Good place for groups. Cool concept where you can grill your own steaks or have it cooked for you. Having it cooked for you can be a gamble. I asked for mine to be cooked medium, but it was closer to medium-well. The AYCE salad bar is great. Servers were nice. Prices were pretty expensive. read more

Alexanders Steakhouse - Filet mignon - Steakhouses Near Me - Normal, Illinois

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I loved these Salad Bar here. I got a steak too. You can choose to cook the steak yourself or have them do it. Interesting concept!

I have had the two worst steaks I ever had in my life here. so bad the steak lover I took the leftovers home to, tossed them. the salad bar is extremely basic. the cocktails small and flavorless. I guess the potato's were ok. even the swordfish I had another time I got stuck going to Alexander's was average. In short, awful food, awful drinks, big bill. stay far away because it's awful read more

Had a great group experience at this visit. To start with Maria, who did an excellent job making sure everyone had what we needed. The food was prepared exactly as requested. The area we were seated at was ideal to rhe loudness of our team. Maria joked with the group and made it an awesome evening. read more

Honestly really disappointed with how things have gone downhill for alexander's at THIS location and as a chain. Takes like 40+ minutes to get food when (at lunch) they have a three table tops occupied in the whole place. This place was a fan favorite overall very cool vibe and good locations but after covid and the managers not caring about their customers it's kinda sad read more

The food was just ok. Our service was great. We liked Kimberly. She called everyone sweety and honey. But I think they were way understaffed. She kept dissapearing with no one in sight to ask for extra napkins.she asked if I wanted to cook my own steak. I said No thats what I'm here for. To go out and eat. If I wanted to cook I'd stay at home. Isn't that the point of going out? The steak was very bland and over cooked. My husband got the burger and fries. We ordered the onions rings as a appetizer. They were ok sliced thin and very greasy. I got the small filet baked potatoes and salad bar. Everything came out to 88.00. For the looks of the restaurant. It's dingy and dark with plastic table cloths. Not great scenery. I would rate this 1 star but we liked our waitress. Also they charge 3% on top of your hefty bill for using your credit card. Not good business. read more

What a dump of a steakhouse. This place looks like it may have been an old strip club maybe. Don't let the wagyu sign impress you, none of the steaks are labeled as select choice or prime but the prices sure make you think it's a quality cut, don't be fooled. Dated interior, atrocious table clothes. I will say service staff were polite but other than that this place is subpar for claiming to be a steakhouse. Spend your money where you'll get a quality steak. read more

Bland food at boomer central After hearing glowing reviews, I finally checked out Alexander's. It's fairly pricy compared to some of the big steakhouse chains, so I was expecting a higher quality meal. I knew we were in for something different when the waitress arrived. She would have been more at home in a truck stop, but here she was in a steakhouse literally tossing the menu in front of each of us while hitting us with some folksy banter is that way less endearing than she thinks it is. We weren't presented with the option to cook our own steak. I guess you have to let them know, or maybe our waitress thought we looked clueless? I figured it would come up at some point, but whatever. Not a huge deal, but if you go and you want to cook your own steak at the "cook your own steak" restaurant, make your intentions clear from the outset. My wife and I both received seriously under-seasoned pieces of meat. If the doneness isn't quite spot on, that's understandable, but if it's not *salted*, then what are you doing? I guess that's why each table has a salt and pepper grinder? For $50~, I don't think I should have to rely on A1 to make the steak taste good. We both ordered the steak fries based on the waitress's recommendation. They're thick slices of potato that are fried just enough to make them change color and get soggy with oil but not enough to make them flavorful or at all crispy. And again, these were unseasoned. How about a little Lowry's at very least? The highlight was the salad bar. It's a delightful throwback to the time when you'd find these in all sorts of restaurants. You pick up a cold plate from a cooler, fill it with ice-cold, crispy lettuce, and then load it up with whatever you want. Nothing too exotic, but plenty of options. The thing I really didn't care for was the extra plate charge. My wife was hoping to share a steak with a friend who accompanied us. After all, it's a big steak that comes with two sides. We were informed that this was only possible with a $15 upcharge that came with two additional sides. I also didn't care for the $4 fountain drink that came with *one* complimentary refill. I guess it's my fault for ordering a soda. The average age of the patrons tells you everything you need to know. I'm sure the bland flavor goes over well with the typical customer, but c'mon. Season your food, and when people are spending $100+ for a couple of steaks, maybe get some staff who don't toss menus and pens at you. read more

This restaurant has to be one of my all time favorite restaurants to eat and dine in at. Me and my family love to cook toast in the grill. It's a fun and unique experience that not many restaurants have to offer. They are always super quick and the menu is priced just right. If your looking for a good meal and fantastic service and environment, Alexander steakhouse is the place for you.!!! read more

Disappointing first experience. First impressions - 3 stars: doesn't look like much from the outside and the inside was outdated. Lots of tables, a bar, and several grills out in the open. I believe pre-Covid they allowed patrons to cook their own steaks. Steaks/food - 2 stars: my hubbie and son ordered 12 oz. Ribeyes medium-rare. They came out medium and medium-well. I ordered a filet medium and it came out well... No pink whatsoever. I could not eat mine so they put another one on the grill. It came out rare. They put it back on the grill right in front of me and after a few minutes they brought it over to me medium-rare. Again, I ordered it medium. But fine. I ate it. It was not seasoned at all. The Ribeyes were $35. Mine was $26.50. For steaks that expensive... unacceptable. Service - 5 stars: Lisa made up for the food. She was very nice and very apologetic for the steaks. She expalined that our cook was new. Lisa was also very attentive, bringing us all drink refills often. And for $3.95 a drink, we were appreciative of it. In the end, our bill was discounted and we received a free cookie dessert which was amazing! 5 stars for Lisa and 5 stars for the cookie. Overall: 3 stars (raised to a 3 due to the good service). We may give them another try in the future... read more

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Went for dinner after not having been there for awhile. Service was great but where was the bread basket? Ordered potato skins as an appetizer and they were good but could you give us any less sour cream? Ordered a $50 steak meal that included a loaded baked potato. Prepared well but no butter. I thought the prices were inflated for what we ordered. They also started tacking on 3% for using a charge card? I've spent less at Outback for a steak dinner and received more. read more

What's happened to what used to be my favorite steak place! Had the worst experience. Steak was burnt and so dry. The GM Cam had the steaks remade. It took forever and then was still on the bill. After asking, the steaks were taken off the bill with no apology or thanks for waiting an hour to get our steak. Only a smirk. So disappointed! read more

Alexander's was a restaurant I thought about going to on my first night in Bloomington but ended up not going due to the reviews compared to Baxter's (another steakhouse). Well after having both, I will hands down choose Alexander's everytime. It reminds me of the traditional old school steakhouses like Sizzler/Ponderosa/Bonanza growing up. It's has an all you can eat salad bar, baked potato, & Texas toast. The real reason to go to Alexander's is because of the steaks. As others mentioned, there are 2 huge charcoal indoor grills you can choose to grill your steak. To grill your own is free. You just choose your meat from display case refrigerators or you pay the local grill master $2 to cook it for you. Now I've grilled hundreds of steaks in my lifetime and I can never cook it to the right temp. So rather than cook my own and mess it up, I'll leave it to a professional who will do it right. And in the event he messes up, it doesn't cost me anything to get another. The choices of meat are abundant and high quality. The steak I got would have costed me at least 50$ at a high-end steakhouse. It was between 16-18 ounces and at almost an inch thick. At Alexander's my Kansas City Strip (bone-in NY strip) with a S. African lobster tail and sweet tea cost me around $50. You can't beat that price and the steak was delicious! I love this place! read more

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Very cool steakhouse that brings me back to when I was a kid. You can grill your own meats if you so choose and the all you can eat salad bar is packed with delicious options for everyone. It's no high class dinning but it's a great family restaurant that I certainly will be back to in the future! read more

Great steak place - a bit pricy. But! You do get all the salad, potatoes, garlic toast you want with the steak (or protein you option up for) *you can have there "professionals" cook your steak for an up charge - but this places atmosphere begs for you to stand about and grill your own meal. Full bar and Coke products (although Zero unavailable). Like I said pricey but it's okay to splurge occasionally. read more

Alexanders Steakhouse - Grilling - Steakhouses Near Me - Normal, Illinois

I was excited to see an Alexander s, since I had been to the Peoria location many times and always had a great experience. I will say the waitress did a great job. The salad bar was missing items at 6:00 pm, I was surprised they were out of. The steaks are usually outstanding, mine was cooked great, the quality was not the standards I was used to from Peoria. A quarter of the steak was mostly fat and should have been cut off before it was cooked. If I could do a redo, I would have drove to Peoria! read more

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I was there with a large group, 25-30 people. We were treated very well. The servers knew how to take care of a large group of guys taking advantage of the open bar. The food was basic and good. Steak, baked potato, Texas toast and a nice salad bar. Have the skillet cookie. I quite enjoyed my visit. read more

They tricked my ass. I should have known since I was at the heart of chain central. The second clue was the sign on the door offering the weekly "family" deals. We each got the ribeye. Not like any I ever had, gave up after a few bites. Not sure if a marinade is involved, but the odd aftertaste wasn't to my liking. It was tender enough. I got the steak fries. Not many, which was just as well since they were on the limp side. I tried one bite. Salad bar is the usual veggies that don't seem to offer much in the way of health. Especially the lettuce that didn't seem all that green. I do like the generic macaroni salad for some reason. The best they have is the wait staff, very friendly. I'm glad I had this meal on my way out of town. You won't save money here. $93 for 2 with 2 sweet teas. As Jimmy Buffet says It's my own damn fault. For not taking time to read up on other places not that far away. I wouldn't introduce children to this style of eating. As far as family atmosphere, I wouldn't recommend this to the Manson Family. read more

Had a good steak but they only had FAKE BUTTER, no real butter! What kind of Steakhouse doesn't have real butter? Not a good one. And my wife's cocktail was very weak. read more

Really good Chicken Noodle soup, I really like the way they load it up with noodles and meat!

I am typically not a 'review' writer, but I had to share a horrible experience last night (06/02/23) at Alexanders Steakhouse. The name really fooled me as we have awesome places with the name up in Chicago. I came down to meet a friend halfway so we decided on this place. As I am writing this, keep in mind the place wasn't packed with customers. where should I start? 1. Menu: Terrible, not much to choose from. Steak comes with 2 sides and mostly potatoes to choose from. if I wanted 'steamed' broccoli, which was listed as a side, it was an additional $1.25, seriously? needless to say my only choices were potatoes/fries. 2. Server: KIMBERLY was kind of rude. At one point when we asked her for something, she said snotilly and not verbatim along the lines of: "anything else before I come back again or you couldn't tell me this the first time" as if we are bothering her. Before that we really didn't ask for much. Our food was cooked and sat on the grill counter for at least 10-15 min until WE had to go up and ask if this was our food; to which time the manager himself brought it to our table, apologetically . Some time go by KIMBERLY showed up and said "you had to get someone else to get your food, huh' again not verbatim. Clearly she didn't give a shit about serving us on time. Luckily, she either ended her shift or went on with her business and we got a new kind and friendly face after that. 3. Cleaniness: At a glance, the place looked ok. As I was about to sit, I had to wipe down my own seat from crumbs, no biggie, it happens and I let it go. Upon sitting down and chatting for some time and being the trained observed I am, I noticed dry blood/dirt/catchup on the multi colored table cover. I got KIMBERLY's attention when she came to the table, she acted as if I was making it up and rubbed on the dirt herself. She then said "oh yea" and called someone else to clean. When the girl showed up to clean the table she was doing half ass of a job I had to take the rag from her and clean it myself. 4. Food: My friend ordered a coffee, it didn't even come with a small spoon, how are we supposed to stir the sugar? I guess we could have used our fingers. That was the first time we asked KIMBERLY for something when the attitude began. After we kind of got our own food from the grill counter, the steak was dry and unnecessarily cold and so was the Texas toast. However, the steak wasn't bad even cold. I ordered a lemonade which was terrible and watered down as well. In conclusion, I will never come back here. We would have been better off meeting across the street at Chikfila. read more

This is unique steakhouse. You choose your meat and cook it yourself on their huge indoor grills. They have all sorts of seasonings to use. Also you can prepare yourself some Texas toast and they have baked potatoes in foil ready for heating. If you choose to not prepare it yourself, you can order your food and let them prepare it. There is a nice salad bar as well and a bar This is great for large groups. read more

I love the fact that you can go to the locker and pick your own steak. Once you see them all laid out, it's harder than you think to make a choice. I grabbed a nice 16oz ribeye with a decent cap around it. It's really a unique and enjoyable experience being gathered around the grill with your buddies all grilling. read more

Alexanders Steakhouse - 16oz Ribeye meets rippin hot grill - Steakhouses Near Me - Normal, Illinois

This place is wonderful! The food is great, the service is outstanding, our server, Cole was very attentive and not overly "hovering" (annoying). He was just right, making sure that we were well taken care of and had everything we needed. We will DEFINITELY recommend this restaurant to all our friends and acquaintances! We'll absolutely be back. read more

We showed up at this restaurant on saturday five thirty. The restaurant had half the tables filled. We waited from five thirty till seven thirty and still did not get a table. We walked out Without ever getting a table or any attention from the staff on how long it would be. There was only two of us in our party. We felt like if you can't get service to have a seat and how can you get well planned service to eat a meal. This is probably why you have to cook your own steak. I would not go To alexander's. Go make your reservation down at outback. Or the service is a hundred times better. read more

Alexander's is the IKEA of steak restaurants: Except for the baked potatoes, they give you the materials for your meal and it's up to you to put it together. You cook your steak, prepare your salad, toast your Texas toast. Even table salt and pepper are in grinders. Or, you can pay a small fee to have Alexander's do your cooking. Arrive by 6pm and skip the charge by ordering an early bird special. My server explained many folks like the experience of doing at Alexander's what they can do at home. Indeed, a family of six seemed to enjoy grilling steaks while debating whether they were done medium rare, medium, or well by sight without a thermometer. My steak was chef-grilled perfectly to medium rare. The baked potato was fluffy. The all-you-can-eat salad bar (included with entree) was well stocked with fresh produce. And, server Dan was attentive without being intrusive. He explained Alexander's will let you cook your fish or chicken, but it's recommended their cooks prepare those items to ensure thorough cooking. As an incentive, there's no grilling fee for fish or chicken. read more

Alexanders Steakhouse - Charcoal grills allow you to cook your entree at Alexander's. - Steakhouses Near Me - Normal, Illinois

We were in town for a state cheerleading comp. This place was recommended by family members. After reading Yelp reviews we decided not to come... but so glad we rethought that decision. We arrived at 9:30 and they close at 10 so I assumed we would have to deal with the typical bad attitude service for arriving so close to closing. To the contrary, everyone was nice and welcoming. We weren't given the option to cook our own steak, I'm sure due to the hour, but that was of no consequence as we had decided the last thing we wanted to do was cook. The salad bar was amazing!!! Had all of my favorites and I definitely could have been totally satisfied with just eating here. However, who goes to a steak restaurant and orders salad only. I also ordered the small filet. it was served with an extremely overcooked baked potato and Texas toast. The plating was amateurish and not picturesque but OMG when I tasted my steak, there were fireworks in my mouth... hence the 4 stars. Tte flavor of the steak was outstanding and was clearly the star of the night... as it should be. read more

Alexanders Steakhouse - My salad creation. Accidentally overdid it with the delicious creamy cheddar dressing but enjoyed my creation nonetheless. - Steakhouses Near Me - Normal, Illinois

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We love Alexander's! The salad bar always has a good selection of fresh ingredients. They always have the "staples" along with a few changing items, to create some variety! The Mai Tai is pretty AMAZING (& I guess some say strong but I don't seem to notice/mind LOL) I totally recommend trying it! Seriously, try one!! Now the staff is what makes this place a little more special to us! They always do a great job of providing service with a smile & making sure our experience is a GOOD one! It seems most of the staff is quite personable & few even dote on our girls when we dine there! We have had a few experiences with "hiccups" but who is absolutely perfect ALL the time?! read more

Go to Texas Roadhouse if you want a steak cooked to what you want. Last trip in was such a let down that I will never be back. I would love to mention one thing that was even close to a 2 star rating . I don't see this place staying open much longer if they don't get new management and remember the customer is who keeps the doors open. read more

Arrived just after 4:30 for a late lunch /early dinner. Was seated immediately and noticed quite a few tables already had diners at them. We were seated amongst them. Tables were close together. The dining room is large so not sure why we were all seated so close together. We were given the menus and special menu for the month. We were greeted by our server who took our drink order. I had seen online they had an early bird menu but we weren't offered it. When I asked the server retrieved the special menu for us. Felt like it was being withheld on purpose. Difference in menu prices were approximately $10 each. So they take the "If they don't ask, don't tell" attitude. Training issue? Drive the price of the check? Not sure, but we did our homework before visiting. We all chose the salad bar which was well stocked and had a vast variety of options. Our entrees were served warm and was not rushed giving us time to enjoy our salads. Our server was very attentive and pleasant. read more

Came with a group of eight. Great steaks, great salad bar, great drinks -- we'll be back next time we're in town in a few months to stay a little longer and enjoy our meal. This time we were on a schedule so had to eat and run. read more

Pulled up and the hostess was on the phone for a minute. She hung up and just stared at us. No welcome just awkward staring contest until we said a table for 4 please, she then asked if we had reservations and we said no. She just kept staring at us and said we could sit at the bar tops. She walked us over and then our waiter comes over. He gives us shit about not ordering our steaks rare. Then when we ask where the salad bar was, he gestures behind him with the 'are you stupid' face. He said 'just walk over there you can do it' like we're kids. Rude asl then the steak was flavorless and comes with a potato and a slice of toast. That 'meal' cost 28$. We all forced ourselves to eat. I feel like a Karen but damn that whole experience was just trash. read more

It felt weird to stand around a large charcoal grill and cook my steak indoors. This was exactly what I did. You get seated and you have an option to grill your own steak or have the chef cook it for you, the catch is you will save $2 if you do it yourself. First you go to the salad bar to get your greens, there were more than 30 items to choose from. Then you go to a large stand-up refrigerator and pick your steak. There were around 8 different types of USDA choice steaks to choose from (1" thick steaks), I choose the juiciest and most flavorsome one, the rib-eye ($26). Next you pick the steak up and place it on the 8 x 5 charcoal table - Yes, if you stand there long enough you will get a heat rash. You have your choice of seasoning (pepper, garlic, salt, seasoned salt, herb and butter) to put on your steak. Now the fun begins, you can like I did drink my beer in one hand and flip my steak with the other, just like I was grilling outside. But here you are indoor and grilling with other "master" chefs - The grill is large enough to grill with ten other people. I like my steak medium-rare and after I some time my steak was ready to eat. With every order you get a stuffed potato, steak fries or chips. Or all of them, your choice. The service was good and prompt - My drinks never was dry. I would suggest anyone who likes to cook their own steaks to come here. It was fun cooking with all my co-workers. The only problem with cooking the steak yourself is if you over- cook it - You can't return it or exchange it for another one. So word of the wise, if you can't cook - let them do it for you and pay full price ($28) for your perfectly cooked steak. read more

One of the better steaks you'll have! This place has great food, drinks, and service. They have a great all you can eat salad bar and the atmosphere is pretty open and nice. Really great steak and unbeatable prices! read more

Our league banquet is frequently held at this location. In the past, things were satisfactory, OK food, slow service, and a mediocre experience. We attended last night, and it was completely different! The friendly hostess greeted us as we arrived, and showed us to our tables. The servers were immediately there taking drink orders, quickly explained the process to those that hadn't been there before, and we were set. The servers and bartenders were extremely friendly, and our drinks were never empty. The salad bar was continuously replenished, and cleaned. Everything was so fresh!! The meat was very good, but my husband can grill like no other, so it was a given :) I don't typically look forward to our annual banquet, but this experience has changed my outlook! Thank you for the great experience! read more

Driving up to this place, I was wondering what I was really getting into. It does not have a restaurant look to it. Walking in, it actually looked like a nice place. Sitting down, it became an ok place. It seems to be trying to create an identity but it is struggling to do so since the exterior, entry and dining room do not mesh. We were in town on business so we decided we did not want to cook our own steaks. I ordered a petite 8 oz fillet, medium rare with a baked potato. The salad bar was nothing great. It was your basic salad bar. When our steaks came out, mine was way more rare then it should have been. I actually walked back up to the grill and asked them to put it back on. They brought me a different piece which was better until I got half way through it. Then it just got underdone again. I was not impressed! The baked potato was nothing special either. The only thing I really enjoyed were the sauteed mushrooms. Those were delicious! Service was ok but they didn't check on us much (thus why I took my own steak back up). Overall, not really fond of this place. read more

Always have a great meal while dining. We always enjoy the salad bar. My husband loves to stand at the grill and cook his steak.

Extremely delicious! You don't even need steak sauce. However I was scared of the salad bar because people weren't practicing social distancing during covid. My waiter was exceptionally nice and had great customer service. The wait time was not long at all. The steaks are juicy and amazing! read more

I prefer to cook my own steak medium rare. Most places cook it medium & dry. I don't like ketchup or A-1 so its a problem. Steaks are thick & come in different weights. You can also have one of their cooks fix it for you if you prefer. There is a large open-grill over fire. You also get an already cooked baked potato. There is Texas toast available you can grill. Lots of types of seasonings are offered. Instead of a bowl of lettuce for a salad, there is the best salad bar with many options. We had a grouchy a-bit rude waitress, but everyone else working were wonderful. read more

Everything was great! Wide variety of salad bar toppings that were fresh. Fun experience for the family. Hand sanitizer was located in various places. Tables were distanced properly. Our waitress was nice and attentive. Her name was Jori. Staff wore their masks properly. I appreciate that! read more