OK New Yorkers.....Who serves the best steak in New York city? Although I'm from Wheatgrass drinking Los Angeles, I'm a certified carnivore. At only 5'2" and 100lbs, I can put away a 20 oz. porterhouse in no time flat. Here's your chance to speak up! Who serves THE best steak town?

Peter Luger's in Williamsburg (not Great Neck) If you don't want to go out to Brooklyn, you'll only get a second best steak in Manhattan.

That's easy. It's Peter Luger's Steak House in Brooklyn.

Since I'm not a steak eater, the following does not reflect personal experience, but conventional wisdom coupled with the opoinions od steak eaters I know:

The uncontested winner in this category is always Peter Luger in Brooklyn. The atmosphere iis scruffy, the waiters brusque, they don't take cash, and the location is inconvenient via public transit. But the porterhouse for two or more is considered the best in town.

A Manhattan alternative is MarcJoseph, near the South Street Seaport, which is run and staffed by Luger's vetrans and has a nearly identical menu and style of meat, but a much nicer atmosphere, friendlier staff, and takes credit cards. Not the pinnacle, but similar.

Other places I've heard particularly good things about lately re quality of steak are Michael Jordan's in Grand Central Terminal, Rothmann's, and Sparks, which is known for its great wine list.

Peter Luger's ONLY taakes cash (and their own credit card)

My husband is a die-hard Peter Luger fan. The only steak he has found in NYC that comes close is the one at Bobby Van's. 46th & Park across from Bear Sterns. Unbelievable crab cakes too.

Peter Luger is NOT that inconvenient to mass transit. You take the subway over the bridge and then it's ~10 minute walk. In case you didn't pick up the other posts.. THEY ONLY TAKE CASH! Make a reservation for your upcoming trip NOW.

My neighbor, who was a die-hard Peter Luger's lover, claims he discovered a better steak recently at The Strip House. I don't know exactly where it is. Has anyone else been there? How does it rate?

Don't waste your time trekking out to Brooklyn. Go to Sparks in the East 40's, best steak around! With lots of 1980's history.

If you can't make it to Peter Luger's, try Smith & Wollensky's on 3rd.

The following is an excerpt from the Mimi Sheraton article in the current issue of Food and Wine magazine regarding Zagat ratings.

"And at Peter Luger, I had very good lamb chops and steak, but also encountered unripe tomatoes, tasteless shrimp left too long on ice, burned German-fried potatoes, a brassy steak sauce, and creamed spinach that would make even Gerber wince."

Thought you would like to know.

We had great steaks at both Morton's Steakhouse and Ruth's Chris Steakouse in NYC.

Tuscan Steak, 622 Third Avenue

If you don't want to "schlep" into Brooklyn for Peter Luger's, Sparks (46th @2nd) does a nice job if you want a classier place. If you don't care about look, the Palm on Second & 44th is a place for guys who like steak and don't care about decor.

Smith & Wollensky is good, it used to be better.

Morton's & Ruths Chris are fine..but they are not NY born and bred. When you go to Orlando, they'll be nice choices.

Tracey,
My evening at Smith & Wollensky's was the noisiest, most unpleasant meal I've ever had the pleasure of paying $200 for! By the time you've sat through the obnoxious din and characterless decor waiting for your steak, it doesn't matter what it tastes like.

Just an added note from a steak fan. Luger's uses dry aging versus wet aging and serves only the porterhouse cut which includes the NY strip and a piece of the filet mignon. The traditional dry aging yields a tender piece of steak with a concentrated aged beef flavor that is not to everyone's liking; I happen to like it.

no question, peter luger's in brooklyn; the atmosphere is amazing too, very brooklyn. second choice, not far behind, sparks, on the east side

Wihtout question, Peter Luger's is the best. Call far in advance for a reservation!

My second choice would be the original Palm, on First Ave. (NOT the one on the West side and not the Palm Too).

Eileen: The Palm is on Second Avenue directly accross the street from Palm Too.

Here's another vote for The Palm or Palm too...same difference. I like Sparks also.