Manhattan steak houses with BYO

[Mark_Golodetz]

I assume I can bring my own stemware, and equally sure it will attract a few acid comments from our waiter. Sounds like a win win.

[MChang]

@Sam_Kwak

Admittedly the last time I went was shortly before the infamous Pete Wells piece in 2019. Anyway I think it’s not so much that Luger itself has declined substantially, but that the competition has become stronger with a number of Luger clones as well as restaurants that do steak just as well while providing better-rounded menu/experience overall, to the point where I no longer feel compelled to put up with the issues that PL has always had (location, cash only, phone reservation only, crappy wine list, gruff service, basic non-steak dishes, etc.).

I generally don’t think other restaurants I’ve been to in NYC do steak better, at least in my experience. Have I had better steak at other steakhouses? Absolutely, but very few. I do make better steaks at home, but replicating an entire steakhouse experience is just a lot of work. Corkage is a game changer.

[ybarselah]

bring side dishes as well.

[Yule_Kim]

What do you think of Keen’s?

I got a meal there right before hopping on a train to DC, and I had a good time at the bar. Great atmosphere, bartenders went out of the way to give me single-serving portion of sides, and the lamb chop (single-serving portion) was quite good.

[Shan_A]

@Sam_Kwak

phone reservation only

Not that you are running out to make that reservation… Book Your Peter Luger Steak House Reservation Now on Resy

[Dan_Kravitz]

@Mark_Golodetz

equally sure it will attract a few acid comments from our waiter.

It is my personal policy to try not to offend the people serving me my food. There’s many a spit between the kitchen and the table.

@Yule_Kim

What do you think of Keen’s?

I have only gone 3 - 4 times a decade, for 3 - 4 decades. I find the food excellent. You pay a lot and you get what you pay for. I enjoy the atmosphere… neither hush-hush nor boisterous.

[Shan_A]

Bobby Vans will do BYO. Thinking of doing an event there in April when I get my act together. I’d like to do a Cappellano vertical.

[Paul_Jaouen]

That’s one of the places where the quality of the meat went down after Covid and prices shot up. Hopefully it’s gotten better.

[MChang]

@Yule_Kim

What do you think of Keen’s?

I got a meal there right before hopping on a train to DC, and I had a good time at the bar. Great atmosphere, bartenders went out of the way to give me single-serving portion of sides, and the lamb chop (single-serving portion) was quite good.

I liked the mutton chop and hash browns.

[Bryan_B]

I had a pretty poor experience at Hawksmoor when I was there a couple of months ago. Definitely don’t recommend it, even with the $10 corkage on Mondays. I’ve had good experiences at Benjamin Prime. Last time I was there I believe corkage was ~$45.

[AaronR]

Gage & Tollner in BK has $50 corkage. You may need to call ahead.

[John-K]

Yeah, I saw this. I’ve been there twice since that article, and both times the people I’ve spoken to who work there say they’ve been told that nothing will change. I guess we will see.

It has the best corkage fee that I know of out of the major steakhouses in NYC and the food is generally quite good. Stemware is nothing special if that is your thing. Expensive but then that is typical for steakhouses in NYC these days. Try to sit in the Bull Moose room.

[Mark_Golodetz]

Never having eaten at Keens I am curious about the mutton chop. I like lamb, which is for me slightly but not overly gamey. Mutton though suggests an older sheep, and much stronger gamy flavors. How strong are they?

[Dale_Williams]

Not that strong. I think the mutton chop is part of the saddle of a large lamb (like a yearling), not a true adult.
It’s tasty and maybe a tad gamier than say the Flannery saddle, but not much. It’s pretty big cut though (at least in past, I don’t think I’ve been since lockdown).

[Yule_Kim]

@Dale_Williams

I think the mutton chop is part of the saddle of a large lamb (like a yearling), not a true adult.

What Dale said, the mutton chop is lamb, and it isn’t particularly gamy.

[Dan_Kravitz]

@Mark_Golodetz

Never having eaten at Keens I am curious about the mutton chop. I like lamb, which is for me slightly but not overly gamey. Mutton though suggests an older sheep, and much stronger gamy flavors. How strong are they?

It’s more like lamb than mutton and it is their signature dish.

[Paul_Jaouen]

@Dale_Williams

Not that strong. I think the mutton chop is part of the saddle of a large lamb (like a yearling), not a true adult.
It’s tasty and maybe a tad gamier than say the Flannery saddle, but not much. It’s pretty big cut though (at least in past, I don’t think I’ve been since lockdown).

False advertising! Not mutton but lamb as you describe. Good but nothing special.

[Paul_Jaouen]

@John-K

Yeah, I saw this. I’ve been there twice since that article, and both times the people I’ve spoken to who work there say they’ve been told that nothing will change. I guess we will see.

It has the best corkage fee that I know of out of the major steakhouses in NYC and the food is generally quite good. Stemware is nothing special if that is your thing. Expensive but then that is typical for steakhouses in NYC these days. Try to sit in the Bull Moose room.

You can do no corkage deals at Bobby Van’s, Mortons, maybe Uncle Jacks’s and Smith & Wolensky (I haven’t been to those two in a while so it may have changed.) I’m sure there are others out there.

[F_Robert_C]

Monkey Bar in midtown was BYO when we went, great vibe and the food was solid. Prices are NYC typical.

[Keith_Levenberg]

You can mail-order steak from Peter Luger, not have to worry about corkage, and improve on their cooking by grilling it over charcoal. I’ve been doing it for many years and haven’t noticed any drop in the quality of the meat (the addition of the ribeye if anything improved the quality).