There’s a place in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn called Peter Luger Steak House. If you don’t live in the New York City metropolitan area, you have no idea of what I write. But, if you live/have lived in NYC, you know exactly of what I write…

Legendary. Established in 1887. Yes, 130 years… Does not accept credit cards. Has its own credit card… like having a house account… Takes reservations, but you’re still gonna wait…

Atmosphere: Old School. So if the Italian mafia still exists, they own Peter Luger’s. Dining room looks like The Godfather. Servers are old Italian men who have clearly worked there for decades. Career servers…

White shirts, black pants, black bow ties. White aprons. Heavy New York accents… You know you’re in New York… Brooklyn to be more specific…

If there’s a private poker game going on in a back room, well…

Food: It’s a steak house. So we had steak. Steak for three. A lot of steak…

The menu is very simple: Steak for one, two, three, four. Then I think you’re at party stage and need to book a room. They do also offer lamb chops and grilled salmon for those who don’t eat steak.

But, the best part of the meal was the cheesecake. Contrary to the obvious suggestion that New York Style cheese cake is all good in New York, its not. But Peter Luger cheesecake is so good, my lunch mates – who only wanted a bite – ended up ordering a second one to split. That good…

Service: Fast, efficient, direct. No nonsense. Good and bad…

Many people like personable service when dining. Most servers make the personal touch their style. The servers at Peter Luger don’t do that.

They brief you on your limited choices and bring the meal. All men by the way. And they sing happy birthday… you don’t get free dessert so my recommendation is to skip this experience for the sake of your bleeding ears…

Rating: Peter Luger gets a B. It’s a bit pricey… A bit impersonal like a process instead of an enjoyable dining experience… and certainly out of the way. But the steak is good.

This is a once in a lifetime experience that need not be repeated unless you have friends from Chicago who won’t stop talking about getting a Peter Luger credit card just to say he has it and can pay for dinner at… PETER LUGER STEAK HOUSE!