Atlantic City's Gallagher's Steakhouse: A Chip Off The Old Block In Resorts Casino Hotel

Gallagher's is one of New York City's most legendary steakhouses. It's been around since 1927 (when it first opened as a speakeasy), and today it's widely regarded as one of the finest steakhouses anywhere, with a famous dry-aging meat locker visible from the street. You might not realize, however, that there are two additional Gallagher's locations: One is in Las Vegas, and the other is in Atlantic City, located inside the Resorts Casino Hotel on the boardwalk. We recently had the opportunity to dine at the Atlantic City location while spending a weekend at the resort, and we were incredibly impressed by the experience from start to finish.

The restaurant is tucked away on the second floor of the hotel, and, true to form, the first thing guests see upon entering is a dry-aging room full of beautifully aging beef. The main dining room is attractive, appropriately dim, and definitely romantic with plenty of dark woods and red lampshades. The walls are decorated with an assortment of big photos of celebrities, everyone from Grace Kelly to '80s-era Smokey Robinson to Michael Gambon (trying to figure out who everyone is makes for an interesting way to pass the time). We were seated in a booth that was big enough to let us sit side-by-side with plenty of room to space.

Our cocktails (a vodka gimlet and a Negroni) were expertly made, and to start we split an order of clams casino, which were plump and encased in a crust of breadcrumbs, bacon, herbs, and enough butter to hold it all together without being greasy. Even though additional apps like shrimp cocktail, a hot seafood sampler (coconut shrimp, clams casino, and fried calamari), crab cakes, and a seafood tower certainly sounded tempting, we decided to save our appetites for the main event, a decision that was definitely worth it.

We opted for the restaurant's signature steak, a house dry-aged bone-in New York sirloin (top); as well as a king cut prime rib. The steak, like its counterpart in New York, was grilled over hickory charcoal. (The New York location is actually the only steakhouse in the city to cook its steaks in this manner, as it was grandfathered in before charcoal cooking was banned.) The steak was cut thick, and the charcoal lent it a smoky flavor that's impossible to replicate with other methods. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare, and was one of the finest steaks I've ever encountered.

The prime rib, which also spent some time in the restaurant's dry aging room, lived up to expectations as well. Nearly two inches thick and weighing in at nearly two pounds, it was nothing short of prime rib perfection, perfectly rosy from edge to edge and accompanied by a rich and deeply flavorful jus. On the side, we requested an order of Cheddar mashed potatoes that were being offered as part of a special; the kitchen had no problem accommodating that.

We were also pleasantly surprised by a wine special — a 2014 Josh Cellars cabernet sauvignon for less than $40 — that we decided to take advantage of; even though the dessert menu looked great, we were too stuffed to partake.

It's rare that a meal is executed flawlessly from the moment you arrive until you walk out the door, but Gallagher's delivered on all fronts. Service was friendly and knowledgeable, our dishes were perfectly cooked, the dining room was classy and nicely appointed, and the overall vibe was one of luxury and class. The Atlantic City Gallagher's, like the one in New York, lives up to — or exceeds — every expectation.