Bobby Flay's Steak House

Hey everybody, so it's been awhile. I thought I'd give you a restaurant review from my trip down to Atlantic City which I went on for New Years Eve. I went to Bobby Flay's Steak house on the night of the 2nd. The restaurant in located in the Borgatta casino, which is one of the "newer" casinos in Atlantic City.

Bobby Flay's Steak House is one of a number of Chef Flay's restaurants, this one being the second steakhouse for him, the first being in Las Vegas. This got me thinking about the "third restaurant removed" from the original location. Many goto NYC to goto Mesa Grill, Flay's original restaurant, others vacation in Vegas and try out his west side dessert interpretation, so what happens when you goto the third city, Atlantic City, to try a chef's wares?

I'll tell you what happens, you get a show case dining room selling a chef's name under glass. I would've loved to talk positive about this restaurant, but it was missing everything I have had at Flay's restaurant in NYC as-well-as in Las Vegas. I won't say everything was "bad", but everything was not great.

The "joke" about the "chef's name under glass" wasn't so much a joke as it was a comment about the entire restaurant being encased in glass on one side, visible to a portion of the gambling crowd. The dining room itself though is worth looking at from the gambling room. A large high ceilinged room with a grand seating room to the left when you first walk in, then the main dining room to the left. The kitchen is to the back of the room when you first walk in, with some open air areas that are probably used in busy times, but being after New Years Eve, the room was slow. I can't tell you I was accepting of this though as even if you are slow, there should still be some "business" to attract more customers in, or entertain your guests there. "off season" should never be an excuse, take it from a person who is from a tourist town (Saratoga Springs, NY).

Earlier in the night I met a person who told me I just had to try to tuna tartare. As this is one of my favorite dishes I went for it. The dish was well prepared, a bit spicy, but the spice added to the flavor. For this version I would've liked a different "cracker" rather than olive oil toasted bread slices, but they weren't detracting., they just weren't southwestern.

As for entree, well we were in a steakhouse, and that was what we came for. We were told each steak is dredged in Flay's southwestern seasoning and seared on a grill to our desired doneness. I went with a rib-eye, my favorite steak, while accompanying guests had the strip steak and the mixed grill which had a fillet and lobster tail on it.

The steaks were all cooked perfectly, the seasoning was tasty, but I can't tell you it was all that different from any cajun blackening seasoning I have ever had. I would love to tell you the seasoning brought out something magical in the steak, but it really did the same as any other good blackening seasoning does, flavored the steak well and gave a good crust. Our sides were roasted asparagus (tasty), cauliflower and goat cheese gratin (sooo good) and truffled mushroom potatoes (anything with truffle oil is good).

For dessert my guests went for a creme brulee cheese cake, which didn't excite me. I went for a glass of Inninskillin ice wine and a double espresso, booze and caffeine, ahhh the way to a chef's heart. They just so happened to have my favorite ice wine as well, so I lucked out there.

So this was a good over all experience. I certainly would not deter people from going to the restaurant. I would however deter the person looking for a Bobby Flay experince. This is a "different" steakhouse experience. If you want to get away from Morton's, Gallaghar's, Grill 21, and the like, this is the place to go. Not to mention the smoking section for the casino is not to far away for you fellow cigar smokers (you can only smoke in a 25% by area location in casinos in Atlantic city now).


Bobby Flay Steak
Borgata Hotel and Casino
Atlanitc City, NJ 08401

Phone: 866-692-6742

Hours: vary by season, check website, http://www.theborgata.com