Peter Luger Steak House — Restaurant in New York

I called on February 23rd & made a reservation for March 23rd. I never received a confirmation email or text after booking so I figure let me do the right thing & call before the reservation to confirm rather than just showing up expecting all to be good. The host Ryan was a complete jerk, worst attitude imaginable. It’s not hard to be kind and patient, that’s the main goal of your business is to be kind and accommodating. She asked me for my phone number multiple times. After I inform her that is the only number I have EVER had and she can’t find anything with that number, it’s like her job was done. No customer service skills whatsoever for such a prominent restaurant. She wouldn’t even attempt to look into the situation. She just treated me as though I was lying about the reservation & booking & told me there is nothing she can do as they don’t have any availability. This escalated to me speaking with the manager Michael, who at first, was even nastier. Telling me he deals with a lot of a**holes so basically, he associated me with that title. Telling me he doesn’t want to hear my stories when there was no story other than the truth- I called a month in advance, spoke with Janelle and booked this reservation. After thirty minutes of constant back and forth and just flat out disrespect, Michael offered me a 5:15 rather than the 5:45 I had booked 29 days prior. I happily accepted as I just wanted a resolution. Michael then called me back, informing me this situation wasn’t sitting right with him so he did some deeper digging. Luckily, he found the reservation and told me it was a Resy mishap where I have two accounts... I reached out to Resy and they confirmed I only have one account… Whatever I thought to myself, I was just happy they found the reservation as this was a very special occasion. But wait there’s more! I arrive at the restaurant with my family and check in. They mention nothing. No one introduces themselves, they don’t shake my hand, nothing other than “let us know when everyone is here.” To which I responded, apologetically informing them we dropped from 9 people to 7 with the rain and all 7 are here. Sure, we were about twenty minutes early but they could have accommodated, especially for all the trouble just the day before. Clearly, you can’t expect anything nice with this place so, we sit by the bar order a few drinks and the bartender was a complete dud. My grandmother with stage 4 cancer, sitting at the bar, encountered the bartenders cleaning and restocking as though they were closed getting ready for their shift. It felt as though it was a bother to even order. Everyone from soup to nuts was not personable, not kind and acted as though they are kings of the castle. Again, whatever I let it go. We finally sit down at a table, right in front of the kitchen for 7 and it’s only set for 6. If that wasn’t a smack in the face after all the nonsense then I don’t know what is. We are greeted by a waiter who never came back and within a few minutes we had a new waiter. Another weird occurrence but again whatever, I was just happy to be at Peter Luger for the first time. The only good thing about this restaurant is the food and even that wasn’t the best. Aside from the drinks, the best part was the warm bread. The steak was so charred it was almost burnt. The creamed spinach, well let’s just say there is nothing creamy about it. A 35th birthday & they bring out a cup filled with whipped cream which was incredibly tacky & they forgot the main event, that being the birthday boys order of their infamous cheesecake. For over $800, I’d save yourself the trip & go to Wolfgang’s where you’ll at least be treated with common decency. As someone who is in the industry, I was absolutely mortified with the lack of care & respect I received over the phone and at the restaurant. My best advice to the owners, have a staff meeting and get your workers on the same page. No one is saying you need to bow down to customers but how dare you act like you’re on a high horse & disrespect clients. I will...

Steak and Fries would be my death row meal, so I thought what better occasion to pop my Peter Luger cherry than the beginning of my 28th trip around the sun. We could die any day, really.

Everybody and their momma talks about Peter Luger. When you speak steak, you speak Peter Luger. It is the 4th most reviewed restaurant in NYC, and the most reviewed steakhouse. All this to say, I went in with high expectations, but how could I not?

My 3 homies and I arrived at 8:15 for our res, but of course our big homie was 5 min late. You can't really chirp big bro lol y'all know how that is ahahah.

I hadn't worn a suit in a MINUTE, so I thought I would throw one on as I felt this upscale Steakhouse called for it. I felt like Conor McGregor walking into T-Mobile Arena, or Frank Lucas at the Ali vs Frazier boxing match... but I wasn't wearing Chinchilla so I guess not ahahaha.

When I entered, I immediately noticed 2 things: 1) I was WAY overdressed. Patrons in here were in hoodies, beanies, and just plain T-shirts. Idk, this is probably a me thing or a factor of the times but I thought people would be DRIPPIN in here. Not even a little bit of a dress code? Idk I might just be trippin. 2) It was BRIGHT in here. I was expecting a dimly lit setting, but that was not the case. I felt way too seen.

The menu is simple and straightforward, which you don't really see anymore so I loved that. We ordered the Caesar Salad, Thick Bacon, Porterhouse for 2, Rib Steak for 2, Fries, German Potatoes, and the Cream Spinach.

At these prices, I was expecting to have a fun rapport with the server. Okay maybe a rapport is expecting too much, but at least a welcoming energy. He honestly could not have been more disinterested in us. The only time he seemed interested was when I asked for the check ahahaha bro pulled that thing out of his shirt pocket so quick and just stood there while I fished for my debit card.

In contrast to the service, the food was fantastic. Everything from the bread to the bacon to the german potatoes to the steak was delicious. The porterhouse was the standout, as it came on a piping hot slanted plate and was perfectly charred on the outside with a beautiful red to pink interior.

However, my jaw didn't drop. At a place with the reputation Peter Luger has, I desperately wanted my jaw to connect with the floor. But it just didn't. I have had better steak, and definitely better service, in the city. Off the top of my head Keens, Gallaghers, and Wolfgangs come to mind. Damn did you know Wolfgang Zwiener used to be a waiter here. The student really became the master...

But I get it. They have such a big name that they don't even have to earn business anymore. Why put in the extra effort when customers will still come in no matter the service they provide. The crown is heavy.

Maybe it's just a me thing. Expectations are the root of all heartache, and mine walking in were as exorbitant as the prices here. However, cracks in the foundation are beginning to show. That dude wrote the NYT article back in 2019 absolutely ripping them. They lost their Michelin star in 2022.

The story of Icarus comes to mind, when he ignored Daedalus’s instructions not to fly too close to the sun, causing the beeswax in his wings to melt, and he fell from the sky as a result.

Okay I'm getting dramatic now ahahahaha. 3.5 stars so will give 4 here and 3 on Yelp.

IG...

Not bad. Definitely not one star like the times said they were but they aren’t anything worth going far out of your way for. If your debating to try it to compare with Great Neck very similar to that location, and only if your up for a half a day in Brooklyn and several hours in the car to try it. You can also access it via Williamsburg bridge if in Manhattan by foot. I agree they are the best in the area not considering the price, but there’s definitely more superior steakhouses in the world that are closer to my house. When I arrived earlier this week, after driving almost 2 hours the host was very accommodating and allowed me to use their restroom after asking if we wanted to sit down earlier since I arrived almost an hour and a half before my reservation time. I ultimately decided to go on a short walk before sitting down which the neighborhood is a little shady at night it seems to me, but there are some good spots and architecture to check out if your in the neighborhood. However, the host was very polite and was upfront that they can help us within a certain timeframe, which was understandable. After about 20 minutes or so we went back asked to be sat early and they sat us down within a minute or so. The menu itself in my opinion is a little bit weak, since they don’t even have mashed potatoes as one of the most iconic steakhouses in the world, but they do put a good amount of quality in everything. The shrimp appetizer came out pretty good within about 10-15 mins, and then our steaks followed in another 20 minutes which came out right. The steaks did have a little bit of a unique touch to them since the Peter Luger sauce is made here, and it’s not processed like the supermarket, but in my opinion it’s just the same as any good local steakhouse so unless your in the neighborhood I wouldn’t go out of the way to go here. The desserts are decent and fill you up, not a big selection but the sundaes here are very good. As for the service, pretty standard only ick for me was that it took some effort to get our waiter to be more personable with us and I have to ask for anything that I want with regards to refills, they don’t offer anything. The atmosphere was just like the Great-neck location and it’s a nice and classic look for those into that. The pricing is high as per any NYC high end restaurant but if your doing a full course meal and maybe a drink or two expect 150+ per person. Overall for that day Peter Lugers did a decent job but for the price point and the drive I’m gonna have to rate it 3/5 as there’s a lot of places closer to my house that are just as good, and in a lot more convenient locations then Williamsburg. I did enjoy revisiting some of my grandparents old neighborhoods and seeing the sights of Brooklyn after my meal here, but I would only return if I was in the area. Far from average, but not the best...