I had fond memory with El Gaucho when I was in Portland. When Friend suggested it, I was glad and salivating. Friday night was not packed, must be the economy. Instead of steak, I ordered the flaming sword of lamb. Friend ordered the scalloped patato, both were delicious. The bottle of Pinot Noir went down smoothly. It was a happy meal. read more

I have gone to el Gaucho every year for my birthday since my boyfriend and I have been dating. I love el Gaucho. The atmosphere is dimly lit replicating the feeling of the time of Frank Sinatra with blacks and dark blue, light sconces, and a magnificently backlit bar. A pianist plays in the evening all the songs you would expect to match the tone and feeling of this place. The servers are spectacular. They greet you with smiles and smile all the way through. They will escort the ladies back to their tables from the restroom. The table side prepared foods are an art in itself. I order the bananas foster because it is simply divine and watching them work is so much fun. Their wine selection is the second best wine selection I have seen for fine dining in Seattle. They cook a steak like a steak should be cooked. I want my steak medium rare, and often times it comes out well done. Not at el Gaucho. It is perfect every time. This is a place where you take a date, celebrate something elegant. I wouldn't necessarily think of this place for happy hour, though I hear it is rather nice. I recommend el Gaucho to everyone. read more

We went here for our anniversary and can I just say. The staff here are amazing...The one in Bellevue really needs to take lessons from the staff here in Seattle. The food was delicious...everything we got was just to die for!! It is a bit pricey but its totally worth it everything just like melts in your mouth and the service. Tip top!! I usually reserve a star but El Gaucho - Seattle is definitely 5 stars!! If you want to eat good food, have great service and it be totally romantic...this is the place!!! I can't wait to go here again! read more

Happy Hour review only + live music + waiters with bowties! + ambience + tenderloin bites - delish! super juicy and tender. And for only $8, it's a steal. Everything else was ok - the value is fine but all the food seemed a bit on the salty side. The food was honestly not super exciting, but the atmosphere is worth another trip. Great date spot read more

My teammate and I thoroughly enjoyed a fabulous evening at El Gaucho. At the end of the meal, we both agreed that El Gaucho may have won the #1 spot on our best meals in Seattle mental list. Our dinner was made even sweeter with an amazing Amazon Local voucher. For $175, we received: - Four-course meal for two (which was actually six courses since El Gaucho included two apps and a fruit and cheese plate) - Signature cocktail or wine pairing with EACH course - $50 Revelers gift card (used for a lovely outdoor weekend happy hour on the water at sister restaurant Aqua) - Valet parking This experience's retail value clocks in at a hefty $375+ for two people. With the deal, you're saving nearly 55% on a wonderful, wonderful meal. Here's the rundown of our experience: AMBIENCE (4.5/5) Old school swank, high ceilings, dim lighting, masculine/modern decor. Very comfy. SERVICE (4/5) Upon arrival, we were seated immediately at a cozy table for two with a great view of the kitchen. Jeremy, our server, was knowledgeable, courteous and helpful. He handed us the Amazon Local menu, gave us suggestions on our selections and recommended that one of us get the cocktail flight and the other the wine flight and share our spirits, which we did. As mentioned in some other reviews, service was slow at times, but Jeremy and the team were obviously working hard, and we were in no hurry. There was a system error with the bill which was solved and some confusion over the valet parking, but I think these minor errors came from our being early users of the Local deal. FOOD (5/5) First Course: - Pork Belly Croquettes ($8): Crunchy on the outside, melt tender on the inside. A good start. Second Course: - Roasted Beet Salad with Pecans and Goat Cheese ($10): Lovely to see and lovely to eat. - Insane Truffle Soup ($12): Lives up to the hype. Rich, flavor-packed, and creamy. If you are a mushroom fan, you will like this soup. Third Course: - Grilled Filet Mignon Medallions, El Gaucho Style, with Lobster and Asparagus ($62 pp): We both ordered the signature entree. Because I'm allergic to seafood, Jeremy kindly plated the lobster separately for my dish (which my colleague scarfed up for me). My medium rare steak arrived with a lovely red center. Both steaks were velvety soft and juicy. Sides: - Roasted Sweet Corn ($11): Definitely a highlight. The chipotle-honey butter added a delicious spicy element to the crunchy fresh corn. - Norigold Mashed Potatoes ($9): As a frequent maker of mashed potatoes, I'm not easily impressed by this side, but El Gaucho's was both creamy and fluffy. Yum. Fourth Course: - Fruit and Cheese Plate: This complimentary offering is huge! Pears, grapes, two kinds of cheeses, dates, walnuts, and crackers...between the cocktails, wine, and food, we were already stuffed. Jeremy kindly boxed up the plate for us which we enjoyed as a snack at the office the next day. Fifth Course: - Bananas Foster ($14pp): Their famous dessert rocks. I've had lots of Bananas Foster in my time, and El Gaucho's ranks amongst the best. I thought my girl friend was going to lick the plate clean. OVERALL We'd recommend El Gaucho to anyone celebrating a special occasion, hosting out-of-towners, or just wanting a darn good meal. read more

Let's just say I will most definitely return. Service was excellent. The wait wasn't even long for a Sunday night. We sat by the piano bar which was pretty awesome. We had the server recommended us a sweet wine which I have to say was the best wine I've ever tasted. It was a white moscato but I don't know what brand it was. Then we ordered oyster shooters which I have to say it wasn't what I had expected because it was my first time trying oyster shooters. Normally I order the half shelled oysters. Then we ordered The Taste of El Gaucho which was delicious and some escargot which was also good. Finally for dessert we had the dessert sampler which included a chocolate ganache, cheesecake, and banana bread pudding. My favorite was the ganache. I can't wait to try a special event dinner. read more

El Gaucho - Escargot, The taste of El Gaucho, Oyster shooters - Steakhouses Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Ok. Let's get to the bad side of things first. The prices... No. I don't think a good steak and a glass of wine should be this expensive. But it seems that this is the rule of thumb in Seattle - if the steak is not pricey it is not good. The good things - almost everything else. The staff was attentive without being intrusive, the food was delivered promptly, the ambiance is nice. The New York strip was really tender and almost melted in my mouth. Add brussels sprouts cooked in duck fat to that and you cannot go wrong. So good. The wine selection was nice, but again the prices made me rise an eyebrow. Some of the bottles were upmarked by a factor of 10... Yikes! Still, we managed to find good wines in a more decent price-range. Will I be coming back? It is likely, but I have a couple of more steakhouses to try out first... read more

My husband and I have heard such great things about El Gaucho, and we decided to give it a try but first starting with their happy hour! The happy hour menu is awesome, and has a great variety of choices (unlike some other high end restaurants). The burger wasn't out of this world, but I really enjoyed the steak sandwich we ordered and the amazing mac & cheese!! Plus, the complimentary cheesy garlic bread might have been my favorite part of the meal! Will be back to order from the main menu! read more

What an amazing dinner! I had never been to El Gauchos before but always heard great things. I decided to go for Restaurant Week and I was amazed at the service, atmosphere, and food. The portions were other than I expected and the meat was to die for....perfectly cooked! The drinks were delicious and the desserts were the best for last! The atmosphere was very romantic and it felt like a 1950s bar vibe which was great! For dessert get the bread pudding! It's so great! I highly recommend this restaurant and if you're looking for a cheaper option their happy hour menu is pretty fantastic! read more

Seattle Restaurant Week Fall 2017 Dinner L O CA T I O N On the corner of First Ave and Wall street with a big sign. Parking can be challenging BUT there is FREE VALET PARKING!! Wish I knew this before but now YOU know (take advantage of it)! F O O D Everyone at my party ordered the truffle soup and it was mouthwateringly good. Can't vouch for the salads since the truffle soup seemed like the better option. I also orderd their barrel aged manhatten and it was nice and strong. For the entree I got the Filet Mignon Medallions and it was delicious and cooked medium-rare. TBH since this was my first time here I didn't know that the portions were on the small side, but it was ok. My partner got the Grilled Sockeye Salmon and again, it was a small portion of the fish, not a good filet chunk, BUT it was cooked perfectly and the cilantro honey vinaigrette was refreshing and tasty (I ended up stealing a couple bites from my partner). Lastly the desserts, I got to try all the desserts on the SRW menu and the Bailey's bread pudding was the winner. The seasonal sorbet was blueberry lemon and it was good. The Chocolate ganache with salted caramel ice cream was dense and fudgy. If you weren't satisfied from the entree portion I would recommend the bread pudding because it was the largest of the desserts and it came with vanilla ice cream. S E R V I C E The place is dimly lit so they give you flashlights for the menus. Our waiter was fantastic. He was professional, funny, and easy to talk to. When we wanted to take pictures of our food he'd be there to offer extra lighting! He not only had one flashlight ready, but TWO! I got to take decent pictures of the food and desserts. He was overall amazing and definitely earned his 20% (it goes to him and not the business). O V E R A L L This was a great experience and I would recommend it to others. If you're into bigger portions maybe eat a little before you come here. My friend told me that the low lighting is intentional so you can talk to your companions closer and really taste the food. Unfortunately, I'm not lucky enough to afford this place on the regular, but I'll come back again and try other foods. read more

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El Gaucho ~ ! What is going on up there? I raved about you to friends who were going to visit Seattle. The asked to be seated in mink, that was ignored. They were seated and forgotten. They ordered the Chateaubriand and he ordered wine. The meat came but not the wine. No wait staff to be seen. Finally someone came and the wine was brought to the table. They said the food was has I had described but the service did not compare at all. I was embarrassed and I was sad to hear of the new lower standards. I so miss the 7th Ave place! read more

5 stars for me!! My company just had our Holiday Party here in one of the banquet rooms. Service was on par, as it should be. Food was excellent! 8oz Filet Mignon with mushrooms Baseball Cut Top Sirloin Swordfish Chicken w/ Lobster Medallion sides: truffle mashed potatoes Mac n cheese, asparagus, roasted corn, scalloped potatoes Salads: Cesar- (hand tossed at the table) and the Gaucho salad Apps: Crab Cakes, diablo steak skewers, wicked shrimp I pretty much tried everything. HAHA, some were better than others but the star of the evening was my entrée, the Filet Mignon. Cooked perfectly and tasted wonderful. I enjoyed El Gaucho and i'm looking forward to trying Portland's location! read more

El Gaucho - Filet - Steakhouses Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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OMG we just had the best experience at El Gaucho! Amazing staff, great food and classic service. Cannot recommend James, Megan and Dasher enough. Can't wait until we save up again to have another date night with my sweetie read more

El Gaucho - Yum! - Steakhouses Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I really can't pile on more accoladdes than others already have. This is our go-to, most favorite spot to eat & drink in Seattle. It's also very special to me because my husband brought me here after proposing and surprised me with a proposal dinner that included my most special friends. Awwwwwwwww. HH at the bar is the best meal deal. Try the burger! FWIW - We aren't huge fans of the Bellevue locale. It doesn't have the same cool-noir feel as Belltown. Go! read more

Gosh- I loved this place!! Visited for Seattle Restaurant Week and we loved our orders. The steak was like butter, the truffle soup was earthy and full of flavor. The service was really good and the waiters offer their hand to walk you to the restroom. Love how dark the atmosphere is and I hope they do not change! I don't know why some people complain when it truly has such a unique and exquisite vibe. Will be back! read more

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I only gave 3 stars is because I ordered medium rare, but it was well done. Then the waiter helped me order a new one. But hmm, still didn't like medium rare, more like medium. But drinks were good. read more

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Last night my friends and I reserved a room for my friends birthday. The General Manager James was awesome and helped us reserve a room for our dinner. However that is about where the awesomeness stopped. Our single waiter seemed frazzled the whole night. I was surprised we only had one waiter for a group of our size (11 people). For example our group of 10 at Ruth's Chris had two servers who tag teamed our group for dinner and drinks. Our waiter Jimmy did not make an announcement of any specials to our group instead telling only certain groups of people. He forgot to ask for appetizers and only stopped to ask the group after one member of our group asked to order one. Our overall service was below average for a restaurant of this caliber. Our waiter seem to just disappear for large segments of time. We had to refill our own wine multiple times as he just was not around. Our dinner came and I was surprised that 4 of the 11 entrees we're prepared incorrectly! Two steaks that were ordered Medium Rare came out Medium Well, the salmon was way over cooked and dry, and another steak was served so rare that meat was still blue in certain areas! They did comp our salmon which was the right move as only a few bites were taken. After dinner our waiter brought us dessert menus and when he returned we asked to order some drinks, not him. Then he took the menus without asking to take a dessert order. Again we stopped him to put in a dessert order but at that point I neglected to order as it seemed like he just did not want us to order anymore. After all this we asked to break up our bill as we had multiple couples that wanted to pay together. Personally I feel like today's POS systems make it very easy to perform this however our waiter informed us that he did not keep track of our orders and would not be able to do so. It took us one hour to figure out our bill ourselves and pay. This is absolutely ridiculous and just seemed like the cherry on top of our night. Needless to say I would not recommend bringing a group to this restaurant as they are unprepared and lack the service to take care of large groups. I will not be in a hurry to come back as there are many other steakhouses in Seattle that I've had much better experiences with. read more

After seeing a movie at the Big Picture that's in the basement of El Gaucho, my wife and I stopped in to El Gaucho and had dinner at the bar. It's happy hour until 6pm daily so we ordered the insane truffle soup and we split a medium cooked hamburger. For dessert my wife had the chocolate ganache and I had the cheesecake. Overall, we were disappointed. This wasn't our first time dining at El Gaucho but nothing tasted as good as usual. Maybe it's because it's restaurant week. The hamburger was extremely rare, so rare my wife couldn't eat it. The soup was good but not as good as I remember it being. The bacon on the hamburger was flavorless. A $15 hamburger should taste better than one from Dicks and should be cooked per ordered. I don't plan to return to El Gaucho for happy hour. read more

Our favorite restaurant! The revelers club gives us the incentive to keep coming back. Thank you!

Took my boyfriend here for his birthday dinner on a Tuesday night. Took awhile to be seated and greeted (10 minutes before a server showed up) but once our server appeared all went smoothly. His name was was maik? He was really great, knowledgable and very friendly. Table side service is really fun. Cocktails were spot on. Timing for courses was perfect. All the food was terrific except for my scallop dish. There was a mountain of funny tasting peas in a messy pile over some under-flavored cauliflower purée with some over cooked small scallops on the side. I left 90% of the dish and still got charged for it after expressing I didn't care for it. However our server was sympathetic and asked me if I wanted asparagus instead. Other than that the food was amazing. My boyfriend said it was the best steak he'd ever had. Veeeeerry expensive, but a fun splurge once a year! read more

El Gaucho - Complimentary fruit and cheese - Steakhouses Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Came here for our anniversary and first of all, the mood is perfect. We had a corner booth and the table was set with rose petals. Food takes a while but we didn't really notice cause the music was on and we were looking around and talking. The shrimp on my pasta was delicious, I hate chewy shrimp, although I would've been pissed paying what I did here if I got bad shrimp. My water was never empty and I didn't notice time going by as we ate which is all you can ask for. At the end of our meal they brought out a platter, an actual footed platter, full of cheese and fruits and nuts. I was a bit confused as to why we were served whole fruits after a three course meal (was it just for decoration and I'm not fancy enough to know the difference?) but I was happy nonetheless. read more

El Gaucho - Steakhouses Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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it has lost all of its charm the atmosphere is not what it used to be and they're also skimping on things that were always a treat to look forward to after your meal read more

Food was good. Service was great. I really loved the live piano. Nice fine dine experience. The only problem for me was the lighting which was very dim. Ideal for people who like candlelight dinners. read more

I got the rib eye at El Gaucho and it is one of the best steaks I've had in the area. It was so smooth, buttery and savory. Definitely would recommend for steak. However, the service was unbearable slow. I was there for two hours for a steak tartare, caesar salad and steak. It all came out so slowly and it wasn't busy. The caesar salad was too salty and I'm guessing that's from the anchovies. I would've gotten dessert, but I was not trying to stay another hour for it. I'd come back, but I think I'd go straight for the steak. Also, something to mention, you only get steak with a single mushroom cap unless you order sides. The plating was rather boring. I'm glad the steak was tasty. read more

My husband and I dined here for our 1 year anniversary, and for his birthday with our family within a week span. From the outside it didn't seem like it could be a 5 star restaurant, but when I walked in it reminded me of stepping back into the 40s/50s. Dimly lit and candles on every table, the piano player and singer situated in the corner of the restaurant played some great tunes that immediately had me thinking I was on the set of La La land. The smells from the kitchen will cause you to salivate! The bread, freshly baked, comes piping hot out of the oven with crisp cheese. The escargot was perfectly prepared. We had the steaks since they are known for their 28-day dry aged preparation. I had the Filet Medallions Oscar which comes with fresh crab, asparagus, and a delectable bearnaise sauce. The steaks are juicy and tender! The shareable sides are TRULY shareable. We had the asparagus, mashed potatoes, roasted sweet corn, and crimini and shiitake risotto. We don't know if it's acceptable to do this, but the sides were so good that the next time we come we may just order all the sides we want with 1 larger steak. For both occasions we were greeted with rose petals on the table and a card from the staff! The service and personal touch from the staff are superb. Our male waiter dressed in a tuxedo escorted me to the bathroom when my husband was settling the check at the end of our dinner. They served us a complimentary fruit, nut, and cheese dish after our dinners, and a complimentary dessert for my husband's birthday. El Gaucho is a must for your next special occasion! read more

What a fun place! You cannot tell from the outside how cool this place looks inside. I will warn you it is DARK. The waiters have to carry around flashlights it's so dim in there. Very retro gangster feel inside. We had a party of 12 book the same day and were not only able to book a table, but we were able to get the private room! Well lit, quiet and well worth the extra money! Our server was Chaz and he was AMAZING!! Chaz is the mAn. It was so great having such a fun wait staff for a generally expensive place. Another heads up, this place is pricey but so delicious. Here's the food breakdown: Apps: wicked shrimp (just okay) Tenderloin Diablo was SPECTACULAR Crab cakes delicious with delicious sauce Dungeness crab cocktail delicious Main meals: (12 of us) all the steaks melted in our mouth. Just amazing. The tables side Caesar salad was hilarious and scrumptious. Onion soup was too salty and tasted sort of burnt. The dinner for two was a perfect amount of food without having to order sides. Lobster mashed potatoes blew my mind. Kale which I never eat was great as well. No dessert since we were pretty full enjoyed the complimentary fruit and cheese. Would love to come here again as and couple and enjoy the main dining area as well with the live piano player and dark ambiance. read more

El Gaucho - Private room. Does come at a fee but worth the price to have such personable service, light and sound level to talk - Steakhouses Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Let me start my saying this has been one of my favorite places to go for a lovely dinner. But tonight the service was awful . The waitress ignored up pretty much most of the time . We were celebrating my sons 25 birthday. We waited over 20 minutes to order a bottle of wine. Then another 45 to take our order. The food was delicious, but once again we were ignored. I spoke with the manager before we left and he asked what he could do for us. I said nothing. He just apologized and we left . With 20% service charge of $55 the waitress didn't deserve $10. We won't be back! read more

Nothing beats fresh meat. Don't let anyone fool you w the "aged" process. These stakes are not even aged in special rooms like real fancy steakhouse across the world where they build special cellars with salt walls to ensure each stake is flavorful. Instead, here we have old meat that still tastes somewhat like a steak. People in the US who are born in the US and have not traveled much, will think the taste is okay but if everyone had the chance to taste a truly fresh stake that's just an hour or so old... this would blow their minds and would agree with me 100%. I can't wait for the lame comments of people who think they know what a steak should tase like :) I'll wait for them. I'm guessing I'll get at least 3-5 mean comments about my review. Also, the floors were soooooo greasy that people had to be careful walking to the bathroom and in most instances women would need a waiter to hold their arm while taking them to the hallways where the bathrooms are so they would not slip and fall. A true hazard. Kitchen is NOT set up properly. It is very disappointing they have to do the bananas Forster 3' away from you as the new set up doesn't allow carts on "deck" Lame set up so they could have more bar and dance floor space. I guess this isn't longer just a steakhouse. People are obviously not meeting here for a good dining experience. It's clear. Pros: Friendly staff but they are friendlier if you buy alcohol and lots of it. Tips!! And.... that's about it. read more

We have been to El Gaucho Portland as well as both the old and new locations in Seattle. Every time we go everything is perfect. The staff are genuinely friendly and the food is amazing. It continues to be our "go to" for special occasions. read more

Free valet parking as long as you show a receipt. Easily done. As we walk in it's very dark and our eyes adjust to this fancy steak house atmosphere. It's not a big space but you have space to walk around between tables. We're greeted immediately and seated within a couple of minutes with reservations. Our server Megan greeted us upon arrival and the service was impeccable. We came here for restaurant week and she explained the dishes and the serving sizes. We ordered appetizers of the fresh oysters and crab cakes. These crab cakes are the best ever!!Full of fresh crab and the flavors were phenomenal. The Oysters were very fresh too. The mushroom truffle soup is to die for. Read previous reviews and this did not disappoint. My 10 yr old who hates mushrooms devoured the soup. That's saying much. My husband and I ordered the filet medallions and no complaints there. The meat was very soft cooked to perfection with a yummy sauce. And my daughter had the salmon which she enjoyed very much. The mash potatoes which were extra were just an excellent accompaniment to the meal. I thought we ordered broccolini as another side but broccoli came out. And it was just broccoli. Nothing special. The dessert of chocolate ganache with salted caramel ice cream was very decadent and a great way to finish this amazing meal. I had the bread pudding with vanilla ice cream and that was good too. This place is incredible! Thanks to Restaurant week we'll definitely be back - without the kid of course. Haha read more

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Came here for restaurant week, and the food was not good. I would have to agree with my friend's review down there that my favorite part of the meal was the complimentary buttered bread. The three of us got the same thing - truffle soup, filet medallion, and chocolate ganache tart. The truffle soup was actually not that bad...was tangy and creamy. The filet medallion was probably as good as the beef that comes with a $2 taco in your local taco shop....dry & rough. This cut of meat has to be different than the cut they serve in their normal menu if they are known for their good steak. But disappointed nonetheless. The chocolate ganache tart had a hard exterior. The pieces almost went flying across the room when I tried to cut off a piece with my spoon. The ambiance was nice. There was a live jazz band playing, so it was nice and enjoyable. Great spot for date nights or anniversaries I'd say. But I would not come here for restaurant week. read more

Great all around menu and amazing steaks, happy hour very well priced for how well established this place is!

Great atmosphere and our server was fabulous. My steak was well done. Didn't want another one cooked. I had a few bites and didn't want a new one rushed to table to jutake home. Instead of removing from bill we got free dessert. Didn't even cover half of price of steak. Also had the 38 oz tomahawk shared by 3 people. Should have had 28 ounces of steak after bone was removed. Seemed like maybe 12 oz of steak. It was also not cooked correctly. Disappointed when paying that kind of money the steaks aren't done correctly. Bananas foster was so dang good! Bummer bday dinner *update. Manager reached out and apologized about the steaks. Very kind of her read more

We went at the last minute after a change in plans. We were planning to go elsewhere and I didn't feel dressed well enough for El Gaucho! However, after stopping in, we decided to stay for happy hour and we were glad we did! I had the Sticky Thai Ribs and he had the mushroom soup (both in addition to cocktails). It was all FANTASTIC!! We would both have our dishes & drinks again and we would be happy if we had the same server. Unfortunately, I don't recall her name, but she was perfectly attentive (without being annoying), and just delightful. Oh, and the music.... ohhhhhhh, the m-u-s-I-c!!! Live piano. It was beautiful! Great songs and perfect volume that was obvious but not overpowering to our personal conversation. We're happy to live close enough to come back often! read more

All I have to say is wow. I literally made a Yelp account to review this restaurant because it was that bad. Don't waste your time here.

Won't be back. Pretentious staff, stuffy environment and sub par food from the small amount we had.

This place came recommended by someone, we made reservations for the night off and WOW. the food AMAZING, the drink AMAZING, the service AMAZING. Filet Mignon cooked to perfection, lobster mashed potatoes AMAZING! read more

El Gacho Seattle WAY over rated! Was served by an arrogant flamboyant TG that literally plopped our plates down in front of us, as if to say, "here you go". Not impressed by any means for the price. read more

Excellent service as usual. Friendly and knowledgeable. I had the baseball sirloin cooked perfectly served with the mushroom cap. The insane black truffle soup was amazing. We spit that and the wedge salad. The soups flavor of truffle and mushroom pieces was the best thing we had. The salad was beautifully presented, nothing special and the lettuce was actually a little bitter. The steak had a light smokey flavor with nice crust of seasoning. My husbands T bone with green peppercorn sauce was tender, and the meat was supposed to have peppercorns coating it, it did not, in fact no crust or sear at all and maybe 4 green peppercorns at most. The cheese and fruit tray is always a nice touch at the end, but the pear was not even close to being ripe, the green grapes were gigantic and tasteless. My birthday dessert was ok, the bread pudding was lacking in flavor, it has been better. The highlight was my sirloin and the soup. We would return just for the soup and of course the excellent service, which is why it is 3 stars. read more

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I've seen a few movies at Big Picture and never thought to check out the restaurant it lives below. From the name, I expected El Gaucho to be a somewhat gauche Mexican restaurant. After seeing a movie last night and looking online for places to eat, I was pleasantly surprised to find that El Gaucho was supposedly an excellent steakhouse. I was excited. And indeed- walking into the restaurant for the first time feels like you're being transported somewhere fabulous. It magnificently captures the ambience of an old, marvelous speakeasy. I half expected a member of the rat pack to show up. Seriously the ambience is magical. That said... I wasn't starving so I ordered the mac and cheese. It was borderline inedible. It was so bland I feel confident there was not a single grain of seasoning on it. There was almost no cheese, and the grated stuff on top didn't melt. The crumbs were similarly dry and sad. It was worse than cruise ship food, which I expect to be mediocre. I barely ate half. I also don't buy that the steak is just so fantastic that the sides don't matter. Mac and cheese is a 4 ingredient recipe that requires almost no skill to get right. If you can't get that right, I'm not gambling my $40 on your ability to correctly cook a steak. read more