Old Homestead Steakhouse (Atlantic City, NJ)
Slots, Steaks, and a Celebration
I hopped on the AC Expressway and made my way towards the Borgata, where I was going to meet Aunt Janice and Uncle Bob. It was Aunt Janice’s birthday so we were celebrating at the Old Homestead Steakhouse, our favorite restaurant at the Borgata. Our reservation was for 5:30 PM and I arrived fifteen minutes early. I met Uncle Bob and we headed over to the slot machine that Aunt Janice was seated at. No sooner had I arrived than did she hit the machine for $50. She cashed out and we headed over the restaurant, smiling all the way.
Each time that I walk through the immense doorways that run from the floor to the double height ceiling, I am impressed; the large multiyear collection of Macallan scotch that is on display behind glass as you pass the bar on your way to the host stand also always grabs my attention (and whets my palate). We were seated in a small, empty room immediately to the right of the host stand that none of us had previously eaten in. The friendly staff, whose service is always outstanding, greeted us as we took our seats. Having already enjoyed two outstanding meals here earlier this year, I was very much looking forward to tonight’s meal.
Since I had not previously reviewed the Old Homestead Steakhouse, I decided to only order dishes that I had already tried so that I would better be able to comment on the consistency of the kitchen. Having chosen different dishes during my previous visits, I had a fairly broad list of choices available. We placed our orders and waited for our beverages to arrive. Aunt Janice ordered her usual decaffeinated tea, Uncle Bob his usual pint of Guiness, and I chose a Bacchus Cabernet Sauvignon. The cabernet was fairly standard with neither a memorable aroma nor a memorable taste. However, its mellow flavor worked fine with most of my dishes.
As our meal progressed, our previously empty dining room quickly filled up with several large parties. Our appetizers arrived quickly – two jumbo lump crab cakes and a calamari salad. Aunt Janice and Uncle Bob split one crab cake and I had the other one. I must confess that I simply adore their crab cakes. Each crab cake is huge, very lightly fried, packed with fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, and completely devoid of filler. One can easily make a meal by simply ordering two of them, which is what my Dad chose to do during his last visit with me.
My fried calamari salad with field greens, hearts of palm, wontons, mango, and a spicy miso vinaigrette was also excellent as always. The portion is very generous and the salad can be shared by two people if desired. The calamari was fresh and nicely fried. Despite the description on the menu, I have never felt that the miso vinaigrette is spicy by any means but it is flavorful and compliments the rest of the ingredients in the salad. My only complaint is that they are fairly stingy with the sliced mango but the few slices they provided were excellent. I recommend a generous helping of freshly ground pepper with this salad.
Due to my ordering of two appetizers and a speedy turnaround by the kitchen, our entrees arrived before I finished my salad. However, our waiter handled the situation well by sending them back to the kitchen after asking me how I would like him to handle the situation. Once I finished my salad, our entrees and side order of sweet potato fries returned in short order. As with our appetizers, our entrée portions were extremely large. Aunt Janice thoroughly enjoyed her lobster tail (one of her staple dishes at the restaurant). Uncle Bob’s empire cut of prime rib on the bone weighed in at 32 ounces. Although I did not sample it, I can confirm that Uncle Bob loved it as it disappeared from his plate in record time. My New Zealand baby rack of lamb that arrived looked identical to the serving that I had during my last visit. The portion was enormous and it was perfectly cooked medium rare as I had requested (I always order my meats cooked medium rare unless the chef strongly recommends otherwise). The sweet potato fries were crispy on the outside yet extremely tender on the inside. It must be noted that the consistency of the kitchen is superior. All of my dishes were equally as good this time as the last time that I had them.
After we finished our entrees, we ordered our usual coffees (regular for Uncle Bob and I, decaffeinated for Aunt Janice). During my previous visits, the dessert course was the only course that I was not extremely impressed with. Its not that the desserts are bad, it is just that are not notable as is the rest of the menu. Last time, Uncle Bob and I both had the drunken bananas which suffered from too much sauce and not enough bananas nor ice cream. This time, we each ordered the sugar free gelato. I must compliment the restaurant for offering a sugar free alternative but was disappointed with the overly icy texture of the gelato. The vanilla and chocolate flavors were good and it made for a nice finish to my wonderful meal. Aunt Janice had the crème brulee, which arrived with a candle and a singing of Happy Birthday from some of our waiters. She enjoyed the crème brulee as always. We headed back out into the casino after settling the bill. My luck was non existent but Aunt Janice took another $50 out of a slot machine – Happy Birthday!
Overall, I highly recommend the Old Homestead Steakhouse at the Borgata. The outstanding service, quality meats and appetizers, and mammoth portions never disappoint. If you steer clear of the dessert course (or recognize that it will be ordinary but satisfying) you are guaranteed to have a thoroughly fantastic meal.
The Facts:
Name: Old Homestead Steakhouse
Address:
Borgata Hotel
Casino & Spa
One Borgata Way
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Phone: (609) 317-1000
Website: Old Homestead Steakhouse
Cuisine: Steaks
Cost: Appetizers $8-$18, Raw Bar $2-$125, Entrees, $27-$95
I hopped on the AC Expressway and made my way towards the Borgata, where I was going to meet Aunt Janice and Uncle Bob. It was Aunt Janice’s birthday so we were celebrating at the Old Homestead Steakhouse, our favorite restaurant at the Borgata. Our reservation was for 5:30 PM and I arrived fifteen minutes early. I met Uncle Bob and we headed over to the slot machine that Aunt Janice was seated at. No sooner had I arrived than did she hit the machine for $50. She cashed out and we headed over the restaurant, smiling all the way.
Each time that I walk through the immense doorways that run from the floor to the double height ceiling, I am impressed; the large multiyear collection of Macallan scotch that is on display behind glass as you pass the bar on your way to the host stand also always grabs my attention (and whets my palate). We were seated in a small, empty room immediately to the right of the host stand that none of us had previously eaten in. The friendly staff, whose service is always outstanding, greeted us as we took our seats. Having already enjoyed two outstanding meals here earlier this year, I was very much looking forward to tonight’s meal.
Since I had not previously reviewed the Old Homestead Steakhouse, I decided to only order dishes that I had already tried so that I would better be able to comment on the consistency of the kitchen. Having chosen different dishes during my previous visits, I had a fairly broad list of choices available. We placed our orders and waited for our beverages to arrive. Aunt Janice ordered her usual decaffeinated tea, Uncle Bob his usual pint of Guiness, and I chose a Bacchus Cabernet Sauvignon. The cabernet was fairly standard with neither a memorable aroma nor a memorable taste. However, its mellow flavor worked fine with most of my dishes.
As our meal progressed, our previously empty dining room quickly filled up with several large parties. Our appetizers arrived quickly – two jumbo lump crab cakes and a calamari salad. Aunt Janice and Uncle Bob split one crab cake and I had the other one. I must confess that I simply adore their crab cakes. Each crab cake is huge, very lightly fried, packed with fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, and completely devoid of filler. One can easily make a meal by simply ordering two of them, which is what my Dad chose to do during his last visit with me.
My fried calamari salad with field greens, hearts of palm, wontons, mango, and a spicy miso vinaigrette was also excellent as always. The portion is very generous and the salad can be shared by two people if desired. The calamari was fresh and nicely fried. Despite the description on the menu, I have never felt that the miso vinaigrette is spicy by any means but it is flavorful and compliments the rest of the ingredients in the salad. My only complaint is that they are fairly stingy with the sliced mango but the few slices they provided were excellent. I recommend a generous helping of freshly ground pepper with this salad.
Due to my ordering of two appetizers and a speedy turnaround by the kitchen, our entrees arrived before I finished my salad. However, our waiter handled the situation well by sending them back to the kitchen after asking me how I would like him to handle the situation. Once I finished my salad, our entrees and side order of sweet potato fries returned in short order. As with our appetizers, our entrée portions were extremely large. Aunt Janice thoroughly enjoyed her lobster tail (one of her staple dishes at the restaurant). Uncle Bob’s empire cut of prime rib on the bone weighed in at 32 ounces. Although I did not sample it, I can confirm that Uncle Bob loved it as it disappeared from his plate in record time. My New Zealand baby rack of lamb that arrived looked identical to the serving that I had during my last visit. The portion was enormous and it was perfectly cooked medium rare as I had requested (I always order my meats cooked medium rare unless the chef strongly recommends otherwise). The sweet potato fries were crispy on the outside yet extremely tender on the inside. It must be noted that the consistency of the kitchen is superior. All of my dishes were equally as good this time as the last time that I had them.
After we finished our entrees, we ordered our usual coffees (regular for Uncle Bob and I, decaffeinated for Aunt Janice). During my previous visits, the dessert course was the only course that I was not extremely impressed with. Its not that the desserts are bad, it is just that are not notable as is the rest of the menu. Last time, Uncle Bob and I both had the drunken bananas which suffered from too much sauce and not enough bananas nor ice cream. This time, we each ordered the sugar free gelato. I must compliment the restaurant for offering a sugar free alternative but was disappointed with the overly icy texture of the gelato. The vanilla and chocolate flavors were good and it made for a nice finish to my wonderful meal. Aunt Janice had the crème brulee, which arrived with a candle and a singing of Happy Birthday from some of our waiters. She enjoyed the crème brulee as always. We headed back out into the casino after settling the bill. My luck was non existent but Aunt Janice took another $50 out of a slot machine – Happy Birthday!
Overall, I highly recommend the Old Homestead Steakhouse at the Borgata. The outstanding service, quality meats and appetizers, and mammoth portions never disappoint. If you steer clear of the dessert course (or recognize that it will be ordinary but satisfying) you are guaranteed to have a thoroughly fantastic meal.
The Facts:
Name: Old Homestead Steakhouse
Address:
Borgata Hotel
Casino & Spa
One Borgata Way
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Phone: (609) 317-1000
Website: Old Homestead Steakhouse
Cuisine: Steaks
Cost: Appetizers $8-$18, Raw Bar $2-$125, Entrees, $27-$95
posted by Mike at
5:30 PM
