Peter Luger Steak House, Brooklyn: An Honest Review of New York's Most Famous Steakhouse

Hi, I'm Ino.

Peter Luger Steak House has been on Broadway in Williamsburg, Brooklyn since 1887. It has held a Michelin star, lost it, been praised as the best steakhouse in America, and in 2019 received a zero-star review from the New York Times. People still line up to eat here. The reservation wait is weeks out. The menu hasn't changed in decades. No credit cards accepted.

I went for the porterhouse. Here's what I found.

The seared surface of Peter Luger's porterhouse — broiled at high heat and finished with butter, served on a hot plate that keeps the juices moving.

The History: How Peter Luger Became Peter Luger

The restaurant opened in 1887 as "Carl Luger's Café, Billiards and Bowling Alley," founded by Peter Luger in what was then a predominantly German neighborhood. When the Williamsburg Bridge opened in 1903, it brought a new wave of Manhattan businessmen across the East River, and the restaurant's reputation spread. After Peter Luger died, the place fell into decline. In 1950, Sol Forman — a regular customer and local metalware manufacturer — bought it at auction as the only bidder, essentially paying real estate price for one of New York's most storied restaurants.

The Forman family has run it ever since. Meat selection remains a family responsibility: Sol's wife Marsha spent two years learning to grade beef from a retired USDA inspector, and the practice of family members personally selecting each short loin at the wholesale market has continued to the present. The beef is dry-aged on site for approximately 28 days before service.

On the accolades side: Zagat named Peter Luger New York's top steakhouse for 27 consecutive years. The James Beard Foundation added it to its "America's Classics" list in 2002. Michelin awarded it one star starting in 2006, which it held until 2022. In 2019, New York Times critic Pete Wells gave it a scathing zero-star review — calling out inconsistent service and a menu that hadn't evolved. The restaurant's response was essentially silence. The reservations didn't slow down.

Whether the zero-star review was fair is a matter of opinion. What it does confirm is that Peter Luger operates entirely on its own terms, and has for over 130 years.

The exterior on Broadway — red brick, gold lettering, Est. 1887. It looks exactly like what it is: a place that hasn't needed to update its signage in a very long time.

Reservations: How to Actually Get a Table

Peter Luger takes reservations online through Resy, and also by phone. Walk-ins are theoretically possible but not realistic — the restaurant runs at capacity most nights, and popular time slots book weeks in advance, particularly on weekends. If you're planning to visit during a New York trip, make the reservation before you book your flights.

The online booking system on Resy is straightforward. Availability tends to open up more easily for early weeknight slots (before 6:30 p.m.) or later in the evening. Lunch reservations are generally easier to get than dinner.

Tip: Check Resy regularly — cancellations appear at all hours and are snapped up quickly. If you can't get a weekend dinner slot, a weekday lunch is a legitimate alternative. The full menu is available at lunch, and the burger (only served until 4 p.m.) is widely considered one of the better lunch options in New York.

The hallway wall — Zagat plaques going back decades, the older ones yellowed with age. 27 consecutive years as New York's top steakhouse according to Zagat.

The Interior

The dining room is wood-paneled with brass chandeliers and worn oak tables — what the Michelin Guide once described as a "Teutonic beer hall" atmosphere. It's not a quiet, intimate dinner setting. Tables are close together, the room is loud, and the energy is closer to a busy tavern than a fine dining room. If you're expecting white tablecloths and hushed tones, this is not that. If you don't mind noise and want to focus on the food, it works well.

The hallway on the way to the dining room is lined wall-to-wall with Zagat plaques going back decades, the earlier ones visibly yellowed. It's the most efficient possible summary of the restaurant's history: decades of recognition, displayed without comment.

The Menu

The menu is a single folded sheet of paper. The focal point is the porterhouse, available for two ($141.90), three ($212.85), or four ($283.80). There's also a single steak ($70.95) and a rib steak ($89.95). Beyond that, the menu includes lamb chops, salmon, sole, shrimp cocktail, and a small selection of sides. The Luger-Burger ($19.95) is available at lunch only, until 4 p.m.

The porterhouse is the reason people come. Everything else is supporting cast. That said, the creamed spinach and German fried potatoes are genuinely good sides, and the thick-cut bacon appetizer — served sizzling, almost like a small steak — is worth ordering if you haven't had it before.

The full menu — one folded sheet of paper. The steak section takes up the top right quarter. Everything else is secondary.

Before the Steak: Bread and Tomatoes

A bread basket arrives without being ordered — rolls and a rye stick, served warm. They're good, and the butter is cold, which means you have to work it onto the bread. This is not a complaint. The bread is here to keep you occupied while you wait, and it does that job.

We ordered the sliced tomato and onion with Luger's own sauce ($10.95 for one, $17.95 for two). It arrives as thick-cut rounds of raw tomato alternating with white onion on a plate. No heat, no dressing beyond the house sauce on the side. The tomatoes are large and ripe, though not exceptional. The real function of this dish becomes clearer once the steak arrives: the acidity of the raw tomato cuts through the fat of the butter-basted beef in a way that a cooked vegetable wouldn't. Order it for that reason, not as a standalone course.

The bread basket — rolls and a rye stick, served warm. Arrives automatically at every table.

Sliced Tomato and Onion

The tomato and onion appetizer is one of those dishes that seems too simple to justify ordering at a restaurant of this price point. It is raw vegetables on a plate. But at Peter Luger, it's a function — the acidity and crunch of the raw tomato and onion work as a palate reset between bites of heavily buttered, dry-aged beef. Alternating between the two throughout the meal makes the steak taste better and prevents the richness from becoming overwhelming. I'd recommend ordering it for every visit.

Sliced tomato and onion — thick-cut, raw, served with Luger's own sauce on the side. Simple, but it earns its place on the table once the steak arrives.

The Porterhouse: What You're Actually Eating

The porterhouse is a cut from the short loin that includes two distinct muscles separated by the T-shaped bone: the New York strip on one side, and the filet mignon on the other. Peter Luger serves only USDA Prime beef, family-selected from the wholesale market and dry-aged on site for approximately 28 days. The dry-aging process draws out moisture, concentrates flavor, and develops the characteristic crust when the beef hits the broiler.

The steak arrives pre-sliced by the kitchen, arranged on a hot metal plate swimming in butter and beef juices. A waiter will typically portion it onto individual plates at the table. The strip side — the larger half — has more fat and a more intense, beefy flavor. The filet side is leaner, more tender, and milder. If you have a preference, say so when it's being served.

The char on the exterior is aggressive — deep brown to nearly black in spots, with a defined crust that contrasts with the pink interior. The cooking is consistent with the dry-heat broiler method Peter Luger has used for decades. The default is medium-rare; if you prefer otherwise, specify when ordering.

My honest assessment: the steak is very good. Whether it justifies the price and the effort to get a reservation is a question only you can answer. The beef quality is genuinely high, and the combination of dry-aging, high-heat broiling, and the butter finish produces a flavor profile that's difficult to replicate at home. At the same time, the experience is straightforward — there's no elaborate preparation or presentation. You're paying for the beef and the method, not the atmosphere or the service.

The porterhouse for two, pre-sliced and served on a sizzling hot plate with butter and beef juices. The pink plastic cow indicates doneness — medium-rare in this case.

On the Plate: Steak and Creamed Spinach

We ordered creamed spinach as a side ($15.95 for two), and it paired well. The spinach is cooked down and fairly rich — not subtle, but it holds up against the beef. The German fried potatoes are the other side worth ordering; they arrive crispy and slightly caramelized in a way that the standard french fries don't match.

One practical note: eat the steak while the plate is still hot. The butter-and-juice pool on the hot metal plate keeps the temperature up for a while, but once it cools, the fat begins to congeal and the texture of the beef changes noticeably. If you're the type to linger over a meal, be aware that this particular dish rewards speed more than most. The difference between the first bite and a bite taken 20 minutes later is significant.

The individual plate — two slices of porterhouse with creamed spinach. The medium-rare interior is visible on the cut side. Eat while the plate is still hot.

Payment: Cash Only (Sort Of)

Peter Luger does not accept credit cards at the Brooklyn or Great Neck locations. Accepted forms of payment are cash, US debit cards, US checks with valid photo ID, and the Peter Luger house charge account. An ATM is available at the front of the restaurant, though the service fee is notable.

The practical implication: come prepared. A dinner for two including appetizers, the porterhouse for two, sides, and drinks will typically run $200–250 before tip. Tip in cash as well. If you're arriving by subway or don't routinely carry significant cash, withdraw before you arrive rather than relying on the ATM.

After payment, the server delivers a small pile of gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins embossed with the Peter Luger name and logo. They've been doing this for as long as anyone can remember. The chocolate is fine. It's the kind of detail that would seem unnecessary at most restaurants but fits perfectly here — a small, slightly old-fashioned gesture from a place that has been doing things the same way for decades.

Cash, receipt, and the gold foil chocolate coins that arrive after every meal — embossed with the Peter Luger name and Est. 1887.

Ino's Practical Tips for Peter Luger

Reservations: Book through Resy (online) or by phone. Weekend dinner slots go fast — check availability weeks in advance. Lunch is easier to book and includes the full dinner menu plus the burger. Monitor Resy for cancellations if your preferred time isn't available.

Cash policy: No credit cards. Bring cash or a US debit card. Budget approximately $100–130 per person for a full dinner with drinks and tip. The ATM on-site charges a fee — better to withdraw at a bank before arriving.

What to order: The porterhouse is the only real choice for the main. For two people, the Steak for Two ($141.90) is the right size. Add creamed spinach ($15.95) and the sliced tomato and onion ($10.95 for one person). If it's your first visit, the thick-cut bacon appetizer is worth trying. Skip the standard french fries in favor of the German fried potatoes if you're ordering sides.

Temperature: Eat the steak while the plate is hot. The butter and juices stay fluid on the sizzling metal plate for a while, but once things cool down, the texture changes. Don't let conversation delay the first several bites.

Getting there: The closest subway is the J, M, or Z train to Marcy Avenue — about a 5-minute walk to the restaurant on Broadway. From Manhattan, the J train from Chambers Street or Essex Street is the most direct route.

After dinner: Domino Park is a 15-minute walk from Peter Luger along the East River waterfront — a good way to close out the evening if the weather is decent. The park has a direct view of the Midtown Manhattan skyline, and the walk burns off some of the meal.

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For the Domino Park sunset and skyline views that we visited after dinner, see the Domino Park guide. For the full Brooklyn Bridge sunset walk starting in DUMBO, see the Brooklyn Bridge walking guide.