Council Oak Steaks & Seafood — Restaurant in Atlantic City

This is going to be my first bad review ever written but I left here feeling robbed. I’m a super chill laid back person and I’ve been in the business for the past 20 years but the way we were treated tonight was absolutely insane. I’m with the Sebastian Maniscalco mentality when he says if you don’t like a place just don’t come back but all the guests out there contemplating going here deserve to know how poorly managed this place is! I ordered 3 apps a shrimp cocktail, steak tartar and a thick cut bacon. The shrimp cocktail comes out and around 40 minutes later I ask where the others are and the bartenders response was they are backed up tonight. The ratchet bartender doesn’t seem to grasp the business so to clarify an app “COURSE” comes together not separate. This is a 100$ plus a head establishment and isn’t “Tapas” style restaurant. Still all good who cares great live music. Well then after then second round of apps come it takes over an hour for the entrees so I ask the manager Raymond if they will be coming soon. At this point my girlfriend is pissed everything is taking so long and the guests to my left point out that I still haven’t received my food and I respond with I’m in the business they are busy it happens. Then my steak finally arrives and it’s a bone in NY STRIP which I didn’t order and that’s when I start to get aggrivated so I send it back. ( I ordered a corona an hour ago which I never got and she didn’t seem to remember or care so I just ordered a coke thinking maybe she’d pick up on it but never did, every guest Nancy served had their dinners and were gone after sitting after us. ) The entire thing was a mess and the way Raymond the manager handled the situation was the icing on the cake he claimed he was listening but I don’t think he heard me. He was confused between the difference between a bone in strip vs a regular strip himself. A bone in cut in any form whether it be filet, strip, or Riveye is a SPECIALTY CUT. When my verbiage is I’ll take a NY strip cooked medium I don’t need to clarify without the bone. When it was brought to Raymond’s attention that I received the wrong steak he said sorry it’s a bad night for us. I get it but I paid 30$ to park and he took off the steak but I didn’t get to order dessert or enjoy and sides so really tacky on steak comp as a majority of the dinner should have been comped. Sucks your having a bad night but at the end of the day that’s not my problem. Still paid the remainder and tipped the bartender 20%. This place was an absolute joke tonight the bartender fought with me saying I didn’t order correctly and specify no bone, she didn’t even apologize for forgetting my beer, was straight up lazy offered no bread and put a cocktail straw in my soda. I’m blown away the lack of training here considering the prices and Raymond seems to think this is the norm. Save your money and go anywhere else I wish Robert’s was still there to show you guys hospitality or maybe take your staff to Steve and cookies to see what true fine dining is. I don’t want anything for free or you to reach out to me just want to save anyone I can a few 100 dollars and spare themself from dining here. Watching bartenders pass out To Go Containers to guests all around the bar instead of wrapping their dinners up for them at that price point is just embarrassing step it up guys!!! Meanwhile this a picture of the dining room at 7pm on a Saturday can’t imagine what the service is like with guests sitting at the tables. 200$ to eat your dinner at home...

This is probably the best dining experience we have ever had together. From the beautiful and relaxing atmosphere (and lighting- you can tell from my pictures which aren’t always the best, and how great they look here) to the attentive service, to the phenomenally tasting food- everything was perfect.

We started with a glass of Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay, which was described to me as “exquisite”. I ordered a “Toasty Twist”, which I enjoyed so thoroughly that I ordered a second one. 😝

The bread that was brought out was a pleasant surprise, deliciously and heavily salted and crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside.

We ordered a crab cake, which was also delicious, and the mustard aioli was just enough to set it apart from other crab cakes without detracting from the crab itself.

I ordered a “Wood-Fired Specialty” Seared Tuna for my main, and the lobster mac and cheese side to share- because I’m always going to try a lobster mac n cheese if it’s on the menu 🤣. Both were fantastic. Zero complaints. The lobster mac had big pieces of lobster, and the tuna was perfectly seared and had a distinctly fresh flavor.

He ordered a Filet Mignon Crab Oscar (because he’s always going to order a filet, as I will always order a lobster mac n cheese 🤣) which he stated was tender, juicy and cooked to perfection. He ordered it cooked to medium, and it was presented with a crisp, charred exterior with a juicy, red center. He couldn’t have asked for it to be cooked any better. 👌

We both added 1/2 lb Alaskan King crab which is just one leg - the perfect amount to add to an already large dinner. It was also cooked perfectly and served with drawn butter and a lemon half wrapped in cloth to catch the seeds. It was pre-cracked, so exceptionally easy to remove from the shell. I tend to prefer Snow Crab over King Crab, but that’s probably because I’m from Michigan, where it’s not as easy to get good King Crab. This was the best King Crab I’ve ever eaten. 😋

I snapped a picture of the table after we finished eating and before dessert to allow you to see how clean the tablecloth was after our server removed the crumbs. The service was truly exceptional. We were seated right by the kitchen, but the staff was so professional that it didn’t bother us at all, and actually added to the ambiance of the restaurant.

We ordered the Chocolate Brownie Mousse Cake for dessert, which we ate half of and saved the other half for home- and we ate it the next day, and it was STILL scrumptious. We subbed the mixed berry sorbet that accompanied the cake with a cherry almond ice cream, which we commented at the time that we should’ve ordered another scoop. It was PHENOMENAL.

Dinner was finished with some wet towels on lemons, which was appreciated after eating our crab legs ☺️.

Seriously, if you can, visit Council Oak Steaks & Seafood. You...

If you are a minority, don’t waste your time or money. I was given a wait time of 20 minutes. I went to follow up 40 minutes later and was met by the disgusting manager Samantha. She told me I wasn’t told 20 minutes, although she wasn’t the attendant who advised us of such. She disgustingly told me we had another 1 hour long wait. I said I need to speak to a manager because that’s not what I was told. She undeservingly bragged that she was the manager. I told her to tell me if I incorrectly informed. The very same waitress who informed me of our wait time came back acted completely clueless. Then security was called on me because I asked them to explain our text message describing our wait. The game of calling authorities on minorities had been proven to never go in the favor of truth. I told Samantha to admit someone made a mistake. I told the attendant who told me 20 minutes to admit she told us that. And everyone lied and was the utmost unprofessional. They’d rather call security than deal with an issue they caused. Corporate will be called, and anyone else who is more competent than their manager Samantha and staff. I looked around and saw not one person of color dining here and I wondered why. In the interim of security being called on me by the very person who incorrectly informed us, we got the text that our table was ready. So all of that hysteria obviously at no fault of ours. I’m disgusted as a human and as a minority. Have you not seen black people being arrested and even killed for Karen-like games that were played tonight??? You contest something professionally and because they’re wrong the authorities are called on you. You disgust me Samantha. As well as your attendant who would not be accountable for her wrongs. Your establishment and blatant racism disgusts me. Thank you for services not rendered, and a police brutality event initiated because no one is trained on deescalating situations...