Aberdeen Angus Steak Houses
 

There are many of these in central London and the restaurant group is in financial difficulty.

The group has many sites in some very expensive areas of London. However, the restaurants look like they come from the 1970s with their red decor, are normally empty and have many waiters who seem to do nothing. What's more, the food looks really bad...

Has anyone dined at one of these establishments. Please review it for me...

Many thanks.

Didn't you just review it for us?

No Ira

If you read my post you will see that I said British people tend to not eat in Aberdeen Angus Steak Houses.

This, I am guessing, is because the prices are neither cheap nor reassuringly expensive, the decor is dated and the restaurants look empty most of the time.

However, they have a reputation for providing steaks to homesick Americans. I have never eaten in an AASH but I am interested to hear experiences from those who have.

You never know, perhaps they do the best steak this side of the Atlantic and I have been wasting my money all these years going to Argentinian joints.

AAAAHHH.

Sorry, I misunderstood.

WB didn't review the chain.

He pointed out that, like most of us, he'd long been puzzled about how many, so empty, so unappetising-looking places could survive legitimately.

I must add that I, too, would welcome hearing from anyone who's ever actually ventured inside. Life is too short, and new interesting places spring up too often, to waste a mealtime on exploring something so apparently unrewarding.

But maybe we've all been missing something. If so, visitors would for once be doing the natives a service by telling us about it. Aren't there actually two, similarly-named but separate, distinct chains?

Surely someone's eaten there and lived to tell the tale?

Nope but I've also long wondered how they could have remained financially viable when so many branches are often so empty...

I have been going to London for so long, I've now forgotten where I got my initial information, but I've always spotted them and "remembered" that they were a place to be avoided at all costs -- sort of like the TGIFriday's in London.

I ate in one 30+ years ago as a kid ;;)
so the decor was modern.

My review: the food b-(

They are dreadful.

It is a regular newspaper feature to send their restaurant critic to these places to review them, as a light-hearted piece (like "reviewing" McDonalds etc).

In short they always say the same things:

You get seated in the window to make the place look busy.

The steaks are shockingly bad a nd poorly cooked.

The staff are all recent, possibly illegal, immigrants who are terribly exploited.

The deserts are all from packets or the deep freeze.

I have never known anyone who would eat in them, and even tourists won't eat in them twice.

They're going bust - no suprise really.

I ate at one of those 9 years ago, didn't like it, and won't be returning. Figured that it just had something to do with it being Angus beef and that the Brits just didn't know how to cook a good steak.

Here in the US, we would assume that they were a money laundering operation.

I doubt very much if these places serve Aberdeen Angus beef.

When I spotted the first one years ago, I cringed. I couldn't believe the concept, the decor and I can't imagine what the food must taste like. Also, as everybody else stated, I've never seen more than 2-4 people in these places at any one time. The same way I would never step inside a Sizzlers here in US, I would never think about walking into Aberdeen Angus Steak House.

London does have some good steakhouses. Here are some that I like:

Last year I discovered Sophie's Steakhouse in South Kensington area. Few hiccups, but overall a nice experience the 3 or 4 times I've been there. Chicago steakhouse experience with very good to excellent steaks. Not cheap.

I also like Smollenskys in Canary Wharf. Expensive, business restaurant/steakhouse. Very good.

On occasion Black & Blue (few locations) does a nice job.

I ate at a Aberdeen Angus Steak House last year - it was just down the street from Picadilly Circus. Silly me I thought it might compare to Black Angus/Stuart Anderson. Not! I found it to be overpriced - even for expensive London - with a limited menu and bland food. The service was OK but just OK. It was however almost full, not empty as others here have experienced, but I do agree the 70's red decorating was unappealing. I won't go there again - McDonalds would be preferable.

We have eaten at them several times over the past 10 years - but although they were nothing to get excited about - they were almost always full - and with queues. Certainly most of the other patrons were American as far as we (Aussies) could hear!

We ate at one of their branches over a decade ago-ick.

Mclaurie--I had to laugh. I ate at one over 30 years ago too when I was young and living there. I remember thinking it would satisfy my craving for a steak and a real American "cocktail." The food was awful and the cocktail (I think I ordered an Old Fashioned which I can now hardly believe!) came in a teeny little glass with a candied cherry. It was so hilarous that I remember it all these year later!

I rwmember being in London on my own a few years ago for the first time thinking they looked like some creepy places they used to have in NYC in the 70's. Ira I have to laugh we always jokingly called placed like that Mafia restaurants....how do they stay in business with no customers???....We have a place like that here in Dublin and I am still convinced its a mafia place! :-)

Pretty awful reviews here:

http://www.restaurantspy.com/rage/rageaberdeenangus.htm

http://chefmoz.org/United_Kingdom/En...947016654.html

I can't say I remember seeing these.

Brits do know how to cook a steak,its just that you don't find many Brits working in Restaurants in London,they all seem to be Russians,Latvians,Poles, Albanians etc.. and the steak house chains have the charm and decor of 70's cinemas.