Steak 38

04/13/08

Been there. Done that. Not going back.

by CarvivoreCritic

What makes a good dining experience? Service, atmosphere, and food. While at Steak 38 on Sunday night April, 13, I experienced one of the worst meals of my gastronomic history. The place is Steak 38. You expect that they would do steak very well. They did not. It seemed that they pre-cooked the filet and finished it on the grill. The steak was dry so they placed it on a bed of a jus. The first steak was over done. The Bearnaise sauce was more like a congealed butter paste that did not look any better than it tasted. The service also left very much to be desired. The male wait staff seemed more interested in playing around in the kitchen or chatting up the hostess, than actually serving the customers. I had to ask for water every time the server or waiter happened by the table. The used plates were not cleared with each successive course. The price for the experience was way too high. Taking into consideration that the place is attached to a seedy motel, takes away from any charm the place might have had. The interior was very dated to the point that the wall paper is starting to peel off the walls. A restaurant this close to Philadelphia with so much new competition in the local area can't afford to be this mediocre or worse.

• Pros: Parking.
• Cons: Everything else.

04/01/08

Thoroughly dissappointed

by mharkinson

We have been wanting to visit Steak 38 for some time now, and what a disappointment it was. We are not cheap by any means and do not have a problem with paying for quality food, however, looking over the menu, we could not believe what the steak prices were. Not to mention, if you desired a salad, it was an additional cost. Trust me, for the price of the meal, it should have definitly been included. The service was that of a pizza and steak shop. We had to ask for additional bread, which was brought but no butter. While waiting for dinner to be served, my drink glass was empty and no waiter to be found. When my dinner was served, which was fish, it was undercooked. Again the waiter never came back to our table to see how our meal was. I had to practically yell when I saw him to get his attention. Although, the chef who by the way was the owner, made me a new platter, it still was completely tasteless. At the end of the meal, I had ordered a cup of coffee, which never came. Desert was on the house due to the problem with my meal, which turned out to be the only good experience of the evening. Would not recommend to anyone and will never return. Thoroughly disspappointed.

03/17/08

Overpriced and underflavored

by ellgar

I heard that Steak 38 was quite good, and finally went there in March, 2008. What a disappointment. First of all, it is attached to a cheap motel. Inside, you walk into the bar, which is presentable, but inside there is no real ambience. Fellow diners were dressed in t-shirts and jeans, and the waiter, although very nice, spoke poor grammar.

Am I a snob? No. But at these prices, I expect more. We were with two other couples, and four of us ordered steak. $40 steaks should be presented in an upscale fashion. My dinner salad included a small portion of field greens, brown iceberg lettuce chunks and the bleu cheese dressing served alongside was not very good. a $10 pear and walnut salad featured canned pears. Soups were okay. Every steak, ranging in price from $21 to $40, was not worth the price. Mine was flavorless, tasted a bit metalliic on the outside and had a big ribbon of gristle inside. Others were large in size, but again flavorless. I actually wanted to ask for ketchup. I've had better cuts of meat at Steak n' Ale. Sides were okay, but my vegetable medley was over-spiced and left a bad taste in my mouth. Two of the ladies ordered salmon, also overpriced and tasted like something one could broil at home. And the presentations had no acroutrements. Just food plopped on plates.

This place has gone downhill. If you want a good steak, try the Library, The Pub, even Steak n' Ale. I was embarassed to have suggested this place to the other couples that we dined with. We passed on dessert.

• Pros: Decent wine list, service okay
• Cons: Absolutely everything else