Lincoln Square Steak: A Unique Steakhouse In A Neighborhood That Needs It

Lincoln Square Steak has officially opened on the Upper West Side, a sprawling restaurant that serves some very good steak and looks like it could be out of any decade except for the current one, in a good way.

The restaurant is divided into two rooms: the front is a large bar and lounge where a pianist can usually be found playing a baby grand, and beyond that is an even bigger bi-level dining room. You can call the décor "boudoir-chic;" all deep reds and chandeliers, and Déco touches like a '30s-style mural along the entire back wall depicting nattily dressed couples on the town. It's a place where both high-rollers and couples on a date will feel right at home, and that front room looks like it belongs in a hotel lobby from a Hitchcock movie.

The menu is rather straightforward. Appetizers include sizzling Canadian bacon, onion soup, and crab cakes; salads include tomato and mozzarella, classic Caesar, and beet; and there's a raw bar that seems obligatory. Twenty-eight-day dry-aged steaks include a 24-ounce ribeye, a 24-ounce bone-in strip steak, and a Porterhouse for two, three, or four people. Other options for carnivores include a hanger steak, 16-ounce filet mignon, braised short ribs, pork or veal chop, lamb chops, a 12-ounce burger, or a roast half chicken.

There's also a smattering of fish and shellfish (grilled branzino, blackened swordfish) andfamily-style Italian platters (lasagna; Parm of the chicken, eggplant, and veal varieties), but I suggest you stick with the steaks. They're generously portioned (you don't see a 16-ounce filet too often), properly seasoned and cooked, and served with a solid variety of sauces.

There were a couple glitches, but none that can't be easily fixed if they aren't already: the plates the steaks were served on were about two sizes too small, the "charred Brussels sprouts" didn't actually show much in the way of char, and sides arrived about 15 minutes after entrées. But where it matters — the décor and ambiance, level of service, and quality of the meat — they hit the nail on the head. Upper West Siders, you've finally got a quality steakhouse.