Vinyl Steakhouse — Restaurant in New York

I and two of my friends dined at Vinyl Steakhouse tonight and it was phenomenal. We are long time NYC residents and have been there, done that. We chose this restaurant because it was conveniently located near the offices of 2/3 of us. Walking in I thought, very intimate room for a steakhouse, no frills on decor, but awesome vibe and super authentic. They were spinning mostly 60s and 70s (think Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, etc) - and we were fine with that. Not too loud at all and helped the good vibe in the room all night.

Crystal was our server and she was the bomb. I mean her personality and service. Her looks were beyond that! Sorry not sorry. Three single guys dining together. Anyway, when she first approached and she announced that she would be our server, I told her my service so far had been terrible but I trusted her to turn it around. The service I was talking about was cellular, and it is very not good deep in the restaurant. Crystal took my phone and signed me in to the WiFi without a pause and things were all looking up from there. We had the short rib pot stickers, crab cake and shishito peppers to start. All were delicious and on point - tasty, served hot, relatively quickly. Pot stickers are a must. Peppers were phenomenal. Crab cake was very good but ultimately just a crab cake. We split the monster 38 oz. Cowboy ribeye with sides of fries, truffle Mac and cheese and green beans. The steak was cooked perfectly medium rare (it better have been for $170) and was plenty for three adults. The sides were all great also - fries crisp and hot but not greasy, Mac and cheese soft with crunchy breadcrumbs and a not overdone truffle element (surprisingly) - you could still taste the cheese and the pasta! The green beans were definitely well done but not a “mushy” mess as I had read some other reviewers say. They were dusted with onions and soy and were delicious - a very nice counter to the fatty but delicious meat. We ordered dessert and Crystal brought it (a German chocolate cake in brownie form) along with a complimentary shot that acted as a perfect amous bouche- basically was a greyhound with some bubbles (vodka and grapefruit juice). The house also brought us a piece of their carrot cake on the house - it was divine (warm, crisp on the outside, moist and chewy inside, with a fantastic cream cheese frosting reduction (??) spooned on to part of the top of the slice. SO delicious. I told the team it was a real treat as carrot cake is my favorite cake anywhere. Anytime. We were not rushed. We finished our coffees and cocktails in leisure. Listening to tunes, conversing and taking in the vibe. We ordered the check and when brought back for signature, Crystal brought a small white paper bag and put it next to me and said that she bought me another piece of carrot cake to take home. It was a nice and professional but warm touch that left an impact. Everyone on staff was friendly, beautiful (men too) and cool. No stuffiness. Good food. Good drinks. Good vibes. Good people. They made us feel like we were in their living room/dining room as friends, not customers. Crystal you rock. The entire team was great. Thanks for a great meal and a great experience. Will...

I was apprehensive when booking this. I’ve been to most steakhouses in NYC a few very regularly & the amount of reviews for this place that focus on ‘the vibes’ was a little off putting.

Call me old fashioned, but I can’t eat vibes & trendy places often feel superficial, shallow & above all, temporary.

Part of the charm of a good steakhouse is that you can develop relationships with the place. I like Lugar’s because I know I’ll be able to take my kids their one day & they’ll be able to, in time, return the favour. Chances are we’ll probably have been brushed off by the same waiter. I like that.

Whether this place will succeed in being able to offer that level of permanent staying power, I’ll leave to Father Time, but two years in it offers an experience both steak lovers and non steak lovers will really appreciate.

The steak itself is the quality expected at top places in nyc, Cajun ribeye was interesting, but I’m basing the quality assessment on the dry aged bone in ribeye, the star of the show, which was very high quality meat, well executed. It’s difficult to screw up a great piece of meat, but the chefs enabled it to meet its potential - which is all I ask. Sauce wise, I’ve had better elsewhere; the bearnaise was a little thin & lacked body… but I didn’t miss that at all given the quality of the beef. Which is genuinely all I care about.

Wine list is well thought out, skipped cocktails, but watching the barman he knew what he was doing - ultimately any worry I had that the overwhelming attention paid to ‘vibes’ would be distracting and a bit gimmicky, was misplaced - it was really well considered and executed. The ambiance becomes a part of the service & is integrated thoughtfully into the hospitality experience. Credit to servers and front of house for being a natural extension of their very warm surroundings.

So in summary, the next time someone says ‘what’s the best steakhouse restaurant in nyc?’ I’ll still say Lugars as it’s closer to what I look for in a traditional New York steakhouse… but unless you are with an old school steakhouse purist who will ‘get’ why Lugars waiters are surly & why things are generally a bit difficult there - bring them here.

Why? Simple.

My dinner guests bounced out of here with a smile ear to ear excitedly proclaiming this was the best steak restaurant they’ve ever been to. (See photo)

I’ve never seen anyone bounce out of...

HANDS DOWN, THE BEST STEAK & DINING EXPERIENCE I HAVE HAD IN NYC. Vinyl Steakhouse is spot on with superior quality of food, cocktails, wine, service and ambiance.

The wine list is superior and Kevin (Owner/Sommelier) selected a bottle for us that was incredible. The drinks at the bar were amazing and hand crafted gems to start the evening.

The music....just my vibe with a mixture of the Beastie Boys, David Bowie, the Stones, Hendrix and laying into some BB King blues and Blue Note Jazz. Honestly, the record collection and spins are such an amazing compliment to the meal and the ambiance.

The cocktails...1987 Cosmo & Templeton Old Fashioned - like music to your tastebuds and so damn good, we had to stop ourselves so we could pick wine for the meal!!!

The appetizers...everything was fresh and incredible presentation: crispy rice tuna, Caesar Salad & Vinyl Chopped - not a speck of food left on any plate.

The steaks...we had the filet mignon & the bone in rib-eye - both were perfectly cooked and better yet, perfectly seasoned with no need for any sauces (although I am sure they are also delicious)

The desserts...Molten Chocolate (20 min wait was worth it - as it was fresh to perfection), Chocolate Mousse (every spoonful was decadent bliss) & The Upside Down Apple Pie (my personal choice and favorite).

This place is amazing, superior quality and unpretentious where all of my favorite music and bands are part of the experience with pictures of The Beastie Boys with Run DMC, Debbie Harry, and even some Sonic Youth & Nirvana. Just an absolute treat for all senses and creating something so damn unique I would recommend anyone and everyone should go (even if for drinks and appetizers at the bar).

Sorry...no great pictures this time - as we were too busy enjoying the service, ambiance and food without distraction. It might be the first time in the last 10 years I chose the experience over the photos LOL....

On the upside....We will be back again and again and again - so pics will follow as we attempt to make it through every dish - or even a beautiful bottle of wine with desserts.

thank you Kevin & the entire Vinyl staff for making our dinner such an incredible...