Rare The Steak House
“If you're in the mood for a steak dinner but don't want a chain (Ruth Chris, Morton's, Outback etc.) this is a great spot and the prices are fair.”
“Great decor, huge bar area so i like to get there early and have a drink at the bar prior to sitting.”
“If you can make it to desert they have a wide variety of gelato, sorbet and cakes .”
Rare The Steak House
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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I really wanted to be impressed. However it was just Ok.
My Caesar salad had a good enough dressing and flavor. Unfortunately, it was drowning in water. Great that they cleaned the lettuce. Terrible that they didn't take the final step in actually drying it off. Kind of ruined it.
The bacon slice was a thick, hearty slice. Nicely cooked with a tasty maple glaze. In fact, the bacon slice was the highlight of my meal. I was happy that it was excellent, but the star should have been the steak.
We went with a 60 oz. Tomahawk Rib Chop, ordered medium rare. I realized that's a large cut of meat. However, the cook was inconsistent throughout the cut, with portions being well and portions being just into the zone of rare. I also felt that the steak was underseasoned. It needed a bit more of a salt and pepper crust, but came up just a bit bland. I wasn't all that impressed.
The banana cream pie dessert, was pretty good. Nice sized portion, with all the right flavors.
In the end, this is a steakhouse, and Rare failed to truly nail it. The service was just fine. The wine and cocktails were good enough. Unfortunately there were too many flaws in the food overall. Good, not great. Not nearly on par with the finer steakhouses in NYC, and there are better places in NJ.
Having my fair share of dining at some of the best steak restaurants in the greater tri-state I believe Rare ranks middle in the pack. The atmosphere is very dark and stuffy. The waiters were all very attentive and accommodating. The food, 12 oz steak for myself, was cooked to perfection. The appetizer, shrimp cocktail, was chilled to perfection and retained a subtle sweetness that many a shrimp cocktail tend to miss. Visiting this place a second time after a horrendous first experience, in which I would have given this place a 1 star, I can honestly say that it does it's job well. The only downside to this is the fact that the place doesn't do well for families. The bar is loud with rich older men getting their drunk hearts out and their young escorts matching if not besting their obnoxiousness. Overall though a pleasant experience.
My wife and I have been here three times since I moved in the neighborhood . Twice seated at the bar, which we like and once in the dinning room.
Not a bad place good service and friendly atmosphere. Ambiance at the bar is inviting, and the food quality up to par, the taste itself, can be hit or miss. Bar drinks are average, and luckily they have my favorite beer. Portion size can vary from dish to dish. However the steaks are excellent value if you compare it with most NYC steak house. The valet parking at times was friendly, and once rude and fresh, which made us eat somewhere else the last time we came.
Great service, nice atmosphere. A standard steakhouse…but very overpriced in my opinion. Went here on a double date and while it was a good place for that, I doubt I'd go with my girls for a night out…I would consider grabbing a drink at the bar, though. Nice wine selection.
I went here with my friends who were visiting from Virginia. It was a great choice. The bar is beautiful. The service was great and the food better. Very pricey but worth it. A must stop for steak.
I visited Rare for happy hour with my Texan best friend and her husband for a little pre-holiday drink and appetizer outing. This restaurant is nothing to look at from the outside, but the inside is nice. We helped ourselves to a table by the bar and we quickly realized that we were the only two females in the house (except for the wait staff). Note to the single ladies…happy hour runs from 4:00 PM till 7:00 PM every day. There were some well-dressed men in their late 40's to about mid 50's. They looked like they would have loved some female conversation.
We ordered the "House Special" Bloody Mary, only to realize that it tasted like a pre-made cheap mix with absolutely no kick. The bartender assured us that it was a mix that was made in-house and bottled in-house. We weren't buying that, but thanks anyway. I've had better Bloody Mary's on Continental flights. I quickly moved onto wine and my friend moved onto some fruity mixed drinks for the remainder of happy hour. Her husband stuck with Guinness (good call). We split the shrimp cocktail (which tasted like it was once frozen) and the smoked salmon plate (which was quite good). Rare offers happy hour drink specials, however, they do not offer food specials. There is a special menu for bar bites, however, you can order anything you'd like off of their main menu as well.
Easy to find and okay for happy hour. The reviews on Yelp for dinner are quite mixed. Not sure if I would come back.
First impression: The ambiance is really elegant. Everything you would expect from a classy steakhouse. The real downfall here was in the bar service. Though friendly, they were grossly negligent. I'm convinced the service could not have been as unattentive had I sat in the dining room, but I was keeping things casual.
The Fisher's Island oysters ($18) tasted fresh, but I wish they had included some mignonette. Personally, I could have done without the oyster crackers and the little bottle of Frank's hot.
The lamb osso buco ($32) fell right off the bone, as it should, and was quite flavorful.
The mark up on wine is about 3-4 times retail, which is what I expect in most steakhouses. (They're getting $34 for a bottle of Mark West Pinot Noir, which goes for about $10 in most discount liquor stores.)
I'll go back at some point for a steak, but will be sure to sit in the dining room for a more authentic experience. Until then, I'm stuck at 3 stars.
Has everything you'd expect from a steakhouse. They bring a rolling table over and show you the special cuts for the night. That is a definite plus. Your server will explain each cut which is nice. The service has always been tip top! Steaks come out cooked exactly as you ordered them. Great drinks too!
Save room for the dessert cart! I rarely have room left!