The ASH Essen — Restaurant in Essen

As I placed my order, visions of perfectly cooked, succulent meat danced in my head. My request for a medium rare chef's selection was met with affirmations from our waiter - a beacon of hope in the vast sea of steak. However, as the dish arrived, it became apparent that my medium rare dreams were just that - dreams. What lay before me was not the tender, pink-centered delight I had envisioned, but rather, an assembly of meat chunks that seemed to have forgotten their stop on the medium-rare express.

The price tag? A cool 28 euros, which in retrospect, seemed to be paying homage to the number of times the chef checked if the meat was indeed well-done. Yet, my spirit remained unbroken. I voiced my concerns, hoping for a culinary course correction. The waiter, a paragon of niceness, offered solace in my time of overcooked despair.

But then, a twist in my tale of meaty woe! Another member of the waitstaff, perhaps a guardian of the grill, suggested I re-order the same meal, but this time in rare - as if my trust in the temperature spectrum hadn't already been thoroughly scorched.

Declining this generous offer to potentially undercook my previously overcooked meal, I opted for a different steak, hoping for redemption. Alas, when the bill arrived, it carried with it a surprise - a charge for herb butter, which apparently was not included in the first act of my steak saga. It seems in Ace Steakhouse's universe, herb butter is the currency of the realm, and I had unwittingly amassed a debt.

Despite these culinary capers, it's only fair to note the effort and the ambiance that Ace Steakhouse strives to provide. The meat, though not as ordered, did carry with it the promise of what could have been. The waitstaff, a blend of niceness and fervor, added a dash of human flavor to the evening's experience.

In the end, I find myself awarding Ace Steakhouse a gallant three out of five stars. For while my journey through the land of meats and herb butter economics was fraught with overcooking and unexpected charges, it was, undeniably, a memorable adventure. To future patrons, I say: venture forth with caution, clarity on butter policies, and a clear temperature preference - may your steaks be less adventurous and your herb butter charges more...

Vibe, decor: 5/5

Great decor and interior design. Clean, spacious. Great for relaxing and puts you at ease.

Service: 5/5

Service was quite attentive and politely friendly for how busy it was. I could not ask for more.

Food: 4/5

The skin-on fries, I would come here for again. Cut with a slight dip shape to pick up sauce and satisfying crisp.

"Wild herb salad" was a basic salad, arugula and all that - what you'd expect from a spring mix salad. Okay salad, it just doesn't have any "wild herbs" (picture below) for the mark up (~€15). They also give a sizeable wheel of cheese that's like 3 cm diameter and 1.75 cm height? Sweetish, feta-ish consistency. I couldn't finish more than a third.

Beef burger was okay. Patty was slightly more compact than basic American patties lending it a bit of chewiness. It also had a hint of breakfast sausage seasoning which I personally don't fancy in a burger. Tastes fine otherwise.

Tomato "soup" had the consistency of marinara sauce which was a little off-putting. Tastes good enough, I just kept thinking how I'd put it on pasta.

Conclusion: I didn't come for drinks this time, but this might be a better place for drinks and bar food than for dining at this price point compared to other venues...

What a disaster. Our group of 80 people had agreed on a fixed menu months in advance, with an average price of €22 per dish. But what we got was far from that... I waited 1.5 hours for my meal—and I was lucky, because others had to wait even longer! On top of that, there was only one vegetarian option.

Then came the bill. Not only were we charged for tap water we never ordered, but sides like potatoes and gravy suddenly turned out to be extra. We ended up paying at least €8 more per person, which adds up to over €600 in outright rip-off! And as if that wasn’t bad enough, there were items on our bill that we never ordered.

To make matters worse, the cashier was completely incompetent. My order had to be re-entered three times, as if she didn’t know what she was doing. It all felt very suspicious, like I was being forced to pay without anything actually being deducted from the bill.

And the cherry on top? The next day, multiple people in our group suffered from stomach problems. Apparently, food hygiene is not a priority here.

This restaurant is a DISGRACE. Deceptive practices, terrible service, and possibly unsafe food. Save yourself the trouble and go...