Son of a Butcher — Restaurant in Liberty Township

We had high hopes for S.O.B. (Son of a Butcher) Steakhouse at Liberty, especially after reading glowing reviews and seeing a last-minute reservation open up for Father’s Day. We had originally booked dinner at a different steakhouse in Cincinnati, but since we were already in the area and had our toddler with us, we canceled our other plans to give S.O.B. a try for the first time. Unfortunately, despite a great first impression, the overall experience was very disappointing, and we won’t be going back.

Upon arrival, we were impressed with the atmosphere. The interior of the restaurant is stunning—stylish, modern, and inviting. Our server was kind and welcoming at first and gave us some fantastic-sounding recommendations. We were really optimistic.

We understand that Father’s Day can be a busier time for restaurants, but to be honest, the restaurant wasn’t packed. There were several empty tables, so the issues we experienced didn’t appear to be caused by a crowd.

The trouble started with our appetizer, which we were warned might take a little while. We were okay with that, but it ended up taking about 30 minutes to arrive. Not a huge deal on its own, but it set the tone for what was to come.

When it was time to order entrees, my husband chose the salmon, and I ordered the prime rib steak along with mashed potatoes and their mac and cheese pancake. We also ordered a side of mac and cheese for our toddler and some corn to share.

After another 30-minute wait, only my husband’s salmon and our son’s mac and cheese were brought out. I had nothing in front of me and waited about 10 more minutes before someone came over to let me know that my order had mistakenly been served to another table. They apologized and said it would be out soon.

Eventually, my steak came—but without the sides. I assumed the mashed potatoes and mac and cheese pancake would follow shortly, but nearly 30 minutes later, only the pancake arrived. At that point, my husband and son had long finished their meals, and I was just over it. I didn’t even touch the mac and cheese pancake because I no longer had an appetite. And still—no mashed potatoes, which were honestly the one thing I had really been looking forward to.

The steak itself was a major letdown. At $50 for an à la carte cut, I expected something better. It was cooked alright, but it was more than half fat. I fully understand that steaks come with fat, but I spent the entire time cutting away unusable portions. I maybe got 8 edible ounces out of a 16-ounce steak. That’s unacceptable for the price point.

We eventually asked for boxes and the check, only to realize that the mashed potatoes we never received were still listed on the bill. When we brought it up, our server apologized once and took them off—no further discussion, no attempt to make things right, just a quick adjustment and the final bill.

To make matters worse, the salmon was dry, and other than the toddler-sized mac and cheese, there wasn’t anything we enjoyed. The service started off friendly but ended up being extremely inattentive. Our server was nowhere to be found for long stretches, and we felt very forgotten throughout the meal.

We ended up spending well over $200 on a meal that was full of mistakes, incomplete, and not worth the money. If this is the level of service and quality they offer for just two adults and a toddler, I cannot imagine how chaotic it would be for a larger party.

We really, truly wanted to like this place. The ambiance is fantastic, and we were excited to try something new for Father’s Day. But this was a huge letdown from start to finish. Sadly, we won’t be back—and I wouldn’t recommend...

Creativity run rampant.

Overall: 9.6/10. Excellent steaks and service makes this thriving casual steakhouse a hit! Offering superb food, drinks, and service to match, I highly recommend this place to those looking to unlock their creative side while eating a phenomenal steak.

TL;DR - Get the Australian NY strip or the domestic wagyu strip + brussel sprouts and a dessert. Any dessert. Just do it.

1. Atmosphere: 10/10 - Creativity run rampant. If you're familiar with Epic Brands, then you'll know they love to be creative and out of the ordinary. I say extraordinary. Insane chandeliers and lighting, super fun paintings and murals cover every square inch of the interior walls, and COLORFUL hardware everywhere you look. This place is, in a word, creative.

2. Allergies: ?/10 - they can technically make whatever you want gluten and dairy free. They have vegetarian and halal options as well. I didn't have a need to order GF/DF. My server did say they make everything to order, so if there's a side that you're wanting done gf/df or otherwise, chances are high they'll accomodate.

3. Happy Hour: 0/10 - no happy hour.

4. Drinks: 7.8/10 for selection. 10/10 for execution. While they don't have an exhaustive list of cocktails compared to other places, they do execute their list well. The cocktails are inspiring and different, which is what I'm looking for. Finally, a restaurant that has unique and VERY delicious cocktails for everyone. The wine list is great, not exceptional and their whiskey selection is decent. Overall, very respectable and no issues. I do wish they had some more clever cocktail options.

5. Appetizers: 9.3/10 - the appetizer list was on the medium sized and all were very good. Very clever list of apps.

6. Food: 9.6/10 - the selection is just right; not too little, not overwhelming like cheesecake factory. Offering something for everyone, S.O.B. knocks every item out of the park, every time. I love how they offer the right amount of steak options without getting crazy. They truly do have a steak for anyone here. Offering 3 different wagyu nationalities, their steaks are exceptional, as are the brussel sprouts. The Mac n Cheese is very good, but not something I would order again. I think the type of noodle was off-putting, and it wasn't a thick type of creamy; it was more viscous. I can likely write a book about every dish, so to make this succinct, just know I have never had a bad dish. Quite the opposite - they consistently outperform and exceed my expectations every time. They're just. That. Good.

7. Dessert: 9.4/10 aaaah here's where the creativity I mentioned earlier takes a sharp turn into madness...the good kind! Offering delicious options that don't miss and something for everyone, they take dessert to another dimension...sometimes literally. They have the most entertaining dessert options that will make your evening. From a chocolate mini bathtub with edible bubbles to a chocolate forest with an edible chocolate tree complete with fog/smoke, this is by far the best dessert menu I've seen. Not from an options and flavor standpoint, but from a "wow, I can't believe what I'm seeing" standpoint. Keep the creativity up!

8. Reservations: easy to make online

9. Cleanliness: 10/10 - bathrooms are clean, floors, tables, plates, silverware, and employees are all neat and clean.

10. Bathrooms: 7/10 - clean and funky just like the rest of the restaurant. 7/10 because they need...

This is a review for a service on 7/10/23. My husband and I came here for our anniversary dinner. It was our first time here. We had already looked at the menu prior to arriving and pretty much knew what we wanted for the most part. The restaurant has a nice chic atmosphere and it was a cozy little place. Our server, was very over the top, and while I’m not singing their personality, a great server can read the room and know how much interaction their guest wants. My husband and I don’t need a new friend, we just want our service needs met while at a restaurant. Asked a lot of personal questions. They also went through their whole spill of what they would recommend and added personal stories to it that were a little over the top (more on this later). On to the food. We ordered the million dollar deviled eggs, sourdough bread, two Caesar salads, the domestic Wagyu filet with truffle butter and mushrooms for me, the domestic Wagyu NY strip with mushrooms for my husband, potatoes au gratin and carrots as our sides, and then we had the complementary anniversary desert and also ordered the Go Bananas at the recommendation of the server. Husband said their wasn’t really anything special about the eggs (I don’t eat eggs so they were just for him). The bread was good, but they give unsalted/unseasoned butter and a side of oil and balsamic vinegar that had way to much oil to really enjoy it. The salads were so lackluster. Felt and tasted like the produce was not fresh and it just really wasn’t a great Caesar salad for the price. When we got our steaks, we were asked to check the temp. The lighting was weird and made the steaks look a bluish green (which isn’t an appetizing way to see your food). Server had to use phone light. Both our steaks were under. Not enough for my husband to send his back, but enough for me to send mine back. They also forgot the truffle butter. When it came back, the truffle butter was on the side. I don’t know if that’s standard, but would have like it on top of the steak, so it would have melted over it, and then the mushrooms on top. Truffle butter didn’t have much truffle flavor. Mushrooms were good. Steak had good texture, but would have been loads better if it was seasoned properly. The potatoes au gratin was probably the best tasting and best seasoned dish of the night (they were really good). The carrots were underwhelming and cold. Complementary desert was good (some type of berry ice cream with a cookie). The go bananas is served with the server doing a flambé at your table. They set the liquor on fire and pour it on the plate that’s sitting on your table. It was not enough to burn off the alcohol, and so it just tasted mostly like a boozy desert. As we were finishing up, the server started a new table next to us and gave the exact same “personal” spill about the menu word for word. Kind of made it cheap and impersonal. Needless to say, we probably won’t be back anytime soon. We spent a good amount of money and it just did not meet our...