Ha! That’s exactly why I don’t ever order steak. Mine are way better!
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My take: It's all on your level of expectation...you go to an Outback or Longhorn (or the like) and I expect an average experience...if it's better then that's a bonus. If it's worse...it's not THAT big of a surprise.
Now, when I hit the prime steak places, the expectation (for me) is higher. So if the experience isn't met then I am WAAAAAY more disappointed when compared to the first option above.
The best prime steak I have had out (to date) was actually here in Cleveland at a place called "Red, The Steakhouse". The 2nd best was in Kansas City at a place called "Anton's".
ALL THAT being said...everyone likes it better when I fire it up at home! :-)
Last edited by BBQCentralShow; January 25, 2018, 08:22 PM.Comment
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Well said. I think a lot of the unrealistic expectation comes from the realization we all have that "if I can do it, anyone should be able to." I guess it's a good problem to have! -
ssandy_561, If I remember correctly, it was in the mid $50's range...of course, when we went, they did not have them available to eat!! :-(
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I agree with Frozen Smoke & DWCowles, seldom go to restaurants & don’t order anything I cook at home. Sort of limits me. I now find restaurants boring. It’s amazing being used to very good to great food.Comment
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Yup. I am no master cook but so much I make is because I can do better at home. Control of ingredients is so key to us.
I was ruined tears ago when my Mother told me, "If they put enough salt or sugar on food at a restaurant" people will eat it.
If you go somewhere to eat good quality food, I feel you overpay. I only go if I can't make it or it's a treat from someone who doesn't cook well on some special occasion.
M.Comment
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Well seems like the "ayes" have it !!! I agree with everyone that steaks at home are the way to go. I say that because of access to prime quality meat here in the Texas market place. Unless you're really a doofus and fall asleep during your cook, it's pretty hard to mess one up.
Case in point, there's a "cheaper" steakhouse chain here called Longhorn Steakhouse. First of all it totally sucks but I was on my own one night and the restaurant next door (which is one of my favorite seafood joints) was totally packed with a line out the door. Soooo, let's give Longhorn a try. I sit down at the bar, order a nice drink and ask the bartender what he recommended. He said the bone in rib eye (what we call a cowboy steak) was a hot seller. So I said sure take one of those with some garlic mashed potatoes and a side of asparagus. OK cut to the delivery of the plate. The steak (which I ordered medium rare, actually told him I wanted it at 132* exactly) comes out like 1/2" thick. No joke, I needed a micrometer to gauge it !! I mean how do you cook a steak that thin to anything but raw or well done? Needless to say it was raw, chewy and had a line of gristle in it. At least the mashed was good !! All that cost me about $65 plus tip. I thought about giving the guy a tip, like tell your manager and chef they suck.
Having said all that, I have been to some prime steakhouses here in Houston that serve dry aged, broiled in a double broiler at flaming hot temps, cut like butter heavenly steaks. Can I do that at home? Sure. Do I want to pay for that cut of beef? Not really. It's something I do maybe once a year because sometimes I just don't want to cook but be waited on and served good food.
Bottom line, in my wishey-washey way, I can swing both ways.Comment
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Definitely feel this way. I travel quite a bit for work so eat out often and like others mention, I usually order seafood - salmon mostly if I feel it will be cooked correctly. But the few times I’ve ordered steak at nice restaurants it has been so so. I’ll ask about the menu to see if they have some other specialties that are recommended and that can usually be a good choice.
But, I won’t tske the family to a steakhouse. Way expensive for what you get, and I even point that out to my kids when we have meals like that at home. Trying to show them you can do better than restaurant food on your own for a fraction of the price!Comment
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^ True story. I used to travel a lot for work, and BBQ was always right at the top of my list of things to eat. Almost invariably, I would get something that was pretty good, but I couldn't help but think my favorite BBQ place near home was so much better. I would get back and still crave those ribs. Now that BBQ place close to home isn't even good enough to suit me!
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Yes, I have pitmasters disease to, rarely dine out on something I can easily make at home so no steak dining out for this kid. Also goes for Ahi tuna, can get sushi quality for $14/lb and blacken it better than any resturant. When we go out, we try to get what we don't cook, Tai, Indian, or even a nicely cooked piece of salmon over salad. For some reason (wrong coast) the salmon at the markets here is not as good as I get from a local Greek resturant. anyway, bon appetit!Comment
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I've been to top end joints that can be every bit as good as anything I can do, and once in a great while I will go there and pay the premium. I can't afford to do that often, but it's a nice luxury. More often I am in your typical bar and grill and I order something knowing I'm likely going to be disappointed and thinking I could do better. So I am avoiding those dishes more and more. Even my poor wife is ruined now, she has told me on more than one occasion that her food isn't as good as what I make. There are still things that I can find on most menus that I am happy with, and I am ordering those.Comment
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Oh, by the way, food trucks are very common here with the local micro breweries. They sell themselves as being better than fast food, but not many of them are. I frequently get the 'I could do better' feeling when I order off the truck.Comment
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I have to swim against the tide here.
Skip low or mid level steakhouses, unless you want what you are getting. Go right to the top: Old Homestead, C.U.T., Carnevino, SW, etc.
Yes, I agree that purely from a cost perspective you are better off cooking it at home. But dining is different than cooking. In fact, the only thing they have in common is eating. Some people like it, some people don’t. Mrs and I love both dining and cooking.
Several times I have had meals in restaurants that were almost religious experiences: C.U.T. in Vegas. The Four Seasons. Peter Luger’s. Brown’s Beach House in Hawaii. These were meals I could never duplicate at home, at any cost. Or if I could, the economy of scale (buying a lot of things I would only use once, or buying, say, saffron or truffles at retail) would kill it anyhow.
Dining isn’t eating, it’s entertainment, and it’s value depends on what you like. You couldn’t pay me to golf, but business is booming for those who love it.Comment
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If I want a great steak I go home and cook it by myself. Cheaper, more fun, and everyone agrees with my opinion!Comment
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