STK Steakhouse — Restaurant in Atlanta

Where do I begin!!! Was in Atlanta for my birthday weekend and our last night there we made reservations at STK for dinner. This restaurant is ala carte which isn't a problem but definitely not like the ones in the DMV in my opinion. Our reservation was at 9:15. We arrived 10mins prior and the young lady checked us in. We attempted to go inside to the hostess as instructed and the security at the door prevented us from entering and we had to wait....uh ok It was giving nightclub vibes by the loud music playing and the 4 ladies im assuming were the hostesses, dancing at the counter and the way security stopped us from going in. Once we made it in my friend went up to the hostess to let her know who we were. My other friend was talking to a lady who was also in line and found out her reservation was at 8...it was now 9:10 by this point meaning they were an hr behind. We stood in line for another 45mins before we were seated. By this point I was beyond frustrated and pissed off, but because of the time there was no where else to go and we had walked to the restaurant from our apartment. Finally we are seated and the waiter asked what water would we like tap, sparkling or Fiji. I asked him to repeat it a chose the Fiji water($9). He brought out one 1ltr bottle of the water for the 3 of us to share. The water was room temperature which is fine but I do like cold water. My friend had the waiter bring ice. We are looking over the menu and I wanted to start with an appetizer but was told that everything had to be placed at the same time, the appetizer and entrees. Again this restaurant is ala carte so everything is ordered individually. I ordered the filet and lobster ($89) one friend ordered the ribeye ($73) and my other friend got sliders, Lil BRGs ($29). We also ordered 2 sides ($20 each) and the cheesesteak eggrolls for the appetizer ($24). Our appetizer came out after about 20mins. It was 3 eggrolls(1 each) After we finished the appetizer, the busser came over and started reaching over everyone taking plates and silverware without saying a word. We felt that was a bit rude although i know what is happening, it could have been done better. We didn't get our food until 10:45. Our steaks were good but mine looked as if it was for a toddler. I do understand that the weight of a steak is different after it is cooked but if im paying for 6oz that's what it should be when I get it. My lobster tail was a little tough and not hot. The Mac and cheese was good and the brussel sprouts were amazing. My friend who ordered the sliders was upset. The buns on her 2 sliders where hard as bricks. She told the waiter she didn't want it. He apologized and took it off our bill. He still brought her out the sliders with softer buns but by then she was so irritated she lost her appetite. The waiter was very apologetic. While we were packing up our food to leave, the busser returned to attempt clearing the table again before we were done. My friend told him to stop and come back when we are done.We were so ready to gett out of there. The food was good for the most part but overpriced. The music was loud and we had to talk louder to hear each other. The ambiance esthetic is nice. I do understand they had kids having dinner for prom and other groups of guest, but this was a horrible experience for us visiting from the DMV and will never patronize this establishment in the future including the one...

July 05, 2025

Greetings,

This evening, I had the opportunity to celebrate my 40th birthday, and to mark the occasion, my partner and I chose to dine at a fine dining establishment in downtown Atlanta. Regrettably, after we visited your downtown Atlanta location, it became clear that my hope for an outstanding dining experience was unlikely to be met.

Upon our arrival, we had to wait despite having made a reservation several hours earlier. Eventually, we were seated at a table no larger than a nightstand. I immediately observed that, unlike the other tables, the candle on ours was unlit. This should have served as an indication of the service to follow.

Once seated, we were presented with the menu and asked for two sweet teas. Soon after, we placed our orders. After waiting twenty minutes, we realized that our drinks had been forgotten. We subsequently reminded our waitress that we had ordered two sweet iced teas. After an additional ten minutes, our drinks arrived. Fifteen minutes later, our food finally arrived.

Upon its arrival, I noticed a sticky substance around the $75 steak I had ordered. After considerable effort to cut into it, I tasted the meat and found it to be overcooked—its flavor reminiscent of a meal unintentionally left on the grill by an intoxicated cook. It was unsatisfactory, and I requested a remake.

At this point, we had spent over an hour at your restaurant, and the staff began cleaning up. Finally, around 12:05 a.m., the re-cooked steak was brought out. Although it was an improvement over the first, it still did not merit the price of $75. Given that my potatoes were cold and the minimal ice in my refilled iced tea had melted, I opted to forgo the steak altogether. My partner, who is more willing to accept mediocre service, encouraged me to take the steak back to the hotel, which led us to request a to-go box.

Ten minutes later, we received a small cardboard box, barely big enough for my food. Further, we were not offered anything to carry the sauce in, utensils, or even a bag. Shortly after, we received our bill, which totaled approximately $195.00, excluding gratuity. At that moment, I was overwhelmed with emotion and informed my partner that I needed a few minutes outside to collect my thoughts. I found it challenging to rationalize $200 for a meal arguably valued at $20 and customer service worth $10.

Despite my objections, my partner insisted on refraining from discussing this matter with a manager. He wanted to avoid any conflict on my birthday. While I appreciate his noble intentions, I possess a strong aversion to inequality in any form. The treatment we received in an establishment that professes luxury and exemplary customer service was inadequate and perhaps a sign of your treatment towards Minority LGBT customers. We deserved a better experience.

Although my birthday weekend was great, this experience was horrible. I am genuinely disappointed with my visit to your Atlanta location. I would have had a more satisfying experience at a more casual establishment, such as Texas Roadhouse, for a fraction of the cost.

Sincerely,

Gregory A. Reid...

I spent over $2000 last night taking some friends out for dinner at STK Atlanta. The visit was mostly fine. However, during my meal a server accidentally spilled a drink down the back of my shirt, pants, and jacket.

I played it cool and wasn’t going to cause a scene or make the young lady feel bad. However, it was incredibly annoying and disappointing to sit there for an additional 2 hours soaked.

As a restaurant owner myself, I’ve gone above and beyond in the past to take care of my guests when they feel slighted. I have fully paid to have a guest’s new Audi detailed because THE GUEST (not US!) spilled their drink in their car upon receiving it. Why? Because that guest will spend the next ten years dining with us. It’s investment in the future to make them feel cared for.

How did STK Atlanta respond to spilling a drink on me? They comped ONE of our beverages. On our $2353 bill (after tip), they comped one $23 drink. They deemed that it was less than a 1% value to the total bill “made it right”.

Not only that, but the server “Sam D.” had the nerve to hand me a card with an QR code on it and pleaded with me to leave him a google review. I assume that because I wasn’t rude to him and didn’t take my displeasure out on him by refusing to tip him (He handsomely received over $300), that he did a good job and that I left satisfied.

Well, he was wrong. I left disappointed and with a story I’ve told many friends in the past 12 hours since I left. Some young workers in the city think that simply having a charismatic personality makes you valuable to a company. Unfortunately, charisma only matters when you also show enough care and attention to detail to your guests. When you don’t win on attention to detail and guest recovery, your smile and care-free attitude are simply annoying.

What should they have done? I’ll leave that up to them to discuss among themselves for the future. It might seem like I’m entitled. In my heart, I don’t feel entitled to anything. That’s why I didn’t make a big fuss at the restaurant. It all tipped the scale, however, when Sam begged for a Google review. It was incredibly tone deaf.

I would recommend STK Atlanta study Nordstrom, Ford Fry, or Chick-fil-A to learn how to handle guest recovery and hospitality.

Also Your hostess staff was also terrible - I mean very terrible. Would it hurt them to smile? Would it hurt them to greet the guest before the guest greets them? They just stand there looking pissed that you’re in their establishment and wait for you to greet them. Very odd.

Regarding the food The steak was good. The sides were very mediocre. The Apple Pie was great. The Old Fashioned was fine - but please don’t use ice chips. If you’re going to charge $23 for a cocktail, use a large ice cube so the drink doesn’t get watered down quickly.

It’s no surprise that this restaurant was virtually empty on a Sunday night. Apparently no one wants to pay $200/person to get mediocre food and Chili’s level service.

Atlanta is an incredible food city. Do not waste your time...