Not all steakhouses are good. Sure, they can’t all be like the Jean Georges Steakhouse at the Aria in Las Vegas. But there has to be more of them, right?
Unfortunately, it’s always a hit or miss proposition if the steakhouse you’re getting is good enough. And you can’t just check the price under the mistaken belief that if it’s expensive, it must be good. You can get a bad steakhouse experience with bad steak, and then pay dearly for it. That’s just putting salt on the wound.
So, how do you determine if the steakhouse you’re entering is actually good? Here are some encouraging signs that might alleviate your worries:
There Are Plenty of Diners
This is more convincing than even hundreds of social media reviews. You can fake online reviews. But it’s very unlikely that a steakhouse will pay dozens of people to act as pretend diners just to entice actual customers. The presence of a nicely-filled steakhouse is all the social proof you need.
If you’re in the steakhouse during normal lunch or dinner hours, and nobody’s there, then pretend you made a mistake (and you actually did), and just skedaddle out of there.
You Feel Good Vibes
When you enter a steakhouse and you feel comfortable and relaxed, it’s a good sign. The décor probably appeals to your own preferences, and that makes you feel at ease.
And if the steakhouse employees are friendly and smiling, it’s all good. Everything translates to the food, and if they’re happy when they’re serving your table, they’re most likely cooking happy as well and the food will most likely turn out great.
If they’re not happy, on the other hand, they’re also cooking angry and the food will just be not good at all.
The Menu is Freshly Printed
That means they update the menu regularly, and they might even update it each day. That’s always good news, as it speaks to the freshness of the ingredients.
Laminated menus, on the other hand, can be quite problematic. Sure, they might just want to keep it clean. But that may also mean that they rarely update the menu, and you’ll then have to worry about the freshness of the food.
The Menu Offers a Wide Variety of Wines
Check out the menu, and look at the wines available. It’s a truism in the steakhouse industry that good steakhouses invariably have a wide range of expensive and reasonably priced wines.
When a menu only features a few wines with very few of them available by the glass, then you’re in trouble. that often means the restaurant is out for a money-grab, as they’re forcing you to get an expensive bottle of wine.
The Service is Excellent
First off, someone should be appearing at your table in a few minutes, after you’ve had time to peruse the menu. And then when someone does appear, they can answer your questions.
A good steakhouse generally has workers who are truly proud of the food they serve, and thus they know what goes into each dish. So, ask them questions about the meat, and if they can answer your questions, you’re in for a good steakhouse experience!