Medium Rare — Restaurant in New York

I didn’t want to write this, but after the experience we had last night, I feel it’s necessary.

We chose Medium Rare for a birthday dinner after considering several restaurants. I picked it because of its reputation for great food, warm hospitality, and strong service. Unfortunately, only the food lived up to that reputation.

From the start, something felt off—as if our presence wasn’t welcomed. After we were seated and had the menu explained, things initially seemed on track. But it quickly unraveled. Our bread arrived, and before we had even received our salads, the steaks were already being served. We politely explained this to the staff, and overheard the manager say, “We’re moving too fast.” They were.

The salads came shortly after the steaks, but the timing created chaos. The table wasn’t large enough to hold multiple plates per person, and no effort was made to accommodate or even acknowledge the inconvenience.

Medium Rare is known for offering two steak servings per guest, both on the same plate. However, our plates were cleared before the second serving arrived. We assumed we were being given fresh plates—yet when the second serving did come, it was delivered abruptly and without acknowledgment, almost like an afterthought. By then, the experience had already soured our appetite.

After we finished, we waited—politely—for someone to check in, offer the check, or bring the complimentary dessert we had been told we’d receive due to the earlier issues. No one came for 15 minutes.

Eventually, one of our guests went to the restroom and was stopped by the other manager, Bill Figueroa, who apologized and stated that he had instructed our server to comp the entire bill. He said, “That’s why I didn’t come over and speak with you.” Unfortunately, our server never mentioned this, and we had already paid.

So now I’m left asking: Was this about race? Was it discriminatory? Or, as our server casually put it, “just one of those nights”? If “one of those nights” means being overlooked despite being kind, patient, and smiling—then that speaks volumes. Especially after we were told our server was double-booked, so delays were to be expected.

We came to enjoy drinks, a good meal, and a great evening. Sadly, Medium Rare didn’t deliver on anything but the food—and even that was overshadowed by the treatment we received.

If you’re considering dining here, that’s your choice. But be aware: not everyone is treated equally. And that truth should be...

I was quite happy with my experience dining here. I do not have that much experience with set menus, but I understand why they confidently serve their signature dish because it was delicious. I am not someone who typically eats steak without bread and cheese; it is almost always in a sandwich when I eat it. I was perfectly satisfied eating the steak as served, and the fries were delicious. The staff was quite attentive as I only needed to call our server over once which is pretty good. I like the fact that they served two rounds without even being asked. I know their usual portion is 2 rounds, but I appreciate when I don’t even need to ask. They also nailed the cook on the steak (I ordered medium rare). The dinner came with bread and a salad; one suggestion I have is to offer another starter option besides that. I can’t speak for most people, but I personally do not like veggies very much, so offering a soup or even a small fried union string appetizer. There are other options as well, that is just a few suggestions. I loved that they had free refills on the soda, but their cocktails were a little pricy for me to try (around 16 bucks). I have seen worse, but that is a bit above what I am willing to pay for a drink. I had the carrot cake for dessert which was a little bit of a let down. It tasted fine, but for around 12 bucks I was expecting a bigger peace. Overall, the main components of the meal were nailed as the steak and fries met my expectations. Their secret sauce goes well with the bread as well and I would consider buying a bottle of it to take home. The atmosphere here was quite nice as well; not too loud and I was easily able to talk to my friend without yelling. Keep it up as I definitely...

Paying $35 per person for fries is outrageous, that’s what I did. Apart from the Lavender 75, the fries were the star of the show. The bread is hard. The salad dressing is delicious which works well for wilted greens. Oh! The sauce is also good so if you’re lucky like I was and your fries aren’t salty like most people who mentioned salty fries in their reviews then go for a couple of drizzles. The dining room floor plan is wild, prepare to be smacked in the head a few times and your chair to be knocked into while you dine. Service lacks luster from the moment you walk into the restaurant. The hostess can use a bit more training. Front house as well as back of house can use a refresher as well. If you’re thinking that simply making a reservation will save you from a wait or being skipped by other patrons who are more aggressive or eager to dine than you are… it will not. I had a reservation for 8:15 and was finally seated at 9:40. In fact they don’t actually make use of their reservation system. If you are not a local or take a car service there, also add $50 for parking because you will not be in and out in 2hours. If you’re like most and want to go see for yourself, yes, you will receive 2 portions of steak. The steak may not be cooked to your desired temperature and ordering a different temperature the second round doesn’t help. The hallway leading to the restroom is gross. Overall, I would never recommend this establishment to anyone, certainly not to celebrate a birthday. I wouldn’t return even for...