Peter Luger Steak House

This place is sooo brutally overrated! The food is just average, the menu is very limited. Their service doesn't leave you feel like a valued customer to say the least....Dinner for 4 cost us about $700 (cash only). Nothing special, extremely uninviting atmosphere....Huge disappointment! Pros: N/A more

Waiters grab raw bacon with their bare hands and continue to work without washing their hands. Steaks fall on the floor and get thrown back on he grill. Burgers are kept unrefrigerated throughout lunch hours. 12 to 4. Bacteria builds up and multipies every half hour and excrete all over your fresh burger. Creatures are plentiful in the storage area. Raw meat is left on trays that waiters clean the tables with. The worst is that gross bucket of dirty still water they keep in the dinning room to ""clean tables with"". Rude, Dirty and Gross. Save Yourselves . Goto a diffrent steak house. Pros: Coffe/ Ice Cream Cons: Dirty,Rude,dirty inhabited storage area. more

Living in Los Angeles for as long as I have, my only glimpse into New York City was through Woody Allen... more

Living in Los Angeles for as long as I have, my only glimpse into New York City was through Woody Allen movies. Since that was my only window, I ... more

I have been to this place for four times because it is so famous and outside visitors always want to go there. I don't know why but men just love this place...My husband love it too. To me it is not a special place at all. O.K. steaks, poor service, no table cloth, casual atmosphere, rude telephone operator.... The tomatoes of tomatoes and Mozzarella had no taste but just so big. Well but the bacon is thick and delicious!! \r Pros: juicy thick bacon Cons: too casual more

Following the guidelines of previous reviews, we ordered the creamed spinach, grilled bacons, and the porterhouse steak for two. The bacons were amazing; like a ham steak. One is enough per person, unless you?re really hungry. Spinach was so good. You have to try it to believe it. The steak arrived medium rare, all well cut in a sizzling plate. One of the best steaks we?ve ever had. Even the service was top notch: friendly, speedy, and attentive. Well worth the money, the scary trip, and time. Reservations a must. Pros: Steak done right, creamed spinach, bacon Cons: No credit cards, must carry cash through questionable area. more

I'm not huge on steak (I'm one of those that orders their steaks well-done) and I don't normally eat out at restaurants where entrees are more than 20-something bucks. I've been to Peter Lugers 3 times. The first was for dinner, I had a steak, it was awesome. The food was tasty and the waiter (Horst) was very nice. I went for my sister's birthday and while I did enjoy it, I probably wouldn't go back for dinner anytime soon...If I were a big spender and steak eater, I'm sure I would go back more often. I do have to recommend the bugers that they serve only for LUNCH. They're about $10, throw in a side to share, a couple of $4 cokes and a dessert to share (plus the Shlaag!) and you've got the best meal ever for under $30! It's totally worth taking half a day off of work to do lunch at Luger's (no reservation needed). The shlaag does not get enough credit on this site. It's this German whipped cream that they serve on the side when you order a dessert and it is divine. If I could go just for the shlaag, I would. Pros: Burgers at lunch more

The ONLY reason I am giving this place 4 stars instead of 5 is for the decor. I was totally skeptical because everyone always raves about how good the steak is. I went with someone who is an expert and he ordered for the table. The food was simply divine. I have never had a bacon slice like that in my life. The steak was family style and it was superb. The wine list was fantastic - Silver Oak, the works. The only thing this places lacks is atmosphere. I was expecting dark wood and booths, but it's really more like a german beer hall in Munich. Loud, rickety chairs, old table, paint peeling from walls. You would think a cash only restaurant could clean it up a little bit. NOT a date place - but undeniably a gastronomical delight. Pros: Best Steak I ever had Cons: decor is hideous more

I'm new so I don't know how was back in the day, maybe this was a good place, but today is pricey without justification, Waiters are rude and food is less than average.\r \r So sad restaurant owners pass commentaries as fake customers. The truth has to be told:\r AVOID THIS PLACE AT ANY COST. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY.\r If you don't believe, just go there AND YOU'LL KNOW.\r \r STOP THE LIES more

i'm amazed this place has such a good reputation. the earliest my group was able to get a reservation was 9:45. we were on time. we were immediately seated and essentially ambushed by the staff. the waiter was at the table within seconds and i mean seconds to ""explain"" the menu and find out if we had already decided. two people from our group had gone to the ladies room and i asked if he could wait until they came back so they could hear what he had to tell us. this upset him. he actually made a face and walked away. here is some advice to this restaurant. if someone asks for an 8:00 reservation and the earliest you can offer is 9:45, then don't take the reservation if you're going to treat them like garbage. we weren't there for a three hour meal but they had us in and out in just over an hour. the appetizers came out less than three minutes after we ordered them. my back side hadn't even warmed the chair yet. it's faster and less friendly than mcdonalds. we were sheep. get their money and get them out must be their motto. as far as the food, not much better. one of the waiters came over to prep the table for the entrees and said ""get ready for the show"". by show he must have meant shoveling meat and side orders onto a plate. wow, amazing. i've never seen anything like that. the temperature of the steak was off. the flavor was at best average. the creamed spinach was good. that's the best thing i can say about this place. good creamed spinach. keep up the good work on the creamed spinach at a hundred dollars a head. del friscos, better. capital grille, better. blt steak, a hundred times better. the shake shack, better. you name it, it's better. rude, rip off, over-rated. i will never go back. i work in the restaurant business and i will tell any and all to never go there. more

HANDS DOWN, THE BEST DINNER I HAVE EVER HAD!\r No joke. I was amazed by this place. I read all the reviews on here before I left and I was expecting rude waiters and shabby atmosphere. I was also a little weary of the prices possibly being too high and not worth it. Well, the waiters were cool- he was very patient with our group (most of whom could not speak a lick of English). The scene was chill, no frills, wooden tables, somewhat of a volume due to conversation and happily blue collar (even though there were a lot of white collar folks around). \r \r We ordered 3 double orders of the porter house medium rare (the only way to go) and let me tell you this was THE best steak I have EVER had. We also order a few spinaches and an order of fries as well. The spinach is insane and the fries... mmmm! By the end of the meal everyone was stuffed but not in that ""I ate too much"" way. Content is an understatement. I FELT HIGH! I kid you not, I felt like someone drugged me and I was stoned or something. AMAZING! Even as I left, as full as I was, I could smell the new orders coming out and it made my mouth water.\r \r MY advice: IF you want the best steak out there, go to Luger's. If you are the type you expects a waiter who will coddle you and fancy decour to boot, then DONT GO. This is Brooklyn folks! If you can't handle the BK attitude, then stay in the suburbs or go somewhere in Manhattan where they will kiss your @$$ and make sure you're napkin is tucked in nice and neat. Forget that though... if you want the BEST... this is where its at. Toughen up and go to Luger's. You won't be disappointed. Pros: steak that gets you high, no BS service Cons: pricey, but worth it more

Okay, P.L. needs another rave review like I need another chin but DAMN! Simply the best steak I have ever eaten. Don't call yourself a carnivore unless you have sampled the meat at P.L. Side dishes, side mishes, service, smervice, both were great in m.h.o., who cares. Anyplace that serves bacon as an appetizer, you gotta go right? You will not be disappointed. Go to P.L., get a porterhouse, die happy. That's my advice. Pros: The best meat, cooked perfectly Cons: My Dr. will not allow me to eat here daily more

We went to PL's for lunch on short notice. The staff was great at taking our reservation and adjusting it with 2 days notice. We sat by the Window and our waiter, John was excellent at guiding us through the menu and making suggestions. Shrimp, Steak for 2, Creamed Spinach, and fries. We asked for the drinks to come out with the meal and they did..... Just when we thought we were done.... John Craftily withheld our check until he convinced us to order dessert served with the homemade schlog... I hate you John and THANKS!!!!! it was the best schlog I ever had.... Will definitely go again Pros: Great Staff, Waiter Hoste, Parking Staff are the BEST Cons: PRICEY!!!! but you knew that more

Disappointing! My medium-rare sirloin was really overdone (seriously, PL? come on), and drowned in butter... more

Disappointing! My medium-rare sirloin was really overdone (seriously, PL? come on), and drowned in butter with no flavor of its own. The burger ... more

I just called for a reservation and, after having been hung up on twice and treated rudely by what sounded like a novice service-boy, finally a patronizing old guy took my reservation. I'm calling to cancel. Apparently they've reached that place where their ratings have gone to their head and their service has starting going downhill. Pros: location Cons: no burger is worth idiocy more

I went here about a couple of years ago and the food was not bad. Although, I don't think it is the best steak in NY. I think people go here for the name and it is almost a landmark being that it has been open for over a hundred years. With that being said, it is almost impossible to get a reservation. I have called twice tonight to get on for Wednesday, 5/21/08. I was told that they are all booked up. When I had asked when are they available in the weekend. The guy on the phone said that they are booked up 6-8 weeks in advance. I hung up with him and looked at my calendar, and I thought August 2,2008 on Saturday is way in advance and shoud be no problem. I called back and go the same guy on the phone and he told me that the August book does not come out until July. Then I asked again when does he have a weekend open, he then told me that I have to give him a specific date. But prior, he just said that they are booked 6-8 weeks in advance. He looked like he didn't even want to bother on looking at the reservation book at all. Don't go here. There are better places in NYC, Craft Steak, Del Frisco's AJ Maxwell to name a few. Service was horrible two years ago and it is still horrible now. Pros: Okay steak, sauce is very good Cons: Expensive and service is know to be horribly rude. Plain or no decor at all. more

Went here with my girlfriend and her family on a Sunday and received the notorious brusque service. I can't say that it was unexpected given the reputation that precedes Luger's, but it was still disappointing. Don't get me wrong, I can understand the ""charm"" of waiters being rude to you...at the neighborhood diner for a 6 dollar burger. When you are paying 50 dollars for a steak, it's no longer cute, but if you can convince yourself of that as so many people here do, be my guest. So our server told us what we were ordering-not a joke, came to the table before we were ready and told us what we were eating and left. I would probably be able to look past the rudeness if the food were worth it; it's not. The porterhouse is simply good, by no means great, especially for the price. I also had the bacon to start....it tasted like a thick piece of bacon, can't say that I was blown away at all. As for people who order a steak more than medium rare, yes, you should probably never go to a steak house because you clearly don't really enjoy the taste of steak. But if that's your wish, then you should get it; the fact that Luger's will undercook your steak even if you order it to that specification is a bit ridiculous. I have no qualms about spending a lot of money on food and understand that every place has a different feel, and am extremely undemanding of service at a restaurant, but Luger's seems to disappoint on all accounts. If you're going out with all your investment banker buddies and your employer is paying for your own meal, would Peter Luger's be fun? Yeah. And so would pretty much any other place that you don't want to pay for on your own. If you are paying for yourself, try it once; you'll always wonder what it's like, but once you try it it's doubtful you'll go back. PL's is proof that people will move in herds for just about anything; if no one had heard of it and it had no reputation, it would go out of business in a month flat. more

It was one of the best steak experiences I have ever had! If you go you must order the Porterhouse for two(which can easily serve 3). It comes out on a sizzling plate which you can actually use to sear your meat if it comes out a bit rare for your liking. Its already cut into pieces with all the meat drippings you could want. The meat was so tender and flavorful. Be sure to order medium rare. Save your money and don't bother going if you like it well done. Our friends ordered theirs well done to their disappointment (it was a bit tasteless and more tough than it should have been)and enjoyed our steak much better. There was no need to add their famous steak sauce, although it was tasty as well being a perfect mix of I believe barbeque sauce,ketchup, worstershire and horseradish. Don't bother with the appetizers, they were mediocre at best. Instead, enjoy their super fresh,crispy on the outside breadsticks while you are waiting for the main event. Their famous creamed spinach and fries were excellent. I thought the german potatoes (they call it hash) were OK. The were a bit burnt for my taste. For dessert, the apple strudel a la mode was excellent. Our friends ordered the cheesecake which they raved about. The desserts were huge and could easily be shared. Their whipped cream (they called it schlag) was to die for. Ask for a dish of it on the side. I believe they make it home made. Our waiter suggested we use some in our coffee which was truly incredible. Our waiter was great. He anticipated and attended to all of our needs. If you are high maintenance and require your waiter to be repeatedly at your every beck and call this may not the place for you. The staff is courteous but not overly friendly. They are very, very busy. I highly recommend getting there early. Our reservations were for 1:45p on a Sunday which was perfect. We left at around 5 and the place was packed with people waiting a while even though they had reservations. Reservations are a MUST. Pros: Great food and enough of it. Parking across the street. Cons: Pricey but not ridicuous. Gets very busy. Must have reservations. Get there early. more

This place is historical. As you walk in there is a giant photo of Johnny Carson with a handwritten message stating ""The best meal I ever had was at Peter Luger."" The waiter that served me had that ""Leave me alone but leave me a big tip Brooklyn attitude"" and I wouldn't have it any other way at this place. The attitude fits the decor and history. Go to Peter Luger and split a Porterhouse for 3 with a friend and walk out of there a happy, happy human being. Make sure you bring plenty of cash because you cannot pay with credit (although you can use a debit card). This place is as old school as it gets an everyone should eat here at least once. Pros: Porterhouse Cons: No credit cards more