Life is too short to only eatsteak onspecial occasions, don't you think?
And this time of year, when it's too cold to grill, you'll need reservations at a local steakhouse– and there are plenty from which to choose:Danny's Steakhouse and Char Steakhouse inRed Bank, Neil Michael's Steakhouse in Hazlet, Berkeley Cut Steakhouse in Seaside Park, Prime 13 in Point Pleasant Beach, Colts Neck Inn Steak & Chop House, The Old Causeway Steak & Oyster House in Stafford,and the soon-to-reopen The Butcher's Block in Long Branch come to mind.
Then there are restaurants that happen to make a great steak, likeAnchor Inn inOcean Gate, where the Delmonico steak is popular, and Marlboro's Cuzin's Seafood Clam Bar, which has half a dozen steaks on the menu.
Here are a few more Shore steakhouses worth a visit.
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Salt Steakhouse, Long Branch
David Mizrahi's journey as a restaurateur began with Eat A Pita, a casual Middle Eastern grill in Lakewood. Then came Revolve, offering fine dining and catering in Lakewood, and LBK Grill in Long Branch, a quick-service sandwich and taco spot on the boardwalk beneath Wave Resort.
Then he was approached by Kushner Cos.(which owns the resort, the adjacent The Lofts at Pier Village, and the ground-floor retail space below the condos)about opening another restaurant there. The result was Salt Steakhouse, which opened last year as atrendy, upscale, kosher steakhouse with floor-to-ceiling windows that give diners a view of the boardwalk and ocean.
Diners also can't miss the dry-aging room, where giant cuts of beef – including tomahawk cuts and ribeyes– age for months. What they won't see is that the meat is broken down by an in-house butcher, and that Salt's chefs grind their own beef.
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"Our signature is that everything is scratch made," Mizrahi said, from co*cktail syrups to bread to pastries.
The steaks– ribeye, filet, cowboy steak and tomahawk from American-raised cattle – are served with braised onions and red wine shallot sauce ($68 to $275). For even more umami, add roasted marrow bone or shaved black truffles.
Go: Currently serving dinner only.15 Morris Ave.;732-813-7258, saltlb.com
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Rare, Bradley Beach
While Rare in Bradley Beach is not considered a true steakhouse, its fresh cuts of prime beef – carefully seasoned,grilled and served with special toppings and side sauces – helped the restaurant make our list.
Owner and chef Neil West sources from various distributors, but his main supplier is Edison-based Buckhead Meat Northeast. He offers several cuts of fresh meat, including 16-ounceprime ribeyes andprime New York strips, as well as 6-ounce and 10-ounce filet mignons($34 to $59).
West said he selects his cuts from the top 2% of beef in the country.
“We try to buy the best beef available and take care of it as best we can,” West said. “We butcher it ourselves, and we make sure it’s cooked properly.”
After purchasing, the meat is wet-aged for 40 to 45 days in-house, which West said breaks down sinew and fibers in the steak, so it’s more tender. Thenhe adds plenty of salt and pepper, and grills the meat on a high-temperature charbroiler, whichWest said adds caramelization to the meat.
He cooks steak to just under the temperature the customer ordered, and lets it rest.
“It has to rest at least 10 minutes so the juices can calm down,” West said. “It relaxes and becomes as tender as it can be for that cut.”
Something that makes Rare stand out among other fine-dining establishmentsis that it isBYOB.
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“I always joke that we have the best four letter words in dining, R.A.R.E. and B.Y.O.B.,” West said. “It’s attractive for the customer who wants to bring their own wine, and it really cuts down half the bill.”
Diners can add a sauce –brandy Dijon cream, red wine demi glace, chimichurri, bourbon barbecuesauce or bleu cheese fondue ($2) – or top their cut with four jumbo shrimp scampi ($18).
He used to offer a butter-poached Colossal crab meat topperbut had to remove it from the menu when crab meat peaked at $70 per pound during the pandemic. West hopes to bring it back in the future.
Skyrocketing prices are not the only struggle restaurantsare facing, he said.
"I hope we can all get past this and people can feel 100% comfortable going back out again,” West said. “The pandemic is definitely doing a number on restaurants, so when we can get back to normal, it’ll be great.”
Go: Dinner only.401 Main St.; 732-775-7465,rarebradleybeach.com
Lamppost BistroBar & Lounge, Pine Beach
Joel Ehrenreich never owned a restaurant, but when he moved to Toms River from Brooklyn three years ago, he knew right away what his new town was missing: upscale dining. Specifically, kosher upscale dining.
There was some in the area, he said, but nothing compared to the restaurants he knew in New York. Ehrenreich, who previously worked in e-commerce,knew peoplemoving to the area from Brooklyn would be looking for the same experience.
"The main reason was to fill a need," he saidof his decision to go into the business.
A family member and local restaurant owner introduced Ehrenreich to Michele and Brian Geoghegan, the longtime owners of Lamp Post Inn, abar and restaurant on Route 9 in Pine Beach. After more than a decade, they were looking to sell. Ehrenreich purchased the restaurant,began renovating in summer 2020, and Lamppost Bistro, Bar & Lounge opened in fall 2021.
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Diners will note the restaurant's dry-aging room, where its signature cowboy steak ($165) rests for 30 days surrounded by blocks of pink sea salt. Another popular choice is the surprise steak, cut from the top of the ribeye ($78).On the side, try Chefs Favi Goldberger andYoeli Tessler's black truffle potato wedges, mushroom risotto, and veal marrow mushroom soup ($18 to $21).
Go:Currently open for dinner only. Dining at the bar, which has its own menu, is available. 276 Atlantic City Blvd.;732-733-4199, lamppostbistro.com
