Prior to having lunch on a cold October afternoon, I had never dined at Del Frisco’s Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan. Over the years, I have maintained a strong allegiance to three steakhouses in the city: Peter Luger’s, Wolfgang’s and BLT Steak. Despite recommendation’s from various friends who harbor favorable sentiment toward’s Del Frisco’s, I had always felt it was very touristy and overrated which thus dissuaded me from going. However, without experiencing it myself, I had no reason or basis for such sentiment. As expected, the clientele at Del Frisco’s is primarily businessmen on their lunch break. To briefly clarify my initial hypothesis of the crowd, my definition of tourists referenced those on business (perhaps having meetings in mid-town) rather than families or couples visiting NYC. My hypothesis was dead on. I could tell because several groups ordered bottles of wine and dined for several hours, which seldom occurs with businessmen on their “power lunch.” Now, on to the food. Akin to many of the cities finest restaurants, Del Frisco’s offers an attractive lunch special called the”Business Lunch” for a reasonable $33.00 (turns out to be about $42 with tip/tax). The “Business Lunch” entails a choice of an appetizer (between Seafood Soup, Clam Chowder, Caesar Salad and Del’s Salad), an entree (6 OZ Filet Mignon or Salmon) and a dessert (Chocolate Mouse or Cheesecake).
I went with Del’s Salad since it is the restaurant’s signature salad. To my surprise, the salad was quite palatable, incorporating several tasty ingredients including scallions and two delicious pieces of crispy bacon. To no surprise I ordered the filet as my entree of choice. The filet, which was cooked medium, was tender and incredibly flavorful as it nearly melted in my mouth with every bite. The filet was clearly a high quality cut of meat that justified the tremendous reputation and accolades that Del Frisco’s has received. While the steak was exceptional, the side of mashed potatoes was a disaster. In fact, it would behoove Del Frisco’s to consider amending the way in which they phrase the dish as Mashed Potatoes with a side of Filet Mignon would be more appropriate. It was almost comical to see the presentation of the dish as the filet was overshadowed in contrast to the prodigious sized potatoes (see picture for a brief chuckle). To make matters worse, it tasted as if the chef stuck an entire slab of butter while preparing them. I could literally see a chunk of butter laying over the “side” of potatoes as I tried my best to finish off a few bites of the generously portioned side dish. Finally, I insisted the waitress take the plate away.
Although I was nearly full by the time the dessert arrived, I was very anxious to try the cheesecake, which integrated a Butterscotch flavor. Since I rarely order dessert while dining out, this was a treat I seldom experience. While the cheesecake was good, I was dissappointed by the way they integrated the butterscotch, which was limited to being placed on the bottom of the plate rather than being physically incorporated into the cake. The cheesecake itself was indeed quite bland and needed to be smeared on the sauce in order to sense any hint of flavor. It was clear that despite offering two choices for the cheesecake (Strawberry or Butterscotch) the cake was indeed identical for both choices, despite a different sauce on the bottom. By the end of the meal, I felt sick as I must have consumed a nominal two day’s worth of calories within a fifty minute “power” lunch.
Del Frisco’s Steakhouse
1221 Avenue of the America’s (49th Street)
New York, NY, 10020
P: + 1 (212) 575-5129
W: www.DelFriscos.com
2DineOut- the luxury food magazine. 
You must be logged in to post a comment.