Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

This week, I was invited at Uncle Jack's, the famous steakhouse from TV personality William Degel who was a steakhouse owner before going on TV rather than just investing in a restaurant thinking that your name solely will bring patrons. Lots of celebrities who invest in the restaurant industry have no clue what the day to day of a restaurant is; it is not the case with William Degel who is fully immersed in the process, even sometimes hand picking the meat from his purveyors who are mainly in Omaha, Nebraska, probably less now that he is busy with his career and multiple restaurants. I went to their location Midtown West that opened back in 2004 and it was not the first time as it was one of the first steakhouse I reviewed after starting my blog in 2011. Quite a big place with a beautiful decor that is kind of a throwback to the old days. And one big difference that I always notice when I go to a steakhouse: the light! At least I could see what I was eating and more importantly, I could see if my steak was cooked as ordered.

Dining room at Uncle Jack's Steakhouse in Midtown West , NYC

They invited us for a tasting that was amazing, allowing us to try several of their dishes, some very popular and, as you will see, some classics but also some more surprising dishes in this kind of establishment as they had...Asian flavors.

At Uncle Jack's, they have an extensive wine list, but I decided to go with a classic Manhattan, a cocktail I love and would love even more if these martini glasses did not exist! I don't know about you, but I always find the first sips difficult with these glasses, especially as they are usually filled up to the top, most of the time ending up with some cocktail on my fingers. But I managed and really liked it, including the cherry that was in it, completely soaked with alcohol.

Classic Manhattan cocktail at Uncle Jack's Steakhouse in Midtown West , NYC

The first dish was shrimp and lobster dumplings with a lemongrass broth that I would have probably more associated to a Thai restaurant. It was pretty good, the dumpling being well made and the broth being quite tasty, not spicy.

Shrimp and lobster dumpling at Uncle Jack's Steakhouse in Midtown West , NYC

The second dish was a maple glazed Nueske bacon served with peanut butter and a hint of chipotle. This was an incredible dish and probably one of the best bacon dishes I ever had! Most of the time, restaurant will just serve the bacon without any sauce and you can add some steak sauce. At Uncle Jack's, they stand up by giving a dish full of flavor: smokiness of the bacon, the sweet and savory dimension given by the maple syrup that has deliciously caramelized, and the nuttiness of the peanut butter. All combined, it gives you a spectacular dish that I highly recommend.

Maple glazed Nueske bacon at Uncle Jack's Steakhouse in Midtown West , NYC

The third dish was lamb "lollipop" chops that had a panko crust and were served with a rosemary and garlic demi-glace. The chops were "frenched" meaning that the bone was cleaned up, giving the appearance of the lollipop, and the panko crust gave a bit of the crunch right before biting into the tender and juicy meat.

The fourth dish was buffalo mozzarella salad served with a 25 y/o balsamic vinegar reduction. I admit that this is not really a dish I would order when going to a steakhouse, preferring more bacon or crab cakes. But in fact I liked it, especially because of the mozzarella that was very good and not rubbery at all, and because of the generous amount of basil.

Buffalo mozzarella salad at Uncle Jack's Steakhouse in Midtown West , NYC

But what I was really looking for the the NY "Trump" steak. Yes, you read well. I asked why they called it this way and got in a nutshell few reasons:

Proximity of the Trump tower and the fact that the Trump Campaign came often to dine at Uncle Jack's.
The support to Donald Trump from the owner.

The person who told me that jokingly said that it is easy to identify President Trump supporters from non-supporters by the way they order that piece of meat, using either Strip or Trump.

NY "Trump" strip steak at Uncle Jack's Steakhouse in Midtown West , NYC

Anyway, when it came to the table, that steak looked fabulous. It was a 16oz NY strip, USDA Prime, that was cooked in its jus in an 1800 degree Fahrenheit infrared broiler that gives a nice char to it. The meat was very tender, flavorful and juicy with just enough fat. It was simply phenomenal. I should mention that they propose this beautiful steak in 8oz, 12oz and 16oz making a steak dinner affordable considering how prices are today.

With the steak, we tried few sides:

Brussels sprouts with a chili glaze:

Brussels sprouts at Uncle Jack's Steakhouse in Midtown West , NYC

Garlic Mash potatoes:

Mash potatoes at Uncle Jack's Steakhouse in Midtown West , NYC

5 cheese mac and cheese (gouda, american, parmesan, cheddar and swiss):

5 cheese mac and cheese at Uncle Jack's Steakhouse in Midtown West , NYC

They were all good, but my favorite was the mac and cheese that was delicious, with so much cheese in it!

Dessert sampler at Uncle Jack's Steakhouse in Midtown West , NYC

Last was dessert and we got a sampler composed of a pecan pie (my favorite), a tiramisu and chocolate mousse. At that point, I was just looking forward for the walk we would have after leaving the restaurant. We had a great time and the food at Uncle Jack's was superb. It is definitely on top of my list when it comes to steakhouses in New York and stayed consistent over the years.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Uncle Jack's Steakhouse - 44 West 56th St. NY, NY 10019

Uncle Jack's Steakhouse in Midtown West - Closed

I Just Want To Eat!