little overdone, but still somehow perfect. We had the humongous shrimp cocktail, creamed spinach and apple something with the heavenly homemade whipped cream called slough I think?! Anyways I practically rolled out of there. The bill I'm sure was about $300. We each had 3 drinks! Worth the wait. The look of the place had a fancy masculine older feel. Kinda like your lawyer Dads office? Anyways call your NY friend to get you in and enjoy!
hands and feet down, the best steak i've ever had!! i mean, it was so juicy and perfectly medium rare i wanted to drink up the oil from the steak. it is very old style, they only take cash and the men who worked there looked like they've been serving at peter lugers for over fifty years. i saw joe macintyre from new kids on the blcok there and took a picture with him. peter luger's steakhouse phone number is on speeddial on rachel greene's (friends) cell phone. ;) celebrity whore i am and i love peter luger's steaks!
talk about OUTRAGEOUS!!! This steak is the absolute BEST. It's tender, juicy, and delicious. I had it with side dishes of creamed spinach and German potatoes. The creamed spinach is great . The German potatoes are very tasty.
DESERTS.......... I was full, but I just had to have the 'HOLY COW SUNDAE. I ate it all it was so good.
Service was good, ambiance was appropriate.
I'll definitely be going back.
Be sure to try the Canadian bacon, great appetizer
I'm generally not a huge fan of red meat but....this place brings out the carnivore in me!
Hands down the best steak I've EVER had!
No fancy decor or impressive ambiance - just delicious, melt-in-your-mouth steak. So juicy, tender, and buttery....
They are famous for their Luger Porterhouse and thick-sliced bacon.
You'll need to make reservations up to 6 weeks in advance...
And don't forget - it's cash only here!
Anybody that says Luger's is less than 5 stars needs to learn about steak a little bit more. This isn't Outback people. This steakhouse is all about the meat. Not the seasoning. Not the ambiance. Not that apple martini that you asked for but never got, cause the waiter smacked you at the back of your head.
This is Aged Prime meat at it's best. Simply cooked. Simply seasoned. Simply FUCKING phenomenal.
Don't be upset if the waiter looks at you unforgivingly because you ordered your protein medium well to well done.
This isn't for you if you like your protein with lots of Montreal Steak Seasoning....drowning in A1 sauce.
This isn't for everybody. And that's ok. Taste is relative.
But if you must insist on going, order rare, medium-rare, or medium ONLY. If you don't know the reasoning why....go ask somebody BIOTCH! And make sure you order the creamed spinach side. Yum Yum!
Otherwise, don't you dare make one negative comment about their meat on your review. Punk!
Went here with some friends from out of town and my expectations were sky high with this place. As everybody knows this place is the best steak house in the city and most likely the world.
We began our meal with the bacon. We ordered 6 slices of bacon. Truly an amazing app! I would highly recommend getting them "well done" as we weren't aware of this and received some bacon that was a little on the rarer side then what we would have preferred.
We had the porterhouse for 2 done medium rare. The steaks were large and cut up and ready to be served. The meat was the best steak i've ever had. The meat was perfectly prepared and both the filet mignon and sirloin sides were both tender and delicious. The steaks arrived sizzling in the plate and were both just perfect.
We also ordered creamed spinach, fries and the German potatoes. All sides were excellent.
I would have to say that I have eaten at some of the finer steak houses in the country and this is one of the finest and best. Its surprises me that the place itself isn't redone to update it or make it more swanky. The place is very unassuming and very normal. I guess when you serve the meat like this you could have a picnic table and people would be ok. This is again the best I've ever had and my VERY high expectations were met well. I would like to point out though that to say this is the greatest by far is misleading. Is it great, yes, is it the best, yes. However a great steak at another place is just slightly below this place.
Another awesome thing to add is that they have a FREE Parking lot across the street. That's pretty impressive especially in city to be able to drive in and park for free. We actually went in the early afternoon, parked here and then took a taxi into the city and were able to park here all day for free. Not a bad option for your parking needs.
It's been a month since I ate here and I am still fantasizing about going back. I've ordered the steak sauce just to try and hold me over until I can get back there.
Let me break this down...
Either I have to go back and move every other 5 star rating of a steakhouse to 4 stars, or Yelp needs to give us a 6th Star to add on.
From the beginning, you enter this steakhouse and observe the wooden bar on the left. Sit there and order a martini or a bourbon drink. No cosmos, no margarita, no cranberry... just get a real drink and show some respect. Once we sat, our waiter took our drink order and was actually a bit more friendly than I expected. He was no frills, just business, so maybe some folks who expect servers to completely kiss their ass and wipe up after them would consider him rude, but I liked it.
Everything is amazing here. By all means, order plenty of the bacon appetizer. It's by the slice and it runs about $3-4 each slice, but the slices are like ham steaks. The beefsteak tomatoes are great as well. As a mid course, we ordered some lamb chops. These were outstanding, but not necessary.
Now for the steak... okay, you can order steak for 2, 3, or 4 people. These are T-bone cuts, and the house specialty. Get them. Depending on how much you and your friends/family can eat, a steak for 2 can easily feed 3 in my opinion (especially after the apps). Same goes for 3 or 4 person steaks. They are not cheap either. They also serve a ribeye cut, but we did not have enough people to order one of those as well. Next time I will try.
The steaks come out on large plates, pre sliced for your convenience. They place them on top of a saucer so the plate tips to one side. This allows the juices to run down one side, and you can spoon them over the steak on your plate. The taste was amazing. Those who don't realize this do not have the palate for prime aged beef. You can taste the fact that this beef is raised with care, fed a special diet, and has not been laying around or transported for months before cooking. It is dry aged on site and amazingly flavorful. I can't compare this to Kobe, it's just not fair, but compared to all other traditional beef (and cattle diets) this is by far the best.
And do not be ashamed to use their steak sauce. It goes with EVERYTHING and it's amazing stuff.
The sides are great as well. Very solid creamed spinach and the Luger potatoes are perfect. Yes, the sauce goes with them as well :)
Lastly, dessert was off the hook. I don't do dessert too often... I like one small bite of chocolate to leave a sweet taste, but get the apple strudel with "schlage". It's fantastic.
All in all, this place was worth the wait, and worth the crazy calls in order to get a reservation on my birthday. I will surely go back and hopefully take my brother some time. I recommend going with at least 4 people so everyone gets to share some good stuff. Enjoy!
I wish there was something special to say about this restaurant experience. I can not.
I have been looking forward to Lugers for YEARS. And maybe therein lies the problem. Too much expectation...not enough follow through.
The food was better than average. But when you're thinking it will be amazing, "better than average" doesn't really cut it.
I can say that their bacon itself was worth the cab ride over the bridge. Everything else... not so much. :(
Food = C+
Service = B+
Atmosphere = D+
Overall = C
Meat thrown on the table as though we were eating in a prison.
The meat was cut into bite size pieces, I have not had anyone cut my meat since I was a baby, truly bizarre!
We could have bought an entire cow, and had it butchered, for the price.
So this year turned out to be yet another boring Halloween for me which is why im writing this review of Peter Luger's tonight, after checking it out with the guys a few hours ago, as opposed to going crazy in the city right now haha.
First and foremost, let me say that the atmosphere seems to be a bit misconceived, judging from the other reviews. Some people make it seem like a hole in the wall, which it is not. The Scene is an Old fashioned Country style setting which gives the place a comfy feeling to go with the bustling atmosphere. Its not the latest swanky lounge by any means, but from my experience it was classy enough and had a relatively elegant crowd.
On to the food.... there isnt an abundance of options here so we skipped right over the appetizers and went straight for the meat. There was four of us and 3 people wanted their steak medium-well. I was the loner that wanted it Medium Rare. As we were placing our orders, the waiter recommended that we get the Steak for two because it was alot better then the Single Steak. Given that this was our first visit we heeded the advice and went with the Steak for four. Unfortunately that meant that i was automatically bunched into the medium-well group.
....and thats exactly why im giving Peter Luger's a 5 star rating. Even though i had the Medium Well, the steak was pretty much perfect and i can only imagine how much better it would be how i wanted it done. the Subtle hint of flavor added by their specialty steak sauce puts it over the top and is what really seperates it from the other top steaks in NY.
The Sides are simple but effective... good creamed spinash, german fried potatoes, fresh vegetables, etc. Certainly not the best sides you can find but they serve their purposed by being very well made and light enough to not overpower the Steak.
There are alot more fancy Steakhouses in NY with more selection, bigger menus, better bars, better decoration etc. But Peter Luger's is a simple place where you can taste years of mastering and perfection.
Their porterhouse was just fine. No seasonings. Only beef. Cooked medium, the center was buttery, and you couldn't taste or feel the grain. My verdict is that the steak was great, but not amazing. Try the creamed spinach (magically creamy without any obvious traces of cream) and the smoked bacon (very different than the kind of bacon you have at breakfast) was thick, smoky, fatty and delicious. I was disappointed by their bread, but let's face it: you don't come to Peter Luger's for the bread, or anything else besides the meat for that matter.
Porterhouse steak for 6 people, plus 1/2 a bottle of red wine and one order each of German fried potatoes and creamed spinach came out to about $70 person (including tax and tip). We each had more than our fill.
They do prefer cash only, but you may pay with debit (the server said they rarely split the bill more than 2 ways on debit cards so bring cash if you have a large party and plan to "split" the bill). Although the place was VERY busy on a Sunday night (our reservation was for 7:45PM), we were promptly seated, served, etc. AND they were perfectly okay with us splitting the bill between 2 debit cards and a pile of cash. Stay classy PL!
Clear why they have 1 Michelin star vs. having 2 or 3. Again, great steak, just not AMAZING.
Interesting. Not what I expected, but decent. I think I'll stick to the filet cut from now on no matter what and just avoid steakhouses like this that don't offer it :-) (I'm, a filet snob hahah)
Look, it wasn't bad, there is a "experience factor" indeed but if I'm going to spend that kind of money on a steak .... Not straying from Ruth Chris again.
Peter Luger's porterhouse steak, medium rare, with a side of creamed spinach and a glass of red wine . . . or the kind of mind-blowing sex that leaves you lightheaded and walking funny for hours after?
Hands down, no contest, Peter Luger's.
Best steak of my life. The Mortons and Ruth's Chrises will never be able to compare. If there's ever a reason to live in Brooklyn, this is it. (Sorry, people, I watch Gossip Girl, okay?)
So good I topped it off with a cigarette on the walk back to the subway, and I'm not even a smoker.
While I'm loyal to Manhattan's Old Homestead as having the best steak in NYC, I have to admit Peter Luger cooks up some good meats (though this is in Brooklyn, so the prize still goes to OH. Yes, I'm a city-snob. Your mailing address doesn't say 'New York, NY'? You do not live in the city).
This is not a place to wow your date or have a happy hour, or even to have conversation while you have dinner. This is a place where you sit at one of the wooden tables, place your order, and eat your meat. Period. I swore I heard the cow moo in the backroom before they brought out my steak, it's that fresh. I can definitely appreciate the no-frills approach to cooking their meats - the steak is delicious without any excessive amounts of spices/sauces added.
Remember to bring your cash, I don't think they take any other kind of payment - they are truly old-school like that.
Bad service.... Bad decor..... Great steak... Only cash.... The steak is great perfectly cooked and very tasty.... The bacon as an appetizer is a must and creamed spinach is very good.... Would definately go back...
i had to save luger for my 300th. it was just too perfect of a bday dinner not to.
have you ever had a group of friends who have another friend that you've never met and they go on and on about how funny he is and how "you 2 would get along so well! your senses of humor are exactly the same. i can't wait to get you two in the same room. it's going to be amazing!"? and when you finally met this friend you're completely unimpressed by their sense of humor which in turn makes you question your sense of humor and frankly how your "friends" perceive you. ever had that?
peter luger was nothing like that. i'd heard, over and over, for years how great peter was. how delicious peter was. how absolutely earth shattering the steak was and how the sides were just as special.
and he is.
that big, perfectly medium rare piece of meat that Mike (our Turkish now Brooklynite waiter) slapped down on the table was probably THE best steak i've ever put in my mouth. they cook the house aged meat in a salamander and the result looks charred to hell...the bone still kinda smoking on the plate...but inside the meat is perfectly aged and intensely flavorful. just simple, perfect steak.
the sliced tomato appetizer was a great start, however it was early November so i'm sure they weren't the best tomatoes they've ever served. the creamed spinach was delectable and the hash brown type potatoes were good but i think we should have opted for a baked potato ...a classic steakhouse side.
the service was efficient and gruffly old school. the atmosphere was about the same. but you and i both know that ain't why you go to peter luger.
visit peter sometime...you two are so much alike...you'll get along famously.
I went here yesterday for the first time, for a bachelor party. We had about 20 guys, and were attended to by about 5 waiters. The bachelor's brother, clearly a wise man, hooked it all up such that we didn't even order anything.
Only two questions pertaining to the menu were asked by the wait staff. 1: Does anyone not eat pork? 2: How do you like your steak? Given that information, they left the table, returning with our drinks and some bread. The start of an hour-long cavalcade of delectability the likes of which will, if we're lucky, stay in our arteries for decades. Food just started coming to the table, ably placed between our greedy, starved, cow-craving selves.
First came the shrimp cocktails... Monstrous shrimp,just the right blend of crisp, meaty, and shrimpaliscious. On the heels of the shrimp came tomato/onion plates. I'm not a fan of raw onion as an appetizer, I'm not sure who is, but the tomatoes were huge and delicious, so I had two.
Next, the bacon. Man, if you like bacon, you do not want to die without trying the bacon at Peter Lugers. Thick, chewy, still sizzling, slightly burned (in all the right places). The kind of bacon that requires 2 forks - use one to eat, one to fend off whoever is sitting next to you.
Then came the main attraction. Huge double-sized sliced racks of porterhouse steak, oozing with juices, which were collecting at either end of the plates, somehow still boiling . Five mammoth plates consisting of about 30 thick pink slices of beef each... and these weren't your gramma's slices, it took 4 bites to eat one. The steak came with creamed spinach, impeccably prepared, and hash browns, which were also on the spot, the perfect mix between medium-sized chewy chunks and small crispy shards.
After all of this, we weren't done. They had 6 or 7 choices of desserts - I went for the pecan pie, although the apple strudel was also calling in my ear. Along with the desserts came two humongous bowls filled with schlog, their insane German whipped cream. I could have bathed in it. I think a few of the guys actually did.
Yup, it was a total schlogfest.
I think in every review I write, I wish I could give half-stars. C'mon Yelp! In this case, the reason I do not give this 5-stars is as follows:
- the steak sauce is way overrated. It is basically just cocktail sauce with a little bbq sauce in it. I wasn't a fan, it was way better on the shrimp than on the steak.
- they had no hot sauce except tabasco. BIG FAIL.
- no oysters. yes, I know, Germany isn't really known for their oysters, but I expect great steakhouses to have them, and hey, tabasco isn't German and they had it, so, they coulda had oysters.
I had a lot of expectations for this place. I heard RAVE reviews from one of my best friends. That being said, the meat was good but not the best I have had. Try Chophouse in Chicago.
Anyways, I think the meat was a bit tough and hard to chew. The spinach and potatoes were delish as sides. And I liked the gold chocolate coins they gave us at the end of the meal.
Don't expect good service- they are busy!!
If you want to clog your arteries fast this is the place to do it!
I stuffed myself silly with the steak (medium) and bacon (and I normally don't like bacon!).
Let me say - that was not bacon I ate...that was pork heaven!
the steak itself is to DIE for! All the oily buttery goodness..
OH
MY
GAWD!
Spinach and potato also wonderfully delicious! I had the potato w/ the Peter Luger sauce and it was sooo yum!
can I tell you that I had leftovers (shocker of shockers) and had the steak the next day. I was disappointed to find that they didn't drench the doggy bag (yes folks...they place leftovers in an actual BAG) with the butter-y goodness from the plate.
After nuking - more oil and butter ooozed from the meat and I was once again swimming in artery-clogging heaven!
IT TASTED JUST AS GOOD! IF NOT BETTER!!!!
NOTE: do not waste your stomach space with the bread! I know you get hungry - as I did - but you will regret not having enough space to finish all the meat!
Unless you want to take back a doggy bag and re-live the wonderful meat experience all over again from the comforts of your kitchen...then by all means chow down everything you see!
Let's face, how can I possibly re-phrase what so many yelpers have already said more eloquently? Peter Luger porterhouse is one of a kind!
Some people say if you get the one for two, you get better cuts than the "steak for four". Some say steak for three is a good choice. I'll say it'll be slightly different every time, and it will be absolutely amazing every time!
A few notes on a Sept visit:
The manager and wait staff are actually very nice and recently accommodated our group despite being late for the reservation (we basically got there at closing time, but with good reason...!)
I wasn't too impressed with the creamed spinach side, but that's completely trivial.
Two very drunk, older businessman had accidentally swallowed a set of loudspeakers with their steak and were shouting at the top of their lungs, but again, I could not be paid to care.
Steak:5
Sides:4
Service:4.5
Atmosphere:4
Justification of claim to fame: 100%
Step right up and spin the Peter Luger Burger Roulette Wheel for your chance at getting anything but what you wanted!
I'm sorry, my table must've stuttered. When we all said "Medium Rare", you must've thought we meant "Surprise us!". Surely, that's why my dining companion to the left had a well done burger, yet the one on the plate to my right sprouted out red juices. By a stroke of luck, mine was actually medium rare.
A 1/2 lb burger for $8.99 is not a bad lunch deal, especially if you consider the quality of the meat. So slather on the Peter Luger sauce to rescue the otherwise mild tasting beef patty, and order a bunch of sides to give your taste buds a rest. The fries, giant thick slices of bacon, and creamed spinach all got nods of approval around the table. Finish the meal with a Schlag-laden sundae for that warm and happy feeling that can only come after consuming massive amounts of meat and sugar.
Honestly, I feel really cool that I finally went to Peter Lugers. I took my boyfriend here for his 30th birthday (what better way to show love than NY's best steak and bacon).
I tried to make reservations 3 weeks before for a Monday night and they were all booked! I freaked out, but then I kept calling and on that day was able to get 9:45 reservations. I was very skeptical but was shocked that when we got there, sure enough, the place was packed. Literally every table was sat. We were sat right away too, 9:45 on the dot, but I wouldn't underestimate the reservation thing even though some people on here have said you don't need them.
Our waiter was SO nice! He asked if it was our first time there and gave us menus and when over them with us (there are like 5 things on the menu). He told us what was worth ordering and not worth ordering. My boyfriend wanted his steak rare and I wanted it medium, and our waiter even said it would be ok to order the steak for 2. I was worried, but when the steak came out he worked it like magic! He served my boyfriend first (asked me if it was okay, HA!) and then "cooked" my pieces on the sizzling hot parts of the plate until they were medium! Amazing.
We also got some pieces of bacon, broccoli, and potatoes.
Best steak I've ever eaten, hands down. I only eat red meat on very special occasions (I just don't like it that much) and I will gladly eat here again anytime.
Lastly, Peter Lugers is super casual. There were some people dressed nicely (like me, because it was a "special" occasion), but there were lots of guys in hats and shorts and flipflops. Its VERY bright and loud in there, sort of reminds me of a cafeteria. No need to dress up.
What's the hype? The steak is mediocre to say the least. The sides are better. The staffs are friendly but the service is something else...And all this uncalled for attitude at the receptionist's desk is unwelcoming!!
Been there,done that - never again...
I feel this place is waaaay overhyped! Delicious steak? Yes! And now I get what people mean when they review it as a "man" steak. Its just steak! and it tastes like you just killed the cow and tossed it onto the grill.... or at least thats what I think it would taste like if thats what happened. It has the most "gamey" taste I have ever eaten in a steak and it tasted just as good when I got it back to California. Perfectly seared, thick and tender! The german potatoes are pretty damn good too! Overall this place has delivered but people have given it more credit than it deserves but i would probably not visit again unless I was passing through.
Prior to Peters, I went to a steakhouse which was closer to where we were staying in Manhattan. Benjamin Steakhouse which is apparently a restaurant which was started by one of Peter Lugers previous Chefs. Benjamins has a lot of similarities with Peters from the dress code to the menu and to the way they serve thier steak.... but the Steak and even the German Potatoes at Benajmins are hands down better than Peter Lugers and.... they take credit!! Thats a whole other review though.
It's not like I can say anything new about Peter Luger. Ignore all bad reviews based on service; attitude is a requirement to work there. And who cares: it's all about the meat. I've been for steak a few times. It's been a while but the heavenly smell of the sizzling steak when it arrives at your table is memorable enough to feed my steak dreams for life. If you offered to wrap me up in that steak and bury me in it, I wouldn't put up a fight.
And I finally tried the burger the other day. Holy. Cheeseburger. Batman. It was even brought home for me after sitting in a car for an hour and it was still a religious experience. Any burger purist would agree that the meat itself is simply the best in the city. Cooked just right (medium rare), juicy but not greasy, perfect meat-to-cheese ratio, and ideally substantial, not soggy bun. Whether they even offer toppings I don't know but it's irrelevant - this burger needs nothing but to be on a plate in front of my loving eyes.
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