Cliff's Steakhouse — Restaurant in Englewood Cliffs

My brother had picked this place for nostalgic reason since our family had been there 30 or so years ago, and I brought my family with me this time. We ordered a few drinks, some appetizers, salad, porterhouse for 3, a ribeye, a pasta, and some sides. The appetizers (oysters and crab cakes) were just meh, salad was ok, porterhouse was cooked properly (med rare) but could use a bit more seasoning, the ribeye was unacceptable. The ribeye ($53) was half an inch thick (strike 1) and it was 80% cooked with a very slight pink and definitely not the medium we had ordered (strike 2). When we raised it to the attention of the guy (I believe the manager/owner) that the steak is overcooked, he was skeptical and went to confirm with our waiter what we had ordered. And then he came back with a picture of steak temperatures to argue what a medium steak should look like (strike 3), mind you…the color in the pic did not look like what we got. Finally they came back with a replacement ribeye (slightly thicker maybe 3/4 in) which was rare (strike 4). The manager must have noticed that it wasn’t cooked enough so he brought over a hot plate and said “here you can cook it to your liking”. We were so done with the restaurant by then that we were speechless. I was going to leave a lower tip because of our experience but since it was Christmas Eve, I decided to be fair to our waiter who wasn’t being rude to us and left a 18% tip. Needless to say, they have lost a customer for good. I am shocked to see an establishment in business with this level of service and...

i wouldn't say the place is run down, but it's not what i would call elegant for the prices, which are VERY high. portions are small too, so if value is what you seek look elsewhere. there's a small dining area downstairs with a bar and a smaller, more private dining area upstairs which is usually reserved for large parties. Service is ok, parking is adequate.

the thing that bothers me about cliff's is that they essentially refuse to deliver a steak the way you want it. want it rare? they bring it out basically raw and let you cook it on a hot plate. want it well done? it comes out rare and you cook it on a hot plate at the table. you're left asking for a series of hot plates trying to manage heat and cook your food the way you like it. not sure if this is done intentionally as they think people like to sear meat at the table and bother waiters for plates, but for me it's annoying. just cook it how i want it and let me enjoy it. they always have a nice selection of daily specials, most of which are good. the crab cakes are excellent, as are the tiramisu and carrot cake desserts. they make their own grappa, which is ridiculously strong but excellent. definitely give it a try if that's your thing.

overall, i want to like cliff's, but i've never had such struggles getting a properly cooked steak at a steakhouse, and i can't get past that. if you can, or (as i do these days) you give them VERY specific instructions on how the steak should be brought to me at the table, it's a good place to dine. Just beware...

Lovely experience! Some of the best service we have received at a steakhouse. The owner walks around greeting every table and you can tell he really cares about quality. We started with the espresso martinis and they were very good. That being said for round two we got the cosmos and wow! Arguably the best cosmo I've had, certainly the best one I have had in recent memory - perfect mix of strong and flavorful, highly recommend! The starter bread was standard and did the job. We got crab cakes and tried the French onion soup. I do not normally eat French onion, but I have to say this one was really tasty and had bold flavor. The crab cakes were fire! Lightly fried and had the seafood taste finish you're looking for. We both got the filet mignon - fyi it comes on a hot plate so if you normally get medium, youq'll likely want the medium rare. The owner recommended this and it was the right call. What I liked about the steaks here is the meat was quality! Was not over seasoned or to buttery/oily - just really tasteful and cooked to perfection (see picture). We got the mashed potatoes and asparagus as sides - both were good and standard. They have a parking lot in the back for convenience. Price wise this place is good, you 100% get great value for the money! Would absolutely recommend this spot. Overall I give Cliff's Steakhouse a...