Peter Luger Steakhouse | Yo Dat Shit Was Fire!

After 2 years of living in New York City, it took an internet dispute for us to finally make our way to Peter Luger' Steak House.

With this visit, I had to clear my mind of all preconceived notions of quality, mediocrity, amazement, disappointment, etc. imprinted there from the initial shots fired (via NYTimes Restaurant Critic Pete Wells), the myriad clap backs (an example) it received, a rebuttal from the restaurants GM and all of the subsequent think pieces that ensued.

Like many others, I first became acquainted with Well’s writing in his venomous (yet hilarious) take-down of Guy’s American Kitchen and Bar. Written in a sardonic tone, the review painted a clear picture of the issues he encountered and was very heavy on the details. I appreciate when a critic can support their views, rather than lash out passionately and pointlessly.

I must say that I was quite surprised not only to read his negative review of Peter Luger — a restaurant that I’d primarily heard good things about until that point — but to see that he dropped a big fat 0 star on them. With all of the heated discussion around the restaurant and more so what it represents to this city, I had to go see for myself. I wanted to be able to participate in the conversation from an informed point of view.

Luckily, I had a friend visiting from out of town that week. I suggested that we visit Peter Luger with a few of our other friends; to which we was quite amiable. He had been before (back when he lived in the city) and was very excited to go back.

Nestled near the water's edge of Williamsburg, the location still gives off an old world charm, even though the area around it has become quite modernized with yoga studios, boutiques and shared work spaces.

When we arrived for our 9:45p timeslot, there was a crackling energy in the lobby. I went up to the host to confirm that our reservation was still there. He asked if we were all here. I said that 4 out of 5 of us had arrived. He gave me a condescending look and cheekily said "okay...well then... let me know when you’re all here....", then turned dramatically back to his conversation with the bartender. I walked sheepishly back to my group. Normally I'd be annoyed in this situation, but this somehow seemed an appropriate interaction for the setting.

When the last straggler in our group arrived, the host nodded over to us and brought us to our table, no other words spoken.

The dining room is quite open, which gave it an energetic air. Everyone's conversations blended into a single frenetic ambiance. Much less stuffy than I had pictured in my mind.

We looked at the menu. A simple menu, but a good menu. There were daily specials and some non-beef option such as the sole (which Wells put to task in his review).

However, we were here to see the star, not the openers. We decided on the steak for 4. My wife asked that her and I share a single portion. Little did she know, I had no plans to share. I would subtly take my full portion, while siphoning pieces from one of the other friends (fools) to her plate.

We also got a few sides because the thought of eating nothing but buttery charred meat, while appealing to me, was too much to stomach for the group at large.

We also got the sliced tomatoes and onions. The dish consisted of… sliced tomatoes and onions.

The bread and famous steak sauce arrived immediately after placing our order. I popped my Lactaid pill (shout out No Dairy Fam) and started in on an onion roll. It was cold, which was a surprising choice. Perhaps it was just the end of the day? Or perhaps just their style. Either way, it wasn't my preferred format of table bread.

I took a generous dollop of sauce and applied it to my plate. I figured I'd give it a preview. I dipped the bread and took a bite. The results were... underwhelming. It tasted somewhere like an elevated cocktail sauce and A1. Pretty standard to be honest. I thought to myself, is this just basic cocktail sauce? Was the standard cocktail sauce which has been so familiar to me through my life, actually modeled after Peter Luger's sauce somewhere in antiquity? Has it been around for so long and been parodied so much that it's lost its meaning? Like an episode of Sex and the City: revolutionary at its birth but cringey as fuck to watch in the modern day. Then I realized that I've been silently lost in thought for 5 minutes... and that's weird... So I rejoined the conversation. Bread was 3/10 and sauce was 5/10 (at this point).

The appetizers arrived next. The bacon was quite good; thick cut with the right fat to meat ratio. We also got the sliced tomatoes and onions. The dish consisted of… sliced tomatoes and onions. I was apprehensive at first, but channeled some inner early 19th-century-countryside-picnic vibes and dug in. Wow, these were probably some of the best tomatoes I’ve ever eaten. Fresh, juicy and fleshy. The onions were just raw onion slices. Both were best enjoyed with a little sauce. Bacon 8/10, tomatoes 8/10, onions 4/10.

After another 10 minutes or so, the main course arrived. Two gorgeously charred, buttered and pre-sliced porterhouses were placed in front of us, slightly elevated on one end by another plate so that the sizzling juices could pool along one end. Riding shotgun were dishes of Luger's Special German Fried Potatoes and creamed spinach. The server plated the right balance of steak and side for each of us: 1 dallop potatoes, 1 spoonful spinach and 3 slices steak topped with a liberal lathering of butter. Just to be clear, this ain't no Paula Deen bargain bin heart valve plugging boooter butter. This was a nice clarified blend of butter, cooking oil and the steaks own fats. Fantastisch!

Anyway, I took a bite of the steak and it was bomb as shit. Perfectly crunchy on the outside, moist and rare in the middle and just the right ratio of chewy to tenderness. Wow, I wish I had 2 mouths so I could double the quantity at which I was consuming this gift. The sauce was also elevated by the steak (or was it vice versa). Of course the 2 were meant to be enjoyed in tandem. Foolish me to try and separate these components. The combo raised the sauce score to 9/10.

We dug through the slices quickly; almost as quickly as all my friends lose to me in Super Smash Bros (when I’m using Roy). We only paused to take small bites of the sides — a brief respite from the rich meat — then right back to the steak. After we finished, the table agreed that the steak for 4 was the right portion for the 5 of us. Actually, I only pretended this was true to fit in with everyone else; I secretly yearned for more.

I could tell that one of my friends was also desiring more, based on the wistful look in his eyes. Without a word, we both dug out as much meat as we could from the bones. Clean Plate Club representas. I had a strong urge to pick up the bone with my hand and gnaw off the remaining morsels, but was able to suppress the inner Chinese Villager that was bubbling up in me.

Surprisingly, the meal didn't feel too heavy for being several lbs of meat covered in butter. It was a nice heady buzz. Overall; Steak 9/10, potato 7/10 and creamed spinach 8/10.

Somehow through all this, we still had room for dessert. We selected 4 different types of pie/cake. In descending order of enjoyment: cheesecake, chocolate mousse, key lime and pecan. They also brought out a giant bowl of whipped cream. We mostly stayed away from that — there’s only so much Lactaid can do for your stomach). It was a nice cap to the meal.

Overall, I really enjoyed the experience. It was a lot more casual than expected and we were in and out in under an hour. Going in without expectations is the best way to enjoy things. Oh, and make sure you book reservations a few weeks in advance for an optimal timeslot. The NY Times review drama seems to have resulted in a surge of interest.

Just make sure to bring a bag of gold, because it was about $90/person (for 5 people) even without drinks. Not a regular night out kinda joint.