I've eaten bad meals and poor meals. There was a Chinese restaurant on a West Indian island that has not see an east Asian for generations that was memorably bad, but Smith & Wollensky tops (or bottoms) them all.

June 7 was the date, memorable because it was our 20th aniversary. We felt like steak and, in one of the great meat packing centres of the continent, looked for somethine unforgettable. It was, but not in the way we had anticipated. We had seen S&W in your guide and run across it while scouting for jazz and blues venues (it is just steps from the House of Blues). We reserved and arrived at the appointed time hungry and ready for a great meal.

Were our expetations too high? No, What we received was just plain bad. The salad was limp and turning brown at the edges. The Steaks were immense but cold to the point of clamminess. When we pointed this out we were told that this is what we should expect if we order steak rare! Billed as creamed potatoes the accompanyment was a disaster. anyone who has beaten potatoes too long is familiar with the library paste result. Again the waiter claimed that this is just as they should be!

We had dropped a cool $200 for this insult to our taste buds (even the wine was poor value) and our very special day ruined.

Yours truly,

Brian (for Alison and Brian) Walton

Thank you for posting this. You may have saved me a lot of money and a disappointing meal. I was recently handed a coupon book at the airport and one of the coupons in it was for a discount at S&W in Chicago, and having heard the name and some decent reviews, I was considering making a reservation for a trip I'm planning later this summer. Chicago has far too many great restaurants to waste even a moment at one that is sub-par. I appreciate the warning!

I had an incredibly disappointing meal at the S&W in New Orleans. We felt it was WAY over priced (and we're used to expensive restaurants here) for what we got. I've never been back. My husband has gone back for business lunches with people who rave about it, but he still doesn't like it.

To the contrary: I work near S&W and have NEVER had a bad meal there. Seems unusual that you complained and still didn't get any kind of discount and/or free dessert and/or free bottle of wine. Doesn't sound like the S&W I know. I once had a horrible meal at Gibson's Steakhouse (another very popular Chgo. steakhouse). I complained calmly but adamantly but was fully prepared to pay the bill. The manager was so mortified by our experience that she not only comped the meal (easily more than $200) but gave us free dessert and coffee and asked us to come back as her guests. Trust me, the second meal was better (as were subsequent visits). That's how you do good business and keep customers happy. I guess the moral of the story is that sometimes a bad meal, even at a great restaurant, happens. Chalk it up as an isolated incident.

Better yet, next time try Eli's -- The Place for Steak.

Hello, I am surpised about S&W as I have been ref'd there by friends when in Chicago. Good thing I never went?

I just got back from Chicago last week and had an excellent experience at Sullivan's Steakhouse.

A great Porterhouse, nice wine list, even had 1/2 bottles as I was a single that night, great desert "Raspberry Martini", very good service,and an excellent Cigar Bar upstairs.
Mahalo,
Kal

Having been to the S&W you speak of, I, too, was disappointed with my steak. But I would suggest some other steakhouses in Chicago, specifically Gene & Georgetti's, Carmichael's and Millennium, 3 independent steak houses, the Erie Cafe, the Saloon & Chicago Chop House. I like independent steak houses, because they're not the cookie-cutter type (ala S&W and Ruth Chris' - which isn't bad). Hope this helps.

Gene and Georgetti's and Eli's are both old time Chicago steakhouses. Morton's began there but now is also located in other cities. Most of the others are mini chains and exist in various cities all over the country. Stick with the old time restaurants in Chicago, but I must say that when you order beef rare, you can expect to get it "on the hoof" in Chicago! They should have been nice enough to clarify if that was really the way you wanted it, though.

S&W is pretty bad overall. Business lunches have taken me to the New Orleans, Washington and Chicago steakhouses, and all were marginal at best. And very expensive, too! You know it's bad when you spend $100 on a meal which pales compared to a $15 steak at Outback. Avoid S&W...there are better places for sure.