Markjoseph Steakhouse

(212) 277-0020

261 Water St
New York, NY 10038 40.708354 -74.001741

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Neighborhoods: Financial District (Wall Street), Downtown, Financial District

MARKJOSEPHSTEAKHOUSE.COM

Hours:

Monday To Thursday From 11:30 AM To 09:30 PM Friday From 11:30 AM To 10:30 PM Saturday From 05:00 PM To 10:30 PM

Price:

$$$$

Last updated 6.23.11

Category:

Restaurants, Catering

Payment Methods:

American Express, Diners Club, Discover, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Business Dining, Group Dining

Cuisine:

Steakhouse, Traditional American

What People Are Saying About Markjoseph Steakhouse

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

Even if you happen to miss the cow sculpture standing sentinel near the entrance, it would be difficult to mistake MarkJoseph for anything but a steakhouse. All the trappings are there: loud-mouthed, avuncular waiters with rolled-up shirtsleeves, country club-like decor and a predominantly male crowd. Predictably, large hunks of beef are served within the ruffian atmospherics here. Appetizers and desserts are sturdy, too.

Editor's Tips

Lunch Spot:
Daily lunch and bar specials include dishes like prime dry-aged steak tips for $22.95.
Prix Fixe Menus:
Two "dinner party" menus are available for $75 and $95 per person.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. The ambiance was eclipsed only by the excellent service and succulent food.
  2. Nice atmosphere and the wait staff were very friendly.
  3. Looking for a romantic evening for two or a nice place to take the wife and kids?
  4. There is a very comfortable feelling.
  5. Went for drinks after work - great location near Wall Street - luckily we were able to be squeezed in - 10 of us sat for dinner!
  6. Blow's Luger out of the water, the right atmosphere and excellent hospitality.
  7. sat down with my bottle of Opus and enjoyed an evening of great food and atmosphere.
  8. Great food, quiet atmosphere
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. To top it off, I got the pecan pie for dessert, which was outstanding.
  2. Dessert is a must - awesome pecan pie!
  3. The waiters could not have been nicer and the desserts looked wonderful, but I could not eat another bite.
drinks
87.5% positive
  1. Can't wait for full dinner - great food at bar, too!
  2. Not only are they great guys but they make the best drinks in town.
  3. am no where near a wine expert so I rely on the knowledge of the friendly wait staff, the presentation and service is un-matched.
  4. I'm a wine lover and was delighted to see all the great wines that I could choose from.
  5. Tito or Jarred are more than happy to make you the drink of your choice, my recommendation is to try one of their martinis - probably the best in Manhattan.
  6. The food was simply great as was the friendly, down-to-earth waiter who was eager to help us with our choices, both food & wine.
  7. Our drinks were horrible (my martini tasted like dishwater), the steaks were tough and grizzly and our waiter was quite rude and grunted at us in a manner that none of us understood.
  8. Food, drinks, and wait staff are the best.
  9. Went for drinks after work - great location near Wall Street - luckily we were able to be squeezed in - 10 of us sat for dinner!
  10. like the old style bar too.
  11. Went in for a drink and we were instantly treated to the amazing scent of sizzling beef!
  12. Service, appetizers and drinks (cosmopolitans) at the bar were phenomenal, seating for dinner was timely, servers were friendly, clean, professional, well versed with the food choices and the food was outstanding.
food quality
91.66999816894531% positive
  1. excellent steak and service
  2. the service was horrible first to begin with second the steak was ok and the salad and seafood was good but i asked for my steak to be well done due to the bussy night the waiter or kitchen laacked to cook my steak properally blood red in the middle i ask
  3. My favorite place for steak!
  4. Not only the steaks, all the food is great.
  5. ordered my favorite steak, the porterhouse, and it came out on a sizzling hot plate.
  6. Perfect steak is coupled with this well-bred steakhouse, servers are quick and courteous, respect that you're plunking down big coin for a great piece of beef, and let you enjoy your evening.
  7. ordered the shrimp cocktail as an appetizer and the Shrimp were huge and tasty.
  8. Our drinks were horrible (my martini tasted like dishwater), the steaks were tough and grizzly and our waiter was quite rude and grunted at us in a manner that none of us understood.
  9. P.L has good steak, MJ has good steak.
  10. You don't want to overlook this great restaurant if you are not a steakfan - the seafood entrees are superb -as is the lobster ravioli (topped with jumbo shrimp).
  11. If you are among the few who like a steak M edium, get ready for a piece or charcoal coming your way.
  12. recall when Mark Joseph was such a wonderful place where you were greeted by familiar happy faces and the food was just superb.
  13. First of all, the steak is clearly not as good at MarkJoseph.
  14. All the acerbic charm that one expects from a steakhouse with the best damn steak found in Manhattan.
  15. sat down with my bottle of Opus and enjoyed an evening of great food and atmosphere.
  16. My favorite steak house.
  17. think you have to know someone who works there to have a decent meal.
  18. The ambiance was eclipsed only by the excellent service and succulent food.
  19. Very decent steak, excellent service, but a bit out of the way
  20. Was just there to celebrate the holidays with colleagues and was overjoyed as always to be catered to by the staff and enjoy an excellent meal and SUPERB PORTERHOUSE!
  21. love the franklin salad, which we tried to duplicate at home: what a HUGE amount of work that was, and of course it wasn't as good.
  22. The steak is always cooked to my request and the seafood is ALWAYS fresh.
  23. The middle was cooler than I like, but the meat was so good I would have eaten it raw.
  24. I'm a regular working guy who likes steak.
  25. The food is always great regardless of whether you go for the steak or some other dish.
  26. Incredible, incredible steak--the porterhouse for four is unbelievably juicy and succulent.
  27. mecca for hardcore steak lovers who dont need the hype of a more well known NY steakhouse, because the steak is the best in NYC!
  28. Great service - porterhouse was so good I can still taste it - Can't wait to go back - I've been craving the bacon appetizer!
  29. It is always the best service and great food.
  30. The meat is terrific, the service is excellent, and the sides are satisfying and rich.
  31. Service, appetizers and drinks (cosmopolitans) at the bar were phenomenal, seating for dinner was timely, servers were friendly, clean, professional, well versed with the food choices and the food was outstanding.
  32. The tomato, onion, and blue cheese salad is also excellent and a must-try.
  33. We loved our steaks and the sides were delicious.
  34. Luger's is good but no seafood and really no choices.
  35. The seafood appetizer was a highly generous portion and far too delicious to not finish.
  36. have been a quest for the truly best steakouse in NYC, I finally got to finish up the list last week with a meal at Blair and Perone.
  37. look forward to the delicious Porterhouse - mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach- and have recently made it a tradition to have lunch delivered on Fridays to my office!
  38. Clams were perfect and the sauce was great and the extra horseradish on the side was a nice touch.
  39. In addition to being inferior quality, my steak at MarkJoseph was completely undercooked.
  40. Amazing food and great service.
  41. best steak yet
  42. The service was poor, the steak was tough, and nothing was exceptional.
  43. Side dishes also good (no side comes with a $60 steak?)
  44. Since it opened, Mark Joseph Steak house has been my favorite place to enjoy a great steak!
  45. love the service, the bacon, the shrimp, and of course the steak.
  46. Steak tidbits were tender and succulent, served on baguette rounds with tasty mozzarella cheese melted on it.
  47. Along with the great food come John, Joe, Charlie JC and the rest of the best wait staff in NY.
  48. More importantly the steak was incredible and all the sides are everything you would expect from a great steakhouse.
  49. have been a patron to MarkJoseph since it's inception and can honestly say that i have never had a bad meal.
  50. The bacon is amazing, i am still not sure what it is.
  51. When I think of going out with my friends for good steak, SEAFOOD and a good time, I think of Mark Joseph's.
  52. The food was excellent.
  53. had a great experience, good times great food!
  54. We ordered 2 slabs of canadian bacon, huge slices of tomato and white onion, littleneck clams and the steak tidbits.
  55. friendly service, bland steaks
  56. The food was simply great as was the friendly, down-to-earth waiter who was eager to help us with our choices, both food & wine.
  57. All in all, a great steak experience was had in this out of the way hidden gem under the Brooklyn Bridge.
  58. Can't wait for full dinner - great food at bar, too!
  59. We always have a great meal here.
  60. Great food, quiet atmosphere
  61. The bacon appetizer was delightful, and after my first bite of the sizzling porterhouse I had a smile that lasted the rest of the night.
  62. loved the porterhouse for two, true prime meat, we came from long island, and we loved the food and the service.
  63. Once seated you will want to immediately order the famous porterhouse - but be sure to at least try the bacon and fried calamari!
  64. felt the shrimp on the plate was the main focus of the plate, which was excellent.
  65. Here's the lowdown: Bacon was absolutely delicious.
  66. Went in for a drink and we were instantly treated to the amazing scent of sizzling beef!
  67. Perfectly ccoked steaks, great potatoes, creamed spinach, etc.
  68. The bacon and shripm salad, the creamed spinach, the grilled tuna are magnificent.
  69. have heard that the buyer from Peter Luger gets special treatment at the meat market every morning and usually gets the best meat in town that day.
menu variety
85.71000099182129% positive
  1. The food was simply great as was the friendly, down-to-earth waiter who was eager to help us with our choices, both food & wine.
  2. So between the friendly service and the better menu overall, I've got to recommend MJ.
  3. while the carbon copy Luger menu was pretty much alright, the room is awful, like eating in a holiday inn in the midwest.
  4. Their lunch menu is terrific but I stick to the Porterhouse!
  5. My Girlfriend even asks me to take her to MarkJoseph Steakhouse regularly, she is in-love with the Salads and the diversity of the menu which always has amazing Chilean Sea Bass, Grilled Tuna or Salmon for when she is not in the mood for a Filet which she
  6. Service, appetizers and drinks (cosmopolitans) at the bar were phenomenal, seating for dinner was timely, servers were friendly, clean, professional, well versed with the food choices and the food was outstanding.
  7. Luger's is good but no seafood and really no choices.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. If you are looking for the best porterhouse in NYC - Markjoseph Steakhouse is the place you want to be!
  2. From the time you walk through the door you know you have arrived at the best restaurant in new york city.
  3. You don't want to overlook this great restaurant if you are not a steakfan - the seafood entrees are superb -as is the lobster ravioli (topped with jumbo shrimp).
  4. Looking for a romantic evening for two or a nice place to take the wife and kids?
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. Great service - porterhouse was so good I can still taste it - Can't wait to go back - I've been craving the bacon appetizer!
service
88.81999969482422% positive
  1. the service was horrible first to begin with second the steak was ok and the salad and seafood was good but i asked for my steak to be well done due to the bussy night the waiter or kitchen laacked to cook my steak properally blood red in the middle i ask
  2. was really looking to have a great time but maybe it wasnt there night i can also forgive the waiter maybe there was no mouse cant blame nyc and also THIIS PLACE IS VERY PRICEY
  3. Service, appetizers and drinks (cosmopolitans) at the bar were phenomenal, seating for dinner was timely, servers were friendly, clean, professional, well versed with the food choices and the food was outstanding.
  4. The meat is terrific, the service is excellent, and the sides are satisfying and rich.
  5. Along with the great food come John, Joe, Charlie JC and the rest of the best wait staff in NY.
  6. Was just there to celebrate the holidays with colleagues and was overjoyed as always to be catered to by the staff and enjoy an excellent meal and SUPERB PORTERHOUSE!
  7. The service was excellent.
  8. Our drinks were horrible (my martini tasted like dishwater), the steaks were tough and grizzly and our waiter was quite rude and grunted at us in a manner that none of us understood.
  9. Amazing food and great service.
  10. The don't bother you with too much in your face service.
  11. Mark Joseph's Steakhouse is the best steakhouse my staff and I have ever eaten at.
  12. The food was simply great as was the friendly, down-to-earth waiter who was eager to help us with our choices, both food & wine.
  13. friendly service, bland steaks
  14. Our bartender John B. was great and when we said we had to succumb to our watering tastebuds, he made some great suggestions.
  15. loved the porterhouse for two, true prime meat, we came from long island, and we loved the food and the service.
  16. The service is amazing, the waiters remember who you are, and always treat you with respect.
  17. the service was impeccable; they accommodated 6 of us on my friends birthday including an 8 month old girl!
  18. Very decent steak, excellent service, but a bit out of the way
  19. The service was poor, the steak was tough, and nothing was exceptional.
  20. The service was downright rude, and the broker boys are way too noisy in a way that makes peter luger's look quaint.
  21. The service was absolutely excellent as there were no problems with plate-sharing, and the server had plated our entrees for us separately at the table.
  22. am no where near a wine expert so I rely on the knowledge of the friendly wait staff, the presentation and service is un-matched.
  23. The staff was incredible.
  24. excellent steak and service
  25. So between the friendly service and the better menu overall, I've got to recommend MJ.
  26. The wait staff was friendly and knowledgable, but expect the 3rd degree from the maitre'd if you're not wearing an armani suit.
  27. He used to be a Lugers) The wait staff is far more attentive than Lugers and the scenery is far more etherial.
  28. Perfect steak is coupled with this well-bred steakhouse, servers are quick and courteous, respect that you're plunking down big coin for a great piece of beef, and let you enjoy your evening.
  29. love the service, the bacon, the shrimp, and of course the steak.
  30. The ambiance was eclipsed only by the excellent service and succulent food.
  31. Food, drinks, and wait staff are the best.
  32. The waiters could not have been nicer and the desserts looked wonderful, but I could not eat another bite.
  33. It is always the best service and great food.
  34. Nice atmosphere and the wait staff were very friendly.
  35. Great service - porterhouse was so good I can still taste it - Can't wait to go back - I've been craving the bacon appetizer!
  36. The Hostesses are welcoming and the Waiters are friendly.
  37. The staff is friendly they honor their reservations and are good people.
  38. Great service.
value
100.0% positive
  1. We ordered 2 slabs of canadian bacon, huge slices of tomato and white onion, littleneck clams and the steak tidbits.
  2. ordered the shrimp cocktail as an appetizer and the Shrimp were huge and tasty.
  3. The seafood appetizer was a highly generous portion and far too delicious to not finish.
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. Perfect steak is coupled with this well-bred steakhouse, servers are quick and courteous, respect that you're plunking down big coin for a great piece of beef, and let you enjoy your evening.
  2. loved the porterhouse for two, true prime meat, we came from long island, and we loved the food and the service.
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/26/11

Amazing Food in a Warm, Friendly Atmosphere

by steakfan123

From the moment I entered the bar I knew that I had found my new favorite spot! I was having a beer and the bartender asked if I had ever tried the bacon. Since it was my first time at Mark Joseph's I had no idea what he was talking about. A few minutes later I was served the thickest slice of canadian bacon that I had ever seen! We were so comfortable at the bar that we decided to stay put, watch the game and order Porterhouse for 2, hashed browns and creamed spinach. After the bacon I should not have been surprised at the thick cut of porterhouse that filled the sizzling plate. AMAZING is all that I could say! The hashed browns were crisp and tasteful. The creamed spinach was the best I have ever tasted and there isn't a drop of cream in them. I will have to try the desserts on my next visit!

4 Star Rating: Recommended

09/10/11

Great Steak, but is this a day care center?

by Mo608

I live in the area and we used to freqent MJ's whenever we wanted a really good steak. The steaks are fabulous, so are the sides and the desert. BUT....The last few times we have been there it seems like the owner's children are running around. On Mother's Day they were all outside, our table was by the window and they were making faces, screaming and being obnoxious, while the owner and family dined in peace. This place is VERY expensive, and in this economy it is not so easy to spend that kind of money, no matter how good the steaks are. The last thing I want is a bunch of little kids sticking their tongues out at us and being disruptive. My Daughter actually closed the curtain they were so annoying. Heads up, find a babysitter or control your kids!!

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/18/10

My New Favorite Steakhouse

by steak lover

I have lived in Manhattan for 5 years and consider myself a steak lover. I have finally found the ultimate steak lovers fantasy, MarkJoseph Steakhouse. It took me 5 years to find this place so I am sure there are many out there, who like me, are always looking for the ultimate steak and think they have found it. The steak is consistently perfect. I say consistently because I have gone back once a week for the last 5 weeks just to make sure 'it was that good' and every time I cut into the Porterhouse it is tender and bursting with flavor. The appetizers are consistently good. My favorites are the bacon, mozzarella and tomatoes and the hot seafood platter (you have to have a big appetite to enjoy this and your steak). The sides are basic but delicious. Save a little room because the MarkJoseph Special desert is a must have!

1 Star Rating: Poor

04/12/10

Ok but Sad

by Alexa73

the service was horrible first to begin with second the steak was ok and the salad and seafood was good but i asked for my steak to be well done due to the bussy night the waiter or kitchen laacked to cook my steak properally blood red in the middle i asked for well done they brang me medium rare ughh makes me mad but atleast i enjoyed the raw ruberr seafood the only reall dinner i had was salad . sad to say i could of seen a mouse but the waiter yelled at me " we have no mouses "! i was really looking to have a great time but maybe it wasnt there night i can also forgive the waiter maybe there was no mouse cant blame nyc and also THIIS PLACE IS VERY PRICEY

  • Pros: decor
  • Cons: food and service :(
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/26/10

classic steakhouse

by winch10

I had a great experience, good times great food!

  • Pros: great service, perfectly cooked steak, good sides.
  • Cons: tough to get to by public transportation.

The Details on Markjoseph Steakhouse

Place Categories:

  • excellent service
  • best great steak
  • great succulent food
  • incredible superb porterhouse
  • friendly wait staff
  • favorite place
  • outstanding excellent meal
  • good raw ruberr seafood
  • friendly waiter
  • best nyc steakhouse
  • great quiet atmosphere
  • great steak experience
  • best drinks
  • good peter luger
  • great restaurant
  • excellent blue cheese salad
  • terrific meat
  • outstanding dessert
  • impersonal lugers
  • amazing grilled tuna
  • huge shrimp
  • not disappoint creamed spinach
  • pricey thiis place
  • really good markjoseph
  • romantic evening
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