We had an enjoyable meal here recently. Â They start you off with a popover instead of the traditional bread basket. Â I have had popovers many times before, and also make very good ones at home. Â These were good but not great (but I did appreciate the creativity). Â My husband was very pleased with his 8 oz filet, fries, and potato croquettes ($30). Â I had the loch duart salmon ($24.50). Â It was seasoned wonderfully and very crispy on the outside, so I really enjoyed the first few bites. Â I quickly realized, however, that it was extremely undercooked. Â I don't just mean it was rare (although I do prefer my salmon cooked through), this was absolutely raw in the center and very rare on the sides. Â I almost never send food back in restaurants but I can't eat raw fish for health reasons so I had to. Â The waiter took one look at it and said "Wow, that is way too undercooked." Â When it came back it was wonderful (although still on the rarer side of what I like). Â I thought the additional cooking might dry out the fish, but to my delight it was still juicy and had the same wonderful flavor. Â The only downside is that it took quite awhile to get our waiter's attention to let him know it was undercooked and then it took awhile for them to cook it further, so my husband was basically done with his meal by the time I got my dish back. Â I have to say I was a little surprised that they didn't send out a free appetizer or something for me to nosh on while my dish was being remade, especially since they seemed to acknowledge it was their mistake. Â We will come back here but I will make sure to ask for my fish to be thoroughly cooked.
Review Source:My wife and I had an awesome dinner!! We went all out and got the Tomahawk Chop, which was excellent, perfectly cooked with some very tasty side dips. Â As if that wasn't going to be enough, we ordered the oysters and pork belly. The oysters were so fresh and delicious, buttery, tender, and smooth. The pork belly was oozing with flavor with a perfect balance of the brioche pudding and fried egg. Â The Chef Brendy came out to the table to ask how everything was going, which was a nice touch on a delicious dinner. The GM Chris was very professional and friendly also, and our server Max was attentive and helpful. We will go back again on another special occasion for sure!!
Review Source:Had a great dinner! Saw the check in offer for a free appetizer and received the pork belly. It was delicious.
Service was great because my boyfriend and I wanted to enjoy our meal. Slow down from life and experience our food. Our waitress Becky was great when I informed her it was our first time there. She took her time and answered our questions.
I dined at LB Steak about a month ago and I am compelled to write. I take no joy in this review ...
My colleague being very wealthy insisted on taking me out to dinner at any restaurant of my choosing and we decided to try LB Steak. After seeing the wide variety of reviews over the past 9 months (with many of the glowing ones being quite suspicious, most of the Hayward and Newark CA reviews were all too positive, what a long way to drive for dinner ..). I thought it was worth a try. Being a global traveler in my profession I have been fortunate to have dined at some of the best restaurants on the planet and I was sincerely hoping LB would be a solid steakhouse to join the Mid-Peninsula society. Alas my friends, it does not. This is a weak attempt to compete with the premier restaurants of the area.
So onto the experience.
We arrived at 8.30 pm, mid-week evening, restaurant was approx.  1/2 full (or empty if you're a pessimist). Considering the lateness of the hour we ordered our entrees right way.  Being hungry guys we both ordered the Prime Dry Aged New York  12 oz. for $52.00 each ! (Our server did a fine job in explaining how unusual this beef actually was). Each dish comes with 2 sides and 1 sauce.  I ordered the Potato Croquettes and Creamed Spinach and my colleague ordered the Mushrooms and Onion Rings. Each of us added a couple of Day Boat Scallops (whatever happened to the Night Boat ?) for $16.00 a pair (or $32.00 for 4 Scallops, yikes)
Being sensible drivers we went easy on the drinks (1 large bottle of sparkling water and 1 Pils beer , I added a glass of house Cabernet Sauvignon to go with my beef).
Drinks were served fairly promptly (I did find it interesting that the Maître D had to present the bottle of sparking water to the table, displaying the label to make sure it was the correct vintage.. first time for that. The water was very nice as was the beer, wine was OK.)
We were presented with a choice of excellent Sourdough bread and Focaccia with a nice creamy (and very salty butter..) . We were also served a very unusual little silver-dollar sized pancake that was hard and somewhat tasteless even when dipped in the consommé dipping sauce..
Forty five minutes later our entrées arrived.
My medium well steak was cooked well done and was a little cool to be honest. It was on a very hot platter (like the kind you get at Mexican restaurants) however the steak for the money was really disappointing. More like what you would get at Sizzler (do we still have these ?).  My creamed spinach had no cream (was a sautéed spinach, good however and my single potato croquette (menu says plural) was hot and tasty and arguably the best item I ate that night ! The sliced mushrooms looked like they had been cooked, cooled, reheated .. you get the picture and the Onion Rings were straight out of Denny's. My dining companion ordered his steak rare and it was indeed mooing still. Sauces were fine.
The Scallops were OK.. (but for about half the rate charged)..
We ate our dinner, got the check (with tax, gratuity this was close to $210, remember 2 alcoholic drinks and a bottle of water).
Service overall was good. No complaints there. Â The Chef needs to stop by a real steak house to see what USDA Prime really tastes like. (If this was grass fed beef it was underwhelming).
Overall I felt we had a Sizzler grade meal for Ruth's Chris + Pricing..
Ambiance of the restaurant is fine (some errors on the website re parking, most of downtown is not metered).
Will I come back.. maybe, but only if I am not paying myself. There are too many other good steakhouses around to try this one anytime soon. Â
The Hamburger looks like a good deal, maybe I'll try that next time ..
So in summary, eat here if you don't mind the risk of a bad meal for $100 + per head (no drinks).
I am definitely a fan. Â My sister made a reservation and I really had no idea what to expect. Â It looked promising with the massive cuts of beef proudly on display in the entryway. Â
I ordered the beet appetizer and would pass that one up and not recommend (one-dimensional, could have been roasted to give more flavor to the beets). Â With that start, I was skeptical but then, out came the beef! Â Absolutely, positively delicious ribeye cooked to perfection and you can just slather me in the black truffle butter, ok?! Â
The highlight of this spot? Â The service. Â From Andrea at the front who actually walked to show me where the restroom was located to Chris B. the manager who really engaged with us to ensure we were happy with not only our food but where we were seated to our amazingly attentive server, Beki, the service was top notch. Â
Definitely going back. Â Definitely recommending.
Every experience I have had dining here has been amazing. The food is great as well as the service. What I especially love about LB Steak is the chef's willingness to accommodate for the guests in the restaurant. While most of my family are meat eaters, my sister is a vegan. The chef is very willing to compromise with a guest who may have special dietary needs. A great place to eat! Highly recommend it.
Review Source:LB one of the best steak restaurant hands down! Even though they provide a variety of sauces for the steak, you don't need it because it tasted great on its own. I had the Prime dry aged ribeye and it left me wanting for more. They have other interesting cuts too and I'll be back to try the others. If you like wine then you can ask them to do a pairing with your meal.
Let me rewind back to the appetizer,
we had the Smoked Salmon Pizzette
and it was smoking good!
For the finale, I had the Pistachio creme brûlée and it is to die for. Simple but yet so good.
Wife and I went there for valentines day and was looking forward to it! The aged rib eye I ordered was great and my wife enjoyed her food also. My issue was te lack of service. This geek boy who was out server really didn't pay much attention to us and even forgot to give us more croutons for the spinach we ordered. There were only about 3 employees who were hustling. The suave types after guy, the extremely beautiful hostess and the bartender. I wouldn't go back to that particular location..
Review Source:On Tuesday, 03/12/2013, I had dinner at the Menlo Park JB Steakhouse. Â I arrived at 5:30 PM, and was seated right away. Â I brought a Raymond 2005 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Â This was a $90 bottle. Â The waiter who appeared to be seasoned (not new), poured the wine into Chardonnay glasses. Â I asked the waiter why was he pouring the wine into Chardonnay glasses instead of the typical red wine glass. Â The waiter stated he did not know I wanted red wine glasses, and poured the wine into the correct glass. Â The waiter should have known better for this type of restaurant.
The waiter recommended their signature steak, which was the Ribeye steak. Â I went with his recommendation. Â The steak had some taste to it, but it was greasy, and I actually woke up with a minor upset stomach the next morning.
When the waiter presented me the check, I asked him why was I not offered a dessert menu. Â The waiter stated that he thought I did not want any dessert. Â This subject was never discussed. Â
As I was having my dessert, two gentlemen dressed in suits, and a lady wearing a nice dress, showed up and sat next to our table. Â One of the gentlemen brought a Pinot Noir bottle. Â This same waiter approached them and immediately suggested, without being asked, if he could bring out the proper Pinot Noir glass. Â I was not dressed in a suit, but I did have a nice pair of jeans and dress shirt. Â The afternoon was warm. Â I felt I was "socially discriminated". Â
I spoke with the general manager, Christopher Moore, and shared my displeasure. Â Although Mr. Moore agreed that the waiter should have done a better job, I also felt he was giving me a political speech.
Bottom line, I was not pleased with the service or the food. Â I will not return to this restaurant again.
Ed E.
Newark, California
We dined at LB steak for the second time since it opened. Â There were some serious glitches the first time we dined there (last summer) and we were hoping the restuarant had worked them out. Â Apparently not.
The service was poor. Â Several menu items and specials were sold out (even the porterhouse steak). Â The timing of the delivery of the food was off, the bill was incorrect, the waiter was not familiar with items on the menu and could not discuss them at all, and orders were not correct. Â
That being said, the chef is very good. Â The food we ate was tasty and prepared well. Â
I would love to be able to give it a better rating, but when one dines at a restaurant of that price, one would expect not to have such poor service and management.
Met a couple of my girlfriends here to celebrate a birthday on a Saturday evening and had the most enjoyable time!
All of the staff were very friendly and attentive from the hostess, to our server Drew, to the manager and food runners. The restaurant has a nice ambiance as many others have noted and although it was quite busy (7pm on a Saturday), we didn't notice it being overly noisy or at least not in the booth we were seated in. And we truly enjoyed every dish we had ordered.
The smoked salmon pizzette had the perfect balance of capers, fresh dill, shaved red onion, and lemony sour cream to tie it together. The fried oysters appetizer which was a special that evening was to die for! The batter was lightly seasoned and crispy and the oysters were deliciously fresh tasting. I'm generally not the biggest oyster fan but I could have eaten the entire order myself. The three of us all shared the lamb shank, duck duet, and a macadamia crusted halibut (also a special that evening). Each was tasty, enjoyable and well prepared but the halibut was the highlight! Its Asian Pacific flavors just set it apart (in a good way) from most other halibut dishes I've tried.
We were pleasantly surprised to end our evening with a chocolate lava cake the chef had prepared since upon making our reservation we mentioned there was a birthday being celebrated. I think it took us more time to take a picture of it than it did for us to practically lick the plate clean it was so good.
Thank you LB Steak! We will be back for sure!
My wife and I had reservations on a Saturday evening. Â We arrived at the restaurant and were seated without any issues. Â The ambiance of the restaurant was good and was not crowded the night we went.
The waiter was friendly and took our order without any unusual delays. Â He returned a few minutes later and told me they were out of the cut of beef I had ordered. Â He continued to tell me that the restaurant only had three in stock at the beginning of the night. Â I ended up ordering a different cut, and settled on the NY which was described as a Prime Dry-Aged selection.
Our orders came to the table in a timely fashion. Â My wife had ordered the fillet, and her's came with a baked potato as did mine. Â The first thing that caught my attention was that my baked potato was small and appeared to have been reheated a few times because it was all shriveled up. Â I looked at my steak and noticed that it was chard on one side and had no grill marks on the other.
I prepared my potato and found that it was not cooked all the way through. Â I took two bites of my NY and found that it was over seasoned along with being chard on the top portion. Â This meal was not a $49 entree and I felt that I could get a better steak and potato at Sizzler. Â It was a waste of a great cut of beef.
I sent my meal back with the waiter. Â There was no attempt to make another steak for me. Â
The check came to the table when my wife finished her meal. Â I noticed that we had been charged for drinks that we did not order. Â After the waiter brought back our check again, I noticed that despite my NY having been taken off the check, the baked potato side was still on there. Â I had to send the check back again.
I spoke with the manager who seemed more concerned about two drinks having been accidentally put on my bill, rather then the quality control of food that is leaving the kitchen. Â I will not go to this restaurant again. Â There seems to be a lack of quality put into the food and is not worth the cost of dining here.
Was there last night with three others and after a wonderful dinner, had a problem getting our leftovers.
One box of leftovers was brought to the table and we were given a number which was associated with our other three boxes of leftovers to be picked up on the way out. When we got home, only one out of three boxes were in the huge bag. We are wondering if the incident was tied into the tipping mishap. Â We tipped too lightly on the credit card but after realizing it ten minutes later, gave the waiter a healthy cash tip.
Anyway, it was disappointing not to have received our leftovers after the price we paid for the dinner. Â Check your 'doggy bag'' before departing.
We live close and walked for a B-Day dinner. Â We took friends here in Aug 2012 and rated it 3 stars. Â It is better now, mostly because they have added many non-steak dishes at more moderate prices and have potato options (no mashed). Â The lighting is a little better but I still had to move around the table to read the menu. Â The (expensive) steaks are now even more,$38 for NY strip, or add $10 for dry aged. Â I tried to order the dry aged at $48 but the bill showed $38. Â I would have trouble rating it above $25. Â Last time we brought a bottle and we should have done that again. Â They have limited selection by the glass, and the bottles are expensive. Â I didn't ask and their menu doesn't show if they have lowered the $25 corkage fee we paid last time. Â
 It's my guess that LB would like to offer steaks at a price for folks who have a lot of money --  there are many of those in or near Menlo who want to spend money and to take people out to show they have it..  But this is not a 5 star steakhouse.  Either get better steaks, or maybe call it LB's, expand the menu even more, cut all steak prices and the corkage fee.  Maybe even feature good wines at decent prices.  We have at least a dozen restaurants within walking distance.  I would be happy to see LB compete with Carpaccios offering good California (we don't need more Italian).  They could fill the house.
***This review is for the bar only.***
Stopped in for drinks during the week, and really enjoyed them.
I like that they make their own ginger beer, and that they have some seasonal drinks that seem well thought out. Â I loved my cocktail, and was surprised it wasn't more expensive, given the price of the food here.
Menlo Park doesn't have a lot going on, for food or drink. Finding a spot for delicious, well made cocktails is fantastic. We will definitely be back.
I ate here for my birthday several weeks ago and I can't remember all of what I ordered. It just was not memorable whatsoever except for the overpriced steaks. I thought it was impressive that it said on the menu something like "Only 2% of steaks in the U.S. are graded Prime". Â The ambiance reminded me of Chili's in Menlo Park before it closed with it's rowdy sports fans at the bar. Perhaps I should mention I was there during a big game. Not what a gal like myself expects when paying $40+ for a steak. The pancake size stain of white on the wood table was a distraction with the sad coffee beans in a jar. Step up your table decor people. Way too casual for the price tag on the meals.
Their website is extremely slow at loading and I lost my patience trying to view it beforehand when trying to see the menu. If the owner read this I suggest you tell your webmaster to loose some of the bells and whistles. It's cute and well put together, but lags.
Had a hankering for a good steak for lunch to fortify me for some serious holiday shopping. Dealing w/crowds requires protein enriched energy so I decided to check out LB, Menlo Park. I noticed the Yelp check-in deal where you get the chef's pick appetizer. I was, at 11:30am, the 1st to be seated at a nice table by the window.
I really want to like this place & this is why: my waiter: very nice & attentive w/out being overly so. Nice. Then there are the other folks that assisted w/my meal from start to finish. Very nice. The Yelp deal: the salad & 1 crab cake which I completely enjoyed (over my main dish). I thought the dressing was slightly heavy handed but I'm the person that always requests my dressing on the side for that reason. That said, it was delicious.
I like the way they serve bread: there are 3 choices. They come back to see if you'd like more. No leaving bread on my table & folks, I don't need to go into why this isn't a good idea. So, in my book, very nice again. They serve you these 3 condiment sides for your bread: butter w/various salts, olive oil, & olive tapenade of sorts. The latter I really liked.
And now, to my main course: the steak. Hmmm...8oz "bavette" I chose medium rare & it came medium rare, was not as tender as I would've liked. I suppose that because it's sort of like a flank steak would clue me in, but I guess I thought they'd do something more to tenderize it. It had good taste but I won't order it again. It came w/pearl onions & cloves of garlic; I'd prefer something more definitive. I'm going shopping or back to the office & I want to munch on garlic & pearl onions? I had just grilled myself a bison New York the night before that was incredible. Guess LB had a lot to live up to in my case. :-)
So, I think next time, I should just go for their lunch special. As far as the more expensive cuts, there's another place in the south bay that I'd prefer to spend my $$$ on + I know that I'll love it; but in this case, I was shopping in this vicinity, so here I am. I thought if they could impress me on an inexpensive cut ($19.), then I'd go for broke the next time around. I also ordered mushrooms. They were "meh". Which was disappointing for me since I so love mushrooms. Overall, my 1st experience was a-ok because the plus to the meal was the service. I had really good service from the time I walked in the door to when I left. I think that after the meal was said & done a total of 3-4 folks assisted me w/meal. Just when I thought my glass of ($7.75 sparkling water) was dry, it was refilled. ;-)
If you're in the area & want a steak house, then LB should fit the bill$.
Personally, I recommend they come up w/a signature LB complimentary note like a certain south bay establishment does w/their cotton candy, And, I don't like cotton candy, but it's the thought that counted. Well, there's other complimentary gestures like the hamachi shot I received, since it was my 1st visit; just saying....
It's a steakhouse - if that is your thing then this is fine but not going to blow you away. Â We live in the neighborhood and have been twice and had a good meal, they have Trumer Pils on tap (favorite beer) and seem to have a decent wine selection.
I rarely feel like the prices are justified at any steak house - I tend to come away thinking it was good but not THAT good. Â That said, this is one of the few place in Menlo Park that you may consider fine dining for a business dinner or special occasion so if you like steak and do not mind the prices it is a safe bet.
Had a wonderful meal here - enhanced by it being their special Dungeness Crab week, with a variety of excellent crab options. The whole meal was delicious. I am a big fan of Baked Alaska but don't see it on the menu often - it was fabulous.
A glass of Delamotte champagne turned out to be really impressive.
And great service, which can make all the difference.
So, a very good dining room, excellent food, great service - 5 Stars!
Business dinner for 10 at 6:00 on Thursday nite. Â Found a parking space close by (unlike Palo Alto dinner where there is no parking anywhere..)
I happened to visit both the Santa Row and Menlo Park LB places within 1 week. Â This place wins hands down.
Nice ambiance, quiet for business conversation. Â Black tablecloths, great wait staff (we had two attendants for our dinner). Â Ordered a sampling of appetizers - lobster bisque, crab cakes and beets - all quite tasty. Â I was surprised that the Mac-n-cheese as an appetizer was only about 1/2 eaten (it must need work..)
Everyone ordered all things protein - one tomahawk chop, rib-eyes, filet, salmon and ny strip.  I had the Whole Sizzling Spiced Crab Ginataaang Alimasag  (Coconut milk, ginger, garlic, chili pepper, Savoy spinach).  It was incredible - the best crab I ever had.  The only disappointment was that I asked if it was cut apart when I ordered it, they brought it sizzling to the table (nice touch), and I asked again for them to cut it apart, but it didn't come out with legs cracked, or meat exposed.  It was broken apart a bit, but tough to navigate in low-light.  But still tasty - hats off to the chef.
This rating is a 3.5.
I am a vegetarian, mostly vegan, but I accepted an invitation to a party before being informed of the venue. A steak house? I figured I'd be choking on fumes all evening, but I couldn't miss the celebration.
So even though I was predisposed not to like the place, I was impressed as soon as I walked in. The decor is understated Menlo Park chic, and the main dining area has a cozy feel. Because we were attending a party, I can't comment on the regular menu or regular service, but back in the banquet area, the servers handled our large group with efficiency and grace.
When I told our server that I was a vegetarian, she did not say "well, why did you come to a steak house, moron?" or "what kind of person doesn't eat steak?" Instead, she made it clear that my eccentric preferences would not present a problem. I had pasta, but my tablemates seemed to enjoy their salmon and steak, and we all happily dug into the desserts.
Let's be candid. I' m not going to go back to LB Steak of my own volition. But if someone asks me where to go for steak, I would not hesitate to suggest the latest gem on Menlo Park's restaurant row.
We came for the Silicon Valley Restaurant Week menu, and unlike many SVRW selections, it is definitely a great deal. Â We also came late, around 9pm, just after the Giants had won the pennant, and just as the next-to-last table of the night was receiving their check. Â We were seated quickly and cheerfully, receiving attentive service. Â More about that later.
The food was up to the usual standard for a Roland Passot property. Â The Beet Salad included a generous portion of sweet and flavorful beets, and the Lobster Bisque was well-balanced in flavor and included a delicate Sea Scallop Flan.
The New York Steak arrived properly cooked ( we ordered rare ) and again full of flavor, with another light flan ( bone marrow this time ) sitting on top. Â Truffle flavor was evident in the potato puree, as advertised. Â The King Salmon was overcooked for our tastes, but other than the dry center, it reminded us fondly of the fare at Marche, which had previously occupied the space.
The desserts of Apple Strudel ( basically a few apples in a large amount of puff pastry under and even larger scoop of ice cream ) and Chocolate Bread Pudding ( a very homogenous bread pudding, with decent chocolate flavor ) were adequate, though not quite as complex and exciting as the other courses.
They have an interesting cocktail program here, and the bar has been greatly expanded from the Marche days, now covering the wall against the kitchen. Â The bar was fairly loud that night, and also fairly full throughout the night. Â We had a very nice and well-balanced fig sidecar. Â They also have a reasonably-priced list of wines by the glass that is fairly wide-ranging, but skewing a little light for a steakhouse.
Service was very odd. Â Not, generally, bad - pacing was good, and we got a lot of attention despite being the only table in the place for pretty much the entire meal. ( a lot of times, you'll get ignored as the servers go into clean-up mode )
When we were seated, we asked the hostess a question about the menu she handed us ( did the whole table have to go for the SVRW menu? ) which she was not able to answer.
We were quickly watered and drinks orders taken, and we asked about the Yelp! check-in offer ( free appetizer ). Â We had a concern because a lot of places tend to suddenly make up rules about how you can't combine such a thing with any other offer, and how any prix fixe menu is a special offer. Â And so on.
We got a very strange story from our server suggesting that the way this worked was we were supposed to write a yelp review, print it out, bring it in next time, have the Chef look at it, and be awarded an appetizer. Â I kid you not. Â That's what the guy said.
We smiled and nodded and said something like "Oh? I see." and attempted to order our drinks without getting sent to "swim with the fishes".
And once the server was gone, proceeded to have a not-so-quiet conversation about how a) we'd heard that Yelp was cracking down on this sort of shenanigans ( not the word we used ) and b) if they wanted a review, they'd definitely get a review mentioning this little incident.
The appetizer appeared, after some delay, with very little explanation or apology, and no examination of our smartphones which we were waving about, or the wondrous Yelp! app containing the offer therein. Â It was the fried wontons, with mushrooms and spinach inside. Â Very nicely plated and all with some tomatoes and a little salad, but frankly mostly crispy fried shell.
They also comped two glasses of wine for us that night. Â "Because the Giants Won". Â One of the oddest reasons for being comped an entire set of drinks I've ever heard. Â But okay, then.
The point of this little tale, I think, is that they are definitely trying hard over there. Â And that they are capable of producing good food, and good drinks and decent service, at least when there's only one table to serve.
But ... the way to success is to do that for ever customer, every time. Â If you do that, the ratings will certainly come, as will success beyond your wildest dreams. Â To try to game the system is at best a misguided effort.
There seems to be a perception among restauranteurs that Yelpers somehow want special treatment, or that we are holding some sort of threat over their heads. Â The vast majority of us just want a pleasant night out, with good food and friendly, competent service. Â If you provide those things to everyone who walks in the door ... even those who somehow have greater expectations ... you won't go wrong.
I went here last friday with my Grandmother and we both had the pre-fix meal, an excellent deal. Drinks from the bar came fast and were good, plenty of booze. The food was amazing, the lobster bisque was delicious. Loved the 3 selections of bread, all great! The NY Steak was great and made excellent leftovers the next day. The dessert was good, I had the apple strudel, just prefer a more traditional strudel but it was still very tasty. The only negative things: I wasn't a huge fan of the bone marrow flan on my steak, It didn't add much flavor. And the wait time for the dessert took forever. My Grandmothers only complaint, it was a little loud for her liking, it didn't bother me. There also was a miscommunication on the reservation, but there was plenty of space for us.
Review Source:I'm a bit surprised at the ratings distribution for LB. Â Our experience here was pleasant, and well within expectations for a venue like this. Â The service was excellent, as was the quality of the beef.
My only disappointment this particular evening related to the wine portion of the experience. Â Reviewing the list, I asked about the 07 Ojai Vineyards Syrah. Â My server said he'd check, but the information he came back with was generic. Â It would have been better (for me) if they had said, we haven't tried this yet, or don't have specifics on it. Â I would have offered the sommelier a glass and shared discussion about it...but they blew smoke instead. Â My recommendation: if you haven't tasted it, and it's on your list, at least have the winemaker's notes accessible.
Still. Â The food was prepared wonderfully. Â FYI, if you order the tomahawk, it will look fatty on the platter, but there is plenty of meat there for two, and the flavor is wonderful. Â Loved the bisque.
We were looking forward to trying this restaurant as we've tried everything else in town. I also love a good steak. The steak was about the only good thing about the meal. The steaks come with no sides. For the prices they charge you'd think they would. So I ordered a baked potato and sautéed mushrooms. The potato was cold and the mushrooms were waaaaaay over salted as was my steak. I like my food well seasoned including salt but this was far beyond acceptable. The creamed spinach we ordered was also Luke warm. The meat itself was good and properly cooked but it was ruined by too much salt. A very disappointing experience. We won't be back.
Review Source:I only hop onto Yelp to write a review when I have either an exceptional experience or an appalling one. Â Either way, I think people should know about it. Â Unfortunately, in this case, it was the latter. Â
We visited LB Steak for the first time this past Tuesday at 8pm. Â Upon placing our order, our server notified us that they were out of the following: ALL 4 oz petite fillets, ALL 8oz petite fillets, ALL bone in fillet mignon, and ALL of one of the two aged cuts of beef (can't recall which). Â This is a STEAK HOUSE on a week day at 8pm and they are entirely out of 4 of the main menu items! Â Ridiculous! Â
If that weren't disappointing enough, the manager on duty then came to our table to apologize profusely and assure us he would be sure to "take care of us". Â We assumed that to mean that he would probably comp a portion of our bill. Â Please bear in mind that my husband and I are not the type of people who seek out compensation. Â We love good food, wine and dining and are not frugal when it comes to our dining experiences (as evidenced by the $600.00 bill for a party of 3), but I would have thought it more than reasonable that some sort of compensation would occur, especially considering this interaction with the manager. Â Nada. Â
On a final note, if none of this had occurred, I would have rated both the food and service as average at best. Â Give this one a pass people!
Went to LB Steak last night with my husband. We had been looking for something new in Menlo Park, and we were happy to try a steakhouse.
Place was FREEZING cold at 8 p.m. Were they expecting a huge, hot crowd later, and cranked up the A/C in preparation? Crazy.
Our server, Don, liked to talk. A lot. I did take the time to read the menu; if you're going to ask me a question, assume that I can answer you, and give me a chance to answer you, before you keep talking...and talking...and talking.
I ordered the dry-aged ribeye (I asked for medium-rare, and had to discuss it with Don, to my irritation); my husband got the bone-in filet mignon (ordered medium). Sides were spinach, onion rings, and fries. My husband is lactose intolerant, and since the menu didn't mention that the spinach was "creamed," we ordered it (we should've asked, but I really didn't want to give our waiter an opportunity to talk more).
The olive bread was slow in arriving, but the three bread spreads were creative (olive oil, butter with salty sprinkles, and some kind of tomatillo thing).
Maybe I'm not as familiar with dry-aged steaks, but mine was SALTY to a fault. I didn't enjoy it. It was also overcooked, to just barely pink in the middle (definitely not medium-rare). It had streaks of gristle and several full mouthfuls of fat on the edges. I spat out a lot of the fat. Â I ended up leaving quite a bit on the plate. My husband's filet was blue-rare all around the bone; he left that on the plate as well. The "steak knives" are non-serrated and dull, and it was a battle every time I wanted to cut off a bite.
Some manager-type person delivered the spinach side and instructed us on how to eat it: Â cut open the poached egg and let the liquid yolk ooze into the creamed (!) spinach. Unfortunately, it was impossible to follow his instructions as the yolk was cooked HARD. And since the spinach was creamed, my husband couldn't eat any.
The onion rings, although tasty, were very skimpy on the onion and had no character. The fries were skinny, but my husband liked them. He did say that he'd rather have had steak-cut fries, though.
A manager woman did stop by the table, asking if things were OK; to her credit, she offered to replace my steak. I declined, as I didn't want to wait for a re-do.
Prices were steep: Â $120 for the two of us, with no wine and no dessert. We won't be back.
I love that they opened up this new location. The decor is sophisticated yet comfortable; dark furniture with chrome accents. We were sat right away and had excellent service. We must have had 4 different people aside from our server come talk to us to make sure we were enjoying ourselves.
The food was fantastic! Perfectly timed and well-executed. It had a hint of asian flavors but srill a classic, steakhouse. For the appetizer, definitely try the pork belly...it's like breakfast! You can't go wrong with any of the steaks but the dry-aged ribeye is special. As a side, the potato au gratin is awesome.
Enjoy!
I have never complained about a restaurant, and this is only my second Yelp post but my dining experience compelled me to write a review...
LB Steak was hands down the worst dining experience I have ever had. I will not return and would caution those looking for a dining experience on par with their prices.
I will let my experiences speak for themselves:
This was to be the final dinner before going back to college. The 'rentals' were generous enough to suggest we try LB steak. I was pretty excited as going out for steaks is a rare treat in college.
Our server, Robert (I believe), went into his well rehearsed spiel about which steaks he preferred and for what reasons. After some urging on the part of the rentals I ordered an 8 oz filete mignon with a 5 oz lobster tail. As a table we decided to order a few salads, the maple glazed pork belly appetizer, and one of almost every side they had ( two parents and 4 college-aged, hungry gentlemen).
The salads were decent but the pork belly was WONDERFUL! Sweet and savory. (THE ONE THING I RECOMMEND...besides the desserts)
Then the steaks came out. This is when everything went drastically down hill.
First, they forgot my lobster tail. The waiter, Robert, caught this immediately and assured me he was on it and it would only be a few minutes. Fine, no biggy, it happens. So I dig into the steak.
When asked how I liked my steak I said, "Medium, please." This steak was well done. I have never returned food in my entire life (I work in kitchen at school), but I asked Robert and he had me cut the steak in half to inspect. I did so and he agreed there was absolutely no pink. For $45 for 8oz I wanted the right steak so Robert took it back.
Meanwhile the plethora of sides that we ordered still had not come out. I had no lobster, no steak, no sides. Everyone else was eating steak. Finally, the 5 oz lobster came out. It was pretty delicious.
After sitting there for 10 minutes my new steak came out. I cut into it and it looked rare, like "Bloody, we only seared this for 2 minutes" rare. I began to get a little inpatient at this point and asked for the waiter. Robert again asked me to cut into the middle of the steak, which I did and again he agreed it was FAR to rare so it was sent back to the kitchen a SECOND time.
At this point I couldn't help but apologize to them as I had never returned food in my entire life, let alone twice!
Still no sides. Everyone is finishing up and my steak comes back. I cut into it again and it was STILL bloody rare. I decided not to eat it and didn't bother sending it back. At this point I busted out my camera and took a picture which I will post.
Still no sides. The manager came over and apologized. He gave us free dessert which was delicious.
In the end we never got our sides. Eventually they boxed up two that we had ordered and sent them home with us. They didn't charge me for my meal.
I went to In-N- Out burger afterwards. They never let me down.
For the shear price of things, $45+ for the steak, $20 for the lobster, each side roughly $8 (everything is a la carte) I expected MUCH MUCH more. One star.
My husband and I made a spur of the moment decision to check out LB Steak this past Friday evening (7/20). Â It was early (5 p.m.) so we made the trek without a reservation. Â If we were high maintenance and wanted a regular table, this would not have been a wise decision (they were totally booked for the evening), but since they serve a full menu at the bar, we hopped onto the comfy high backed barstools and settled in.
The magnificent Dustin (our bartender and waiter for the evening), got us started with a couple of Lavender Collins drinks (I am not a Gin person, but quickly became a convert with this refreshing beverage!).  We both ordered the bleu cheese wedge salad (mine sans bacon), the four ounce filet, the sautéed mushrooms and scalloped potatoes.  Everything was cooked to perfection and the service between the salad and entree was spaced appropriately.
We also splurged on dessert - the chocolate lava cake with butter pecan ice cream (it's a 20 minute wait, so if you know that's what you want, DO order it close to finishing dinner). Â A nice latte to cap things off AND a win for Giants (which we were watching at the bar), so life doesn't get much better!
Yes, it's pricey, but when the food and service are this great, you simply don't mind!
I love steak; it is my favorite food. I have been to many of the great steakhouses and steakhouse chains. Peter Luger's, Sparks, Manny's, Del Frisco's, and The Strip House are among the standouts. Anyway, I say this because I believe it makes my comments more valid as those establishments usually deliver an exceptional steak and show us the true art of the steakhouse.
I was pretty disappointed with my experience at LB Steak. This was driven primarily by two things.
1. My steak was undercooked and had to be sent back. For me, this always ruins the steak and therefore the experience. It is pretty much the worst thing a steakhouse can do. I asked for medium, and it came out purple and cold in the inside, and it was clear to me that  one side had been cooked much longer than the other. This indicates to me that either the chefs are inexperienced, not caring about their work, or just not paying attention. Quality control at a steak house is extremely important.
2. The prices are on the high side. For three people including tip, our bill was ~$550. We each had a salad, a steak, and a few sides. We also had 2 bottles of $50 wine. Â Basically, LB Steak is now the most expensive restaurant in the Menlo Park area at roughly $180 per head. Peter Luger's, probably the world's greatest steak house, would be roughly 25-30% cheaper per head. Anyway, to me, LB Steak's prices are outrageous, especially considering the performance.
So those are my two main points. A smaller issue I had is the space itself. It is crowded, has no charm, and the remodel feels cheap to me. The old Marche space was so nice, elegant (if you will), so it is sad to see how they messed it up.
My friends around town have made similar comments.
The question is will I go again? I think I am going to wait a while and hopefully management can get in gear, take comments like mine into consideration, and improve things. I always give second chances, so hopefully next time will work out because it would be really nice to finally have a decent steak in Menlo Park where we have very little options for fine dining.
We decided to try out LB Steak for our anniversary dinner this past week. Â We arrived a little early to have a drink in the bar, and I was initially put off by the drab color scheme, television and number of small children in the restaurant. Â However we had a couple of nice cocktails and oysters at the bar, and were promptly seated in a cozy booth for our dinner reservation.
As the sun went down, the decor worked better for me- the muted tones and lighting don't do anything for the space in daylight, but it warmed up as the sun set. Â
Now, I know it's Menlo park, and I have kids too, but I expected it to be a little more of a date night sort of restaurant. Â There were multiple families with vocal young children who didn't clear out until after 8- so, I guess this means it's kid friendly after all. Â Just a note, not a specific criticism.
Food- we had the oysters, scallops, steak, lobster, lamb, mushrooms, suger snap peas and bread pudding. Â All was pretty good though not particularly remarkable- I thought the "LB Steak sauce" was a bit of a let down- too similar to A1- there was more corn in the peas than peas themselves- and too much butter on the lobster. Â Overall, they definitely need to up the ante to justify the prices, but we didn't have a bad meal- just an overpriced one.
The wine list is a little limited, but they had a nice whiskey and port selection.
Service was attentive but not top notch- there were some minor hiccups that could work themselves out with more staff training (or an improvement of the staff experience level). Â
I'd go back again some time for a casual meal, but not for another special occasion.
LB steak recently opened in the location that was previously occupied by Marche. Â We were excited to have another dining option in Menlo Park. The interior has been substantially redecorated and expanded and the furnishing and colors are nicely done. The menu is completely a la carte, like many steak houses, which makes it an interesting challenge to assemble a meal without getting out the calculator to track the costs.
The service was so so - bread was old and dry, slow service to refill water and take the drink order and the waiter was patronizing when we asked if anything accompanied the meats on the menu. He frequently patted my shoulder. The iceberg lettuce sald was swimming in very strong tasting cheese dressing - although it looks nice and was plated nicely. The snap pea side dish came on top of a hefty dish of corn - while only the peas were listed on the menu - we didn't order corn. Â The steak was mmeeh - so so and for $45 I expected it to be nicely trimmed and served hot.
It is impossible to have salad and steak for less than $55 a person, not including beverage, tax or tip. With 2 salads and one vegetable side our order totalled more than $160 for 3 people (one guest had a $16 hamburger, no salad, no beverage). Â You should budget $75 per person for a meal that you would pay $35 for elsewhere. For that size tab you could dine at Rosewood or have a very nice meal at Flemmings.
As is common, a very annoying TV was playing non stop in the bar, which is open to the dining room. Many dining partners around the room were rivited to the screen while their table mates with backs to the TV ate their meals (virtually) alone.
Roland Passot seems to be taking over Menlo Park. At least he is book ending the retail part of Santa Cruz Ave. Years ago he started one of the first Left Banks and over a decade later, LB Steak takes over what was the former Marche space. MP seems to be losing more high end places than gaining. Hopefully LB Steak is reversing that trend.
Marche has sat empty for about year now ( I was there on the last day and trying to score some of the left over amazing wine list). LBS has definitely brought the space up to date. As elegant Marche was, it was also a bit dated. The typical wood patterns of a steak house, dimly lit with beautiful filament lights, partitioned demi booths and large windows. There's a long bar that is present right up front ready for the happy hour crowd and the wait that may ensue as dinner time bridges.
As it was opening night, they decided to limit the covers and also stagger the rate those covers were seated. We had a bit of a wait and the bar was full enough where we waited outside. Once we were seated things got going fairly quickly.
We got:
-12oz NY Strip
-12oz Rib Eye
-Corn Soup with Lobster Tortlellini
-Hearts of Palm Salad
-Potatoes gratin with bacon
-Sauteed mushrooms
The food came out surprisingly fast, our apps came within ten minutes of ordering. I finished my soup and while my friend was still finishing the salad, the steaks came out. The line was firing almost too fast. We realized that we got two Strips and instead of the rib eye. Friend was ok with it as it would have been disjointed to switch out. Steaks were perfectly cooked medium rare, and well seasoned. The pepper corn sauce and roasted garlic were ok, and didnt add as much flavour to the steaks as I'd hoped, but the meat stood on it's own. The sides were well done so overall a solid meal.
The service was friendly, a tad nervous, and maybe too anxious. The line moved a bit too fast and I think they can stand to relax a bit on the firing times. However, it's better to get your food faster than have long lulls which is the usual problems when opening a restaurant. Overall though, things went fairly well. They say that there will be some additions to the menu in the form of specials and more desserts. I always welcome a new good steak option and when they work out some of the minor kinks,this will be a good one to have on the list.
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