I was looking for a special venue for our wedding anniversary dinner. For the past five years,…read morewe've usually gone to the Steakhouse at Silver Reef, but after seeing a tomahawk on this menu, I thought we should try a new place for this year's celebration. When we arrived, we were seated in their "Cove," which had been suggested by the woman who took our reservation over the phone as an intimate dining experience.
My first impression of the restaurant was that I liked the "steakhouse vibe." However, the Cove where we were seated felt more like bar seating than an actual dining area. The tables were small--better suited for small plates and drinks, not a full dinner.
We were greeted right away by our server. She was very friendly, but throughout the service, I didn't quite understand her dry sense of humor. I asked about the wine options, and she suggested a cab. I asked for a tasting, which I didn't think was an uncommon request before ordering a glass. She mentioned (possibly joking) that the first sample was free, but after that, they would have to charge me. I found that comment a bit off-putting and didn't feel encouraged to order a drink after that. Since they only had two cabs and I wasn't familiar with either, I didn't think asking to try one was unreasonable. I ended up trying her recommendation but didn't like it. At that point, I didn't feel comfortable asking for another sample, so I just asked her to check with the bartender and bring me whatever he recommended.
I ordered the pork tomahawk, again based on her recommendation, and my husband ordered the aged New York. Shortly after, she returned to tell me the pork tomahawk had just sold out. Our reservation was at 5:30 PM, so it seemed early for a popular item to already be unavailable. By then, I was a bit over it and ordered the flat iron 8 oz marinated steak instead.
While we waited for our appetizers, we were served bread rolls with garlic butter. Unfortunately, the rolls were very hard and dry--even the butter didn't help. Neither of us took more than one bite.
We both ordered our steaks medium, but my husband's New York was definitely undercooked compared to mine--it was very red in the center rather than pink. After trying my steak, I thought some steak sauce might help, so I asked for A1. Our server told us they charge for their "house A1" sauce. Tip: don't order it if you're expecting traditional A1. It tasted more like barbecue sauce--too sweet and not tangy enough to resemble A1 (in my opinion). I didn't even use it after trying it, so it felt like a waste of $2.
The food overall was okay, just not worth the price. My husband even said he's had better steak at Texas Roadhouse for half the price. My steak was around $35, and my husband's was about $56. The sides were good, but we've both definitely had better steaks. My husband mentioned his had a lot of tough, chewy fat that he had to cut around. We ordered two appetizers and two entrées, each with a starch and a vegetable. The steaks were disappointing, to say the least, though the sides were solid. I also couldn't even finish my glass of wine.
Overall, it was nice to try something new, but I probably wouldn't go back. If we did, it would likely be to try their happy hour menu--especially the Philly cheesesteak. There's a lot of potential here, but the execution just didn't deliver. Definitely not special enough for a special occasion celebration.