Last night The Wife and I headed over to a new restaurant in Burnsville, Steak America which is located at the corner of MN-13 and Cliff Rd in the building which housed a Denny’s and, most recently, a very short-lived Asian buffet. We arrived around 5:15p and walked into the space. Upgraded slightly since its Denny’s days, it seemed more open and had a small but nice bar serving craft (90 Schilling and Stone IPA to name two I remember) as well as the usual domestics both in bottles and on tap. We were quickly seated, walking past the stone fireplace in the center of the room and heading for a booth in the back corner.
The menu which isn’t really listed on their website, is lengthy and, honestly, seems pretty decent. The price points seem appropriate (6oz/$11, 8oz/$14, 12oz/$17, 16oz/$20, 20oz/$24 for steaks and $7 – $10 for appetizers) and there is a good variety ranging from steaks to seafood to pastas. Meals come with garlic toast and a choice of either a Caesar or chop salad served family style as well as a trip to the potato bar. Pretty standard fare for what this place seems to be emulating: a nicer Ponderosa.
Our server, nervous and unsure of herself, was sweet and friendly. While there were plenty of service issues, it wasn’t due to her not trying and wanting to be helpful. We had plenty of time to look over the menu and eventually placed an order for the Flash Fried Calamari ($10), a 6oz Tri-Tip Sirloin ($11), 8oz New York Strip ($14), and for the Rooster, the Steak Bites ($6).
It took almost no time at all for our Flash Fried Calamari to arrive. That’s because it doesn’t take very long to dump frozen calamari rings into the fryer and throw them on a bed of bagged lettuce with cold marinara and “churrasco sauce”. When it first arrived, The Wife told me to count the rings which looked just like Burger King’s onion rings; there were seven. Seven bag to plate calamari rings the size of BK’s onion rings for $10. What. The. Hell?! The server was around to ask how they were and I inquired if the 7 tiny rings were a joke. She said she believed it was a mistake and soon after a manager was out to say that the cook had used only one bag (well at least we were right about them being frozen) instead of two and he’d take the order off our bill. Eventually a pile of overfried rings arrived looking even more like onion rings and we dug in. Unfortunately they were exactly as you’d expect: chewy, tough, and flavorless. The marinara wasn’t anything awful but the “churrasco sauce” tasted like French dressing mixed with a spicy Italian dressing. The Wife noted the churrasco sauce looked very similar to Burger King’s onion ring sauce, rounding out our experience with this huge failure.
After quite a while our salads arrived with three pieces of garlic bread. The bread was nothing special and neither were the salads. The Casear was sweet (huh?) and the “Chop Salad” was really just a garden salad. Listen, calling something a “Chop Salad” may sound great in your head and on your menu but if you’re not going to take the time to actually chop everything up and you’re just going to deliver a bagged salad with a couple of cherry tomatoes, a few pieces of onion and green pepper alongside the shredded carrots in the bag, you might as well call it what it is: a garden salad and be done with it.
After a very long wait (this was only day three) our steaks arrived and The Wife’s 6oz Tri-Tip looked incredibly small even on an already tiny plate. Her’s was cooked perfectly medium rare, almost rare, and it was ok for the cut of meat it was. When I asked her what she thought she put her hands in the air, palms up, shrugged, shook her head, and said, “ehhhh, it was ok.”
My first steak came to the table and looked like someone had whacked it with a meat tenderizer. It was about a foot wide, 1/16th of an inch thick, and it was round. I don’t know about you but I’d never seen a round New York Strip steak that was 1/16th of an inch thick. In other words, it wasn’t a NY Strip. In addition it was also cooked medium-well even though I asked for the strip to be cooked blue. The waitress, noticing it was not cooked blue, immediately returned it to the kitchen and another arrived soon after. This one actually looked like a NY Strip steak and was basically raw. I mean, it had clearly touched the grill on both sides but it was red through and through and completely cold to the touch. The meat was fatty, tough, and basically tasteless aside from the heavy peppering it received. Seasoning a steak like that when the sear is adequate works well, but in this case, because the steaks are so very thin and an adequate sear is not possible while keeping the steak cooked anything but medium-well+, all that it left was a peppery raw meat that was very much like beef jerky. I left about a 1/3 of the steak on the plate–something I never imagined I would do to a steak.
The surprise of the evening were The Rooster’s steak tips. It was a good sized portion (almost the size of The Wife’s steak) and while they had some type of pretty terrible seasoning, they were nicely cooked and were the only truly edible item on the table. While The Rooster wasn’t a fan, since I hadn’t eaten all of my own meal, I decided to eat his instead.
Now, I figured since the steak was pretty terrible I’d at least have a chance to get something that was decent into my stomach at the Potato Bar. The Wife went first while I took care of the kiddos and came back with a plate full of sad looking potatoes. She noted that it was literally a “Potato Bar” and all they had were potatoes in various forms–nothing more. Thinking she was joking I headed up there with cheese, bacon, chives, and broccoli on my mind. What I found, just like The Wife said, were potatoes in various forms: baked, scalloped, American fries, mashed, fried wedges. To their credit they had a big pile of butter and sour cream at one end but that’s it.
I got a taste of all forms and brought them back to the table. The baked potato was what you’d expect however, everything else was absolutely disgusting and I say that with my tongue bitten because it was actually much worse than that. The scalloped potatoes looked like they were homemade but tasted like they came from a 10 year old box found at the thrift store food shelf across the street. The American Fries were cold and dried out. The mashed potatoes had no flavor except the burn of black pepper. The fried wedges were greasy and tasteless. Amazingly enough, Steak America was not only able to screw up a “potato bar” they were able to screw up potatoes in all their forms. While the steaks were their own spectacular failure, the “potato bar” was even more so; an impressive feat considering how awful the steaks were.
When we were done I said to The Wife, “this is like eating at a high school cafeteria.” Thinking for a bit she replied in all seriousness, “nah, it’s a half to a full step above that.” Oh, thanks for the clarification. The total bill, including tip, for two of the smaller steaks, a kid’s item, and an appetizer was $51 (BTW, they didn’t take the calamari off the bill like they said they would). Expensive? Not if I was eating a steak at Applebee’s, Ponderosa, or any number of other places, but when eating at a restaurant pushing out food a half-step above a school cafeteria where my lunch would probably be $3, yeah, it was expensive.
I was not at all impressed with the food but the people were great. They were really trying to work with the poor quality foods they had on hand and I think if the owners moved away from cuts of beef no one should eat; sourced from places that I assume normally go into the creation of dog food; while making the potato bar what it should have been, I really think this could really work as a Ponderosa knock-off. But until then, I’d rather eat the microwaved leftovers from Golden Corral’s B1G1 free night. While the teenager working the hostess station from his seat on the bench, who didn’t bother to stand up as we walked by, told us to have a good night and he hoped he’d see us again, I said, “no, I don’t think you will.”
Have you been to Steak America? If so what did you order and what did you think? Did you find it affordable for the quality you received? What restaurant would you compare it to locally? Whatever you have to say about this one go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Address:
Steak America
2400 Cliff Rd
Burnsville, MN 55337
Phone:
952-736-8226
See all the pictures from Steak America in Burnsville on Flickr here.
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August 29th, 2012 at 7:52 am
When I saw the name, I thought this was going to be about a new place going into the Burnsville Center food court.
August 29th, 2012 at 8:14 am
All I know is I have the stupid Pawn America jingle stuck in my head. Thanks a lot jerks.
August 29th, 2012 at 8:20 am
I understand this is an offshoot of Pawn America.
Apparently the economy has gotten so bad that people are bringing in fresh meat to pawn shops.
The take here is pretty cool though. Because pawn shops need to hold the product for a defined period of days before they can sell the products, this sets up perfectly for dry aging the meats prior to cooking and serving the pawned meats to the consumer.
I think the only drawback is the emphasis on Sirloin, Chuck and Ground as opposed to the better cuts, but this will only get better when more and more down on their luck consumers realize they can cash in old meat for Cash! Cash! Cash!
I can’t wait to eat here, though I am not sure I am going to try the hamburgers.
August 29th, 2012 at 8:28 am
Maybe it will be like the Best Steak House, murders and all…
August 29th, 2012 at 9:02 am
I saw the sign a couple of days ago. I’m scared…
August 29th, 2012 at 9:07 am
I am thinking it will be more like Ponderosa than anything fancy.. I am willing to give it a shot
August 29th, 2012 at 12:18 pm
The restaurant is owned by the same people that own El Loro. My boss frequents El Loro and he was talking with the owner about it. I wish them luck, but in my 5 years working not far from that intersection, that building has been closed more than it has been open.
August 29th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
Good to know, I won’t even bother.
August 29th, 2012 at 5:42 pm
Steak America? What, in case maybe I thought I was at Steak Canada?
In a way, I can kind of see a budget steakhouse going in to someplace like that (assuming that’s what this is); I’ve wondered why there wasn’t something like a Best Steak House or a Farmington Steak House around here. And I will probably end up trying it out of curiosity.
Oddly enough, I do miss that Denny’s, but only because it was nice to have a restaurant nearby that was open 24 hours.
August 29th, 2012 at 7:07 pm
at one point in time there was a steak assembly line place in Burnsville off Hwy 13 over in the strip mall just east of what was formerly Menards. Interior was dark, you grab a tray, walk up to a window and say gimmie a steak. All you can eat sirloins cooked to order with some fries and texas toast. I think when I went there once with the wife it was like $7 per person. We never went back because the wife didn’t think their salad bar was safe.
Considering how busy places like Culvers are, I assume most of the SOTR folks like a little variety. Thus other than the truck driver crowd I’m not sure how well a steak only place would do.
If they can find a way to have a better steak than what comes off the Sysco truck, there might be some room. You never know. A lot of human density down in that area, and if the pick the right combination of food, and do it well for the right price, they could have something. But then that is what every restaurant has the chance to do. I wish them luck.
August 29th, 2012 at 9:27 pm
As I used to work just up the street from this location, one of my former coworkers told me of the redesign and new name listed on the sign. I honestly do not see a steak place making it in that neighborhood. They don’t have as much traffic as one would think is needed. Competition from like venues in the area (DoLittles, Rack Shack and even Junior’s Sports Bar) with established customer bases will be hard to compete with.
I am interesting in their potato bar, hopefully it is affordable and a descent quality.
August 29th, 2012 at 10:08 pm
“Considering how busy places like Culvers are, I assume most of the SOTR folks like a little variety.”
HUH?
August 30th, 2012 at 7:18 am
I went back and reread your entry about El Loro. I’ve never had the issue there with my ID being scanned and I go there every few months. However, if I had been treated like you had, I would not be going back either. My boss also said that they gutted the interior to give the place a fresh start since the Asian Buffet still looked like a Denny’s inside. I do kinda miss the Denny’s too since we would head over there after night shifts once in a while for breakfast, but there aren’t many other decent options for that nearby, at least to my knowledge.
August 30th, 2012 at 8:42 pm
I’m just trying to guess why Culvers is so damn busy every time I drive by. Employees park in the street because the parking lot is always full. I can only assume it is because everyone can find something they want since their menu is so vast. (not saying good, just big)
August 30th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
I’m with Bill, owned by El Loro people, I’m out. My last meal at El Loro was steak fajitas that tasted like nothing. Luckily a coworker was paying. It would be nice to have something worth eating at for lunch just down the street from work. I will wait for somebody else’s review first.
When I passed by today, the “log cabin logs” were being fitted to exterior of the building.
On a side note, the Asian Buffet that was in that building for about an hour one week, did anyone even eat there??
August 31st, 2012 at 7:03 am
Bryan/Travis,
Not only woudn’t I support their business due to the ID scanning thing, but as Travis said, their food flat out sucks. They use low quality beef, like many Americanized Mexican joints do and their meats are chewy and tasteless. Why would I spend $15-20 at a budget steakhouse when I can drive to Ramadan down the street (or Byerly’s or even Cub) and get a steak for 50% less and make it myself and know it’s going to be decent?
Steak is one of those things where I’m VERY RARELY impressed by those who grilled it at a restaurant. I hate paying good money to get something I could do better myself (i.e. breakfast foods) so I just don’t have any faith in El Loro in this regard.
—
Travis, on another note, why do you go to El Loro at all? It was terrible years ago and it still is. There are better choices out there… Why not try El Parian instead? :)
August 31st, 2012 at 7:28 am
“Travis, on another note, why do you go to El Loro at all? It was terrible years ago and it still is. There are better choices out there… Why not try El Parian instead? :) ”
I should qualify my comment of the last time I ate at El Loro, somewhere around 3-4 years ago. Probably not long after they remodeled the old Wendy’s on Cliff Rd. We stay away from all of the “EL” restaurants. I’d rather eat tacos and potato ole’s from Taco John’s in Rosemount. I am serious about the Taco John’s comment.
August 31st, 2012 at 7:29 am
Ouch :-)
August 31st, 2012 at 10:22 am
What is wrong with Taco John’s? Authentic Mexican food it is not, although neither is Taco Bell. Does the Rosemount TJ location serve breakfast?
August 31st, 2012 at 10:31 am
Travis: The Asian Buffet sucked – no wonder they are gone
August 31st, 2012 at 10:56 pm
I went to the Buffet once.. it was scary.. i am glad I did not get ill
August 31st, 2012 at 10:57 pm
Oh sorry and the Rosemount Taco Johns does serve breakfast.. as scary as that sounds.. lol
September 1st, 2012 at 12:59 am
El Loro’s food reminds me of the frozen “Mexican” dinners I had when I was a kid and didn’t know any better. It all tastes like a plate of reheated mush.
September 1st, 2012 at 7:21 am
Kind of off topic, but you are talking about why people eat at Culvers…After finding out I didn’t like their burgers, I never ate there after the first time…BUT their Strawberry Fields salad has me hooked. Someone recommended I try it, and for the money, I don’t think you can get a better salad. I will be sad when it is off the menu after summer is over. Then I have to try Wendy’s similar version which I have heard is also very good.
September 1st, 2012 at 11:47 am
Asian Buffet was terrible. I went there once and wanted my money back. Food was not temped correctly, terrible selection, dirty, the list goes on.
September 7th, 2012 at 9:42 pm
2nd vote for trying El Parian, that place is great! I’ve been eating there off and on since the week they opened and the wife and I are still quite pleased with what they have to offer.
Try the Parriada (spelling) if you’re there with a friend. For myself I commonly the Enchiladas Guadalahara. Three cheese enchiladas smothered with carnitas, it’s awesome.
Going back to the original topic, I don’t think Eagan can support another steakhouse, unless it’s really low priced. If I wanted to spend more $$ I’d probably go to Jensen’s Supper Club, or cash in a Restaurant.com coupon @ Wooley’s.
September 10th, 2012 at 8:38 am
Bill:
In response to your comment about the quality of El Loro’s food in comment 16, I would point you to your comments concernign El Loro when the ID Fiasco went down:
“Tonight I went to El Loro in Burnsville, MN to meet up with Kevin and his family. A long time favorite of mine that has excellent Mexican food for Minnesota.”
Have you been there since this review where you vowed never to darken their doorstep again? What has changed concerning the quality of their food, that you have first hand knowledge of, that would take their food from “excellent for Minneosta” to “flat out sucks”?
I understand your issue with thier ID policies, but has your bitterness over that incident, which has nothing to do with the quality of thier food, caused you to start criticizing said food?
September 10th, 2012 at 8:40 am
1. It’s not Mexican food, something I didn’t fully understand at the time.
2. I have eaten at many other newer Americanized Mexican restaurants in the mean time, mostly because I refused to go to El Loro and have been able to compare the two.
3. I went to El Loro once since that visit, in Coon Rapids to meet a coworker, and it was just as awful as Burnsville.
September 10th, 2012 at 10:40 am
Ha. Drumroll, please…..Bill and I completely agree on the terrible “food” at El Loro.
September 14th, 2012 at 8:07 am
Kirk – my instinct says that SteakAmerica is going to be like a Bonanza or Sizzler like place.
Just let me know when they decide to open a “Golden Corral” here.. it looks sooooooo good!! ;)
September 14th, 2012 at 8:47 am
At least they have a liquor license.:)
September 16th, 2012 at 7:58 am
Really? I love El Loro. My favorite is the Loro Loco. Shrimp in all their items is so big and good. The waiters are so nice and attentive and so is the owner. I’m really surprised by all the bad reviews
September 16th, 2012 at 1:05 pm
Should I re-read the post about fake restaurant reviews at this point??
September 16th, 2012 at 9:01 pm
Jeanne isn’t the only one around who likes this place. I’m talking about the one in Eagan on Yankee Doodle.
Two friends keep raving about it. They convinced me I just needed their help in ordering the right thing so I consented to try it again.
I don’t even remember what I had but I know it tasted like poo on a plate. They need to let me pick the lunch spots or at least have veto power or I will be looking for new friends.
September 16th, 2012 at 9:05 pm
People also love and rave about Teresa’s in Lakeville and it’s just utter garbage in your mouth. If I wanted to wait an hour for crappy food, I’d make it myself at home.
September 17th, 2012 at 8:26 am
People like Jeanne D and her type are really a blessing for those of us that do like good food.
Just think how tough it would be if all the chain and crappy food loving Americans stopped eating at them and started to go to The Nook or Spice instead, for example.
We wouldn’t be able to get in.
I am perfectly fine letting the lemmings jump off that ledge and in turn keeping the wait shorter at the really excellent places that I like to go to. I am still just fine calling my Applebees loving friends idiots because they mostly know I am right (“$5 burgers on Mondays, you know…cheaper than The Nook”). Truth is, when they are looking to do something “special” when it comes to dining, I am the one they ask.
While it is sad that food is just abstinence for a good percentage of the population, it probably plays well for the rest of us looking for an experience more often than not when we eat.
Thanks Jeanne D.! Keep eating that crap food. Don’t mind us.
September 17th, 2012 at 8:58 am
Ah yes…lefty’s dating life “dry spell” sneaks into his blog comments as a Freudian slip. I think you meant sustenance.
September 17th, 2012 at 9:28 am
Ha. I need to wait for the coffee to kick in before typing Monday mornings!
Stupid spell check suggestions. :>)
September 17th, 2012 at 11:51 am
I can always count on lefty and MSPD to liven up a ho hum day…I am tired, but maybe the Oktoberfest in Stillwater on Saturday night still is playing out in my system.
November 6th, 2012 at 5:29 pm
According to their FB page they’re now open.
November 6th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Found their website address buried in their about link on facebook.
http://www.steakamericamn.com/index.html
No menu there, but some info on the items that are supposedly on the menu.
November 6th, 2012 at 7:34 pm
Seems like the menu is there for me.
November 6th, 2012 at 7:44 pm
yeah, but I don’t call that a menu. I.e. it says We offer all of your favorite steaks, including: and then lists out a bunch. So are there others they have that aren’t in that list as the text implies?
Same thing with the seafood.
I assume the actual menu is not quite so generic.
November 6th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
I wonder if their beef is from old milk cows. Be nice to see the grade of beef and the prices. You have to wonder if they cater to the quantity before quality crowd.
November 6th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
Quantity for sure, Sandy.
November 7th, 2012 at 1:14 pm
I think the “Eat a 3 pound steak in 45 minutes and win a gift card” promotion sort of helps answer the quantity over quality question.
November 7th, 2012 at 1:53 pm
A gift card for what? A free cardiologist appointment?
November 7th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
I don’t like linking to Yelp but this is interesting: http://www.yelp.com/biz/steak-america-burnsville#hrid:WoEQ2-3AyIEFqiti_bbjXg
It’s pretty clear the astroturfing has already begun. For reviews all on the same day (10/31) and they review Steak America in a glowing fashion on that day when they just opened on 11/6.
November 8th, 2012 at 6:35 am
I have moved the comments from the preview post under this one for historical purposes.
November 8th, 2012 at 8:13 am
I had some hope for this place. I guess I’ll stick with the Farmington Steak House for cheap, half way decent steak.
November 8th, 2012 at 8:52 am
I’ve been curious if the food there could actually be good. That steak looks disgusting!
November 8th, 2012 at 8:54 am
That picture of your “steak” and Sandy’s question about “old milk cows” may very well put me off of any steak at all for the next 9-10 week. That is the most disgusting picture I have ever seen on this site, and I am pretty sure you have posted a picture of Joey in the past, so that is saying a lot.
Thanks for doing your readers a service here and taking one for the team Bill and family. While I expected your review to be pretty bad given the expectations up front, it was much worse than I thought it would be and I am pretty sure you actually held back a little (or a lot) from how bad it actually was.
I am going to go throw up now.
November 8th, 2012 at 8:58 am
lefty, yeah, I couldn’t say, “this poor excuse for a piece of meat in all honesty tasted like the piss covered pile of shit dropped from the cow’s ass as it was executed in the name of Steak America.”
November 8th, 2012 at 9:08 am
That steak looks like it was cooked by “Little Boy” in August of 1945.
November 8th, 2012 at 9:28 am
Yeah Bill. You wouldn’t want to say that.
It would be an insult to piss covered piles of shit.
November 8th, 2012 at 9:54 am
I think this type of place should work well in the suburbs, where demand for quality is fairly low, but it sounds like they may even be stretching that.
I ate at a place on lake street a few weeks ago, I think called Los Andes, or somethign to that effect, and had a dish that was some sort of steak covered in all sorts of peppers and onions and sauces. The steak was incredibly tough, and incredibly thin, however the meal was actually quite good, mostly because it was covered in all sorts of stuff and the flavors were great. So, I think there are ways too cook lower quality cuts of meat and make them edible.
It does not sound like that is happening in this case.
I am sorry, as I am sure it is noted above someplace, but is this place owned by the same people who own El Loro?
November 8th, 2012 at 10:00 am
Wow – thanks for saving me about $50 and an hour of my life.
I’ll pass!
November 8th, 2012 at 10:02 am
Chad,
A Lazy Lightning reader who was seated next to us last night said that it was owned by the same people who own Junior’s Eagan and Burnsville. It has been said by someone associated with the business that it’s not owned by El Loro but I cannot verify that it’s owned by Junior’s either.
November 8th, 2012 at 11:01 am
I’ve been trying to figure out what was in this location pre-Denny’s. I know way back in the olden days (pre 1970-something) it was Mr. Kenelly’s farm, but after he died and the land was sold, I thought it was some other restaurant.
November 8th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
This is supposed to be a ribeye? https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3320472791041&set=o.381833721878277&type=1&ref=nf
November 8th, 2012 at 3:17 pm
The commenter beat me to the punch. That’s prime rib, not a ribeye.
November 8th, 2012 at 3:22 pm
To be fair, a rib eye steak is basically a prime rib that is cut before roasting IIRC.
That said, I don’t think my dog would attempt to eat that gnarly looking thing.
November 8th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Right, but you can easily tell that that was cooked as a roast (aka prime rib) then sliced as the evidence of heat is on the outside circumference of the meat rather than the top and bottom. Otherwise, the large section of marbling on the surface wouldn’t be white like that. It would have some dark brown from the flame and/or cooking surface.
Either way, it looks terrible. The way it is uniformly brown and without any sear almost makes it look like it was poached.
A great prime rib will have a crust and will be much less uniformly cooked (pink/red center, beautiful sizzling crunchy/fatty outside). That’s the joy of a prime rib! A ribeye will have some sort of sear.
By the way, it could be this photo was taken after a lot of handling on the table, but that plate looks haphazard and kind of dirty (dried up moisture spots, fingerprints, messy ramekin of jus.)
November 8th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
Here is the photo in question if you don’t feel like clicking through to Facebook.
November 8th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
Comment whore.
November 8th, 2012 at 4:46 pm
Scoreboard.
November 8th, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Not fair
November 9th, 2012 at 2:40 am
bring back denny’s!
November 9th, 2012 at 8:17 am
From the looks of it, Seppuku, that’s pretty much what they’re doing food-wise.
November 9th, 2012 at 8:18 am
That’s an insult to Denny’s, MSPD. Seriously.
November 9th, 2012 at 8:37 am
Since you’re still being a d**k and not giving us an option on your posts, I give you this for that last comment:
November 10th, 2012 at 6:28 pm
Scary… yuck. At least with Denny’s you knew what you’d get, I fortunately (unlke B Yrock) never made it to the Asian Buffet, but I think I can save my eating-out money and skip this place!
November 15th, 2012 at 11:09 am
Apparently Steak America is as good as Betty’s in Eagan:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/steak-america-burnsville#hrid:W1qKhAKGTg3BfHf9rQm7Hg
November 18th, 2012 at 8:40 am
Steak America is the result of a conjunction that came from both the owners of El Loro and Juniors. It seems near impossible for any restaurant to survive in that location – but if anyone can do it……I trust these men can.
November 18th, 2012 at 1:11 pm
Fairly new lurker – new poster here~!!
Just went to Steak America 1st time last night w/super hubby that likes to eat out lots~! Always like to try new restaurants So. of the River. While we haven’t tried them all, so very much like Bill’s on-target reviews and all posters’ comments~!!
Just to add my 2 cents, and a warning, if you insist on going there — do NOT order the shrimp. The menu (and the server, who was great) say they serve large Tiger Shirmp~!! I should have done the picture/quarter thingy, because that would have been an accurate pic.~!! I wondered if I could have been wrong about the size of the shrimp I’ve ordered (and have also bought), so when I got home, I called a knowlegable friend and asked if Tiger Shrimp come in different sizes. That would be a ‘ no’~!! Taste wasn’t bad though. So, didn’t get what we paid for~?~?~?
Backing up, we ordered the Bruschetta app (which I had such fun with our server trying to get him to pronounce it right) and the topping was ok, but the bread that it came on also the 2 slices of bread for the table, was tastelesss, limp like a rag and the thing had to be cut into small pieces and eaten with a fork~!! They should take a Bruschetta class from Andiamo~! (Yumm~!)
Last comment, and one of the really good reasons for not going back there, is the tiny size of the booth seats and space. Hubby and I were stepping on each other’s feet and had to agree on which side of the center post to put our feet to remedy this. I also observed a guy, not that tall, actually pushing his seat back to get out~!! Probably the most uncomfortable seating ever~!!! So, if you’re over 4’5″ tall, you won’t be liking a booth~!
Thank you all for cementing the reasons to make this place a ‘once-in-a-life-time’ experience~!!
O.K. so maybe my post is more than 2 Cents~? ;+}
November 18th, 2012 at 11:16 pm
“we ordered the Bruschetta app (which I had such fun with our server trying to get him to pronounce it right)”
Such fun!
That sounds like something that could motivate a server to spit in your food.
November 20th, 2012 at 12:17 pm
MickieX, thanks for the post and welcome to LL
November 20th, 2012 at 1:42 pm
I have been to El Loro several times and have never had an issue with it. Where else can you get drinks for two, (Beer/Margarita) and dinner for 2 and have your bill be under $25? How does El Loro get drug into this bad visit to Steak America? How do you know they are owned by the same people? Has anyone ever asked the ownership of either resturant if they are under the same ownership? I think all of you need to do a little more research on the negative things you post on this site before you start taking shots at other local businesses.
November 20th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
El Parian? Teresa’s (not that I would recommend anyone go there). Any other Tex-Mex joint around town? Applebee’s, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc?
November 20th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
Owner: James Reyes Sr. Works for U.S. Foodservice. Opened Juniors in Eagan. Son opened Juniors across Hwy. 13. All covered by Gessner in Sun Thisweek.
I still don’t know where the connection with El Loro came from either unless they own the actual building (Steak America is renting it).
Anyway, from every seemingly impartial review I’ve read anywhere, Steak America sucks ass so far.
November 20th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
Seems sort of funny he called it Junior’s then.
November 20th, 2012 at 4:11 pm
Yeah…sort of funny in the mold of a guy named Aymen opening a shop called “Betty’s”.
November 20th, 2012 at 4:58 pm
Sorry Ozzie. — You totally misunderstood my comment-!! ;+{ The server, as I said was really great, and it was fun for BOTH of us-!! No malicious intent there, no hint of misunderstanding. He never knew about our discontent with the restaurant as a whole, because you don’t take it out on servers, (Having been one in a long-ago previous life). And for that reason alone, I would never even send back food-!! Oh and yup. — would not like any ‘off-menu’ additions either-!! Ugh-!! Hope you get it now. Happiest Thanksgiving-!!
December 1st, 2012 at 7:09 pm
I think the potato bar is gone. The sign outside has been changed and now says steak-seafood-bar. I was also the one who said Steak America was involved with El Loro. I wasn’t trying to spread false information, that is what I had heard.
December 3rd, 2012 at 6:18 am
Thanks, Mickie-!! That TOTALLY clarified everything-!!
December 10th, 2012 at 4:19 pm
From a recent Urbanspoon review:
December 17th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
My buddy and I tried out Steak America last night. We’re fan’s of Junior’s nearby and this is “Junior Senior’s” place. The ambiance was certainly an upgrade from the old Denny’s days, but I got the feeling that they are working on a concept which can be franchised…which was confirmed as something for the future.
The menu has enough variety to satisfying almost anyone but the pickiest sort. The staff was cheerful in their greetings and open about the restaurant’s struggle to get started. We got the impression that they have sorted out quite a few initial glitches. One, a potato bar, will be back in service soon. I like the idea and look forward to checking it out.
I ordered a ribeye, my idea of a great tasting steak. My buddy, the porterhouse. We both greatly enjoyed the steaks and the service. I see other reviews with are very negative and I saw nothing last night to back up those reviews. I can only conclude that they have worked hard to remedy what was wrong. Our server told us some of the story and that appears to be what happened.
I plan to go back and often. The quality for a decent price and the service we received makes for a relaxing and enjoyable place. As long as that holds up…and I suspect there will be tweaks and changes as all restaurants go through…I will keep going back.
December 18th, 2012 at 3:39 pm
LMAO
December 18th, 2012 at 9:52 pm
He liked it. He really liked it!
December 26th, 2012 at 8:20 am
[...] 1. Copper River Fish & Chop House (second review) 2. Technique 3. Tawakal 4. Spice Thai Cafe 5. El Parian 6. Nha Sang 7. The Buckboard 8. Burnsville Ale House 9. Panini Grill 10. The Rack Bar and Grill 11. Wicked Palate Food Truck 12. Classic Saigon 13. Saigon Palace 14. Black Stallion Saloon 15. Byblos Lebanese Grill 16. Betty’s Cafe and Pies 17. Pita Plus (closed) 18. Piccolo’s Pizzeria 19. Lone Oak Grill 20. Steak America [...]
December 31st, 2012 at 7:29 am
[...] 10 Posts Visited By Minnesotans: Minneapolis Metro Holiday/Christmas Lights Map Steak America in Burnsville, MN Minnesota State Fair Bingo Byblos Lebanese Grill in Burnsville, MN The Rack Bar & Grill in [...]
January 3rd, 2013 at 12:00 am
Try the fish tacos on the appetizer menu. They are wonderful.
January 3rd, 2013 at 10:05 am
William, first…welcome to Lazy Lightning.
I’m always on the lookout for a great fish taco (even at what I understand is an incredibly shitty steak restaurant). Can you elaborate a bit?
- Pan-fried fish or un-coated?
- What kind of fish?
- What kind of tortilla? (i.e. corn, flour, thin, thicker)
- Any other aspect that made these “wonderful”?
Color me intrigued.
January 3rd, 2013 at 2:02 pm
MSPD,
Perhaps you would like the Fish Taco’s from Long John Silvers?
http://thewvsr.com/fast-food-review-long-john-silvers-fish-taco/
January 3rd, 2013 at 2:34 pm
Awesome Ryan!
I am going with “Came from the fridge”
Even better…
Not an A? Pass.
January 3rd, 2013 at 5:35 pm
Oh wow…that….looks….AWESOME!
I might need to eat a few dozen of those immediately.
January 13th, 2013 at 12:32 pm
The fish tacos are made with walleye. If you go there at happy hour they are 1/2 price. You get them for $4.50. Pretty great price. My first experience with fish tacos was our first time in Hawaii. That got me hooked. I’ve been trying fish taco’s anywhere here that sells them (restaurants only, no fast food), some have been good and some were lousy. I happen to think they are great at Steak America. I prefer also squeezing lime on them.
January 13th, 2013 at 4:20 pm
William,
Thanks for your additional information but you didn’t answer most of what MSPD asked. You provided us with nothing which could possibly help us decide whether they are worth it, especially considering it probably wasn’t walleye.