With so many famous steakhouses around, you may not have heard about the Peter Lugers Steakhouse. But it’s actually a favorite steakhouse among steak aficionados, especially if you’re in New York City. The whole vibe is certainly old-school, with the same feel as in a German beer hall. 

You didn’t know this? If you don’t know that, here’s the primer you need if you’re ever in the area: 

It’s Old

It was established way back in 1887. To put that in perspective, that was just 22 years after the US Civil War. Yes, it’s that old. 

It was originally called Carl Luger’s Café, Billiards and Bowling Alley, though Peter Luger was the actually owner. Carl Luger was his nephew, but it may be proper, after all that it was named after him. He did man the kitchen,

Then there was Sol Forman, whose family owned the manufacturing site right across the steakhouse. Sol found it convenient to just take their prospective clients across the street. Besides, Sol loved Steaks and ate it twice a day. 

When Peter Luger passed away, Sol Forman simply bought the restaurant. It was also convenient. It didn’t hurt that Sol was the only bidder at that auction, as the restaurant fell into disrepair. 

The Forma family sure did improve things, and the family still owns the restaurant to this day. 

Critical Acclaim

Every steakhouse has its own base of rabid fans, and the Peter Luger Steakhouse certainly has its own horde of loyal patrons. But the critics also love the place. 

It’s a Michelin-starred steakhouse, and there aren’t that many NYC steakhouses who can make the same claim. In addition, it has made the Zagat’s list of the best NYC restaurants (and also one of America’s Top Restaurants), for the last 30 years or so. It regular makes the list for “Most Popular” and “Top Food”. 

Obviously, the popularity of the place isn’t a flash in the pan. By now, you must have heard about too many restaurants that have become popular but then eventually closed down after only a few years. The enduring popularity of this Brooklyn landmark is certainly unusual, especially since the place has changed so much over time. 

Actually, most of the fans realize that the Peter Luger Steakhouse is a place they can rely on. Despite the many changes in the neighborhood (or even in the city), here you know you’ll always get fantastic steak. 

The Picky Meat Selection Process

As any steak fan knows, the quality of the steak starts way before it’s cooked. The meat has to be of high quality to begin with. With the Peter Luger Steakhouse, it starts with picking only among the USDA Prime beef. That means the meat is considered among the top 2% of all the graded beef cattle out there. 

According to the Forman family tradition, the crucial job of checking and buying the meat actually fell to Sol’s wife, Marsha Forman. She had to first spend 2 years under the tutelage of a retired USDA grader, and her training involved visiting many of the wholesale meat market houses in the city. 

To this day, members of the Forman family are personally part of the selection process, who continue to visit the wholesale markets themselves. They help pick the right beef for the steak using a rather stringent set of standards, factoring in the texture, marbling, age, color, and conformation of the beef. 

Once the meat has been selected, it’s brought to the on-site dry-aging facilities. The meat is then stored under strictly monitored conditions. Everything is carefully controlled, including the humidity levels, temperature, and even the amount of air circulation. After the aging, their experts butcher and trim the short loins for broiling in the kitchen. 

The Diner’s Perspective

Order the steak, and you’ll probably smell the yummy goodness well before they serve the steak to your table. That heavenly smell promises a dining experience you’ll certainly remember, and they deliver on that promise. Once you see it, it also looks amazing. 

But everything’s in the taste, and here you won’t be disappointed regardless of how high your expectations may have been set by the smell and sight. That first bite is just divine. You may just want to close your eyes to savor the moment. You may even try to describe it, but it’s not always easy to find the right words. Most people use the words amazing and incredible, and the old-timers never tire of seeing the reactions of the newbies when they get their first taste. 

Conclusion

Basically, it’s an old place where they sure know what they’re doing. If you’re a true steak fan and you’re ever in the Brooklyn area, you simply have to visit. It’s basically a crime not to!