Help!!! Great Porterhouse not Peter Lugers

[karinabean]

Hi Hounders, I'm hoping you can help me out. I wanted to take my husband to Peter Lugers for his birthday on June 20 - aka Father's Day - and not surprisingly the restaurant is booked.

He wants a good porterhouse. Any alternatives? We've been to Keenes, Club A, and Porter House so I'm looking for a new one.

Thanks!

[TooLooseLaTrek]

Mark Joseph in the Financial District.Excellent food and service,although because of it's location it may be a little quiet on the weekend.But one of my favorite steakhouses.Also, Wolfgangs Midtwon.Located in the East 30s.Not as much of a fan of the Wolfgangs Downtown.

[sugartoof]

Strip House. Typically their filet is one of their weaker cuts of meat, but the porter for two is a home run, and the sides are unbeatable.

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Strip House
13 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003

[permit3]

wait for next years fathers day and go to lugers---it is worth waiting for--the steak is just better-in nyc you could try sparks steak house

[RCC]

I'm totally sold on Luger's porterhouse. It's a terrific piece of meat.

[EGranados]

I can never understand the adulation around Peter Luger's. I thought it incredibly overrated. The appetizers are uniformly terrible, the German potatoes no better than diner home fries, and our surly clown of a waiter spilled salad dressing all over my girlfriend's shirt and didn't even blink. As for the steak, it was not very flavorful and was pretty greasy in my opinion. I was there with a group and it was not worth a quarter of $190 I contributed to the tab.

[RCC]

So, now that you've voiced your disagreement, care to make a recommend where?

[LeahBaila]

Wolfgang's does it right

[EGranados]

Well, I'm going to Rothmann's on 54th tonight, I'll let you know if it is a more worthwhile experience.

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Rothmann's
3 E. 54th Street, New York, NY 10022

[karinabean]

We ended up going to Ben & Jack's - the 5th Avenue location (we both work in midtown and I wanted to avoid feeling like I was at a work dinner). My husband was very happy with the porterhouse. Although he did say that he thought his porterhouse at Keene's was slightly better.

Thank you all for your suggestions!

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Ben & Jack's
255 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016

[Motosport]

How about Tad's?? Just kidding. It was our family (of 7) go to place when I was a kid and we had a family event.
I've been to a few steakhouses in Manhattan and my personal favorites for Porterhouse steak are Old Homestead and The Palm. Ruths Cris also has a darned good Porterhouse but I tend to shy away from the "chains."

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Old Homestead
56 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10011

[Littleman]

What about Uncle Jack's. We had a super time there last winter. Steaks were outstanding and the atmosphere, service was too.

http://www.unclejacks.com/newyorkcity...

[sam1]

ugh...this was the crumby steak place one of my bosses used to drag me to...its horrible.

the best porterhouse in nyc is currently being served at keens, followed by lugers. i suppose wolfgangs the #3.

[princeofpork]

I find the porterhouse at Wolfgangs to be more flavorful than at Keens.

[princeofpork]

What did you think of Porterhouse. going in s few weeks

[karinabean]

I thought Porterhouse was quite good. It has more of the steakhouse chain atmosphere like the Palm but the food, including sides, was prepared very well and the service was very attentive. It was an older crowd than I've found at other steakhouses in the City and we went at 8:45 on a Friday night.

[princeofpork]

I am taking my dad there for his 70th B-Day. Should be perfect. More non-steak options than any other place I looked at. Maybe thats why the older crowd.

[ChiefHDB]

Went to Porterhouse a few weeks ago. The sides were all very good, especially the mushrooms and mac and cheese. Loved the bone marrow app (hard not to though). The porterhouse itself was fine. It was cooked perfectly, with a nice sear, but didn't have that funky aged taste I love. I split a porterhouse for two at Keens on Sunday. It was amazing, and one of the best steaks I've ever had.

[thousandrobots]

The NYT's Sam Sifton recently reviewed Strip House and liked it a lot (two stars):

http://events.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/...

His reviews can be all over the map, so maybe others have ideas.

Alternatively, maybe a return to Keens is in order?

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Strip House
13 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003

[rrems]

I thought the meat at Strip House did not quite measure up to Keen's, though it was still quite good. The apps and sides were excellent, better than Keen's IMO.

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Strip House
13 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003

[dietndesire]

Wolfgang's just received a review that I trust enough to never even bother trying it.
Ben and Jack's disappointed me quite a bit, sad to say.
People seem to gulp it down however mediocre, I guess. Steakhouses are proliferating.
Mark Joseph's is not good either.
No more porterhouse joints come to mind.
Honestly, is it not a better choice to have superior beef of a different cut than inferior beef of the cut of your choice?
Also, most people would be hard pressed to know the difference between certain cuts in a blind test.

[ESNY]

Ben and Jacks is the best of the Luger clones. I think Wolfgangs is the worst... their steak looks the part but is tasteless.

[RayP]

I 2nd Ben N Jacks...have been there numerous times to both 5th ave and 44th st locations and have NEVER had a bad meal! The porterhouse is as good if not better than PL.

[karinabean]

Is one of the Ben & Jacks locations better than the other? The Murray Hill location is more convenient for me but if the 44th Street is the flagship and has better quality that I would be willing to travel further...

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Ben & Jack's
219 East 44th Street, New York, NY 10017

[ESNY]

Can't help you with that question, I've only been to the one on 44th.

[gutsofsteel]

I had one of the worst meals of last year at Ben & Jack's. Avoid.

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Ben & Jack's
219 East 44th Street, New York, NY 10017

[chewbie]

I haven't personally had it but have heard good things about the porterhouse at rothmans