New York Steakhouse
“The restaurant's new name is Tzar and that's how you feel at the end of the night.”
“Before the grand opening, just the facade of Fusion alone made it look like it was going to be impressive.”
“It has a really sophisticated old steakhouse feel, with a very large dining area (really great for groups), with dark wood interior, stained glass, and low lighting.”
New York Steakhouse
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$$ Price range Above $61
1 review
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Things at Tzar Steak House seem to be a bit confused. Let's start with the name. Originally known as New York Steak House, it is now "DBA Tzar Restaurant". That's actually what it says on the top of their website, and there are still some remnants of the New York Steak House name around the restaurant as well. Tzar is probably a better name, as this place has a decidedly Russian feel to it, but they don't seem fully committed to it for reasons unknown. (The fact that they ran large promotions with both Groupon and Living Social right before the name change didn't help).
The decor is also a bit confusing. The restaurant has a nice location, across the street from the bay, and they had tables setup on the sidewalk. We sat just inside the restaurant, in a small room that was opened up to sidewalk tables outside. The bright light from outside contrasted oddly with the rest of the room, which was lined with dark wood paneling and stained glass griffins. To add to the mix, there was a TV playing music videos and a laser light show, which projected red and green dots all over the room. The audio from the TV mixed in with the dance music from the main dining room, which was filled to capacity with a large party (a wedding or some other event like that). The loud bass spilled in for most of the night, and it was even louder when the servers went in and out of the door.
Service was more of a mixed bag. I had a Groupon deal for four people, but we reserved a table for six since we brought our two young kids along as well. They handled it OK actually, although they required us to order separately for the kids. We only had to get them appetizers (although there was so much food we ended up bringing one of them home with us). Our waiter wasn't terrible, but he was a young kid who didn't have the experience and polish you'd expect of a restaurant in this price range. The only major complaint is that when we first got there we asked them to turn off the TV (some of the videos were a bit racy for our young kids) and while they said it was OK (we were the only people in that room when we asked) they entirely forgot about it and it stayed on all night. Smaller issues, like leaving water glasses unfilled, didn't really bother me but might irk others.
As for what really counts, the steaks were… OK. I was a bit worried since the waiter asked us if we wanted them medium or medium well – and I'd personally say that anything beyond medium is a waste of good meat. We asked for medium rare, and even then they came out just a tad overcooked (I'd be much happier if they had been just slightly undercooked, as it often the case in nice steakhouses that are more confident about the quality of the meat).
The meat itself wasn't bad, with relatively good flavor, but wasn't all that tender, at least compared to other steaks I've had in the city. Seasoning was also a bit uneven; on the steak I had there were parts that didn't have any salt on them at all (I actually ended up adding table salt to them) – although the edges of the meat were generally fine with a reasonable amount of salt and pepper. The sides were unremarkable as well; things like garlic mashed potatoes, broccoli, and a basic baked potato are hard to screw up, but for $8 each you'd expect something a bit more special. The appetizers were probably the best part of the meal – the glazed baby ribs were particularly good.
In the end, it really comes down to price. With the Groupon deal this was still a relatively expensive night out (especially after adding two appetizers, drinks, tax, and tip) – but I felt like we got a good deal. However, at menu prices, it would have been a disappointment. The steaks here are about as expensive as any in the city, but the food, service, and décor aren't in the same league as New York's finest steak houses. So unless you can score a deal, you might want to look elsewhere.
As a final note, parking might be a problem. There's a small lot in the back, but it was entirely full when we got there. Street parking is limited and quite crowded, given the waterfront location. I ended up getting the last available spot in the paid lot next store; the "lot full" sign was up as I left.