Brooklyn's oldest steakhouse is still a charmer. The stalwart has captured the hearts of many and has remained virtually unchanged, almost staunchly so, as New York's steak scene continues to swell around it. Do you come here for the best steak of your life? No, not really. But eating a meal at one of the city's relics—seriously, it opened in 1887—is reason enough to give Mr. Luger a try.
The vibe: A little bit of everyone finds their way to this South Williamsburg establishment, as tables are filled with the old and the young, lovebirds and families. White-aproned servers of a certain age tend to tables with swiftness and, at least at our table, a smile, scribbling orders on pads of paper and dropping off white napkined breadbaskets with efficiency. It all goes down in a setting that looks like a German beer hall, with dark woods, golden candelabras that gleam, and, in one room, a few steins lined the wall. That's because it once was, as the initial restaurant that debuted back in the late 1800s was "Carl Luger's Café, Billiards and Bowling Alley."
The food: The menu is straightforward, and virtually unchanged, minus the addition of the steak sandwich that was tacked on a few years back. You always get a complimentary basket of bread, some of which spills open with cooked onions and burnt flecks of garlic. It comes with a few pats of butter, served on a whimsical, seafaring plate that looks like it should be framed in a New Jersey household (psst...my born and raised New Yorker friend confirms her family's lifted collection). The Iceberg Wedge Salad has little finesse, as roughly chopped pieces of salad clump together with bleu cheese and heavy-handed dressing. Luger's extra-thick cut of bacon is the saving grace, as the chopped bits bring a chewy, good fatness to the dish. But the reason for your visit is likely steak, right? The steakhouse only serves five dry-aged, USDA prime beef steaks, most of which are meant to be shared. My two-some table put in an order of the Steak for Two, and soon, a steaming t-bone arrived, served so hot, once the server dragged a piece of meat across the oval-shaped plate, it sizzled. Its dry-aged preparation lent a hint of funk, and, as promised, it's easily shareable. It does come at $147.90, definitely a high price for nostalgia for a steak that's good, maybe even great, but not incredible. The ceramic chalice of steak sauce, imprinted with “Our Own Peter Luger Steak House Sauce,” reads a bit like cocktail sauce in tang, tasting heavy of ketchup and horseradish. Just know, you don't need to slather it to suck this one down. But what you do need is an order of the Luger's Special German Fried Potatoes that taste like charred home frites with some tang of sour cream.
The drinks: The dirty martinis are iconic, but if you'd rather have an old-fashioned with your steak, just know they do it well. Of course, wines are always an option.
Time Out tip: I don't care if you are full, the Luger's Special "Holy Cow" Hot Fudge Sundae needs to be on the table. The old school sundae of your dreams, or maybe just mine, comes served in a fudge-coated glass that conceals a smooth vanilla ice cream. It is all crowned with a snowball's worth of "schlag," a.k.a. whipped cream, that's airy yet sturdy enough to keep its shape without sliding down the glass.