Stopped for dinner Saturday after watching a show at State Theater. The service was not great. Our server did the bare minimal and was a little unfriendly. Slow considering it was empty, he didnt read the specials just put a card on the table with specials about 10 minutes after we sat and seemed to dismiss that we would even want a special. Which we did. Fortunately there was someone else who checked in a few times and she was pleasant.The meal was as expected. We had a filet steak and a few sides, cooked perfect although nothing unique.We always tip 20% or higher and we were going to tip less (rare for us us) due to lack of service. To my surprise. 20% was automatically baked into the bill with no option to lower. Explains the experience.If there is no incentive to provide great service or impact for poor service, this is what you get. Don't think we will go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 2
Beckie Karmin
The food was bad and the service sucks someone else come to take our order when he was not even our
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Mike Kowal
Oh, so good, I had the Wagyu it was tender and tasty. The staff was very attentive without being on top of us. I'll definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Molten Valrhona Chocolate Cake, 28 Day Dry Aged Prime Tomahawk Chop, The Stage Left Cheeseburger, Wagyu Beef on Himalayan Salt Block, Creme Brulee, The Stage Left Burger, Hand-Sliced Prosciutto Di Parma with Parmigiano Reggiano
Mondoroso Vini fatti a mano "Only healthy wine"
Fantastic guys! Well done Mark and Francis! Good good!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
CoryH
What an amazing oasis on a cold rainy February evening. We could have stayed all weekend. Everything fires on all cylinders. We came for the steak and the wine and were blown away by the cocktails, appetizers, dessert and service!
LoriH
The food was good. Steaks were cooked perfectly and seasoned well. Steak fries were tasty with good texture (crispy on outside and soft on inside). However, the service was lacking to say the least. The servers were not rude, but inexperienced and inattentive. Also, I would be remiss to ignore the bizarre layout. As you walk in, there is no place to wait while the staff are taking their time to check you in. This would not be that bad if the servers were not pushing you from side to side, moving around you and entering and exiting the restaurant with food. Apparently this restaurant gets some of their food from another kitchen located next door. If this restaurant wants to charge NYC prices, they need to step up the service and figure out how to get food in and out without disruption.
PreShowDiner
Drinks took about 25 minutes to arrive. Scotch on the rocks did not make it. Told the waiter.still did not arrive. Told the manager then it arrived. Steak arrived without a steak knife. Asked the waiter but it still did not arrive. Proceeded to cut the steak with a butter knife for the kids so they can eat. Asked again to the manager who got the knife when 80 percent was cut. Wagu tartare at 30 dollars was hard and almost tasted cooked. The manicotti had a taste of raw garlic inside. The homemade burrata was hard. Slow service. Took an hour 40 and we had to run out of there.
LisaS
This was our second time at the restaurant and the service was terrible. We waited an hour for our dinner, while other tables around us were seated after us and got their dinners before us.
Davis
Amazing service from all the staff , Maître d' was great and on point going above and beyond to accommodate customers . Food was unfortunately disappointing and not on par with any of the other fine dining steak houses in the area for the price .
DavidW
We never really knew who our waiter was. We were served by probably 7 different people but probably had to ask for our water to be filled twice. Our $159 steak was served without the requested 800 degree salt block since my girlfriend likes her steak a little more well done so we were eventually both using it so we didn't have to eat cold steaks. We ate it at room temperature at best. Our dipping sauces were also delivered late and the garlic butter was not melted. I have been there several times over the years for special occasion and I have to say I will probably never go back. they also charge 3% for using a credit card to pay. Dinner for 2 with tip was $385 and we didn't even buy a bottle of wine. We ordered a total of 3 glasses and 2 cocktails. I can make a better Cosmo and the martini glass it was served in was small. My $16 cocktail was gone in 3 sips. If I am going to pay for a meal like this I expect a higher level of service. I would not recommend Stage Left again. One more thing. Since they open both restaurants we observed plates of food going out the front door onto the street and into another closed door. We were both a little turned off by our food going from the kitchen to the sidewalk then to our table.
I haven't eaten here in a few years but I expected better service. Our drinks took awhile and we had to ask where they were. We came to celebrate my son's birthday. After we ordered he changed his mind and told the waiter he wanted the filet instead. The filet arrived in a small green plate, not a dinner plate, with nothing else. The food was ok but not as good as I remember. Overall it was lackluster and we won't be back
JosephS
Attractive restaurant, close proximity to the state theater, the reason for my choosing it, with nice ambiance, and an Attentive staff. Drinks were pricey but spot on, as was the food, cooked perfectly. Desserts were large and delicious. Even comped us a birthday crème brûlée as it was my girlfriend's birthday. Overall great dining experience, but, as previously stated, a little pricey for New Brunswick.
Michael L
I can't believe I've yet to write a review for this place as it's one of my favorite restaurants anywhere. While the steak is amazing, the hospitality and ambience just takes it to the next level. These guys know how to run a restaurant. It's more than going out to eat, it's a culinary experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
SiobhanG
My second visit to Stage Left Steak. We had a great time, service was amazing, food is very good. It was a bit loud, once a very large table left, it was easier to talk to the people at my table.
JerseyGal
Was so excited for a great dinner, but really didn't live up to the hype. Meal was just “ok”. 5 out of the 6 meals were undercooked. 3 were bearable, 1 had to be sent back, the other was so turned off by the cold food he didn't even bother.
Stopped for dinner Saturday after watching a show at State Theater. The service was not great. Our server did the bare minimal and was a little unfriendly. Slow considering it was empty, he didnt read the specials just put a card on the table with specials about 10 minutes after we sat and seemed to dismiss that we would even want a special. Which we did. Fortunately there was someone else who checked in a few times and she was pleasant.The meal was as expected. We had a filet steak and a few sides, cooked perfect although nothing unique.We always tip 20% or higher and we were going to tip less (rare for us us) due to lack of service. To my surprise. 20% was automatically baked into the bill with no option to lower. Explains the experience.If there is no incentive to provide great service or impact for poor service, this is what you get. Don't think we will go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 2
The food was bad and the service sucks someone else come to take our order when he was not even our
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Oh, so good, I had the Wagyu it was tender and tasty. The staff was very attentive without being on top of us. I'll definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Molten Valrhona Chocolate Cake, 28 Day Dry Aged Prime Tomahawk Chop, The Stage Left Cheeseburger, Wagyu Beef on Himalayan Salt Block, Creme Brulee, The Stage Left Burger, Hand-Sliced Prosciutto Di Parma with Parmigiano Reggiano
Fantastic guys! Well done Mark and Francis! Good good!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
What an amazing oasis on a cold rainy February evening. We could have stayed all weekend. Everything fires on all cylinders. We came for the steak and the wine and were blown away by the cocktails, appetizers, dessert and service!
The food was good. Steaks were cooked perfectly and seasoned well. Steak fries were tasty with good texture (crispy on outside and soft on inside). However, the service was lacking to say the least. The servers were not rude, but inexperienced and inattentive. Also, I would be remiss to ignore the bizarre layout. As you walk in, there is no place to wait while the staff are taking their time to check you in. This would not be that bad if the servers were not pushing you from side to side, moving around you and entering and exiting the restaurant with food. Apparently this restaurant gets some of their food from another kitchen located next door. If this restaurant wants to charge NYC prices, they need to step up the service and figure out how to get food in and out without disruption.
Drinks took about 25 minutes to arrive. Scotch on the rocks did not make it. Told the waiter.still did not arrive. Told the manager then it arrived. Steak arrived without a steak knife. Asked the waiter but it still did not arrive. Proceeded to cut the steak with a butter knife for the kids so they can eat. Asked again to the manager who got the knife when 80 percent was cut. Wagu tartare at 30 dollars was hard and almost tasted cooked. The manicotti had a taste of raw garlic inside. The homemade burrata was hard. Slow service. Took an hour 40 and we had to run out of there.
This was our second time at the restaurant and the service was terrible. We waited an hour for our dinner, while other tables around us were seated after us and got their dinners before us.
Amazing service from all the staff , Maître d' was great and on point going above and beyond to accommodate customers . Food was unfortunately disappointing and not on par with any of the other fine dining steak houses in the area for the price .
We never really knew who our waiter was. We were served by probably 7 different people but probably had to ask for our water to be filled twice. Our $159 steak was served without the requested 800 degree salt block since my girlfriend likes her steak a little more well done so we were eventually both using it so we didn't have to eat cold steaks. We ate it at room temperature at best. Our dipping sauces were also delivered late and the garlic butter was not melted. I have been there several times over the years for special occasion and I have to say I will probably never go back. they also charge 3% for using a credit card to pay. Dinner for 2 with tip was $385 and we didn't even buy a bottle of wine. We ordered a total of 3 glasses and 2 cocktails. I can make a better Cosmo and the martini glass it was served in was small. My $16 cocktail was gone in 3 sips. If I am going to pay for a meal like this I expect a higher level of service. I would not recommend Stage Left again. One more thing. Since they open both restaurants we observed plates of food going out the front door onto the street and into another closed door. We were both a little turned off by our food going from the kitchen to the sidewalk then to our table.
Restaurantji Recommends
I haven't eaten here in a few years but I expected better service. Our drinks took awhile and we had to ask where they were. We came to celebrate my son's birthday. After we ordered he changed his mind and told the waiter he wanted the filet instead. The filet arrived in a small green plate, not a dinner plate, with nothing else. The food was ok but not as good as I remember. Overall it was lackluster and we won't be back
Attractive restaurant, close proximity to the state theater, the reason for my choosing it, with nice ambiance, and an Attentive staff. Drinks were pricey but spot on, as was the food, cooked perfectly. Desserts were large and delicious. Even comped us a birthday crème brûlée as it was my girlfriend's birthday. Overall great dining experience, but, as previously stated, a little pricey for New Brunswick.
I can't believe I've yet to write a review for this place as it's one of my favorite restaurants anywhere. While the steak is amazing, the hospitality and ambience just takes it to the next level. These guys know how to run a restaurant. It's more than going out to eat, it's a culinary experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My second visit to Stage Left Steak. We had a great time, service was amazing, food is very good. It was a bit loud, once a very large table left, it was easier to talk to the people at my table.
Was so excited for a great dinner, but really didn't live up to the hype. Meal was just “ok”. 5 out of the 6 meals were undercooked. 3 were bearable, 1 had to be sent back, the other was so turned off by the cold food he didn't even bother.