Best Steakhouse In New Jersey

[Kim WB]

I just reread my comments upthread, and I can still reccomend Lorenzo's in Trenton for dry aged prime. Not the case w/ the Diamonds in its new location..they might claim its so, but I don't taste it.

Don't however, visit Lorenzo's until the soking ban takes effect.

[finker99]

While definately not prime, The Steakhouse in maywood on Passaic St was very good and reasonably priced. I had a 20 Oz Ribeye and boy was is tasty. Very rare yet nice and crusty on the outside. A case of an ok steak cooked perfectly. This location was the olde time sizzling steak house for decades; it was recently sold to a new family and we went with a little trepidation as we were great fans of the olde restaurant. For those of you familiar with the olde place all of the stuff on the walls is gone and the place looks a step or two nicer but the same crowd is at the bar. Oh, and Tommy if you have me over for steaks I'll bring the ribs and whatever else you want, that steak has me drooling on my keyboard.

Fink

[Randi]

Last Saturday night some friends and I dined at Library II in Voorhees. We went just as they opened at 4 PM which turned out to be very smart, as they were completely full with people waiting by 5 pm.

The salad bar was extensive, but didn't live up to what I'd heard (the best salad bar in NJ? I hope not.)

You get in line and order your steak at the kitchen window. I got a 16 oz Ribeye for $26.95, which I enjoyed.

My biggest complaint was that the room was so dark that I couldn't see my steak as I was eating it. That makes it tough to trim the fat. Not to mention that a big part of my enjoyment of good food is seeing the food as I eat it.

Anyone else dined there?

Library II

306 Rte 73

Voorhees, NJ 08043-9572

(856) 424-0198

[maui420]

after eating at other steak places, my favorite would have to be ruths chris. ive checked out their website and it seems they have a really hot broiler that can sear a steak good. 1400+ i think? i get a cowboy ribeye, medium, pittsburg done. the steak comes out with a nice crispy, not burnt, texture but still leaving the meat medium.

[bgut1]

Last Saturday night some friends and I dined at Library II in Voorhees.  We went just as they opened at 4 PM which turned out to be very smart, as they were completely full with people waiting by 5 pm.

The salad bar was extensive, but didn't live up to what I'd heard (the best salad bar in NJ?  I hope not.)

You get in line and order your steak at the kitchen window.  I got a 16 oz Ribeye for $26.95, which I enjoyed.

My biggest complaint was that the room was so dark that I couldn't see my steak as I was eating it.  That makes it tough to trim the fat.  Not to mention that a big part of my enjoyment of good food is seeing the food as I eat it. 

Anyone else dined there? 

Library II

306 Rte 73

Voorhees, NJ 08043-9572 

(856) 424-0198

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I used to love eating there when I lived in the area. In my opinion, the library is one of the best steakhouses in southern NJ.

Edited April 3, 2006 by bgut1 (log)

[FatFrankNJ]

Call me old fashion but I like a burnt, well done steak from Arthur's Steakhouse in Hoboken, NJ. <br>

Edited April 3, 2006 by FatFrankNJ (log)

[steakas]

Does anyone know about the new place that's taking over the old Poor Billy's in Woodbridge? I heard it's currently being renovated and there's some sort of sign indicating something like "new upscale steakhouse coming soon."

Thanks,

:Dave

[Kim WB]

after eating at other steak places, my favorite would have to be ruths chris. ive checked out their website and it seems they have a really hot broiler that can sear a steak good. 1400+ i think? i get a cowboy ribeye, medium, pittsburg done. the steak comes out with a nice crispy, not burnt, texture but still leaving the meat medium.

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I've always thought Pittsburgh meant rare inside...learn something new every day.

Ruth Chris injects their steak with a basting oil/butter..I've never liked their steaks, as they seem less "meaty" to me.

[Randi]

I've always thought Pittsburgh meant rare inside...learn something new every day.

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Yes, I think you're right - charred outside, rare inside. Google it.

[maui420]

thats true, but most of the time when i tell the waiter i want it crispy on the outside, i get the reply back with 'oh ok, pittsburg'....so i go along with it.

i totally like the way how ruth's serves their steak. my friend who eats there weekly tells me he only goes when he knows the cook that he likes is working.

ive gotten the meaty taste from lonestar.

after eating at other steak places, my favorite would have to be ruths chris. ive checked out their website and it seems they have a really hot broiler that can sear a steak good. 1400+ i think? i get a cowboy ribeye, medium, pittsburg done. the steak comes out with a nice crispy, not burnt, texture but still leaving the meat medium.

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I've always thought Pittsburgh meant rare inside...learn something new every day.

Ruth Chris injects their steak with a basting oil/butter..I've never liked their steaks, as they seem less "meaty" to me.

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[tommy]

"pittsburgh", "black and blue". charred on the outside, cold in the middle.

i question if most places can even do this correctly. especially a chain like Ruth's Chris, which most likely has a staff that follows strict guidelines as to how to cook beef so that there's little to no variation from restaurant to restaurant (and most certainly from cook to cook).

if you put the steak in the broiler at 1400 degrees when you're making a run-of-the-mill rare steak, where do you put it when you want to cook it rare, but with extra char on the oustide? perhaps they use a steak right out of the fridge, so they're starting off with a steak that's colder in the middle than usual. that would be my approach at home at least.

my guess is that most of the time people are getting a regular old "rare" steak when they order black and blue (or "medium" in maui420's case). if someone has worked at one of these places, i'd be curious as to how they actually approach a special order like this.

[tommy]

from sammy's website:

They simply yearn for Sammy's magnificent dry-aged Black Angus T-Bone steaks; lobsters that taste like they were just plucked from the water;

well i'd certainly hope they were just plucked from the water!

[steakas]

from sammy's website:

They simply yearn for Sammy's magnificent dry-aged Black Angus T-Bone steaks; lobsters that taste like they were just plucked from the water;

well i'd certainly hope they were just plucked from the water!

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It's funny you quoted that. I read that before and laughed too. It's almost as funny as those signs you see at stores which state "live lobsters." Well, I hope they're alive. I guess all others are dead.

Don't go to places that don't say "live" in front of the word lobsters. And make sure you do get live lobsters that are plucked from the water; don't take the ones walking around in a cage.

I like Sammy's. I'm going there this weekend and am looking forward to the atmosphere and the shrimp scampi.

Edited April 4, 2006 by steakas (log)

[tommy]

It's funny you quoted that.

i'm a funny guy.

I like Sammy's.  I'm going there this weekend and am looking forward to the atmosphere and the shrimp scampi.

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i was wondering if they take reservations. i was considering this saturday night as well.

[hitmanoo]

It's funny you quoted that.

i'm a funny guy.

I like Sammy's.  I'm going there this weekend and am looking forward to the atmosphere and the shrimp scampi.

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i was wondering if they take reservations. i was considering this saturday night as well.

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Sammy's does NOT take reservations.

[Rosie]

If you go on Saturday go early. We usually go on Sunday at 5 to avoid a two hour wait.

[tommy]

If you go on Saturday go early. We usually go on Sunday at 5 to avoid a two hour wait.

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ugh. no thanks.

[hitmanoo]

If you go on Saturday go early. We usually go on Sunday at 5 to avoid a two hour wait.

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ugh. no thanks.

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It depends on what kind of evening you're looking for. If you want to go around 6-6:30 you can relax downstairs and have a few cocktails before dinner.

Edited April 6, 2006 by hitmanoo (log)

[tommy]

If you go on Saturday go early. We usually go on Sunday at 5 to avoid a two hour wait.

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ugh. no thanks.

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It depends on what kind of evening you're looking for. If you want to go around 6-6:30 you can relax downstairs and have a few cocktails before dinner.

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i hear ya. generally i don't enjoy cocktails before dinner. mabye a glass of white wine or sparkling wine, but much more and i start to lose interest in sitting down for dinner.

what worries me about Sammy's is the uncertainty factor. generally speaking, i like to know when i'm going to be eating. i guess this relates to how i don't "stand in line for food." so yeah, for me, it's probably not something i'd try on a weekend night. maybe with the boys on a weekday night. maybe.

[hitmanoo]

I think that Sammy's during the summertime for an early Sunday dinner is perfect if you don't want to wait.

Usually at that time, you go in, order, have time for one cocktail--2 tops, and then you are brought upstairs for dinner.

If that's the type of time you're looking for, early on sunday is perfect--5-6 PM arrival. To be honest, I don't recall getting there for a later dinner on a Sunday, but I do remember it being a little more crowded when I've left. Of course, I've never gone back down to the bar to evaluate the wait after dinner.

[Rosie]

If you get there when they open you will have a half hour wait or less depending on what you ordered. This gives us some time to unwind at the bar.

[steakas]

I spoke to Gina Fornaro of Sammy's Cider Mill. She indicated only their ribeye steaks are prime and all others meats are top choice. All their beef is dry aged except the filet (which we'd expect).

Subsequently, I ate there on Saturday 4/8 and everything was great. The T-Bone steak had a "nutty" dry aged flavor. The grilled lamb chops were excellent and the Shrimp Scampi (as always) stole the show. Their shrimp scampi is really excellent - very garlicky, large and full of flavor.

I withdraw my previous comment about their steak being overrated. I cannot say their steak is like Luger's but it is very, very good. I cannot say anything negative about the place. Everything from salad to dessert was great. I cannot wait to return. Sammy’s is really a great restaurant.

[Evangelos]

I know this thread is old by now, but I read it twice and wanted to comment.

I recently tried Pete Lorenzo's (I live 30 mins away) and absolutely love it! They claim on their website that all their beef and steaks are prime. Can this be confirmed?

Mignon in Rutherford is one of my favorite steakhouses for the price. It's BYOB and a nice size filet goes for $24.

[tommy]

I know this thread is old by now, but I read it twice and wanted to comment.

I recently tried Pete Lorenzo's (I live 30 mins away) and absolutely love it!  They claim on their website that all their beef and steaks are prime.  Can this be confirmed?

Mignon in Rutherford is one of my favorite steakhouses for the price.  It's BYOB and a nice size filet goes for $24.

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they have three cuts, per their website: porterhouse, sirloin, filet mignon. i'd be very surprised if their filet mignon is coming from a USDA Prime-graded carcass. since that grading relates to marbling, it's almost pointless anyway, as filet has very little fat. my understanding is that the filet from the best USDA Prime carcasses ends up in porterhouse steaks, where it rightfully belongs.

the problem with a blanket proclamation like "all of our beef is only the finest USDA Prime" is that there's a good chance it's not true, and if it's not, people like me will point it out.

[Hank]

I know this thread is old by now, but I read it twice and wanted to comment.

I recently tried Pete Lorenzo's (I live 30 mins away) and absolutely love it!  They claim on their website that all their beef and steaks are prime.  Can this be confirmed?

Mignon in Rutherford is one of my favorite steakhouses for the price.  It's BYOB and a nice size filet goes for $24.

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they have three cuts, per their website: porterhouse, sirloin, filet mignon. i'd be very surprised if their filet mignon is coming from a USDA Prime-graded carcass. since that grading relates to marbling, it's almost pointless anyway, as filet has very little fat. my understanding is that the filet from the best USDA Prime carcasses ends up in porterhouse steaks, where it rightfully belongs.

the problem with a blanket proclamation like "all of our beef is only the finest USDA Prime" is that there's a good chance it's not true, and if it's not, people like me will point it out.

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Bravo to you Tommy. You are one of the few people that I know outside of the meat processing business that understands why there is virtually no prime fillet mignon unless you are just lucky enough to get one without anyone knowing it, including the processor.

Will explain further to anyone interested but it does become a bit complicated though not too difficult to understand.

Also, there is just not enough prime meat around to satisfy the many thousands of restaurants across the country that claim they only serve prime steaks. One big reason why some restaurants and butcher stores pay a high premium for true, legitimate prime meat and even then there is a high and low end.