Grass Fed: Are you ready for a change?
To many, Grass Fed probably epitomizes exactly what a steakhouse should not be. It feels unsophisticated. The atmosphere is informal, the lighting is anything but dim and romantic, and there is not a ton of dark wood providing a backdrop to tinkling stemware and white linens. What a welcome awakening to the old rudimentary locations featuring live jazz and tuxedo-clad waiters scurrying about with carts for you fill in the blank dishes. To many people, this type of ambiance is it, as fancy as they will ever dine, and sometimes one needs a subtle reminder of where we’ve all come from.
Service: was interesting. In every steakhouse I have been to, someone asks a specific question about a cut of meat. Well, they were in luck because they only serve one cut (more on that later), but even still, the waitress seemed to be all over the place with even the most routine questions, i.e., what goes into “x” side. The waitress here apologized for not knowing the answer, but unlike many restaurants, didn’t offer to try to find out. Plus, despite the fact that many of the dishes came pre-seasoned (to some degree), the waitress failed to warn us, which caused quite the stir amongst the group. Poor form. Most of the servers at places like this – fairly new – are given a script, and I got the feeling that when the waitress was asked to step out of the script, she had no clue what to do. There is still work to be done on this front.
Other than these admittedly minor hiccups, service was top-notch throughout the evening, with several of the owners stopping by to pay a visit (and to actively take in the constructive criticism being lobbed their way). The waitress was quite affable, giving helpful advice, such as how we could split side dishes among our party to save a few dollars. There was no “up-sell” that I recall. Grade 8 out of 10.
Ambiance: I’ve pretty much painted the picture. The bar fits right into the theme, with an all white, clean and streamlined look, and serving up some of the best cocktails I have ever sipped on at a steak outing. Although none of the drinks were on special, they were all well worth it, especially the Bucktown Mule, with its house made and carbonated ginger beer that serves the right kick and so refreshing, especially on a 90 degree day. The restaurant feels large, and this is even without the all-white, modern feel. There are many seats throughout, which they can easily put together in order to accommodate a larger party, and afford it to talk comfortably amongst themselves. Unfortunately, there was no private space available for true private dining, but what else would you expect for a place that appears to be going over the edge to give you everything but formal. One caveat, the space used for the large groups is far enough in the back that you can still get the feel of privacy, but the foot traffic to and from the back patio may get a bit annoying. Grade 8 out of 10.
The Steaks (okay, the “Steak”): are not dry aged, but they were perfectly cooked; all were served exactly medium-rare all the way through, with the exception of the few in the party who opted for the tried and failed, “rare +”. The char was perfect, giving it a slight wonderful crust when we bit down. Although these were excellent steaks, loaded with flavor, the flavor is the big issue here. It is one thing to serve only one cut of meat (again, a great sirloin), but to then take it upon themselves to drown the steak in a magic sauce that is very heavy on the fennel was a disastrous move. The sauce MUST be optional, served on the side. As some of the members noted, not everyone loves the fresh taste of black liquorice when biting into their meat of choice to get that burst of flavor. Which reminds me, please do NOT cut into my steak as if to insinuate the help is needed because we’ve been throwing back Bucktown Mules for several hours before (even if that could be said for some in the group). Aside from making your guest feel as if they have reverted back to being 5 years old, by slicing into the meat you allow so much of the wonderful flavor to get loose. Depending on when the slicing takes place, the customer could be missing out on great flavor. I will say, however, that at least the slices were cut as thin as sashimi, into delicate little translucent strips. Grade 6 out of 10 (a 7 without the unwarranted and otherwise not informed of sauce de jour.)
Sides: are fairly large, easily enough to share between 2-3 people. However, even with going with the simple man’s theme that Grass Fed was shooting for, it is inexplicable to not have one of the most basic dishes that are a must with steak – mash potatoes – not to mention the fact that you can not get any more simpler than potatoes. I guess they attempt to get around this by serving the best frites I’ve had in a very long time. But still, lose the cauliflower and just give me the butter-garlic mash potatoes any day. Grade 6 out of 10.
For some, Grass Fed isn’t over the top enough, and just not worth it. For others, it is the ultimate dinner out when all you’re looking for is a good-tasting meal, in a fun atmosphere, and that won’t break the bank. Make no bones about it, this is not your Ruth’s Chris or Morton’s, but then again, you’ve got to know that going in and appreciate it for what it is: great drinks, cheap price, and a good cut of steak that will be perfectly cooked. The next time I look for a great piece of meat, but don’t feel like traveling down into the bowels of the city or being poo-pooed to death, or both, then I’ll keep this little neighborhood spot in mind. Overall 7 out of 10.
Filed under: General
6 Responses to “Grass Fed: Are you ready for a change?”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Tough outing for steak night – especially considering they don’t know a lick about “rare +” and tried to kill me and J Cizzle with the dogmeat they brought out from the kitchen. That said at least the waitress smiled when I almost got frostbite on my tongue due to the meat being so cold upon arrival.
Glad I wasn’t completely sober for this one, as the rash of disappointment could have really run deep. Easy access to the alley was appreciated, but maybe they could invest in a screen door as well to keep out the locusts.
As mentioned the sides were rather weak, but good in portion sizes. Glad they were, as I wasn’t able to eat much of the steak. Not a big fan of sirloin that doesn’t have a ton of taste and comes with a sauce that is forced on the diner.
The real fun started after the dinner where it was a quick trip to Lottie’s for some beers and laughs about how we won’t be going back to GrassFed anytime soon.
3 out of 10
This had disaster written all over it. That was the vibe rolling into this off selection by Donald; we all had some pre-conceived notions on the outcome of this meal. And the result?…… “Grass Fed is who we thought they were!”. I, however, am not letting them off the hook – nor am I going to crown there ass. Hey, I am all for trying new things and new places but I am not sure steak night is the forum. For Steak night….we go to Steak Houses. Grass Fed is not one of them. It is kind of a kitschy concept, I guess. Grass fed beef is the only entre with some frou-frou fresh sides.
I guess I need to take a step back, to be fair. I can’t rate this as a steak house – because it is not one. So I will rate it for what it is – another novelty restaurant in Bucktown that doesn’t really pull it off. The bar area is kind of cool, the Moscow Mule is average and the tables look like they were pulled from a cafeteria. We order the one steak you can order and a mess of sides – if you can call them that. My steak house sides need to stick to my ribs. Sides at Grass Fed give you the appropriate % of daily fiber for the day. Not my thing. What gets me the most is the Steak itself. If you serve one thing and one thing only, you sure as shit better do it spot on. Spot on the steak was not. The meat was cooked as ordered but they cover (read: ruin) the meat with a sauce that clearly contained Fennell. I cant stand that taste – game over for daddy gimms. Only saving grace for the meal was the fries…excellent fries. That said, no desire to revisit this establishment. I won’t go into my view on the service because we were a group of pricks and Miss Pierce took it in stride….
Boys, I implore you not to recreate the wheel – it works just fine. Lets us eat steak at a steak house…end of story.
Needing to get this in under the wire, I enjoyed grass fed. It is not in the same league or price range as most of the places the group may be accustomed to, but a change of pace is good. What it may not have had in fake touristy steakhouse vibe it made up for in flexibility, quality of food and dealing with the degeneration of the group after a few carafes of wine and countless cocktails.
Given its status as a new kid on the block, we expected some hiccups and a few were delivered. That said the potential is clearly there for this to be a place to go back to.
My only complaint was the a/c or lack thereof, it was clearly cooler outside and I made several forrays to beat the heat and enjoy the company of scott martin and the wit and wisdom he brings to all occasions.
I’d head back, probably not with the clowns I came with.
The group agreed to wave the “4 different cuts of steak on the menu” rule to visit this newly opened Bucktown steakhouse, although I hesitate to call it a steak house. Grassfed features a $25 fixed menu, which includes the one steak on the menu, fritas, salad, and bread. If you only have one option you sure as hell better do it well. Did Grassfed?
I am more a steakhouse traditionalist; I don’t want an inspired new take on a steakhouse by some hipster douchebag. I want big chunks of meat, appealing apps and plenty of carb options for my sides. Grassfed has none of this, however we knew that going in which is why I approached with caution.
The cocktail hour was enjoyable, the bar bustling but not overly crowded. The Bucktown Mule, their take on the more traditional Moscow Mule hit the spot. Unfortunately this may have been the highlight of the evening.
The place is not really well equipped to handle larger parties. They crammed a bunch of uncomfortable wooden chairs and tables together in the back corner to accommodate the group. We were right by the door to the patio, which is not ideal unless you are Scotty and running outside every 5 minutes to hit that shit. Scotty Martin gets the Frank the Tank award for being the drunkest one at the dinner.
The steak itself was ok but I was not a huge fan of that Willy Wonka inspired licorice sauce they drowned it in. The fritas were good. The sides were a travesty; they felt like something you eat when you are on the Weight Watchers diet because they only account for one point towards your daily point total. This is steak night, I don’t want sides straight out of the Weight Watchers cookbook that will help we lose weight.
You can’t really compare Grassfed to a traditional steak house because it is not. However even comparing it to restaurants in general I think it falls short. I was not a huge fan of this place.
On a side note if we can wave the “four cuts for steak on the menu” rule for this place we should consider doing it for Lawry’s and getting prime rib at some point. Just a thought.
Skepticism was high for this months steak night. A non-traditional, rule breaking choice was made as we found ourselves at Grassfed in Bucktown. With only have a prix fixe menu consisting of steak (ahem), fries, and salad, Grassfed really needed to deliver. And unfortunately they didn’t come close. Cocktail hour was fun. Everyone but Scotty showed up and there was major talk about a new rule concerning how fast an initial post needs to be up after the evening. To be continued on that one.
It’s been a while so I don’t eve really remember the apps and sides, but I can assure you there was nothing to rave about. So lets just get to the meat. First of all, I prefer to cut my own steak. This was served in pre-sliced, which is a sin in that it lets out all of the flavor and juices. But I guess they weren’t concerned about the taste of the meat because they INEXPLICABLY covered it up with this terrible mystery green sauce. If you’re going to add sauce to meat, you better ask the customer first. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that one. Not only was our rare+ weak barely cooked, it lacked any sort of stand out flavor. D-. The fries on the other hand were great. I hate that fries were the best thing about a steak night.
Afterwards a few of us ended up at Lottie’s which is always a good time.
I wish I had more to say on this one but I just don’t have it in me. Neither did Grassfed apparently.
We need a big time comeback next month after two bad ones in a row.
AUGUST = HOLIDAY FOR STEAK NIGHT
When I think of August, I think of picnics, I think of relaxing and I think of a break from it all. Grass Fed, while outside the form of our traditional evening, was a welcome affair for August. The feel of a barn and laid back demeanor was fitting for the summer. The gents shed their suits, with many arriving in jeans and button downs. Expense accounts were cast aside and the bill remained fair. Will we return as a group, not likely, but perhaps for a date.
Now back to the fall, football season, MLB playoffs and traditional steak.