The Meat Cellar — Restaurant in Claremont

Finally I came here after a recomendation from a colleague. I originally thought of trying it for lunch because of the sound of the great deli they had, however the circumstance tonight warranted dinner. We had a reservation. arrived slightly early and had to wait so I took time to observe the cool deli and meat market inside the restaurant. You can bellie up to a deli bar and watch the chefs cook and make sandwiches while you eat if you want. We ended up waiting a bit after out reservation tim as it was packed. You might want to plan for this if arriving during a busy time. There is an alcohol bar opposite the deli bar with a variety of beer, wines and mixed drinks. At this point we are seated, the atmosphere is vibrant, there is a good swell in the air and we are waiting for our orders. I ordered one steak from the section of the menu where you can pick your steak out from the counter. The wait for the food is a little long, but our group is having a good time conversing while we wait. Finally the food comes. Our group all ordered different items. I ordered from the Butchers Experience Menu where you can actually go and choose your own steak and the prices stated are per pound. I ordered a half pound, waitress said they are only cut at ten oz. So I took the 10oz Dry Aged Prime Manhattan, medium rare, another ordered the Prime Bone in Rib Eye, one ordered the Chilean Sea Bass , and a Porter House. I tried all and all where great. I loved the Bone in Rib Eye the most from the steaks with its flavor and texture. The Chilean was excellent, it had the buttery, very moist, tender texture and flavor. Finally my Aged Manhattan. This one was much more lean than the Bone in Ribeye, had a little smokey flavor, and lightly seasoned, great taste. It was so dence that I could have easily split it with someone and been full. The Manhattan also happens to be one of the more economical choices at around 29.00 per pound, so mine was only 16.00. When you order from the Butchers Experience side you need to add your sides if you want them, just know that when you order most of the sides they come in a big portions enough to serve possibly 3 or 4 people. I ordered sauteed mushrooms and roasted veggies for myself when it may be better to order a few to be shared by the table. My sides where fresh and prepared nice. Wow. I think that's the longest review I have ever wrote! Well there is a lot to talk about in this...

I'm really bothered only giving The Meat Cellar three stars. It truly is one of my favorite spots. But my last experience was less than what was expected. I had taken my family out to celebrate and choose The Meat Cellar. I had raved it up and was super excited to share this gem of a restaurant with them. I made a reservation ahead of time, showed up on time, with all of my party. Our table wasn't ready. No biggie. Short wait. Three uneven tables for our party of nine. Ok. Our server looked lost. Instead of going to the end of the table to speak with us, she stood behind us. It was loud and we could barely hear what she was saying. Again, ok, no biggie. Ordered drinks and appetizers. Waited and waited and waited. One drink here, one drink there. Some cornbread, which is delicious. 7 rolls for a table of 9. When I asked for more cornbread for the table I was told, "Only the first round is free. If you want more you have to pay." Ok. Entrees are not cheap so I think the corn bread cost is mute. We all ordered at the same time, yet meals were staggered. My husband ordered the ribeye ($75) medium rare. I ordered the filet ($65) Medium. When these beautiful pieces of meat were brought to our table, the ribeye was well done and the filet was still alive. Ribeye sent back, and I ate the outer areas of my filet. By the time my husbands steak was brought out, the rest of us had already finished. This is a steak restaurant right? How do you mess up on the one thing your supposed to be so great at, cooking a steak? I complained to the hostess, who said she was the manager, to no avail. I got the "We have staffing issues." I was not only charged for the poorly cooked meat, but the tacked on 20% service fee for the shoddy service. The bill was well over $700.00, crazy amount I know. I hate to see this happen. You find a really cool place, you visit a couple of times and have a great time and then.... crash and burn. Now this little gem is tarnished. I hanker for the place where the food, the service and atmosphere is consistent. Sick of excuses for lack of...

Made a reservation for our anniversary dinner, and requested outdoors. The individual who made our reservation said that wouldn't be a problem....fast-forward a few days and it actually WAS a problem.

We arrived to see no outside seating except a few chairs near the entrance. When we checked in we reiterated that we wanted outdoor seating and that the reservation should reflect that. The response we got was "Oh, nobody wants to sit outside in the sun". It was 8PM. We wanted to sit outdoors. COVID is still a thing. And even if it wasn't...we requested outdoors and were told it wouldn't be a problem.

Since they made no accommodations to seat us outdoors (we asked if they'd make an exception and were told no), we proceeded to sit indoors although it made us uncomfortable. It was busy, and a few of the patrons were a bit drunk, having to yell at each other to communicate over the excessively loud music (why does it have to be so loud?)

The food was OK (maybe a bit pricey for what it was), and the service was mediocre. Our waitress wasn't super engaging, was never around when you needed her, and the food took quite a while to be delivered to our table.

All in all, if outdoor dining and avoiding crowds is still important to you this isn't the place. If you're looking for a romantic place to celebrate an anniversary, this isn't the place. The atmosphere / noise level is similar to a bar/appetizer kind of place (think: Eureka down the street), but for the menu / prices you'd expect a more upscale ambiance.

My experience wasn't bad enough to never come back, but it was "meh" enough to...