By now, the word is out that one of Brooklyn’s most revered restaurants, Peter Luger Steak House, has opened an outpost in Las Vegas. It’s quickly become a go-to dinner destination, limiting its menu to just a few items in order to keep quality at its highest—along with a commitment to never compromise. And that extends to the restaurant’s lunch menu. There may be only two “lunch specials” listed, but they’re both toothsome treats.
You’ve had plenty of burgers in your lifetime, sure, but the Luger Burger, made with more than a half-pound of USDA Prime, is sublime in its simplicity. There’s no aioli, no “smashing” process to lock in juices, no lettuce, no tomato and no fried egg. Rather, this stand-alone sandwich is simply a sesame seed bun, the grilled burger, and onions. That. Is. It. Yes, you can add cheese and/or bacon, but try it without those accompaniments first. You will quickly wonder why the burger industry insists so much on jazzing up its product. This is as back-to-basics as it gets, and it’s glorious.
A close second to the burger is the steak sandwich, featuring melt-in-your-mouth pieces of dry-aged New York strip served on a baguette-type roll with horseradish sauce. All meat is medium rare unless otherwise specified—although when it comes to Peter Luger Steak House, you want to tread lightly there, as they have been serving it this way since 1887—tradition is everything here.
Fries and ketchup are a fine accompaniment, as is the iceberg wedge, here served with chopped tomato, crumbled blue cheese and huge chunks of bacon, making this almost a full meal in and of itself. There’s also a terrific signature cocktail menu, featuring creations like the Mid-Town, made with Woodford Reserve bourbon, Meletti amaro, Cocchi Americano and spiced cherry bitters, and the Peter Luger Bloody Mary, made with Wheatley vodka, Peter Luger Steak House sauce and Bloody Mary mix—add in some of that substantial bacon for an additional fee.
For dessert, you would be remiss to pass up the pecan pie, one of the best versions this writer has ever tasted, especially topped with “schlag,” whipped cream created in-house.
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