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Category: Steakhouses [Edit]
Neighborhood: Midtown EastGrand Central (4, 5, 6, 7, S)
Lexington-3rd Aves-51st St (6, E, V)
"Let me lay it out up front. I prefer Ben and Jack's to Peter Luger. There, I said it. It all comes down to attitude. My experience with…" read more »
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Steak - cooked PERFECT. Not sort of, not close to, but PERFECT.
Service - Any place that's got the older gentlemen wearing the white coats, that you can tell this is their life, not just some part time gig while they try and make it on Broadway.... well.... the service is going to be 1st class.
OVERALL: If this is where Big Paul Castellano had his last meal, and a Mafia don can eat anywhere he wants, it's going to be good
For my sixth birthday I went here and ordered an entire lobster. I ate the whole thing.
I came back 15 years later and devoured an entire steak.
Nothing has changed in those 15 years. Not even their carpets.
Summary:
Food's good, atmosphere reminds me of a grandfather's balls.
The hustle and bustle in this steak house was the only thing that was memorable to me. Oh... and the tartufo!
I ordered the prime sirloin steak, medium rare. It was meh, especially for the price I was going to pay. There was just no flavor of the steak. I should have just bought the steak uncooked and cooked it myself. The side dishes were just as forgettable.
The tartufo blew me away... so good! For those who don't know, tartufo is ice cream enrobed in a shell of chocolate. But the dessert wasn't that great in order for me to salvage this review to 3 stars...
Dam good Steak. My Fave in Manhattan, but I like Luger's better for my Top Spot. My best times here, have been Private Wine Dinners.
I have been to a lot of steak houses in my time but this place has to take the cake for screwing. The service is slow as molasses and the prices are ridiculous for average steaks and we are talking about a sirloin not a porter or rib its totally unacceptable. Good wine list but it's out of touch with today's economic situation. Stop living in the past and catch up with today.
Sparks is my dad's most memorable experiences in NYC! I brought the fam here because, well, its Sparks! He loved it and tells the story again and again. He especially likes to share that this was the most money he has ever spent on food in his entire life... the bill was 472.85 for four! I am quite sure I'll be hearing that number for the rest of my life...
Food was great, steaks are perfect, wine list is awesome. Yes, its pricey, but just what you would expect.
Bring your Dad here when he's paying!
Pros:
- Top notch sirloin steak
- Super extensive wine list
- Old-fashioned waiters
- Largest (physically) menus I've ever seen
- Spacious dining area
Cons:
- Waiters are too anxious to clear the table
- Steak side dishes were so-so
- So many old men in suits - is this a steakhouse or strip club?
- Weird dinner roll distribution
- Dated decor was dreary, not classic
Verdict:
If steak, wine and NYC time warps are your thing, then Sparks is probably worth the substantial dent in your bank account. However, if drab decor, mediocre side dishes and hordes of old business men are not, then browse Yelp, not Zagat, for an alternative steakhouse.
Tis the season for expense account steak dinners! (assuming, your company is doing massive layoffs or is bankrupt) This place is a great steak place to go, especially if you have a large group...(unfortunately, this is also a con because too large of groups here tend to be very very loud) Aside from the noise level, steaks here are sirloin cuts and taste comparable to strip house, (maybe a notch lower though)
Sides are ok, but they are quick to give you bread! so quick even they give you rolls when you still have one on your plate.
We went to Sparks a few days back. Zagat rates it as one of the better steakhouses in New York, so I was very excited to go.
We were seated pretty quickly, and the place was fairly packed. The ambiance was good for a steakhouse, however a bit too bright for my taste. Still, it was a very nice dining room.
The service from the waitstaff was clumsy and oafish. After being seated, it took too long to get menus, and also too long for him to come back and take our order. When I say too long, I mean it was noticeable; we sat there and wondered when we'd get menus and when those finally showed up, when we'd be able to place our orders.
In the course of the meal, the waiter managed to spill a drink while changing a tablecloth, knock over jackets, and forget one of our entrees. Additionally, the matre'd was a typical smarmy steakhouse douche. He actually made a few inappropriate comments to the women in our party. That bothered me, but I chalk it up to poor hiring on the part of Sparks management. Final word on the staff there, very poor all around.
Down to the food: I got a prime sirloin and the ladies in our party got the Chilean Sea Bass. We also got mushroom caps and baked potatoes.
The steak was massive, probably the biggest I've had in a steakhouse. It was served off the bone, and with a minimal amount of fat. Great piece of meat! Unfortunately, it came our very rare rather than medium rare as I ordered. I was hesitant to send it back for extra cooking fearing it would be overdone, but it was fine (though still on the rare side). I should note that the outside was a bit over charred, though not to the detriment of the steak. The texture of the meat was spectacular, and overall, it was indeed a great steak!
The Chilean Sea Bass was delicious, it had a nice crust on it and was flaky and flavorful...and HUGE! Those who got it recommend that this be shared, as it's a heap for one person. The sides were basic and overpriced.
I have to say, the little things here really take away from the overall experience, and for me, lower the rating. First, the bathrooms suck! When you go it's like you left Sparks and wound up in a Hooter's bathroom, complete with piss and used towels on the floor and graffiti on the doors. Also, the flatware was noticeably worn, in particular, my steak knife was dull.
Regarding the pricing, I'm sure you can guess; $45 for a steak, $40 for fish, apps were like $20, and sides about $10. A little on the high side in my opinion for what you get. I know steakhouses tend to be on the high side, but really, how the hell do you charge $10 for 1 potato? I hate price gouging.
In the end, it's a competent steakhouse, but there's far better. Del Friso's buries these guys, and nearly every other steakhouse I've been to has done a better job (other than BLT Prime which sucked a monkeys ass). I probably won't go back to Sparks, but perhaps it's worth a try if you want to experiment with New York steakhouses.
I gave it 3 stars, but it's really more like a 2.5.
I thought this was going to be one of these old school places that's past its prime. I was wrong. Spark's definitely has an old NY feel but the food is still terrific. The steak was mouth watering good. The hash browns were excellent also. Great bartender out front too. The post renovation dining room is huge compared to how it used to look. It's a little loud, the decor is a little tacky and the service is a little "gruff" but it's all part of the charm.
I can't believe the sommelier would be off on a Friday night. I also started typing this on my phone while drunk so that had a ton of typos. So as you can see, sommelier or no sommelier, I still managed to get drunk here.
Service was fantastically old world Italian/New York steakhouse. The food was steakhousey. There was a lot of wine. The steak with peppers was delicious but I couldn't eat it all.
No gangsters though; at least none that I recognized.
(I don't know what any gangsters look like, so there may have been gangsters)
An institution!!
Never, ever again. 0 for 2 here.
Awful service, beginning with the maitre d. Reservations are often ignored / delayed (fairly confident I saw cash palmed...) and food merely average.
So many better steakhouses in nyc.
A-OK sounds about right for Sparks. I've eaten many a steak houses and this runs below average. We had tomatoes and onion and is wasn't anything special at all. I was hoping for a wedge salad but they didn't even have it on the menu. I had the Sirloin medium rare. They brought it out medium. This place is over priced and has the atmosphere of a casino floor in Atlantic City. I will say that the mushroom heads were very good. They seemed to be soaked in butter. There is nothing else special about this place.
With all the steak places in NY I will never go back to Sparks.
I ate here last week for my boyfriend's sister's birthday. I ordered the shrimp scampi and baked clams appetizer which I split with my boyfriend, though I wish I hadn't because it was SO DELICIOUS I could have eaten the whole thing. The shrimp were prepared very simply with butter, wine and garlic, as were the clams, with perfectly seasoned breadcrumbs. I could live on this stuff because it reminds me of my grandma's home cooking; simple, comforting, and best of all, YUMMY.
For an entree I thought, what better to order in a steak house than, well, a steak? So of course I ordered the strip steak, medium rare, since I think a filet mignon is a wimpy girl's choice of meat (unless, of course, it's attached to a juicy, flavorful, manly porterhouse which they DID NOT HAVE here!....?!) It came out cooked perfectly, well seasoned, though a bit charred on the outside for my personal taste. Still delicious, though.
On the side we enjoyed creamed spinach and the most HEAVENLY hash browns I've ever eaten. Just potato. No frills. Just delicious, buttery, crispy potato. The creamed spinach was "eh". I have a very strong feeling they used frozen spinach for this.
We ordered the dessert sampler that was full of sweet treats including cheesecake, walnut pecan pie, tartufo, and fresh, ripe berries. We ripped it apart like a pack of wild wolves.
On a less favorable note: this place seems stuck in time... in a bad way. It smells bad and musty in here, it's super dark, and they need new chair covers and carpeting. It's OK to have that "classic, old steakhouse" appeal but to look worn and tattered is NOT good or charming.
This may have been the best steak I've ever had. There was 4 people in our party, everyone ordered something different and it was all pretty awesome. Granted, I don't eat alot of $100 steaks like some people apparently do, but for a regular guy like me, it was great. Service was really good. Expensive, but it might just be worth it.
Sparks or Luger's? I'm actually in the minority among my friends -- they swear by Sparks while I'm more a fan of Luger. But I wont argue that Sparks is clearly one of the best steakhouses in the city. More consistently good than Lugar's but never as great. The oysters are brilliant in addition to just about any cut of mouthwatering steak and sides that even a vegetarian can enjoy. Can't say I love the decor, but the place has history. And really, it's about the meat here anyways.
Definitely overrated and living on reputation. Yes, it has a nice macho atmosphere and is ok for a boys night out, but the food is merely adequate. Nuff said
Apparently, they can spot a newbie because they are the ones to ask for a menu. The reality is that there's only one thing on the menu that should be ordered and that is the Prime Sirloin. Well sized, perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious. There's no need to order anything else because that would just be foolish.... okay, sure, order the sides because you need your veggies, but that's it!
There was a famous mob hit out the front the restaurant. One can only hope that he had already eaten, because this is a fine choice for a last meal.
The best steak I've ever eaten. Highly recommended.
Classy steakhouse with some old school gentlemen charm. The staff here also serves you with the upmost professionalism, befitting of big ballers and rich businessmen who frequent this joint.
The meats are delicious here. I had the lamb chops while my friends had the prime sirloin. Our server assured me that it would be the best lamb chops I've ever had in my life, and it was. I would highly recommend them to anybody coming here, because to me, the prime sirloins were just okay. Kinda on the chewy side, but I am much more of a ribeye fan anyway. All the meats are dry aged and seasoned extremely well.
The sides were more fillers than something to write home about. Unfortunately, we were too full for desserts as those sirloins were massive--just look at the pictures.
The service was completely professional, and our server was friendly and even goofy at times. I'm sure it had to do with us kids at the table, because everywhere else I looked in the restaurant, I saw tables of guys in shirt and tie ready to dig in. Sparks is completely full of businessmen during the week.
Recap: great service, get the lamb chop, and don't come here to check out girls.
Went here last Thursday night and the place was pretty slow, so I'm not going to chalk the meal up to them being too busy. I got the sirloin...which was decent, but I would expect a lot better since this is supposed to be one of the top steakhouses in the city. It may have been because it's not dry aged...which usually helps create a strong flavor.
The sides were disappointing as well. We got the potatoes, creamed spinach, and mushroom caps. The potatoes were pretty good, but the spinach and mushrooms were not anything special, which would be fine until you realize you're paying over $10 per side.
Overall there are several steakhouses which are better to spend $100/person at, though it seems like all of the "classic" places in the city have been rapidly declining in quality for some reason.
Not for me...The steak was too chewy ...the sides were blah...blah mushroom caps...blah creamed spinach.
Wasn't there a Mafia hit right outside Sparks? Probably won't happen again...
If I want steak, I'll go to Peter Lugar.
I crave that first salty crunchy then tender juicy bite of New York sirloin steak at Sparks. The steak comes out with a slightly charred outside, but then rare on the inside. Each bite is flavorful and juicy. I can't get enough...
From the moment you enter, the black tie guys whisk you to your seat. Walter is my guy and always has a table for us. Sparks used to be always packed with business guys, sprinkled with a few tourists. These days I notice the crowd a little thinner, but still a hit with large groups of men dining on the company account.
I like to start with something "healthy." As if it makes a difference, as I will be soon devouring a huge piece of marbled steak cooked in butter and salt. Something "healthy" like the asparagus salad - cold asparagus, blanched and then served in spears over a little romaine lettuce and vinagrette. I've also had the shrimp cocktail, and caprese salad before. I kind of like the simplicity of the asparagus. Their cocktail sauce needs doctoring, which you can do with the horseradish, tabasco and lemon they provide you with.
I find they lean towards rare in their cooking - so I ask for medium, and it comes out cooked on the ends, but red on the inside. We usually get the creamed spinach, which I would say is average, and the hash brown potatoes. The potatoes are also probably cooked for ages in butter until soft, browned and crispy, but I can't get enough of them. Sigh.
Lastly, they serve great ice cream. I forget the brand - but it's from Philadelphia and is really rich, creamy ice cream. They sometimes offer to make a fresh fruit platter with ice cream and schlag. It's SO good.
When I feel like my arteries have unclogged a little from my last meal at Sparks, I'll be back.
Overpriced, outdated, not memorable! Steak was burnt on outside. Go to Del Friscos!
Sparks Steak House in NYC is everything you would ever want in a steak house. This is the best steak I have ever eaten and I have been to a lot of steak houses. It just melts in your mouth. The environment is very upbeat and the service is awesome. The prices are high and you will probably have to wait....but it's all worth it in the end. I can't wait to go back to Sparks.
Very old fashioned steak house.... but where was the Porterhouse? Odd.
Went straight for the meat and potatoes - filet, sirloin, both medium rare + hashed brown potatoes. Can't mess that up! (I hope). The steak was not as flavorful as I would have liked and the filet was not as tender as I would have liked either. Good potatoes... but again, it's hashed... and potatoes... nothing to sing about.
It was just OK.
This is my favorite place in New York City to have a steak. Serious portion size, amazing appetizers and terrific sides. Unlike Peter Lugers this place has alot more to offer than just a slab of charred beef. Went a few months back for a cousins birthday. He and my other guest both ordered fish entrees. Both were amazed at the freshness and quality of what was served. My Filet was to die for and the generous appetizers left me walking out of this place feeling as though i was the size of John Candy.
Would recommend this place over all the others.. The only downside is the price. The price of our dinner was close to 400 bucks if not more with tip. We barely even had anything to drink..Drinks at the bar are ok and the place could use some sprucing up. Definitely a good place to have a reunion with old college buddies or for a business deal. Wouldnt recommend taking a chick here unless she was some sort of animal... If your girlfriend resembles a grizzly bear well than you may just have to take her. For the most part girls wont be as impress, dont count on getting laid by taking her here. Stick to some of the more trendy downtown restaurants that have sucky food but cool atmosheres. SHit give her a roofie and a strong cocktail and save your self the 300 meal tab.
This is 5 Star Food and then some. Went there on a Thursday night. It was full but that's because it's an excellent restaurant with top notch service! For an appetizer we split the shrimp cocktail. It was very good and the homeade cocktail sauce was the best I've every had(period)
For the main course, we shared the largest and most tender Lobster i've ever had. (I'll never go to the Palm again:(
Their steak was also the best ever. I've been to the best steak houses and nobody gets a finer cut, or cooks it better then Sparks. Good thing my parents pay-:)))
The prices were inline with other restaurants serving the same types of seafood and steak and I ain't talkin red lobster!
I can't wait to go back.
Easily one of Manhattan's best steak houses and often overlooked.
But did you know you can also order gigantic lobsters here too, also
prepared to your liking? I used to work in this building, where the
restaurant is located. One day I had to use the service elevator to
go up and saw inside a huge pail on floor with a live three to four pound lobster.. WOW! :)
I guess peeps don't know that a group of real gangsters many years ago ate here and were exiting to their car, and got mowed down. Yeah, just like in the movies. A real hit. Don't worry though nothing since has
happened outside or inside the restaurant. Just another piece history
in our city. You'd think we were in Chicago? LOL!
Anyways, it's great food, and there is little you can order to do wrong on the entire menu.
http://www.menupages.c...
Great for lunch, but skip dinnertime, unless you want to see where the New Jersey Italians come for dinner. (This review won't get me shot, will it?)
Locals love to talk about how you can still see blood stains on the cement out front from where a mob boss was gunned down in 1985. Yea, right, just like my daughter can always see where I spilled the red wine on the carpet five years ago!
The steaks are great, as are the lamb chops. It's just that the atmosphere is old, worn, and made somewhat comic by the clientele. Your only worry at dinnertime these days is that the hairspray in one of the ladies' bouffant hairdos will ignite and start a fire. If you're wearing a suit and can remember Caroline Kennedy as a little girl, go for lunch (assuming you have someplace to take a nap afterwards). Huge portions.
Sides? Sides? Come here if you're looking for the most amazing, large, perfect cut of meat. Needs no adorning. Eaten in a classic old-style NYC steakhouse with attentive waiters and staff who know their craft and the food.
No BS, perfect steak.
Great steakhouse, expensive but definitely has a charm. It is old school, a men smoking cigars and drinking scotch kind of feel. It's main claim to fame is for being the spot Paul Castellano was gunned down by John Gotti. I would say it is well worth occasionally, but isn't a place you'd be going back to on a constant basis.
This is a placve you do not pour steak sauce on the meat. You dont change a thing when it arrives at the table!
Big honkin' hunks of meat on a plate. This is a Man's-man/Guy's guy steakhouse.
You want it rare? It'll be perfectly rare. (I tend to order medium rare here.)
The testosterone level is a bit high here - but what steak house isn't?
It's pricey - but you will get PRIME beef and plenty of it. The sides are classics - from fried and baked (and house special) potatoes to creamed (artery clogging) spinach.
I went to Sparks with a wish in mind,
to have a steak and a glass of wine.
such a steak i could not picture,
it was god's blessing, in my fork just a fixture
I felt unworthy of its juices,
but I ate so fast I got some bruises.
All in all, bottom line,
go to sparks, you'll be fine.
But concerning your pocket friend,
let him know that time will mend.
It's an old school steakhouse. The kind of place you would imagine your wealthy grandpa going to decades ago. Nothing fancy on the menu, just steak, steak, and steak.
Tuxedo-clad waiters were a bit on the slow side, but they were knowledgeable... about steak.
The meat is well-aged and flavorful. Not as good as Peter Luger's in Brooklyn, but it'll do ya.
Desserts were boring.
I'm pissed about their coat-check policy.
They charge $1 per coat. A dollar per coat!
After dropping almost two-hundred bucks on dinner, you'd think they wouldn't nickel and dime you on the god-damned coat check.
Definitely not the best steakhouse in NYC. Luger beats this place in almost every aspect.
Friends treated me to Sparks for an early b-day dinner, and I was very excited to try the supposedly best sirloin in the city.
There was no wait when we got there, place was partially empty. We started off with shrimp cocktail and crabmeat cocktail. Nothing to brag about the appetizers. For entrees we ordered the sirloin (med rare), Chilean sea bass, and the beef scaloppini. The sirloin was good, but not the best. It's juicy and flavorful inside, charred on the outside, but too salty. The sea bass was overcooked, hence a little dry. The scaloppini was decent. We also had the creamed spinach, hash brown, and mushroom caps for sides.
Overall, it was a very underwhelming experience. Personally I won't go back to Sparks. Del Frisco's and Peter Luger are still my top picks.
Every year for my boyfriend's birthday we go to one of NYC's top steakhouses. This year we decided to try out Sparks. All I can say is that this was the biggest filet mignon I have ever seen in my entire life. It was cooked perfectly and I loved every bite of it. The creamed spinach was OK (I've had better elsewhere) and the servings were kind of small. The wine selection is spectacular, but the cheapest bottle of red wine is probably $60. They even have cigars, which my boyfriend had the luxury of enjoying as well. The meal was pretty pricey, but well worth it. We both walked out of there stuffed to the brim.
Great Food, Great Service always treated like a VIP
I need to revisit Sparks Steak House. When you ask a New Yorker to name their favorite steak house, there's an 80% chance they will say "Sparks, it's amazing in Sparks"
My BF took me to Sparks for his birthday (haha) and I was so excited to see what the hype is all about. Right after work, everyone's like "so what are you doing tonight...." I told them I am having dinner at Sparks and everyone totally pumped me up even more saying how unbelievably good is it there!! I got there, great "family oriendted" atmosphere, great service... we ordered apps and I got a filet (wasn't feeling the porter house that night)....my filet was sooo dry and not at all tender. I was so upset that I wasn't enjoying my meal so I just kept downing my Kendall Jackson. That kinda made up for my not-so-tasty dinner.
I do believe in giving second chances. I need to make another reservation pronto.
Peter Luger yada yada blah blah. For me Sparks is the best steak in NYC, hands down. They give it that perfect almost burnt crispiness on the outside and tender dripping juices on the inside. The hash brown and spinach are great sides for any of the steaks.
Added bonus...you my get to see a mob boss wacked at the front door...and theres no extra charge for that, but gratuity is appreciated gratzi gratzi
Sparks is the 2ND true Steak House restaurant I had enjoyed, but the experience was certainly the best. It helped being with some of my closest friends, and just excited to be in NYC.
Filet Mignon "Med Rare" was of perfect color and tasty "charr" crispness to the outside. Wine List is extensive and reasonable considering the location. Hash Browns were a pleasant surprise. Super crispy and worked well with the superior cut of beef.
I had high expectations, and Sparks exceeded them all from service to selection to product. Highly Recommended.
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