Peter Luger is NOT Overrated. Dining at the Legendary NYC Steakhouse

out of the thousands of restaurants in New York City there may not be a more divisive place than Peter Luger Steakhouse [Music] many continue to love the historic establishment While others especially recently have labeled The Establishment as overrated and a shell of its former self among the restaurant's most notable detractors is the New York Times critic Pete Wells who in 2019 savagely ripped the restaurant to shreds in his Infamous zero star review then in 2022 the restaurant lost its coveted Michelin star personally I have nothing against the restaurant I've done there twice and both times I've really enjoyed my food but restaurants aren't static they're always changing and one's experience can be very different from one day to the next so I recently went to Peter Luger for a third time to see how it holds up today now before even stepping foot into Peter Luger one should be aware of certain things especially the fact that they currently don't accept credit cards while there are many things I love about Peter Luger this is one thing that I absolutely hate one can use a credit card when making online orders but not in the restaurant the only accepted forms of payment while dining at Peter Luger include the Peter Luger card checks debit cards cash and the golden ticket of Peter Luger gift certificate I actually got this last Christmas and I gotta say it's pretty snazzy looking it's only for 50 bucks which doesn't cover a stake but it certainly helps with the bill so when I finally had time to head to Peter Luger I wanted to get a reservation Unfortunately they don't seem to do reservations for a single person while I had no problem getting a table during my last two visits as a walk-in that was a different time it was during the pandemic and restaurants were struggling things have changed a lot since then so I thought my best bet of actually getting a table would be to go early for a weekday lunch and if worst games to worse I figured I could at least dine at the bar luckily I had no problem getting seated there was plenty of space not just when I started my meal but also when I finished within Peter Luger there are multiple rooms the one I was situated in was fairly nice it had exposed wood and a sort of Old World feel the tables were nicely spaced apart but the one thing that I didn't like was the lack of Music it just contributed a sort of somber atmosphere it almost felt like I was dining in a funeral parlor just listen to how it was when I had my bread yeah it's quiet but to be fair I'm sure it would be much different with a full dining room unfortunately because of where I sat I got to listen to some sound effects that I didn't appreciate very much I was seated right next to a single occupancy washroom and because it was so quiet in the dining room I could tell you exactly what the person was doing inside that washroom I mean I could tell if they were doing a number one or a number two when I'm eating a 90 steak I don't want to hear noises coming from a bathroom that will remind me of where my steak will eventually end up that is disgusting but the reality is none of this would probably be a problem if there is music playing or if there's a greater sized crowd in the restaurant diving into the menu it's clear Peter Luger isn't cheap while they're appetizers and sides are only marginally more expensive than other NYC steakhouses their steaks are a hell of a lot more expensive also remember that the restaurant doesn't accept credit cards and one of the reasons for this is to provide slightly more affordable prices in a 2015 New York Business Journal article David Burson who is the general manager and part owner of the restaurant said in response to why the establishment doesn't take credit cards is quote it allows us to pass on the savings and fees to the customers it's true that credit cards do charge service fees but most restaurants have already Incorporated those extra costs into their menu and Peter Luger is still more expensive than them the long and short of it is Peter Luger is expensive however I believe that their burger is a bargain at 1995 it's not exactly cheap but it is one of the best in New York City comparing the price to some of the other top burgers in NYC like the Minetta Tavern Black Label Burger which is currently 38 dollars in the Emmy burger from Emily which is 31 Peter Luger's offering is a great deal I really appreciate this because it allows customers to have the Peter Luger experience without shelling out a lot of money for a steak but fortunately I had a gift card so I ordered a steak after ordering came the bread there's three different kinds and they're all pretty good [Music] my personal favorite is probably the Onion Roll however I knew I had a lot of food coming my way so I had to control myself unfortunately my self-discipline went out the window and I ended up eating all three rolls although I didn't eat the plain roll right away I ended up finishing that when I consumed my steak I also found that by dipping it into the clarified butter and meat juices from my steak just took it to a whole other level it was delicious fortunately I didn't have to wait too long before my waiter placed an overturned plate on my table which signaled the imminent arrival of my steak while I wasn't a fan of the lack of music and quiet atmosphere the one nice thing about it was I could hear the sizzling butter from my steak as it got closer and closer to my table and it was music to my ears that looks beautiful nice no matter what one thinks of the steak at Peter Luger there's no denying that they are beautiful I also really enjoy the whole Showmanship of Peter Luger how the waiters present those two perfectly cooked pieces of meat on one's plate drizzled with that bit of butter it is such a mouth-watering sight nice on my last visit I consumed the single steak which I really enjoyed but this time I went with the rib steak with a price tag of 89.95 it's very expensive but oh it tasted like heaven [Music] the steak was a perfect medium rare with a beautiful crust on top it was expertly seasoned and had the most excellent flavor [Music] with the addition of the butter it took everything to a whole other level it was fantastic [Music] foreign Luger are USDA prime and the quality was very apparent even the pieces of pure fat just had so much flavor to them now even though I enjoyed my single steak during my previous visit the one complaint I had was that I thought it could be seasoned a bit better so this time I came prepared I brought my own salt even though the restaurant does offer the traditional salt and pepper shakers on the table I wanted something a bit more special so I brought a box of mold on sea salt Flakes and it's delicious it's largely considered to be a finishing salt something you sprinkle on your food right before serving if you add it to a steak it draws out the moisture in the meat while adding a pleasant textural component now let's be clear bring in one's own salt or any food component to a restaurant for that matter is not exactly the best thing to do it's certainly frowned upon but I really wanted to at least try it well it was contemplating the best way to sneak the salt into the restaurant I at first thought that I would pour a little bit it into a Ziploc bag but then I thought if someone saw me from a distance bringing out a Ziploc bag with an unidentifiable white substance that looks like a powder and that could raise a few eyebrows so I figured I'd just bring the box store it in my backpack and when no one's looking reach in take out a little salt and sprinkle it on my steak [Music] the salt went very well on my steak but the fact is my rib steak was seasoned so much better than the single steak that I had last time that it really didn't even need any extra seasoning texture wise too my ripstick had a much better crust than my single steak I don't believe that it was because it was a different cut of meat rather I think it was just prepared better of course as with every meal at Peter Luger one gets a large portion of the Peter Luger steak sauce and it's good but like I said my steak was seasoned so well that I didn't even touch the sauce once throughout my lunch that rib steak was the single best thing that I've ever had at Peter Luger but it was still overpriced for a side I got an oversized baked potato with sour cream [Music] it was good the potato was pretty big it was cooked just right and the sour cream went very well with it [Music] foreign but in essence it's a baked potato it can only be so good my favorite side at the restaurant Remains the German fried potatoes they were just so incredible still it's always nice to have something on the side to consume between bites of my steak overall I was very happy with my food and even though I was getting very very full I still had to save room for dessert every dessert that I've ever had from Peter Luger has been incredible they're simply not to be missed this time I went with the apple strudel and it was superb [Music] oh it was hot and fresh and very flaky combined with the side of schlag which is pretty much whipped cream it took it to another level it was such a delicious and flavorful treat [Music] to conclude my meal I was presented with three of the signature Peter Luger gold chocolate coins now I didn't have them at the time because I was pretty full but I think I'll have one now what's good it's salad it's not like artisanal chocolate crafted by a chocolate tier but it can certainly satisfy a chocolate craving and finally came the worst part of my meal my bill including tax my steak side and dessert came to about 125 dollars with my tip I spent a total of 150 at Peter Luger which is certainly above average for a New York City Steakhouse but now comes the important question do I think Peter Luger is overrated absolutely not but it is definitely not perfect in terms of the steak it's definitely overpriced and I hate their no credit card policy however there's no Steakhouse in New York City quite like Peter Luger even Pete wells in a zero star New York Times review said compared to Peter Luger other steakhouses don't count the experience a diner gets at Peter Luger is unique from the establishment's history the performance of the waiters the decor down to the little things like the schlag one gets with desserts or the gold coins presented with the bill one remember emila Peter Luger but most importantly of all their steaks are delicious the fact that they come out pre-cut and sizzling in butter goes against the norm of the typical Steakhouse of course Peter Luger isn't the only Steakhouse that does this in fact in the nearby neighborhood of Green Point Brooklyn is Amber Steakhouse and they serve a porterhouse presented in nearly the same manner but still it's not how steaks are usually served which makes Peter Luger even more special while it seems like it's the cool thing to bash Peter Luger these days I call it like I see it and I can only speak for myself but I've had three great meals at the restaurant plus anyone can look at the thousands of reviews on Google and Yelp and see that I'm not the only one who simply loves The Establishment although that's not to say that the restaurant's detractors don't have Merit like I said it's not a perfect Steakhouse and one should be aware of certain things before dining there mainly to have cash on hand but at the end of the day the restaurant will endure it will Outlast both its critics and its fans it's been around since 1887 and whether one loves it or hate it's an icon of New York City and Peter Luger will have the last word [Music]

Channel: James Andrews

Views: 13,915

Keywords: peter luger, steakhouse, steak, new york city, nyc, brooklyn, williamsburg, steak house, review, vlog, rib steak, eating, restaurant, meat, experience, dry aged, beef, famous, popular

Id: J7u-y91nfbg

Length: 12min 31sec (751 seconds)

Published: Mon May 22 2023