VIBE

A temple of beefy cuisine, this wood-paneled, tin ceilinged steakhouse has become widely known among steak savants as THE place for steak in New York, if not the country. The ambiance has remained about the same since the 1880s and as such, there are no tablecloths, no glitzy silverware, and no at-your-service waiters–the only thing that’s showy here is the steak (ordered as steak for two, steak for three, et cetera; there is no complicated list of cuts to choose from). Sure, it feels like a well-worn cafeteria and the servers just drop food on the table, but this is an unmissable dining experience for any true steak lover.

CROWD

The business crowd packs in at lunch; dinner lures celebrators and rowdy groups (you’ll see lots of “guys dinners” here).

WHAT WE WOULD WEAR

Business casual; try a sleek blouse and pants with smart flats.

GO HERE WITH

Groups; family; coworkers; friends

WHY WE LIKE IT

The steak is the best we’ve had. Need we say more?

WHAT WE WOULD CHANGE

The waiters are brusque, and we hate that we need to remember to bring enough cash.

GOOD TO KNOW

The menu is very limited, as is the drink selection. Unless you have a house account with them, they only accept cash, so bring a wad of it. For those hesitant to venture out from Manhattan, know that Luger is conveniently located right off the Williamsburg Bridge, and valet parking is available. We like to order the steak rare, or “black and blue”–with meat this good, rare is really the way to go.

OTHER LOCATIONS

Great Neck, Long Island (New York)

CLOSEST COMPS

BLT Steak (New York); Wolfgang's Steakhouse (New York); Smith & Wollensky (New York)

Read more about Peter Luger in The Diary

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