Old Homestead Steakhouse

(212) 242-9040

56 9th Ave
New York, NY 10011 40.7413 -74.00497

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Neighborhoods: Chelsea, Midtown

THEOLDHOMESTEADSTEAKHOUSE.COM

Years in business

Established in 1868

Price:

$$$$

Last updated 11.30.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Diners Club, Discover, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Private Rooms, Business Dining, Group Dining

Cuisine:

Hamburgers, Steakhouse, Traditional American

What People Are Saying About Old Homestead Steakhouse

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – This Meatpacking District icon, which opened in 1868, fits the caricatured ideal of a steakhouse to an almost laughable degree. Men exceed women by a 20-to-1 ratio, black-and-white photos of New York adorn the walls, and waiters consist of a gruff cast of apron-wearing, middle-aged men. It's not quite as big as it used to be, though, since losing the lease to the space adjacent to the dining room; but its existing space bigger, adding fireside tables, a steakhouse bar upstairs, and a private dining room, all in the same atavistic style. – – The Food – The…

Editor's Tips

The Extras:
It's a gimmick, but the $41 hefty burger made of Kobe-style beef is a delicious, ridiculous indulgence. It comes with decent shoestring fries, but don't bother: You'll need all the room you can muster to get your money's worth.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. The ambience was very romantic, Merlot Robert Sinskey 'Reserve' Napa 1997, outstanding and the Steaks magnifique!
  2. Lets hope it was just a bad night because the location is great the the place has been wonderfully transformed physically.
  3. The truth is, it was a pleasant enough evening with nothing going wrong, service is ok, ambiance was traditional steakhouse, but the actual flavor of the meat was nothing to write home about.
  4. Very friendly and warm atmosphere.
  5. Go here for the traditional atmosphere; don't go here for any outstanding steaks.
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. The garlic bread, fried calamari, chocolate cake and NY style cheesecake were all excellent.
  2. Dessert was also wonderful especially when paired with a wonderful desert wine that our waiter also helped select.
  3. The cheese cake was delicious as well.
  4. Oh and cant forget the ice cream and cheesecake to end off a great meal.
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. The service is always 5 star and the drinks are very good.
  2. Our raw bar selection was good and fresh and the potatoes, spinach and mushrooms were the perfect compliment for a faboulous dinner.
  3. took my boyfriend there for his birthday, he got the biggest single serve steak available, we each had an appetizer, i had a glass of wine and the meal cost about $110, which is good for a great NYC resturant.
  4. So a selection from the fairly limited wine list was the go, and it was not a bad drop all things considered.
  5. Friday night turned out to be perfect, starting with the greeting from the pretty hostesses and the bar maid who poured good cocktails.
  6. My waiter was friendly and helped us choose an excellent wine, and the steaks we ordered were perfect.
  7. Great food, great wine (DEFINITELY get the David Bruce Petite Syrah!)
  8. Dessert was also wonderful especially when paired with a wonderful desert wine that our waiter also helped select.
food quality
85.45000076293945% positive
  1. The steaks here are monstrous, but that isn't enough to substitute for the lack of flavor or the poor cuts.
  2. The Old Homestead is the best when it comes to steak.
  3. Our raw bar selection was good and fresh and the potatoes, spinach and mushrooms were the perfect compliment for a faboulous dinner.
  4. The outside was nicely charred and the quality of the meat was very good.
  5. Appetizers very good and good size portions, steaks were unreal!
  6. The service was top notch, the food was beyond my expectations and, the bill was reasonable considering all we ate and drank.
  7. But if you like steak, the Old Homestead is pretty darn good.
  8. The food here was fanstatic and the portions were big.
  9. The Beef Carpaccio (That's raw beef, thinly sliced for you tourists) is always an outstanding appetizer.
  10. The shrimp cocktail appetizer had HUGE shrimp,at 7 dollars a pop so keep that in mind when they ask you how many, if you decide to go there and order shrimp.
  11. The truth is, it was a pleasant enough evening with nothing going wrong, service is ok, ambiance was traditional steakhouse, but the actual flavor of the meat was nothing to write home about.
  12. took my boyfriend there for his birthday, he got the biggest single serve steak available, we each had an appetizer, i had a glass of wine and the meal cost about $110, which is good for a great NYC resturant.
  13. Lousy service, OK steaks
  14. My waiter was friendly and helped us choose an excellent wine, and the steaks we ordered were perfect.
  15. just had one of THE best sandwich I've ever had.
  16. Oh and cant forget the ice cream and cheesecake to end off a great meal.
  17. Both guests and waiters are not as 'elegant' as some of the other competitors but the food is.
  18. If you like huge portions of beef, this is your place.
  19. Table behind us got terrible service- they dropped a steak and it had already taken a long time coming out- ours was fine but service seems variable at best.
  20. No doubt the food is pricey but for that special occasion its a good place to celebrate.
  21. The cheese cake was delicious as well.
  22. but seriously, the place serves really good food.
  23. Yes there are other steakhouses in the city with a bigger name, but Homestead combines great service with good food and comes out a winner
  24. love the Old Homestead not just for their steaks but also for their Shrimp Cocktail.
  25. The Tuna was great, though more pepper seared than sashimi, and the steak was perfectly cooked, if lacking slightly in fat.
  26. have to say in all honesty the meal was good, the steak and prime ribs were made as ordered and the sides were tasty.
  27. The place looks great, the food was consistent but the service was awful.
  28. The food is expensive, but worth every cent!
  29. The service was slow but the amount of food you get, plan on taking your time and enjoying it.
  30. They do try to "con" you into buying their garlic bread without telling you that there is an additional charge, which definitely is annoying and a altogether silly thing to do in a place where everything is so expensive.
  31. Huge cut o' beef
  32. And the steaks in those places are huge anyway.
  33. The garlic bread, fried calamari, chocolate cake and NY style cheesecake were all excellent.
  34. Great food, good value
  35. We have always enjoyed the quality steaks served here, however the last two visits were greatly marred by indifferent and smug service.
  36. My parents love steak so on there 38th wedding anniversary my husband and I planned a night out, 2 1/2 hours later we all left there very dissapointed.
  37. Just order your meat one level more well done than you usually do, this way you will get it the way you like.
  38. Our steaks were delicious--The rib eye and steak au poivre were devine.
  39. The chopped salad is outstanding, and the lobsters rivalk what they serve up at S and W and the Palm.
  40. So as a youth I enjoyed many a meal at the homestead.
  41. The side dishes were tasty and the garlic bread we started off with was delicious.
  42. good place for a high quailiity meal.
  43. Go here for the traditional atmosphere; don't go here for any outstanding steaks.
  44. live in the neighborhood and have never had a bad meal or a bad cut of beef here.
  45. When you want to treat yourself to a "excellent steak dinner", Homestead is the only way to go.
  46. Average acceptable steak place for too much money
  47. Every steak house has its forte--and the featured cut here is the Prime Rib, which is cut into a slab thick enough to support an apartment building, and runs clear with delicious juices--the medium rare cut a slice of heaven.
  48. The food is fantastic, aps., sidedishes and steaks all great.
  49. If you want fab steaks, go to a butcher, get great quality meats, and cook it yourself.
  50. Great food, great wine (DEFINITELY get the David Bruce Petite Syrah!)
  51. Their steak is good, but it's not the best in NYC; it's of very good quality, but it didn't have US Prime properly dry-aged characteristics.
  52. The kobe beef carpaccio appetizer was excellent.
  53. I'm not really a big steak eater so the above title should be taken with a grain of salt from steak connoisseurs, but I was taken to this place by co-workers who wanted to indulge.
  54. The shrimp are truly HUGE!
  55. Their home fries are crispy and tasty.
menu variety
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. The menu is pricey but the atmospere is from busines to casual.
  2. So a selection from the fairly limited wine list was the go, and it was not a bad drop all things considered.
  3. Our raw bar selection was good and fresh and the potatoes, spinach and mushrooms were the perfect compliment for a faboulous dinner.
overall
87.5% positive
  1. No doubt the food is pricey but for that special occasion its a good place to celebrate.
  2. great place for huge appetizers and monster filet mignon!
  3. Lets hope it was just a bad night because the location is great the the place has been wonderfully transformed physically.
  4. good place for a high quailiity meal.
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. don't think I will be back, there are alot of other "Great Steakhouses" in better parts of Manhattan.
service
78.85000228881836% positive
  1. The waiters are very professional and attentive.
  2. On a recent visit with a large group during the holiday season I was very surprised to see that one of our favorite waiters was now employed at OH.
  3. Very friendly and warm atmosphere.
  4. We have always enjoyed the quality steaks served here, however the last two visits were greatly marred by indifferent and smug service.
  5. Dessert was also wonderful especially when paired with a wonderful desert wine that our waiter also helped select.
  6. The service was terrific--we were not rushed at all.
  7. This was my fourth time here but I had some doubt about booking a date after reading some of the other reviews especially the ones that mentioned the poor service.
  8. Yes there are other steakhouses in the city with a bigger name, but Homestead combines great service with good food and comes out a winner
  9. Both guests and waiters are not as 'elegant' as some of the other competitors but the food is.
  10. The truth is, it was a pleasant enough evening with nothing going wrong, service is ok, ambiance was traditional steakhouse, but the actual flavor of the meat was nothing to write home about.
  11. The place looks great, the food was consistent but the service was awful.
  12. Our waiter was very polite and attentive, appearing table side
  13. Between the attractive hostess who greeted us at the door and the extremely friendly waiter who served us, it made the high prices worth it.
  14. Lousy service, OK steaks
  15. My waiter was friendly and helped us choose an excellent wine, and the steaks we ordered were perfect.
  16. But who knows, maybe we had the best server in the house.
  17. The service was top notch, the food was beyond my expectations and, the bill was reasonable considering all we ate and drank.
  18. Seated right away, nice service.
  19. The service was acceptable, though it was strange that our waiter did not know the specials and had to ask another guy who happened to be the 'Specials' guy.
  20. Table behind us got terrible service- they dropped a steak and it had already taken a long time coming out- ours was fine but service seems variable at best.
  21. The service was slow but the amount of food you get, plan on taking your time and enjoying it.
  22. The service is always 5 star and the drinks are very good.
  23. We were seated promptly, and the waiters were pleasant and efficient.
  24. Man'O man, the waiters here weren't rude like some other reviewers have said, I found them more so to be inept at how to be an effective server -- to the point that I almost feel bad for them.
  25. It was only 11:10 p.m. at this time and the meatpacking district was obviously in full swing, and there were certainly plenty of people still eating inside the restaurant.
  26. Aside from that, the waiters were very professional and the service was priceless.
value
75.0% positive
  1. great place for huge appetizers and monster filet mignon!
  2. Average acceptable steak place for too much money
  3. The salads are terrible and overpriced, and are to be avoided at all costs.
  4. Appetizers are pricey, but good.
  5. No doubt the food is pricey but for that special occasion its a good place to celebrate.
  6. They do try to "con" you into buying their garlic bread without telling you that there is an additional charge, which definitely is annoying and a altogether silly thing to do in a place where everything is so expensive.
  7. Great food, good value
  8. This place is what you imagine a great steakhouse should be - excellent & huge amounts of cow delivered gruffly but with regard.
  9. If you like huge portions of beef, this is your place.
  10. Specials are great and worth taking advantage of on the right noghts.
  11. Between the attractive hostess who greeted us at the door and the extremely friendly waiter who served us, it made the high prices worth it.
  12. And the steaks in those places are huge anyway.
  13. Maybe we went on a off night, but for these prices eveything should be perfect.
  14. The food is expensive, but worth every cent!
  15. The food here was fanstatic and the portions were big.
  16. The menu is pricey but the atmospere is from busines to casual.
  17. Appetizers very good and good size portions, steaks were unreal!
  18. The shrimp cocktail appetizer had HUGE shrimp,at 7 dollars a pop so keep that in mind when they ask you how many, if you decide to go there and order shrimp.
wait time
0.0% positive
  1. The service was slow but the amount of food you get, plan on taking your time and enjoying it.
  2. Table behind us got terrible service- they dropped a steak and it had already taken a long time coming out- ours was fine but service seems variable at best.
1 Star Rating: Poor

07/05/11

Ignored

by pescober

Me and my boyfriend had dinner reservations at the Old homestead a couple of weeks ago. We had 9pm dinner reservations and got there at 9:15pm. The host asked us to sit at the bar while they get our table ready. At 9:45 and not yet seated, I finally convinced my boyfriend to say something to the host. She had said she had called our name out "3 times" and no one answered, meanwhile WE WERE THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE AT THE BAR! When we finally got seated, the host handed us the menu. 20 minutes later, no one bother to even give us water or check up on us. We ended up walking out and going to ABE AND ARTHURS ACROSS THE STREET. SEEING HOW BUSY ABE AND ARTHURS WAS......I GUESS WE BOTH SAW WHERE ALL THEIR BUSINESS WENT......

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/23/11

Best steaks in nyc

by mblaster

been to the Homestead once, and it was amazing. not cheap, but worth it

2 Star Rating: Below Average

01/18/11

Check the receipt

by ADalessio

Food is always great as I believe this is NYC's oldest steakhouse or thereabout. This was my 6th time and for the 3rd in a row we had extra drinks / bottles of wine added to the check as well as appetizers. Beware...

3 Star Rating: Average

10/23/10

Not as great as it once was

by Grandma zaza

But still very good.

With all the new steak houses in NY, I don't know if I'd put the Old Homestead on my "must go to list" but I wouldn't count it out either..

The Old Homestead' has the best Kobe beef burgers that I have ever tasted. The steak literally melts in your mouth. It is so flavorful, juicy and tender. It actually melts in your mouth. I love it.

Enjoy.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/10/10

Can't beat the awesome $19 Kobe burger lunch!

by Norreida

I saw at The Old Homestead Steakhouse's website that my favorite beef - Kobe (made with hand-massaged and gourmet-fed beef) is being offered in a new lunch special, and on my next trip to the City, I hopped right on over! Just as I remembered, the burger was bursting with flavor, the tator tots perfectly seasoned, the Caesar salad very fresh (I especially love the dressing! wish they would bottle it!), and the Cabernet exactly right. I can't believe it was all for only $19!

It's nice to know that I don't have to consider the Kobe burger just a treat anymore - I can definitely afford it much more often. I highly recommend it.

The Details on Old Homestead Steakhouse

Place Categories:

  • very professional waiters
  • great service
  • good quality steaks
  • great food
  • great steak place
  • pricey appetizers
  • favorite old homestead
  • never bad meal
  • very nice atmosphere
  • like huge portions
  • overcooked porterhouse
  • pricey food
  • great specials
  • overpriced salads
  • throughly enjoyed overall experience
  • truly huge shrimp
  • delicious cheese cake
  • very good quality
  • wonderful desert wine
  • crispy home fries
  • best juicest
  • just order level
  • love cow
  • favorite nyc steakhouse
  • bad cut
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