A Great Steak and a Beer

[Holly Moore]

So it is 8 PM on a Friday night. Just finished work. Nothing planned, nothing but cold pizza in the refrigerator. Got a hunger for a thick rib eye, broiled a perfect medium rare.

Wearing a pair of old jeans. Don't feel like changing; don't feel like offending the casually elegant. Nor do I want to be the only guy alone in a room packed with loud couples celebrating the start of the weekend.

I'm thinking that in a city the size of Philadelphia there has to be a dimly lit bar or tavern that does a steak on par with the Palm, maybe some decent fries on the side. Nothing comes to mind. Any ideas? I'll check back after I throw the pizza in the oven to reheat.

[KatieLoeb]

Holly:

While I can't think of anything quite like what you're seeking (except for maybe the Saloon, but that's pretty dear) you can get a fabulous Steak Frites that has Locatelli-Truffle fries on the side that are crispy and delicious for all of $12. There's draft beer and good wines by the glass too. Go to 1601, which is at 1601 South 10th street at the corner of Tasker in South Philly. Great bar, great food, nice folks.

[Yannii]

while i realize the original query was time sensitive, it has universal appeal....

i would suggest longhorn (chain ) .

the thing is, a basic tenet of Philly's very healthy gastropub scene, is to utilize cheaper cuts of meat (and cheaper ingredients in general) in order to keep plates reasonably priced and such. so, if you can live with flank steak (or hangar or whatever) check out the usual suspects (royal, standard tap, north third, pontiac grille, society hill, good dog, etc...)

but if you need a proper steak, sans atmosphere and expense. longhorn is pretty good. down on delaware avenue.

related, i had a surprisingly not disappointing (sorry for the double negative) meal at famous dave's the other night. i guess chains aren't all bad (except for the effect on our socio-economic structure and politics of course) oh well, now that i say it out loud, i guess we shouldn't support such things. maybe marmont has gotten better? peace

[Tim Dolan]

Find anything Holly? I love me a good rib eye, and I like to stay in casual clothes as often as possible. If you found anything that measured up I'd very much like to know about it.

[nancygreengrapes]

Hi,

I'm a frequent reader buy shy poster. I just came back from eating a casual steak and got your new post via e-mail. Just had to let you know. I happened into Rembrant's tonight, I live in the neighborhood but rarely eat there. My friend and I were hungry, wearing jeans and sneakers and it's on the way home so we took advantage of the nice weather and got a table outside. We ordered the Tuscan steak for two, medium rare and got one of the nicest meals we'd both had in a long time. It was cooked perfectly and seasoned just right, served with roasted potatoes and baby asparagus. $34 and was too big to finish. I never thought I'd say this but Yum! This is where you want to go for a nice steak dinner that doesn't require high heels or an approved loan.

[Tim Dolan]

Just wanted to bump this topic because I'm already feeling that I'm gonna want to do something kinda low-key on Friday. I think I'll try Jack's Firehouse to see if it fits these qualifications.

[mattohara]

trying to stay on topic BUT:

i had a friend ask me about a place to get an good steak that's BYOB. i hesitated to recommend Pif cause 1. i work there and 2. it's $30.

anybody know a good BYOB with a straightforward steak?

[lamando]

I don't like to put our restaurant on the front burner, but we just added a 12oz NYS Steak with potato croquettes, roasted mushrooms, and foie gras butter. I will sometimes change the preparation but it will be on the menu throughout Spring. I was scared to put it on because of the price point, but it seems to be selling pretty well.

[Andrew Fenton]

The steak sounds great, Todd. Potato croquettes, yum!

Another very good BYOB steak can be found at Rx. It's $25, I think. But you can get it as part of their midweek prix fixe for a $5 supplement, which is a great deal.

(you know, I haven't been back to Rx since the fall. I'll have to rectify that situation soon.)

[Capaneus]

trying to stay on topic BUT:

i had a friend ask me about a place to get an good steak that's BYOB.  i hesitated to recommend Pif cause 1. i work there and 2. it's $30.

anybody know a good BYOB with a straightforward steak?

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Oddly enough, the steak at Melograno is excellent. Not what I'd usually order there, but there you are. I don't remember the price exactly, but I believe it's somewhere in the low-to-mid-twenties.

[mattohara]

I don't like to put our restaurant on the front burner, but we just added a 12oz NYS Steak with potato croquettes, roasted mushrooms, and foie gras butter. I will sometimes change the preparation but it will be on the menu throughout Spring. I was scared to put it on because of the price point, but it seems to be selling pretty well.

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how much is it Todd?

[lamando]

$29 DOLLARS. I was hesitant at first because of the price, but we got a nice response and no complaints.

[simply_perfect]

So it is 8 PM on a Friday night.  Just finished work.  Nothing planned, nothing but cold pizza in the refrigerator.  Got a hunger for a thick rib eye, broiled a perfect medium rare. 

Wearing a pair of old jeans. Don't feel like changing; don't feel like offending the casually elegant.  Nor do I want to be the only guy alone in a room packed with loud couples celebrating the start of the weekend.

I'm thinking that in a city the size of Philadelphia there has to be a dimly lit bar or tavern that does a steak on par with the Palm, maybe some decent fries on the side.  Nothing comes to mind.  Any ideas?  I'll check back after I throw the pizza in the oven to reheat.

←

Oh boy, I’m sure I’ll hear about this, but what the heck. Bootsie’s now offers a 16oz. Center cut rib eye steak with horseradish and bacon yukon gold mashed potatoes and roasted garlic mushrooms. We also offer 23 beers and about 20 wines by the glass. Holly it’s time for a re-visit.

[Tim Dolan]

Just wanted to bump this topic because I'm already feeling that I'm gonna want to do something kinda low-key on Friday.  I think I'll try Jack's Firehouse to see if it fits these qualifications.

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Well, I tried Jack's, and while it met the casual, informal atmosphere I was looking for, the steak didn't quite measure up. It wasn't bad but it wasn't that good either. They had a very nice beer list and the small order of ribs that I had for an appetizer were rocking good, but the steak was average. It was cooked perfectly medium rare, but the taste and texture had "USDA Choice" written all over it. I'd definitely go back, just for the ribs.

[GordonCooks]

Steak Frites and Moules Frite with Beers at Monks Cafe

[Buckethead]

$29 DOLLARS. I was hesitant at first because of the price, but we got a nice response and no complaints.

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I don't suppose it's grass-fed?

[Lisa1349]

It's not in the city but KC's Alley, in Ambler has a great strip steak for $14.95. I'm sure it's not prime, but cooked and seasoned perfectly. I assume part of the reason it's done so well is that is has the same owner as Bridgets 8 west, the steakhouse down the block. They also have great live music on weekends.

Also in the 'burbs, JB Dawson's has acceptable steak. I happened into Outback a few weeks ago (place not of my choosing) and while all the other food and drinks were great, the steak was boring and not beefy enough.

[Tim Dolan]

I guess I shouldn't have used "USDA Choice" in my description because 1) it made me sound like a snob and 2) I've had very good Choice steak before, particularly at Outback a few months ago (also not my choosing). I had a very good ribeye there and the menu clearly indicates that they serve USDA Choice. So to put it in perspective, the ribeye I had at Outback a few months ago was more enjoyable than than the strip steak I had at Jack's on Friday night. I know it's two different cuts and I'm not trying to go into the merits of either, I guess I just like ribeye more than strip.

[kretch]

Holly, you didn't say it had to be cheap... the bar at Smith and Wollensky's.

You could waltz in there wearing a Hawaiian shirt, mesh shorts and flip flops and nobody would care. Or notice. It's not dimly lit and it's usually not low key, but if you can deal with the frequently upbeat atmosphere, it's one place in town where you can definitely eat your steak at the bar dressed like a bum, by yourself, and watch the Phillies lose on the flat screens without feeling out of place. It's a pretty unique place in that respect.