Smith & Wollensky
Category: Steakhouses [Edit]
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Midtown East201 E 49th St
(between 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave)
New York, NY 10017 (212) 753-1530
- Nearest Transit:
Lexington-3rd Aves-51st St (6, E, V)
Grand Central (4, 5, 6, 7, S)
- Price Range: $$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
72 Reviews for Smith & Wollensky
Just alright, nothing special in the spectrum of great steakhouses. I used to really enjoy S&W before they started expanding to every major city on the map. I think in recent years they have spread themselves a little too thin, and it shows in the quality of the food.
Not to say that what you get here is terrible, it just doesn't provide a wow factor or anything particularly memorable for the price. As with too many dining experiences in the city, I left S&W feeling like the service and food were just meh. There are better places to get your steak in the 21st Century, S&W is way past its prime.
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It's gone down...I agree with Alex L. on that...and it's sad because it did used to be one of the greats. It's still worth going to though.
The steak is still juicy and tender. The service is still decent. And, in the summer, the Vichyssoise is so yummy.
If you want something less formal, the Grill next door (also part of Smith & Wollensky) is good. It's a good option if you're in midtown and have a last minute hankering for steak. Walk ins are usually easily accommodated.
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Smith and Wollensky's used to be one of the better steakhouses in Manhattan. Their chain restaurants (Posthouse, Cite, Maloney and Porcelli) are very similar and used to be the only steakhouses you could go to (plus Sparks) but nowadays there are just so many great steakhouses to choose from. I think Smith and Wollensky's has lost some of its luster to the newer steakhouses and if they (and their chains) want to be back on top, they will need to offer something new and different. The double sirloin is very good as is the porterhouse. I recommend going to either BLT Prime, Strip House, Primehouse or Ben and Jack's for better steak.
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I've been both here and next door to the "Grill". In both cases, very similar: "efficient" service and good, not great, food. The original restaurant is slightly more stuffy than the grill. My three star rating represents a comparison to other New York steak houses (i.e. it's an above average restaurant, but faces stiff competition from the likes of Dylan Prime, Del Frisco's, Wolfgang's, Strip House, The Old Homestead, etc.).
This latest time, I ordered the lamb chops -- came recommended by an earlier review here -- they were a good alternative to a beastly-sized steak which I didn't have the appetite for.
Next time I'll... go back to the Grill, split a steak with someone, order a dirty martini (based on the looks of it, all you need is one), reserve it for a business function, pass on dessert.
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Maybe it is because I have been coming here with my dad ever since I was a wee little lad, or maybe it is because I've only been to the less pretentious and much more interesting grill around the corner, but I am pretty fond of this place.
It might be ironic that I've only had the steak once here, because the crab cakes are pretty fantastic.
Great place to meet for drinks (the grill that is).
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Went for restaurant week last year. Mediocre, poor choices for cuts of meat, and was given just a slab of meat on a plate - nothing else. Service is attentive, but decor is lacking. Seems like a staid place, from another time. There are better steakhouses out in this town.
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I would like to say that I really enjoy Smith & Wollensky's, however my experience here has always been marginal. The staple of New York steakhouses seems to put out decent cuts of meat at an expensive cut. They always seem to be overcooked, and the service is slow. The one thing I love about S&W are the fries and fried onions. Come here to check it out, but New York has better steakhouses. It's worth three stars in my opinion.
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An old midtown standard featuring white coated & primarily male service staff offering up hunks of seared & roasted beef that are really quite something.
The place has the feel of a golf clubhouse or something - obviously a cultivated appearance - and they welcome you in warmly, seat you promptly, and attend to your desires with a quickness. There are several rooms within the restaurant, each charming, and all have that very wooden, old style, lodge-y feel.
Start off with the cold seafood platter (I assume no one who has to worry about money has lunch here when they are actually paying, so let that corporate plastic get out and get a little exercise) - hunks of lobster, lump crab, shrimp, and shellfish, all fresh, huge, and scrumptious, and it comes with a one of a kind lime dipping sauce that, though it resembles ectoplasm in color, tastes fantastically zippy. Ok no one has a clue what zippiness tastes like, but trust me.
The steaks are gargantuan. Half a cow. Their amazing hugeness is such that a post meal triple espresso really won't save you from spending the better part of the afternoon happily caressing your own belly while you do no work and dozily daydream the afternoon away. The ribeyes are juicy and truly massive. The sirloin is less fatty, but equally satisfying, and a touch easier to fit into your innards. All steaks are served in the classic steakhouse style, with a nice char on the outside and finished in the oven. I've had several and they were always prepared perfectly, with juices running forth when cut.
Worth a trip. You'll leave 10 pounds heavier and unquantifiably happier.
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The food was your typical high end steak joint. Our service was fine, although I would love to get rid of those green jackets.
The old boys' clubs for big steaks and bigger bills. S&W is filled with corporate card users with stiff suits to match. But if you get a chance to come here, don't turn it down. You'll eat like a king and be amazed by things like the nude painting of "Mama Wollensky."
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My cherrie from South Africa and I went into this place as we only had a limited amount of time together and didn't feel like fight the Times Square crowd or taking a cab cross town to a different bar...
Mike the bartender is great, although looking at him you would think that he is the bouncer and not the bartender....
A very nice, clean establishment and a very strong yet deceptive pour from Mike.... How do I know? 3 Sapphire Tonics and I was staggering back to the hotel.
Food was also excellent, although this place is on the pricey side, it should be a stop for you if in New York...
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When you go to a steakhouse, the best thing on the menu should be the steak. I went here with a bunch of people and learned (to my dismay) that the best entree was the lamb.
Steaks were okay, not good. My friend who had ordered the lamb was the happiest of the bunch.
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For the price, I expected more. This place has definitely passed its prime (no pun intended). Really expensive for a steak that made my jaws ache from its overly chewiness. Wasn't bad the first trip. The second time we went, the onion rings came out at room temprature as well as the steaks.
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It always makes me wonder how these places survive but one look at the base clientele and then it makes sense. The cuts of meat were downright offensive at those prices - fatty and flavorless pretty much describes it (unless you order the cajun filet, which is good if you like filet but pretty sad when you are paying good $$$ for meat that has to be sooo dressed up to taste good). We felt rushed during the entire meal, perhaps because I didn't order a (few) bottle(s) of wine during lunch on the firm. Not impressed.
Hmm...maybe my expectations were too high. I agree with Diane A. that the best thing on the menu at this steakhouse was definitely not the steak. For us, the fresh oysters and our asparagus w/ hollandaise sauce appetizers were the best part of our dinner.
Our server was an older gentleman and as sweet as he was, it made things really difficult when our order was all mixed up. He had poor hearing so other patrons kept looking over when he would speak (he was almost yelling) and my $60 med-rare steak was practically well-done. I could have sent it back but I felt like I was harassing someone's grandfather. So instead of enjoying a juicy, slightly bloody steak with a glass of St. Francis Cab, I gnawed my way through a tough, somewhat-dry slab of meat. No good for dinner at $100/person. But like I said...I could have sent it back so it's not really their fault, I guess.
Also, he kept complaining to us about the lack of communication between the chef and the servers so it made things a little awkward for us.
Their "Infamous Carrot Cake" was dry, with hard crusty frosting. Now I know why it's "infamous."
I'm not sure if I'll go back here...or maybe just not to this location. I mean, I've heard such great things and I don't want to write them off after one mediocre (at best) experience. Maybe I'll give their Vegas location a shot.
4 gals looking for a nice place to have dinner for our vacatio in NYC. We had a friend who suggested this place so we went and made reservations for it.
We arrived and checked in with the hostess but our table wasn't ready yet so we had a drink at the bar. Not sure if it's because they had a lot of people waiting that night, it was kinda crowded at the bar. We finally got seated around 15 minutes later. The table was kind of small since our steak plates took a lot of room. We got complimentary wine that night and our waiter was very nice. Not much mistakes that he made.
Our steaks were really AVERAGE. Nothing that says "WOW". I would say I can find better steak in the west coast. Not sure if I would come back again when I visit NYC. I probably would look for another restaurant to try.
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So I'm fully aware of how some restaurants scoff at patrons who come during restaurant week, I don't care if they feel that way. I will care when they treat us like complete crap during our visit. There's simply no excuse for that kind of behavior.
The nightmare began when we sat down. An old wrinkly grumpy human version of oscar the grouch came over to us to take our order. At first he didn't want to give us menus because he said "aren't you all going to order the restaurant week menu anyway?" We said we would still like to see the menu. He brought it over begrudgingly and when when time came to order (we ended up all ordering from the RW menu), he would cut us off as we were saying our order and condescendingly say "STEAK. I knew it." This was Strike One.
Strike Two, prior to the food service, my friend asked him to change her glass of water since there were unidentified floating things in it. Oscar The Terrible proceeded to then pick up the glass, examine it and then argue with my friend about the dirt in it. In short he didn't want to give her a new glass of water because he didn't see the speck. So we're all sitting really confused and giving the waiter the benefit of the doubt. In retrospect, I don't know why we thought that this old wrinkly man from the dinosaur era would have better eyesight than 6 of us at the table.
Strike Three - When we were paying, our waiter did the worst thing possible. He "hovered" to ensure that we would tip him accordingly. This is appalling, I don't even have to go into detail with this.
The only thing that salvaged our night:
1) We made friends with one of the busboys who was kind enough to attend to us all night, give us plenty of new glasses of water and apologize for the behavior of our main server. But the fact that the busboy was apologizing for the behavior of the waiter, come on. That's a sign right there.
2) The steaks are truly truly delicious.Juicy, tender, flavorful.
Our meal was not cheap either. Even with the RW discount. I'm very happy to say 90% of our tip was given to the busboy (we handed it to him) and 10% to the horrible waiter who made sure that none of us would ever want to go back there again.
So all in all, if you're willing to bear absolutely nightmarish service for good steak, go. Watch out for a short, old wrinkly man with hovering tendencies. He's singlehandedly trying to bring down Smith & Wollensky.
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I'm not the usual kind of girl to buy a $60 filet mignon, but it was my birthday and I went to NYC because of it. Dinner at Smith and Wollensky was a surprise. Sadly, I'd never even heard of it until the evening I walked in. Though I felt under-dressed, and we were obviously young and probably assumed to be poor tippers, our service was above and beyond my expectations for a restaurant of this caliber. Our waiter made sure that I felt special for my birthday, and surprised me with song at the end of my meal. My steak was delicious, though I can't say it was the BEST steak I've ever had. It was the service and treatment of two mid-20s tourists that left me with a positive impression.
One word to describe this place: AVERAGE
Ambiance: full of stuffy suits on a thursday night
Food: Def order the Seafood Tower(lobster, crab and shrimp) - fresh and yummy. I'd also recommend the hash browns and the creamed spinach. And for dessert, you can't go wrong w/ the chocolate mousse cake and Irish coffee. I ordered the Filet Oscar as an entre but wasn't too impressed (perhaps I was already stuffed on the seafood by that point!) Note: HUGE portions!
Service: Our waitstaff was polite, but wouldn't go as far as saying they were friendly. Kinda pushy. But the firm was paying for it, so we didn't mind too much.
Drinks: Average. Def screwed up the Appletini!!
My $0.02: I wouldn't bother going to this place again, even if someone else was picking up the tab.
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Great food, but make sure to bring your appetite!! Maybe it was just the fact that we order waaay too much food, but when I left I felt like I couldn't walk! For appetizers we order the seafood tower which consisted of lobster tails, prawns, crabs, and calamari I believe, and then we also got an order of the fried calamari. All of the seafood was very fresh, and the fried calamari was very lightly bread and were big pieces.
For our main course, four of us order the new york cut sirlon, and the others order the lamb chops, and the filet. Everyone's steaks (and lamb) were cooked perfectly and tasted great. For sides we had creamed spinach, sauteed spinach, french fries, hash browns (which were by far the best hash browns I have ever had, and trust me; I have had my fair share) and asparagus. Surprisingly just about everything was eaten (which is probably why I was unable to walk.) A nice bottle of cab rounded out the evening, as did the carrot cake, chocolate mouse cake, and cheesecake (again, totally unnecessary, but absolutely delicious.)
The service was good and we certainly were not rushed. The prices are high, but if you like steak houses you should definitely try to come here at least once. I promise you will not be disappointed.
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A Tale of Two Sauces.
(sigh) I'm torn. On the one hand, this was the best fillet mignon I've had in years. On the other hand, the total bill for two set me back $250, not including tip*. Yeah, read that again. Let it sink in.
But back to the hand with the food... One of their signature steaks, the Oscar fillet arrived perched in a shallow pool of wine reduction sauce. On its top rested a generous garnishing of crab meat smothered in just the right amount of hollandaise. Omigod. Sinful.
I loved the interplay of the two sauces. The resulting variety of taste combinations meant there was never a dull moment for the ol' taste buds. And the quality of the meat was melt-in-your-mouth-errific. My guest is still talking about how good his un-garnished, un-saucified version was. He gets this faraway, famished look in his eyes that... well... scares me a little, actually.
Word to the wise: Don't bother with the seafood bouquet, unless you absolutely can't live without crab or lobster. Both of us agreed that the best thing in the bouquet was the shrimp, and that we would have been just as happy ordering that alone at a much lower price. Though the bouquet's presentation was definitely something to behold.
All that being said, I was expecting a much more elegant dining experience. Yes, the service was great. But the decor was a little bit too dressed down for the price tag. It reminded me of an informal clubhouse at a country club or a private gentlemen's club. (The British kind, silly. Get your mind out of the gutter.) A romantic dinner for two this is not. Unless you close your eyes. Come to think of it, a simple dimming of the lights would have gone a long way toward making the atmosphere match the quality of the food.
*$250 covered two cocktails, a humongous seafood "bouquet" appetizer, two steaks, a side of creamed spinach, and a bottle of wine.
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Still the busiest Steak House in NY . The cornerstone to Alan Stillman's empire , the steaks are quite reasonable and the service usually good , but most of all , the wine cellar is still the biggest in New York ---- $10million ---- and always featuring the best of each region and country in the world .
Go for the Rib Eye and the Cajun steak , you'll rarely be disappointed
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Had a celebratory dinner at Smith & Wollensky's in New York. Great meal, cool atmosphere. One of my top 10 steakhouses.
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AVERAGE. I expected a lot more from Smith & Wollensky, given the reputation they have. But I wasn't very impressed. Most times when we come up to NYC, we go to Ben Benson's and have a fantastic steak dinner. This time around, we decided to come to Smith & Wollensky since it was closer to our hotel.
The dining experience is very different here - Tons of chaos, loud parties, not a place to go if you're looking for a quiet dinner. I ordered the filet, and it wasn't anything remarkable (as it should be for $40).
Our party of four were crammed into a tiny table, and it was a challenge just keeping all of the food and drinks on the table! The drinks were ridiculously overpriced, but I guess that's normal for NYC.
Personally, I wouldn't go back..
My filet was tender and delicious. Everything is a la carte, so if you aren't looking to spend at minimum $100 per person, bring your ass to the closest Outback and call it a day. Also, if you hate the dog and pony show that goes on in this type of restaurant ,(loud business men, the feeling of elitism in the air) you won't be happy here.
In addition to my steak, I had the asparagus appetizer, crab cakes, creamed spinach, hash browns and a glass of the red that the waiter recommended.
In the future I would probably go to Wollensky's Grill for the more relaxed atmosphere.
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Went there yesterday with four co-workers for Restaurant Week Lunch. Starters tried, Pea Soup and Crab Cake - both were tasty. Mains tried - Filet Mignon, Black & Blue Tuna. I ordered the Tuna and am still kicking myself. I asked for it black and blue - it was tan & blue. Should have sent it back but suffered in relative quiet. Had a bite of the filet though, 'twas good, not great, but good. Dessert, pecan pie, probably tasted worse than it would have b/c I was so down on the tuna. (Will only order steak in a steakhouse going forward. Should have known better) For $37 (expensive lesson) after you figure in a side of sauteed spinach, co-worker ginger ales, tax & tip, it was a disappointment.
Also, if you go, bring welding gloves, the plates were rocket hot.
My girlfriend and I went here for lunch during restaurant week. Okay, okay, I know that most restaurants don't like restaurant week patrons, but this Smith & Wollensky went out of their way to make us feel unwelcomed.
Service: I first ordered for my girlfriend because she had a horse throat(and I thought I was making it pretty clear I was ordering for her). After our waiter got her order down, he asked HER, "and what will you be having?". When I tried to clarify that I had already ordered for her, he got exasperated and even sort of rolled his eyes at me. Then when he started to take my order, he seemed to not know where to write what I was having. So overall, the waiter was kind of a jerk.
Food: My girlfriend asked for her steak well done and they gave it to her charred on the outside and rare on the inside. We had to send it back twice and they never got it right. She didn't eat more than two bites and the wait staff wasn't the least be apologetic. Dessert was okay, but it clearly had been sitting out for awhile.
Ambiance: Stuffy country club feel. You would probably get glared at if you laughed too loudly.
Overall: Not worth it, even for restaurant week. I could understand if our food felt like it had been churned out for restaurant week, but considering we were the first table on the first day of restaurant week, this was inexcusable. For a place that claims to be the "Cathedral of Steakhouses", nothing about it was worth raving over. Ruth's Chris is easily ten times better.
The after-dinner mints and hashbrowns are awesome...too bad everything else wasn't that good. I stopped by last night. It had been a couple years since I was here last. I don't know if it has gone downhill since then or what, but I remember it being better. I got the large cut filet, and it was fatty. I've never really had a fatty cut of filet before. It was just average. The service was okay and we were sat in this little cove with a nice view of........the kitchen. Those seats shouldn't even be there or they should close off the kitchen; it didn't do much for the atmosphere. This restaurant is pretty pricey. I honestly think you get more bang for your buck at Outback. Don't get me wrong, Outback quality does not compare to Smith & Wollensky, but when you're dropping 2 bills on dinner without a bottle of wine, it should be better than it was. Try your luck elsewhere.
Average steak place. Despite the glowing reviews, I found their steak nothing to write home about.
Comments on:
Porterhouse: Peter Luger's is a lot better.
Bone-in rib eye: I might have to give Ruth's Chris the props on this one.
Filet-mignon: Meat was tough..very disappointing
Pros: White glove service. Friendly wait staff.
Cons: Stuffy atmosphere, sub-par meats
It's been a couple months since dining here, but here goes. We (2) went for a late night dinner w/o reservations. The service was attentive. The food, 2 porter houses, was just average. The steak I ordered was mr, but came out more on the med. side. Though huge, it was kinda bland. Overall, just average.
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I love meat.
There I said it. Everyone who has even heard about NYC knows Smith & Wollensky is a steak house. Is that a tuff reputations to live up to? Yes. All things considered they do a good job, and are very consistent. Normally I don't write about the decor, but I like it here, all the wood and white lab coats are nice. I have had pretty good service here, you will most likely be served by multiple people.
If you want to save (a little) try the Wollensky Grill Along 49th http://www.yelp.com/bi..., same kitchen, different atmosphere.
The rest rooms are fantastic, nice towels and very clean. 4.5 Flushes
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It just occurred to me that I never reviewed this place after having been here a couple times on 2 separate trips. One of my favorite stories about NYC revolves around a bartender I met here about 3 years ago while having a couple drinks with a friend who was a local.
TRIP 1 (circa 2004ish) - I was FLAT broke and barely able to get to NYC let alone buy a $50 steak. My friend was hungry and in need of drink. I just wanted a pint...but was drooling over that steak menu. I wish I could remember the bartender's name...the dude was a riot. We put our name in then went to have a seat at the bar...it was pretty busy as it has been each time I visited. The bartender took our drink orders, introduced himself by name and shook our hands (something I really dig about NY..as it's fairly common there). My friend order a Stoly and Cran and I had a pint of something...it's been awhile. The bar was empty for the most part so he had plenty of time to talk. After he brought us our drinks, he said (I'm paraphrasing here) "So...you wanna sit up there with the snobs and have your ass kissed by some stiff waiter or do you want to hang out here with me and let me give you some shit". Needless to say, we sat there and took his shit. It was a great experience and summarizes what I love about NY...not only...what I love about S&W. Despite all outward appearances and it's alleged snootiness...it's down to earth, just expensive as hell. He proceeded to spin yarn after yarn about his experiences around the country. It was great conversation. My friend has a pretty kickass steak sandwich if I recall. I enjoyed my pint. Hilarity ensued.
TRIP 2 - Sept. '07 - I was in town to see Underworld and booked a room in Midtown Manhattan (big mistake, but at least it was central). I walked everywhere and despite all available mapping technology at my disposal...I could not find this place again to save my life. Suddenly on my last night in town...I ran smack into it after already having given up looking. Funny how that works. Luckily, I didn't find myself in such financial disarray on this visit and decided I was going to have a steak...despite having eaten only 2 hours beforehand. Again, the bartender introduced himself, Oliver was the name I believe. Very nice guy. While not nearly as entertaining as the previous bartender, he was just as cool and down to earth...and I'm sure if the place wasn't packed, he'd surely have been more personable. This time though, I was all about the food. It didn't disappoint. Aside from being treated to some spendy steaks in Texas and Oklahoma, I'd never really had a steak that topped the $30-40 barrier. I thought I'd had some killer steaks, but sorry all you folks in cattle country, this was the best one I've ever had. The meat just pulled itself apart...I finally understood the term "like butter". The texture was perfect. The flavor of the meat stood on it's own. It was perfect...well, perfect for me. I'm sure there are better steaks in this world and someday I hope to find them. As of this writing though, that was the best steak I ever had.
So as far as anything useful aside from my memoirs....
- Yeah, it's kinda fancy, but I showed up in nice jeans and a polo and was too buzzed to notice if I caught any negative looks. My radar seemed to indicate that while I was under dressed, people didn't seem to care much.
- Spendy...definitely. Your steak comes with a knife and fork to eat it with, that's it. Be prepared to shell out another 15 for a baked potato, etc..
- If you aren't looking for formal, I highly recommend sitting in the bar section.
- Calamari is quite good here, very tender, sauce isn't bad, but not all that great considering the quality of everything else. Still though, who needs the sauce when the calamari stands on it's own. Why bother with traditional sides. Get some of this instead.
I'd put this one high on your list to try if you are in the area.
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This was probably one of the best deals I've ever enjoyed during RW. $63 each for four of us, and we all enjoyed three courses and a bottle of wine.
I started with a mixed green salad. I usually ask for dressing on the side, but this time I forgot. I was pleasantly surprised that the salad's creamy vinaigrette added flavor without overwhelming the simple iceberg/red leaf mix.
What else would I get for my main course from S&W than steak? All 12 ounces of filet mignon goodness cooked medium rare. A crispy outside broiled to deep mahogany, tender and juicy middle with a blood red center. The cut was well over an inch think all around, and positively enormous. That entree was the reason I neglected over half of my dinner companions' conversation. I was too involved in the incredible texture of high quality animal flesh melting into savory goodness in my mouth! Spectacular.
After all that meat, I didn't think I could manage dessert, but I somehow pulled it together. I am so glad I did! Our table of four sampled all three choices from the abbreviated menu. The slice of chocolate mousse cake alternated 4 layers of cake and mousse together; it looked heavy but was actually quite delicate. The bourbon pecan pie was the exact opposite -- dense and very sweet, with tons of pecans and a great crust that reminded me of my grandmother's recipe. The cheesecake was precisely what NY cheesecake should be: a sour cream tang with a prominent cream cheese finish; perfectly blended, melted on the tongue and left a lingering sweetness on the tastebuds. Yum.
Finally, a restaurant that lives up to its hype! I'm going back again, and will even pay their ridiculous prices because the food is totally worth it.
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I walked into the bar early for a dinner meeting with a client. This place made me feel old. Daddy Warbuck's and his big hair date to my left is bellowing across the bar that "the House will be split" next session. This while the uniformed barkeep obsequiously pours him another Scotch. Kinda made me want to brush my hair straight back and start using aqua velva. Anyway they do make kick-ass cocktails (I am a martini drinker) and the steaks are first rate. Everything is a la carte, prepared simply, and superbly. If you are with a bunch of guys and need a meat fix in a good ol boys atmosphere this is the place to go. If you are a woman and looking for rich middle age guys this is the place to go. Just make sure to get a bouffant before you show up.
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There is the dining room and then there is the side restaurant pub room with it's own bar.
I prefer the pub room because it's smaller, the bartenders more fun and the food just as good.
I've been in the dining room a couple of times too and that makes me happy as well.
Bring an empty stomach because this place serves HUGE portions.
The steaks being the star of this place, haven't dissapointed me yet.
Went here for lunch with a couple of friends during restaurant week. Intending to sample the flagship of this famous franchise at an affordable price. Old-fashioned luxury feel, but not too stuffy. Plenty of younger people looking relaxed and enjoying themselves. I had the tomato & onion salad topped with the most delicious blue cheese dressing. The giant beef steak tomatoes make this simple salad to be more than the sum of its parts (also do this well at Peter Luger). The main attraction was the Filet Mignon (only steak option for RW), and it was highly satisfactory, but not the best steak I ever had. Also, ordered it medium-rare, but it was in fact medium. (minus a star for that). The cheesecake was light but decadent. Our waiter was a kind older gent who was highly competent. Service was excellent. No one bothered us as when we were the only table still sitting there at the end of lunch, while they changed the table clothes and all.
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Old School. Against all my proper judgment, I find myself thinking of this place first whenever I think of going to a steakhouse. They don't have the best steak in the city, and the service is far from good, but the atmosphere just makes you feel like you're stepping into a surreally authentic steakhouse.
As the first Smith & Wollensky beeforium, this is the granddad of them all. I've been to other S&W steakhouses around the country, and while some are trendier or more modern looking, nothing beats coming here with a few slapstick friends and doing some serious people-watching. You're guaranteed to overhear absurd comments left and right. The annex is especially fun late at night.
I tend to go with the daily specials. While they are generally more expensive, I've yet to be disappointed.
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Thank goodness for restaurant week! The filet I had was beautifully cooked (browned and crispy on the outside, bloody on the inside) and all of the sides were delicious. The wild mushrooms were especially good. I also really enjoyed the corn chowder I had to start.
They do have an awesome selection of wines by the glass (but they do not come cheap). They also have an excellent selection of hot businessmen in their late 30s - mid 40s ;)
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Went here for a work party so I didn't have to pay for anything. It is an old school steakhouse compred to the new gaurd (craftsteak, BOA). The meat is good don't get me wrong; but, if the Chicago feel is more your thing then go here.
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