It has been a few years since we dined here, and the last time I said it was one of the best steaks I ever ate. Unfortunately I do not know what happened to this place, as not only was the food disappointing but so was the experience. I decided to take my wife here for her birthday, for a nice dinner, rather than some of the other restaurants we frequent due to prices.
First we were seated in the bar area. I didn't mind this until I sat down at the table with a very low seating chair that had wheels, and on a tile floor. After ten minutes I got a nice ab workout to keep the chair seating straight, and if this was a trick to tire you out so you would leave quicker it sure worked. If that wasn't bad enough we were right next to a server station, and several times I had to bend out of the way as waitresses and serves actually reached over my head to get to items set behind me.
I decided to get the $27 New York Strip steak, which came with a house salad and one side. The salad was only one type of lettuce, Arugula. I guess it was to make it look fancy, however, I would call the size more of a garnish and it had a very, very, light dressing that I had to really imagine was there.
When I think of the finer restaurants, I always say get the steak cooked how you like it as they actually have cooks who know how to cook it. Well, I would like to tell you I should have expected this, especially here, however, my medium ordered steak was actually medium-rare to rare. I was completely amazed when I cut into it, and I will never send food back. Instead, I tried to enjoy it. I really did think this wouldn't matter until I took my first bite and tasted no seasoning, just a bland rare steak. So my question is why would I pay someone to cook my steak wrong and add no seasoning when I could have purchased my own steak at a grocery store and messed it up on my grill at home? I couldn't finish it, which I actually have to repeat in my head, I couldn't finish a steak. And not because of the size. Oh and I almost forgot. Our waitress brought out a nice looking steak knife. Unfortunately, the knife was dull. So dull I actually felt I was cutting my steak with a butter knife. And to finish it out, the one side was the small "baked potato balls". Ok, these were heavily salted and were just round French fries in a cup. CUP.
I know what you are thinking. Was everything terrible? Do I just complain about everything? I thought about that before I wrote this. But, boy it has kept me up thinking about it. And before I wrote this, I again had to try my left over steak just to make sure it wasn't just me. It wasn't. Again, I think going and paying for your food to be cooked, for the price, is something you think a professional is doing that you would not experience at home. Well, I just learned my grill must be awesome.
I'm not sure what had happened over the years, going from one of the best steaks I ever ate, to whatever that was. I will say, due to the prices and this experience I will probably never dine here again, especially when the Texas Roadhouse is just across the street. Which I now really want to eat at just to get the Alberini's steak taste out of my mouth. I hope you have a better experience if you choose to eat here. I hope it was maybe an off night for them, but I'll never know. I really feel bad because this wasn't somewhere I went for me, it was for my wife. read more