Nestled off of Avenue B, Andrew Steak Society positioned itself as an elevated happy hour for those nights you hope will lead to dinner.
The restaurant provided a backdrop of luxury during my visit to the New York City establishment with dim mood lighting and royal decorative details. A friendly staff greeted us for our Thursday night meal, which included a spattering of the best the steakhouse had to offer. Immediately, it was clear that a perk of the establishment was well-informed servers.
With a menu as versatile as Andrew Steak Society’s, the right server can make all the difference. We were treated with perfect recommendations, especially for pairing drinks, all to make our visit stress-free. After all, a post-work wind down is all about avoiding decision-fatigue.
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Our meal began mellow with two salads — the mild beginning acted as a perfect palette cleanser after the weekday scaries. Thankfully, the refreshing light bite wasn’t the only nibbled to start off with, though, as the appetizer games was stepped up with basturma croquettes.
The tasty app was golden and crispy. The dish, of course, is traditionally elevated — and the chef certainly stayed true to that — but in some ways it reminded me of a homie mac n’ cheese bite, but with that cured beef filling.
A certain sense of a home cooked meal carried into the sides for our mains — sautéed broccolini and mashed potatoes. Andrew Steak Society isn’t necessarily meant to be homestyle cooking, but there’s something so respectable about a high-end meal that feels full and wholesome.
The main entree, the porterhouse steak, was accompanied by two “enhancements” — roasted bone marrow and butter-poached lobster. My favorite? Well, let me explain first before I give you the answer.
I’m a lobster fanatic, which meant I immediately dove into the seafood perfection. The chef delivered a classic lobster, and I was incredibly thankful. Too often restaurants fail to embrace the simplicity of lobster, but Andrew Steak Society lathered it in butter and gave us a mouth-watering dish. I was impressed by both the elegant presentation and savory flavor.
As for the porterhouse steak, with the food in its name, the restaurant could not miss. The sharable portion was cook to perfect temperature, even for someone as picky as me. Oh, let’s be clear, I like my meat on the rare side, and I’m tired of New York City chefs playing it safe for the masses with their overcooked nonsense. Andrew Steak Society restored my faith that some chefs do still care about the sanctity of steak.
I should have known it wouldn’t disappoint by the fact that their meats are dry-aged for at least 28 days.
Finally, my favorite, the bone marrow. I was lucky to get the full dish to myself. After all, I’m the most adventurous of my friends who, like many, can’t stomach the concept. Even with my much more diverse palette, I was definitely wary. The last bone marrow dish I had, well, it was a flop.
I didn’t have to worry about that at Andrew Steak Society, though. The bone marrow’s texture hit the perfect point of melting without carrying over into a slimy quality. The flavor, more importantly, was strong and paired perfectly with a fig jam on toast.
As for dessert, we tried the cheesecake, which wasn’t necessarily standout. I wouldn’t fret, though, Andrew Steak Society isn’t meant for the sweets. Nonetheless, we paired it with a round of espresso martinis that were bold, rich, and yummy.
My only true critique was the service from the bar. While our staff was cheery and well-informed, the drinks were often slow to arrive. If I’m going to eat a perfect steak, I definitely want to make sure I have a full glass of red (in this case, Chianti specifically).
Overall, there’s no doubt that Andrew Steak Society is posed to be a culinary hotspot. For now, it’s a charming little kitchen, a bar that has room to grow, and a secret meeting point to start your night with flair, style, and a truly respectable steak.
