Broadway Joe is located at 315 W. 46th Street in the Theatre District of New York City. It wasn’t difficult to find at all– There was a big sign shouting BROADWAY JOE.
When you get to the restaurant, you have to walk down a couple of steps to get into the restaurant. I noticed that there wasn’t a ramp, so this place isn’t wheelchair accessible. (I’d give them a call just to make sure first.) It’s neat because you’re out of the way. I imagine that smokers head to the little patio area in front of the restaurant to smoke after their wonderful meal.
The hostess stand and coat check is right in front of you as you walk in. Your first impression of the restaurant will probably be something to the effect of, “Wow. What a hole-in-the-wall.” Believe me, looks are deceiving in this case. The tables, although covered in white tablecloths, are very close to each other. The glorious smell of food cooking envelopes you as you walk through the restaurant. You just have to be careful that you don’t knock into anyone.
The bar is located in the first dining room, in between the entrance and the bathrooms. My date and I had a small table for two near the bar. Even though the place was small, it wasn’t noisy. And it was neat to look at the mural of many old Broadway actors as we waited.
David, our server, was awesome. He was friendly, and told us all about the different types of steak Broadway Joe offered. When my date ordered a grilled filet mignon cooked medium-well, David didn’t hesitate to recommend that he have the sirloin instead. My date took his advice and was thrilled– but we’ll get to the food in a minute. After dinner and dessert, David told us all about the different shows that were playing. We had a wonderful conversation, and he recommended that we go see Chicago. (I have a feeling that is next on the list…)
The menu was short and David pointed out the specialties to us (Filet Mignon for tenderness, Sirloin for flavor). We didn’t go for any appetizers as we had seen the desserts when we walked into the restaurant and wanted to make sure we had room for them. Instead, we ordered a salad with the house dressing. David recommended that we just order one salad and share it, which is exactly what we did. (The salad was split into two separate dishes at no extra cost.) It was very fresh and the salad dressing was awesome. I’m going to see if they sell the salad dressing so I can order a bottle for my date!
For the entree, my date ordered the Grilled Sirloin cooked medium-well and I ordered the Sliced Filet Mignon cooked medium. The sirloin was just a grilled steak. It looked, smelled and tasted delicious. Now, I expected my steak to be sliced like a London Broil and covered with Bordelaise Sauce with mushrooms. Um, no. That wasn’t it at all. The steak was cut down the center and opened. The Bordelaise sauce was drizzled on top so it dripped down the center of the steak. Mushrooms surrounded the steak, and a couple were placed on top. Both entrees were served with steamed veggies (carrots, broccoli and cauliflower). We also ordered a side of onion rings.
My steak was amazing. So amazing, in fact, that it deserves its very own paragraph in this review. I never understood when someone would describe a steak as “melt in your mouth.” Oh my God, I do now. It was love at first bite. The sauce was so flavorful and the steak was the most tender, tasty steak I’ve ever had. I insisted that my date try it. He liked it so much that he asked for seconds!! It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. never again will I be able to eat steak without comparing it to the filet mignon I had at Broadway Joe.
My date’s steak was excellent, too. I only had a taste, so I can’t really write all that much about his. The steamed veggies were hot and crisp, just the way I like them. The onion rings, however, could have been a little better. They were awesome dipped in the Bordelaise Sauce though! We were also served fresh bread and butter.
Now onto dessert.
Yes. After all that food, we had dessert. We couldn’t help it.
I read the dessert menu and wanted absolutely everything except the apple pie. (Hey– I’m just not a big apple pie fan.) There was cheesecake, chocolate truffle, apple pie, ice cream, and a couple of other items. My date, ever the purist, went with some Sedutto cookies & cream ice cream while I, ever the hog, ordered a wonderfully sinful-sounding dessert called Vesuvius. (Yes, Like Mt. Vesuvius. Oink oink.) Get this: A layer of brownie, a layer of caramel, a layer of cheesecake, a layer of chocolate ganache, chocolate truffle and chocolate mousse sprinkled with white, milk and dark chocolate chips. I am salivating just thinking about this dessert. PLUS I had PMS at the time… Talk about perfect. Give me a pretzel on the side, and I would have been in ecstasy. (For the salt– get it? Ah, I digress…)
Vesuvius, much like the Sliced Filet Mignon I’d just scarfed down, was heavenly. I had to eat it slowly to savor every bit of the multi-layered cake. Of course, I shared with my date. The chocolate truffle and chocolate mousse were too rich for my taste, so I scooped out those sections and gave them to my date. Oh, I also had some decaf– made to perfection, in my humble opinion.
Yes, it’s pricey. The entire meal, including tip, ran about $100 for two people. We had the salad as our appetizer, a beer, two sodas, a decaf coffee, two desserts, and, of course, the steaks. Plus, he left a good tip because our server was so awesome.
Broadway Joe Steakhouse is not owned nor affiliated with Joe Namath. Sorry to disappoint you. Broadway Joe Steakhouse has actually been around since the Damon Runyon Era (the guy that wrote Guys & Dolls). It is frequented by all sorts of actors and sports celebrities. Frankly, I don’t blame them. If I had the money (because it is a little pricey– but definitely worth it), I would eat there ALL the time. At least every weekend. Really. I can’t wait to go back.
To sum up this review, let it be known that I recommend… no, COMMAND… that you go to Broadway Joe Steakhouse for dinner. The food is the best food you will ever eat. You will be treated like royalty. And, hey, aren’t you worth that for at least one night??
