Gauen Rhys Alexander

Review of Hunter Steakhouse

Overall, I think that this restaurant is overprice...

Overall, I think that this restaurant is overpriced. It appears to be trying to be a fancy steakhouse (judging by the prices on the menu) but the ambience, service, and quality don't really match. My wife and I visited for a date night because this is supposed to be one of the finest steakhouses in San Diego. However, I've had better steak with better service in a better atmosphere at the same or cheaper price at other places in San Diego.

The layout and arrangement of the restaurant is not quiet or intimate, making it a less than ideal date night. My wife and I had to raise our voices to hear each other across the table. The lighting is too bright and too harsh (needs more amber, less blue, and more lights at lower intensity better distributed). The decor is dated. Perhaps they are going for a more rustic vibe, like a steakhouse in the country, but that doesn't really match the rest of what it seems like they are going for.

The service is more akin to a decent restaurant rather than fine dining. Service wasn't terribly disappointing, but it lacked that extra level of panache that one expects while paying $30+ per entree. Our waiter seemed rushed and inattentive. Our meal lacked the pacing that I want in a gourmet meal.

The wine list was quite underwhelming. It was relatively short and dominated by the large commercial wineries. There were several options for cheap and unpalatable wine priced well into the $20 and $30 range.
There were few fine wine options, and they were exceedingly expensive. If I went back here, I would definitely bring my own bottle and pay whatever the corkage fee is.

My caesar salad was run-of-the-mill. Croutons were the same as the cheap ones from my local grocery, and dressing also seemed likely to be store-bought rather than made in house.

The prime rib was well cooked and tasty! This is apparently the house specialty, and they do a good job with it. However, one excellent dish does not redeem the overall experience for me.

The steak that I ordered, Steak Neil, was a New York strip with mushrooms, onions, and blue cheese on top. It was supposed to come with hollandaise sauce, but that was not delivered with the steak. When I brought this up, our waiter brought me some, but it was at least five minutes after I had started eating my steak. The steak was cooked appropriately (medium rare as requested), but was poorly trimmed and somewhat tough. The onions and mushrooms on top seemed overcooked and slightly burnt to me, though to be fair I prefer my vegetables somewhat undercooked by most people's standards.

The dessert options were advertised as "made in house". That is likely true, but that does not mean that they have a pastry chef on hand every day. The desserts were clearly made several days in advance (likely once a week) and refrigerated until a minute before delivery to the table. The crust on our turtle cheesecake had dried out and gotten tough from being refrigerated. The forks served with it were warm from the dishwasher, a tell-tale indicator of being short-staffed, in my experience.

For 1/2 to 2/3 of the price, I would consider eating at this restaurant again, but I would bring my own wine. For the price as it is, I can't justify eating here. The service, quality, and ambiance simply do not live up to my expectations for a $120 meal for two. For that price, I can have a much nicer date night with my wife at other locations in San Diego.