Culhane's Steak House — Restaurant in Fairview Township

•BACK STORY we were coming back from HERSHEY PARK, going back to MD. getting hungry heading back later in the day then we'd intended and saw this place off to the northbound lanes and decided to take a chance. (not many places/too dark to see from I-83 at highway speeds)

now, to get there is kinda snaking backroads, and into a neighborhood, while we were thinking:

"oh man.. it's a diveeee.. but we're hungry and don't want to keep driving. alright, let's gut it out"

•APPEARANCE we walked into pretty much a neighborhood bar/restaurant, and it looks "older" but neat, clean and filled with people of mostly an older age group (which tells me they've been coming here a long time). the only thing that tweaked me was the bar, which you have to walk ALL the way around to get to the restrooms (looks like it grew, matured as a business, and stuff just got tacked on, more then a little hodge podge, with kinda not the best planning along the way) the ambiance kinda average, the bar a bit obtrusive, the restrooms annoying, way on the other side of the bar.

•LOCATION

I'd seen it's been open since 1956 (which I'd tend to think is older then the I-83 we all know at present)

hence location at roadside, with no exit except to go to the very NEXT exit 36, and go surface streets to get entrance crossing over or under 1-83. (they have helpful arrow signs in the route to help you find the place.. but it's still a little confusing.)

•FOOD

The opening of a very decent Caesar Salad and fresh Dinner Rolls was nice, we all enjoyed that part and the wait staff was efficient and polite.

•THE STEAK

whoa mommy..

Mine was a NEW YORK STRIP that frankly was about half again as large as most servings I'd received at other steak places..and I asked for "MOO" (blood rare) and dang it if it wasn't EXACTLY seared perfectly on the outside and cool center, nicely aged and very very good indeed.

also sub $20.00 a lot of "moo" for the ducats

My Wife's Steak was a Petite Filet Mignon, also cooked dead on correct.

She also stated "wow...great steak" after the first bite.. and it wasn't all that "petite" either.

•MAJOR MAJOR KUDOS

for not seasoning the poor thing to a salt encrusted yuck fest like SOME steak places do to death.

and, I can name some really big names that frankly killed a wonderful cut of meat with a heavy handedness of the salt shaker when a mere dink would go further then whoosh. (you all know what I mean, when you need to drink two glasses of wine, and some ice water to wash down a steak, they are heading to secondary preservation. rather then seasoning the steak for flavor. ugh, I hate overly salted food, and makes me want to not eat there, again.)

their sides were at best only okay, nothing to write home about.. don't go crazy with them. (besides, they fill you up and keep you from enjoying the steak)

can't render verdict on the dessert, we'd just left HERSHEY PARK and we were about candied out at that point.. no need for further diabetic coma incantations.

•OUTSIDE/PARKING

Their parking is decently spaced and well lit. obviously a nice quiet neighborhood area..

•HANDICAPPED WARNING!!!!!!!!!

the main entrance is a STAIRCASE, they DO have dedicated Handicapped Space, a ramp and ADA spec entrance at the rear.. you go up the ramp and ring the bell and they'll open the door for your admittance.

•FINAL TALLY

•COME HERE FOR THE STEAKS!!!! Thanks Folks, for surprising us with a...

I work in Harrisburg and have slowly been finding places to eat that are not the hospital cafeteria. Note Penn State MHMS max props to you for your chocolate pudding. Now if you are smart you will order something that a place is good at. The hospital cafeteria is NOT the place to order steak or any other form of beef other than ground. Pudding however is another story. I encourage you to go to the medical center just to experience the pudding. However at some point if you are like me you are going to want a steak. I’m in a hotel by the airport. The usual options came up - Outback etc. Then I see this place- what caught my eye is that it is a local long-standing business. Plus other people like it. This was it! I made the pilgrimage in the pouring rain. Don’t worry I was in my rental SUV- note I got to pick it out because I grabbed it in Philly where renting a car is referred to by National as an “experience”. Ok coming back to the restaurant. First off as soon as I got off the freeway (seemed middle of nowhere) my GPS began to spin around. I had a vague recollection of which way to turn so I did and the dot was still on the map so I headed for it. Through a residential area- thinking this place does not really exist and then suddenly there it was. They were not busy. I sat at a booth by the bar. Server was super cool. Anyway I ordered some clams and a strip steak and crab cake. Crab cake I heeded the servers advice and went for broiled. Didn’t have fries to compare but the broiled had minimal filler. The steak- ordered rare - my mistake not there’s was to leave it on the sizzling plate it came out on while I ate my salad. The steak which probably started out rare was medium by the time I ate it. So make sure you pull it off the sizzling plate unless you are going to cut into it immediately. I did not have desert because I had a cup of hospital pudding in the hotel fridge. Anyway I’ll be back. I went to 2 other places in the area. One on the water with an art gallery and another right on the medical campus. This place wins it for the 3 for being delicious and...

Very disappointing! We should of known with the lack of cars in the parking lot. But I was thinking we are kinda early arriving around 4:30pm. Seating ourselves to the booth, another hint, tables are all sticky. I was interested in the Surf & Turf, so I asked her is the Lobster Tail a Main Lobster Tail? She wasn’t sure, which I think she should know. She asked the cook and said yes it was. My boyfriend ordered the same meal both medium, rare Filets. They came out with cast iron plates with the meals. Right away not Main Lobster! I was upset seeing I had specifically asked. We both cut into our steaks and they were awful rare. Sent them back and still a little on the rare side for half the steak. The other half was ok. So I dealt with it. I took my first bite of the steak. I was really upset as it is not Filet Mignon! The taste was so awful! The worst steak I’ve ever had that I couldn’t even bare eating it! Don’t be fooled because the steak is tender. It should melt in your mouth with a delicious flavor. It absolutely did not! When you think about t as well. No restaurant would sell that big of Filet Mignon for $30.00. I ended having 3 bites and couldn’t bare eating it anymore. If I had it my way I would of returned the food & walked out! $31.00 a plate is hard to muscle when it’s all awful! It felt like it was from a steak company that sells them in frozen boxes. The shrimp was watery, as well as the lobster. Frozen... Awful presentation all the way around. Cast Iron Aluminum Plates stained from previous servings. The waitress was very kind...