The first time Mike and I celebrated my birthday as a couple, he took me to Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse (on 9th Ave near 34th Street, also locations in Bayside and on West 56th Street).  I have been to some of the best steak restaurants in the city, so I was slightly skeptical when he was taking me to one that was not only right near my apartment, but also right near Penn station… not exactly a hot bed of great food choices.  My skepticism was soon relieved, however, as we had a fantastic meal there.  The most memorable part was the king crab legs.  Wow were these good! The BEST I have ever had.

So when Mike suggested we go back for a simple Valentine’s Day meal, I was totally game.  Uncle Jack’s also had been running a promotion that if you friended them on Facebook or added them on Twitter, they sent a $25 gift card. Score!  We were both more than happy to be fans after our last great meal.  I was also sent a “Lifestyle” card where I earn points for eating there.  It also happens to still be very close to our new apartment.  So… great last experience + gift card + rewards card + close to home = Valentine’s Day winner! They also didn’t have any crazy upcharged menu for the holiday AND promised a “free gift for the ladies” for dining on Valentine’s Day, so really this was the clear winner.

They do not have menus, however, they do have a big chalk board with all their main meals.  We were VERY sad to see that king crab legs were not on the menu, but our server quickly cheered us back up by informing us it was on the Specials menu.   

Score!  These were REALLY good, but not quite as good as last time.  Perhaps it was due to the seasonality.  We certainly enjoyed every last morsel, however.

Choosing the steak was tough. I was really tempted to go with the Kobe (compared to other restaurants, it was much more affordable), however, I’m still not convinced if the big upcharge for Kobe is worth it.  I keep saying I should try it, but I chicken out when I try to determine if double the price is worth it.  So we went with the “signature dish”: The  for 2.  I do love me a porterhouse. It’s hard to beat a steak that has BOTH New York Strip and Filet in one. 

This steak had the most amazing char I think I have ever tasted!  Throughout the meal, Mike and I were both trying to determine which of the two types of steak we liked better, but it was futile as they were both just SO GOOD.

We went with creamed spinach on the side and they really do creamed spinach right. Big fan! 

The worst part about the meal is when we had scraped every single last piece of edible material we could off the bone.  If I could have picked it up and noogled it, I would have!

And what would a Valentine’s Day be, especially at a steakhouse, without dessert? Unfortunately, the dessert menu is not posted online… so I’ll have to do this from memory.  I’m sure the menu had much better titles, and now that it’s a month later, I probably don’t remember as clearly… but here we go.

Mike went cheesecake.  It was exactly how I like cheesecake.  Not just thick cream cheese, but a little bit of a sour taste and more fluffy.  And the chocolate covered strawberry was definitely a great touch.

I went with, what else? the chocolate souffle cake.  I honestly can’t remember if this center was perfectly gooey or just okay… I believe at this point we were two bottles of wine in plus an amaretto for dessert (Hey! It was a holiday!) so the memory is a bit fuzzy.  I wish it were more memorable either way… but I don’t remember being at all disappointed.

We were promised a “special gift for the ladies” since it was Valentine’s Day.  Mike was hysterical as he asked for this and I received a little box of Russel Stover’s chocolates.  A nice little touch Uncle Jacks. Bravo.

Uncle Jacks also has some other interesting specials that I really would like to try if I had more money and wasn’t now on Weight Watchers… (wait! NYC Nom Nom is on Weight Watchers?! Oh yes… more on that later though.)  On Tuesdays they have half priced bottles of wine (all bottles if you’re a “Lifestyles” member, which you can sign up for on the site). Wednesdays are “Wine Tasting Wednesdays” when they do free tastings at the bar for two hours in each location (with complimentary fruit and cheese platters!).  Then Thursdays are “Ladies and Gents Nights” where they have complimentary tastes of “manly drinks” (scotch, port, whiskey, and bourbon) and “girly drinks” (cocktails and martinis) while serving their signature appetizers between 5pm and 7pm in NYC (6pm and 8pm in Bayside).  Wow! How great does that sound?!  I’ll have to check it out more and try to be good.  I love that they do these fun promotions.  Someone on their marketing team is quite creative.

Trust me, this place is great. Even without all the fun specials, it’s worth it. The fun specials just add more fun!  Try it… you won’t be disappointed.

Total Nom Points: 8 out of 10

Tags: half priced wine, king crab legs, ladies and gents night, porterhouse, restaurant reviews, restaurants, uncle jack's steakhouse, valentine's day, where to eat near penn station, wine tasting wednesdays