Famed NYC steak house slammed with zero-star review makes big change

Peter Luger Steak House, is one of New York City's most classic restaurants but it has hit the headlines in recent months for all the wrong reasons.

The once-iconic New York establishment had their reputation decimated by a scathing zero-star review in the New York Times last October.

Now, it's back in the spotlight as it offers delivery amid the coronavirus pandemic - with credit cards accepted for the first time in its 132 year history.

CNN journalist Stacey Lastoe, taste-tested the delivery option to see if the restaurant was heralding a new era.

How does the meat hold up?

In a one-two punch sure to please many a quarantined diner in Brooklyn, Queens and soon Manhattan, the iconic steakhouse is delivering its famous porterhouse steak and accepting credit card payments for it to boot.

The restaurant's steadfast allegiance to its cash-only policy (or special Peter Luger credit card; insert eye roll) has annoyed many diners (including this one) who aren't in the habit of carrying around hundreds of dollars of cash required to cover a steak dinner at the establishment.

But the times, they are a'changin'.

Closed since mid-March when the pandemic's stronghold grasped the city and effectively shut it down, the once-bustling Brooklyn hotspot is ready to turn up the sizzle again. And they are prepared to do it even if it means modernising payment practices and modifying some other hard and fast rules.

Reopening for lunch and dinner — meals and raw meat delivered straight to New Yorkers' doors — Peter Luger will offer up such cherished mainstays as its dry-aged burger and thick-cut Luger bacon.

The ability to have the burger for dinner is a move breaking with tradition, since it's an item historically only available on the Luger lunch menu.

Unable to belly up to the bar at noon in anticipation of the juicy delight topped simply with thickly sliced white onion — and American cheese if one wishes — now patrons can satisfy their burger craving at home, whether at 1pm or 7pm.

A taste test

Burger delivery in NYC being a dime a dozen at this point, I opted for the "Steak for Two," medium-rare, of course.

It's the dish the restaurant does best, and if they could execute it via delivery, boy, was this going to be a game-changer for the dining out during the coronavirus era.

Dinner arrived 56 minutes after ordering (about 30 minutes faster than I expected it to), and in no time at all, my Brooklyn kitchen was filled with the inviting smell of seared meat.

It quickly became filled with my isolation pals, too: my husband, Steve, and our dog, Odie.

But smell is one thing; taste is another. And the latter would be the true test.

Along with the protein, we ordered an iceberg wedge with tomatoes and bacon, natch, creamed spinach and French fries.

Not only was the order accurate, but it was also extra. A 12.6-ounce bottle of the signature steak sauce arrived with the meal as did nearly a dozen gold-wrapped chocolate coins, about the size of a half dollar.

The steak, while not exactly sizzling, was hot enough and swimming in a pool of butter -- a Luger signature that translates almost nearly as well to go.

Harsh words last fall

New York Times food critic Pete Wells all but eviscerated the restaurant in an October review.

Among other sharply critical things, Wells said that the management "seems to go out of its way to make things inconvenient," and that "the servers, who once were charmingly brusque, now give the strong impression that these endless demands for food and drink are all that's standing between them and a hard-earned nap."

For diners who agree with Wells on the service critiques, at least now that's a moot point for now.

Orders for DIY steak or the cooked variety can be placed through Caviar or by calling the restaurant directly. Pickup is also available daily from 11.45am to 8.45pm "based on limited availability."

"I'd say it's pretty damn good," Steve said, his praise growing stronger with each alternating bite of filet and strip. The thing about Steve? He is rarely ever wrong.