Clubhouse Cafe

[DeisCane]

OK, so instead of Le Marais last night, my group of 4 college friends and I decided to give Clubhouse a try. We were VERY happy we did. The vibe was great. As we all eat vegetarian out, we know from hipper places. This one would have fit in well in any of the locales we normally frequent for fun nights out with friends. As for the food, it was mostly very good.

Apps:
Duck empanadas: good, though could be a bit more flavorful
Kebabs: very good, tender
Sliders: blah, somewhat of a disappointment
Chicken wings: see empanadas

One complaint about the apps: they all seemed to have the same dipping sauce, which while quite good, was a bit redundant after awhile and lost its edge.

Main courses:
Three of us got the steak special, which was smothered in a red wine shallot sauce. It was tender and tasty and cooked to perfection. The salad and fries were top notch.
Two of us got the veal dish, which looked quite good and got smiles all around.

Drinks menu was thorough and my mojito was pretty much on target.

The price was totally reasonable at 50/head with tip, lots of apps and drinks (though no dessert).

[meateater]

by the way, it is a completely different experience/vibe at lunch time. At night music is blasting, place is packed, younger set. During lunch it is quiet, half-full, business folk. service is usually pretty good.

[CWY]

I was there about a month ago. Mixed at best- empanadas were very good, so was the prime rib sandwich. Steaks were cold, though. We complained, they gave us free dessert, which turned out to be a bowl of melted parve ice cream. Ugh.

[cheesecake17]

After your great review, maybe I'll try Clubhouse again. I went in the spring with a a few friends, but I thought it was mediocre and not worth the money at all. The sliders, like you said, were blah, and so were the empenadas.

I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich, and when I realized it wasn't cooked through, I asked the waiter for a new one. He proceeded to open the sandwich, slice the chicken, and prove that it was cooked. Major turnoff for me, and I ended up just eating the fries- which were awesome.

Everyone else liked their food... so maybe I'll end up back there when I want a more casual atmosphere.

Just curious- was it really crowded when you went?

[DeisCane]

The behavior of your waiter is mind-boggling.

Yes, it was very crowded when we went.

[cheesecake17]

I thought about going back for dinner this week, but I know I'll prob end up at Le Marais. At least I'll get what I ask for with decent service. It also ends up being around the same price.

[DeisCane]

Unless everyone gets only steak frites, I don't see how that's possible. We paid $50 a person with drinks and 7 appetizers. I don't see how Le Marais can match that.