I finally got to the Golden Steer last night, and it was simultaneously more and less than what I expected/hoped for. \n\nFrom the minute you walk in the, the odd juxtaposition of a nice steakhouse in a shitty strip mall makes it self known. Two of the signs on the doorway - \"PROPER ATTIRE REQUIRED\" & \"RESTROOMS ARE FOR CUSTOMERS ONLY\" are so rarely seen together. However, once you're inside the double entry-way, you have no idea you're on in a rundown plaza on the wrong side of Sahara. There's a very nice looking bar/lounge area immediately at the entrance, and the maitre'd is to the right. We had reservations, just to be safe (I know, it's only Thursday), and were seated immediately. (The Marilyn Monroe booth, if it matters). The decor is nice, no doubt about it, and it pulls off that old steakhouse vibe very well, without feeling phony or pretentious. I was actually quite skeptical on this, but there were no disappointments there. Our waiter, who was a younger guy, and not the old dude everyone talks about, was cordial enough, but definitely didn't do anything amazing. On to the food...\n\nAppetizers:\nToasted Ravioli - As Gordon H told me \"Not gourmet by any means, but I love them.\" And that's what went through my head as I ate them. Good stuff, but you're not gonna confuse it for a fancy dish.\n\nSoup/salad:\nWe skipped. The guy at the booth next to us ordered the Caeser though, and it looked good.\n\nEntree: \n8oz Petit Filet: My guest had this, and she proclaimed it easily better than the bone-in filet at Joe's, but not better than Joe's ribeye. This really surprised me to hear, but I didn't taste it, so I can't confirm/disconfirm. \n\n20oz? Ribeye: Pretty good, but not great.. I didn't get to finish it, so maybe it could've deserved better. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't kick it out of bed, but it doesn't stack up to the competition IMO.\n\nSides:\nTwice-baked potato: Con bacon. My fucking lady friend said that it was good. I think it was too, but I couldn't compare. \nCreamed spinach: Not great. Sweet & too creamy, in both of our opinions. Definitely outdone by Joe's & Del Frisco's here.\nOnion rings: We both saw the onion rings, prominently displayed on the menu, and hoped that they were some extra special dish. They even had an aura emanating from them upon arrival, but ultimately they were just above-average beer-battered rings. \n\nDesert:\nBananas Foster: The fucking business. Flamb\u00e9ed table-side, as it should be. Our man with the frying pan had some liquor ignition issues, so he had to run to the back and start fresh, but the 2nd take went just fine. And the dish was well worth the wait. My FLF said it was definitely amongst the best she's had. I really enjoyed it, but I haven't had enough others to compare. \n\nOverall, I wouldn't rush back here for the steaks. There was a lot of seafood on the menu, which may be excellent for all I know. I will be returning to try the chicken/veal parmigiana, and definitely for deserts. Cool place though, and if I wasn't aware of other places I liked better, I'd probably come here a helluva lot more often.
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