Ben & Jack's Steakhouse

My first time at Ben and Jack’s and I loved it. It was nine of us for my friend’s birthday and we had a great time. They gave us a round table in the middle of the dinning room where all the action was going on. The steak was excellent; their “seafood platter” was amazing and I believe their wine list is one of the best in the city. They have wines from $50 to $4,000 to choose from. The service was very good as well. The money we spent that night was worth every penny and we are definitely going back.

A group of us went here with great expectations but walked away extremly disappointed. The service is like a con game; attempt after attempt to push much higher priced wines, tries at having us order magnum bottles (2 regular bottles worth) at prices 2 1/2 times the cost of two regular bottles, insistance on giving us tiers of seafood platters instead of allowing people to order their own first courses, etc. The steak would have been a huge dissappointment at any price, especially at the sky high levels here. Rare porterhouse, served sliced on a tilited platter didn't have a single drop of juice. Seafood had been on ice too long, and tasted only watery.

I recently booked a private room for a group dinner of 15. The restaurant was very accomodating and the room was as promised. However, the wait staff took each opportunity to run up the tab for our group, specifically with the wine and appetizer choices. After our group sat down, the head waiter came in with a magnum of red wine and said "Of course, you will want a magnum for the group." What he didn't mention was the magnum was $700 and one of the most expensive that the restaurant offered. Since it was a large group, no one wanted to object. The seafood appetizer choice that he almost forced upon the group ran almost $500. While everyone enjoyed the food, and the service was very good, we all felt that we were taken advantage of by the wait staff to run up the tab. A dinner that should have run $150 a person ended up at $240 a person. While the food was good, I would recommend anyone to be careful about recommendations from the wait staff.

The ceasar salad - great however the service was too much talk and the steak did not match the over selling approach of staff. The rib eye steak was odd, the texture tough and the taste cannot compare to the likes of Cut in Los Angeles. For a $40 steak go somewhere else. The Luger connection is a great story however the quality quotion needs to be much higher for the beef to match the hype. Disappointed and no plans of return.

If you are looking for a great environment, filled with a personable staff, and outrageous food Ben & Jack's is the perfect place to go for lunch or dinner. Having been to other steakhouses, Ben & Jack's is simply superior in all aspects. There has never been a time where the wait staff has been anything but courteous and attentive. From appetizer to dessert, Ben & Jack's always keeps your tastebuds wanting more. Having the option for a family style steak dinner is one of the most beneficial characteristics of this steakhouse. The sides are superb and plentiful, never leaving you to ask the question, "Did we order enough?" Try the German potatoes and the creamed spinach... you won't be disappointed. Don't let the classy and sophisticated atmosphere fool you. Ben & Jack's is a perfect place for businessmen and tourists alike. I never felt I needed a reservation, because the hostess was always pleasant and helpful in having my party seated quickly. You can tell that Ben & Jack's is a family owned business, because they always make you feel like family.

We had a large group of about 20 people in a private room last week and were extremely satisfied. We had a few demands and the manager met every single one of them. The waite staff was attentive and once the food starting to come out, everyone in the party was pleased. We had a little of everything off the menu and it was all delicious. The one thing that was outstanding was the porterhouse. Across the board, it was amazing. No complaints. At the end of the night, we would come back here again and again.

I would not have gone. We were seated quickly enough. Although I can not say we were served in the same manner. We had to hail our wiater in order to get our drinks and then waited quite awhile to actually have them served. My husband ordered a salad that he never saw. He reminded the waiter of this and still never got it! Someone else had ordered a Shrimp Cocktail and reminded the waiter when we were being served our steaks that they had yet to see that. The waiter promptly responded that he was not going to serve this while we were getting our steaks since it would ruin the flavor of the steaks.... Hmm, can anyone say srf and turf? I ordered a Rib Eye medium rare and got it just under well done, which I may have been okay with if they had not managed to cut all visible signs of the fat off. If I wanted a cut off beef that did not have fat I would have asked for a Filet Mignon. By the time I was able to bring it to the waiters attention we were so far into dinner I told him I did not want another steak. The thing I found most odd is the waiter felt compelled to bring our order he had written down to me to point out he had written down as medium rare, in which I told him if he was an attentive waiter he would have ensured it was cooked the way I had asked before it was brought to the table. It was very loud, to the point people seated in the middle of the table had to relay the conversation to the people seated on the ends of the table. I think the best part of this whole evening is that when we were walking from the room we were seated in to leave we were forced to circumnavigate the interior of the restaurant because employees were blocking any direct path out. Overall, the food was not bad. There was nothing extraordinary about it either. The service was poor, the atmosphere was bad. Maybe it was an off night but j